North Shropshire village school is told to improve by Ofsted
A village primary school has been ordered to improve after inspectors ruled standards had slipped over the past two years.
Buntingsdale Primary School in Buntingsdale, near Market Drayton, has been told by education watchdog Ofsted that it 'requires improvement' because of concerns with the standard of teaching and pupils' performance.
And staff and officials at Shropshire Council have pledged to make the necessary improvements in the near future. The school, which was rated satisfactory at its last inspection in 2010, was visited by education inspectors on January 15 and 16.
The report acknowledges that 'considerable staffing changes' have hindered the school's ability to make improvements at a fast enough rate. It is undergoing major building work as it changed from an infant school to a primary school in September.
The report says: "Pupils are not doing as well as they are capable of in reading, writing and mathematics.
"Teaching requires improvement. Not enough is good and teachers do not always set work at the right level of difficulty.
"Leaders do not have a full understanding about the performance of different groups of learners, or set themselves measurable targets for improvement." However, the report says the headteacher provides good and strong leadership.
"The school provides good care, support and welfare for pupils and parents whose circumstances mean they need extra help. Pupils behave well. They feel safe and enjoy all that the school offers."
Headtacher Hilary Alcock said: "We are pleased that the inspection acknowledged the challenging circumstances the school has needed to deal with in recent years, and that the right strategies are now in place to sustain improvements."
