A troubled private school which has been threatened with closure has failed its latest Ofsted inspection.

Rudolf Steiner School in Kings Langley has “put children at risk” by not vetting the teachers properly and accepting sub-standard applications.

The Department of Education is considering removing the school from the Register of Independent Schools, which would force it to close for good.

The latest inspection, held in February, found the school had failed its safeguarding requirements again, despite passing them at its last monitoring inspection.

Teachers "do not consider the needs of the pupils and do not always act in the best interest of the pupils".

The school’s records show that there have been eight concerns raised by parents since the previous inspection. The majority of these relate to the quality of teaching and learning. Each of these was resolved informally and quickly, with the headteacher retaining oversight of the process.

Last year, the Department for Education (DOE) banned Rudolf Steiner from accepting any more pupils after parents raised concerns over the safety of their children.

The school is now appealing its decision to be removed from the register.

Concerns were initially raised back in March 2016 by parents.

The latest report by Ofsted states that "leaders have failed to ensure that all new employees have been thoroughly vetted prior to taking up their post".

It added the school had accepted applications that fall "far short of a professional standard" and have not taken up "appropriate references".

The report did state that improvements have been made in the way teachers assess pupil's progress and the leadership of senior teachers in supporting individual colleagues.

Interim principal Tim Byford, who has been in the role since last August said: "We are very disappointed with the safer recruitment issue, and have taken immediate steps to correct the mistake.

"I am confident that all standards relating to quality of education can be met in the very near future. Improvements in teaching and learning always require the longest time of any aspect of school improvement."

A meeting between the school and the Department for Education will take place on April 20.

The full report can be found here