First choice of primary school has just gone into special measures. How bad is this is?

[Chocolatestain]

We have recently submitted our application for DS to start school next September (the deadline was Jan 15th). We live in the countryside, pretty much equidistant between two schools, one of which is a more of a village school while the other is on the edge of a large conurbation. We liked both when we looked round and I made the decision to put the village school first based on a slightly easier journey and the fact that it was in the village and seemed to have more links with the immediate community (Carol services in the village church, for example, even though it's not a CofE school).
I found out yesterday, through other mums at a pre-school group, that the school has just been put into special measures by Ofsted. Apparently it was in the local paper on Monday, the day after the application deadline (although I believe Ofsted published the report on the 11th). The main issues seem to be with the head and senior management not following through with recommendations from a previous inspection and a general lack of coherence in school policy on various issues. The most worrying aspect was that incidents of bullying were not being acted upon by the head. The head has now gone (although it's not clear if she was sacked or resigned) and a deputy head from another local stool is stepping in temporarily. The school is going to be turned into an academy and a new head appointed.
I'm now panicking that I've completely messed up by choosing this school over the other one and don't know what to do for the best. Three of the mum's at the pre-school group are primary teachers and they all said not to worry as the school will now be very closely monitored and have to improve. One of my concerns is that I don't know much about academies (and don't particularly agree with the privatisation of the state school system in principle) so really have no idea what sort is school DS may now be going to. Also I don't know if appealing to the local authority to change my choices after the deadline is a viable option. If it is possible I'm guessing all the other parents in our position will also be doing it.
I'd be really grateful for any information about academies and how schools tend to fare when going through this process so I can make a decision about whether to sit tight or fight tooth and nail to get DS into the other school.

You both make some really good points, Bojorojo and cantkeepaway. One of the issues raised in the Ofsted report was that the head had was out of touch with the reality of what was happening in the school, so it's not unreasonable to assume that her reports to the governing body were not an entirely accurate reflection.

Personally, I tend towards the school of thought that primary school (particularly the early years) is more about developing confidence, social skills and a positive attitude towards learning. As long as children gain a decent grasp of the basics of numeracy and literacy, I'm less bothered about the actual grades. However, poor teachers are as unlikely to achieve this as they are to get high grades. DH has been asking around people he knows who have experience of the school and everyone he's spoken to is happy with both the school and the teachers. This combined with the fact that the teachers were aware of the detrimental effects of poor leadership and frustrated at being unsupported in implementing imporovements gives me hope that there is a strong teaching staff who will welcome a better head and be prepared to put in some extra effort to turn things around.

The school is already quite small, so losing pupils is a concern. However, if parents like it they will probably be prepared to ride out the changes and a new housing development is being built in the village which may boost numbers.

bojorojo. there are several issues that I feel require challenge and things I don't feel follow protocols. Several Governors have resigned and one was pretty much forced out. Maybe my expectations are too high.

Your summary, chocolate, rather sums up my reading of the report. It will be better if everyone stays. If few criticise teachers, there is a good chance.

Foxy. I am sure your expectations are not too high. Your Clerk should keep Governors on the straight and narrow. They should conduct meetings in a constructive manner, with everyone being listened to and you should have an agreed code of conduct which covers how meetings are run and expectations on governors. The Head should give you sufficient info to know the strengths and weaknesses of the school and then an accurate improvement plan can be drawn up that the governors monitor to ensure it is effective. All reports are open to scrutiny and governors should set challenging targets for the Head based on what needs to improve. Can you discuss your concerns with the Clerk?

Academy conversion will only happen if the school is financially viable. Many of our small village schools have an academy order, but no chain or trust will take them on.
Also keep in mind that the 'inadequate' judgement will disappear as the academy status results in a new school. This doesn't mean that anything has actually improved in the school, but like a bad debt the school can move on and leave the judgement behind without actually addressing the issues. I wouldn't be happy with that for my children