A PRIMARY school in Worcester is set to join a multi-academy trust.

Cherry Orchard Primary School, in Timberdine Close, will be the latest to join The Rivers CE Academy Trust.

A new headteacher, Karen Banford, will be put in post in September as acting headteacher Lee Card will move to another school.

The move comes after Ofsted inspectors rated the provision inadequate and put the school into special measures following an inspection at the start of the year.

The report meant the school was forced to become a sponsored academy.

However, the school will not join the trust immediately, as it has to go through an official due-diligence process first.

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Kate Brunt, chief executive of The Rivers CofE Academy Trust, said: “We are thrilled to welcome Cherry Orchard Primary School into our academy trust.

“It is a lovely school that has a strong moral compass rooted in ‘growth mindset’ and mental health for young people.

“We have a wealth of experience and education acumen that we will bring to this school and I am confident that Karen Banford, one of our current Executive Headteachers, will bring our Rivers Academy values to Cherry Orchard as we embark upon this next step of our journey together.”

Mr Card had been acting headteacher since the previous head, Mike Painter, left just before Christmas. He had worked alongside Di Smith, who joined the school as interim headteacher in January. Her interim role will finish at the end of August.

Karen Banford said: “I’m really looking forward to this challenge. It will be very exciting working with the community at Cherry Orchard. It’s a great opportunity to develop my leadership skills in a larger school and I am really excited about this next step in my own career. Our future plans will be to bring the children back from home learning into a refreshed and exciting curriculum and move the school forward into the next of its development.”