A primary school could be closed down after Government inspectors found its teaching to be "inadequate and uninspirational."

Teachers at Ainslie Wood Primary School, in Ainslie Wood Road, Chingford underestimated children’s abilities and so did not stretch them, an Ofsted report has said.

But inspectors did praise teachers for providing a “caring, safe, welcoming environment” where children were happy, secure, confident and respectful.

The school scored ‘inadequate’ in five areas inspected and‘satisfactory’ in three.

Lead inspector Martin Beale said in the report: “There is significant underachievement throughout the school, including in the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS), largely because teaching is inadequate, progress in lessons is slow and teaching rarely inspires.

“As a result many pupils are behind where they should be by the end of Year 6.”

Inspectors found that children at the EYFS stage (nursery and reception classes) were at the level expected, but by the time they left this stage less than half are achieving national goals.

The inspectors found that quality of teaching was inconsistent and teachers did not stretch pupils or give them an opportunity to take on responsibility or show initiative.

The inspectors did praise pupils’ behaviour inside the classroom but said they became boisterous in the playground.

Ainslie Wood operates in difficult circumstances. It is a large school which serves a diverse community where a quarter of pupils do not speak English as their first or only language. It also has a high turnover of pupils who do not start and finish school at the same time.

Ofsted has placed the school in special measures, meaning that if the quality of teaching does not improve the school could be taken over by the Government or closed down.

Staff at the school refused to speak to the Guardian, and requested that our reporter contact the council's corporate communications department instead.