A WEST Dorset school has been downgraded after inspectors deemed the quality of teaching and standard of pupils needed improvement.

Burton Bradstock Primary School has gone from 'good' to 'requires improvement' since the last Ofsted inspection in 2012.

Inspectors did praise the school for leadership and management, behaviour and safety of pupils and early years provision - but the school was downgraded to 'requires improvement' overall.

In his report, lead inspector Dale Burr said the quality of teaching "has not been consistently good enough over time to reverse the decline in performance since the last inspection" and that "pupils do not make good progress across the school in developing their writing skills".

The report also highlights that marking by teachers does not always help pupils improve, while "some teachers do not insist pupils take sufficient pride in their handwriting and presentation of their work."

Headteacher Claire Staple said the school has already identified areas of improvement in a development plan.

She said: "Quite rightly, the inspector recognised that writing is an area that requires improvement, including the application of phonics and spelling, as well as ensuring consistency in presentation across the school.

"Through our own self-evaluation, we had already identified these areas and they are a priority in our next school development plan.

"Work has already taken place to address these in the last few weeks including a school presentation policy, a new spelling scheme and a new writing programme. This will support the development of handwriting, which the Friends of the School have kindly agreed to fund."

Mr Burr praised Mrs Staple and governors for setting more ambitious targets for staff and have "secured rapid improvements in teaching and pupils' achievement during this academic year, particularly in reading and mathematics". Pupils with special educational needs are given good support, while the school "provides a calm and nurturing environment in which pupils behave well".

The report indicates that children in the early years make progress because of good teaching and leadership, pupils are safe and well cared for and that "leaders promote pupils' social, moral, spiritual and cultural development exceptionally well".

Chairman of governors, Julian Piper, said: “Governors were pleased that the inspector found so much to praise within the school and noted that improvements have led to positive results during the year.
"The ‘requires improvement’ grade highlighted areas, especially in children’s writing, which we had already identified and have been investigating best practice in other local schools.

"It has been a year of immense change and the report records the creative way in which staff have tailored the new National Curriculum to the local area, the successful implementation of the new guidance for children with special educational needs and the excellent compliance with the new safeguarding regulations.”