A SCHOOL has been branded 'inadequate' by Ofsted following an underwhelming inspection.

Ridgewell Primary School, on Church Lane, was inspected in November for the first time since 2011.

Despite being rated as ‘good’ in 2011, an Ofsted report published last Thursday revealed the school has dropped to ‘inadequate’ after a number of issues.

Particular criticism was reserved for the school’s “ineffective” safeguarding of pupils’ welfare and the vetting carried out in the recruitment process.

The report said: “Systems and practices for keeping pupils safe are not rigorous.

“While parents say their children are safe and pupils report that they feel safe in the school, governors do not check the systems and practices rigorously enough to ensure that all concerns are addressed appropriately.”

Although information published by the school suggests that pupils are making good progress, inspectors claimed that it is not clear that pupils’ starting points are measured accurately.

The report also stated: “Consequently, leaders do not know when pupils are not making the progress that they should to achieve the higher standards.

“Leaders have not supported teachers well enough in the past to have high expectations about what pupils can achieve.”

Brian Vidler, Chairman of Governors, said: “We are obviously very disappointed with Ofsted’s judgment, particularly after a year in which the school’s results were above national averages in the majority of performance measures.”

“Governors have drawn up a detailed action plan alongside the Diocese and the Local Authority, and progress has already been made in addressing the issues raised in the report.

"I am confident that, with the commitment of our dedicated staff and everyone associated with the school, further improvements will be made.”