Woolpit school was ‘good’ but now ‘requires improvement’

An education watchdog has found that a West Suffolk school, previously rated ‘good’, now ‘requires improvement’

Ofsted’s recent report on Woolpit Community Primary School follows an inspection it carried out on November 27-28 last year.

The report states that the school’s leadership and management, behaviour and safety of pupils, quality of teaching, achievement of pupils and its early years provision are all in need of improvement.

It says: “Teaching is not consistently good across the school. Consequently, pupils do not make good progress, especially in mathematics, and their achievement requires improvement.”

The school’s headteacher, Shaun Holland, and governors were, however, found to ‘demonstrate the determination and skills to bring about improvement’.

Inspectors noted that around seven per cent of the school’s pupils are from gypsy/Roma heritage and that about 20 per cent are disabled or have special educational needs, both of which are above the national average.

They also recognised that the school, which formed a federation with Rougham CEVC Primary School from 2012-2013/14, ‘is emerging from a period of considerable change’.

Mr Holland, who was acting headteacher from September 2014 until two weeks before the inspection, said that while he and his ‘hardworking team’ were disappointed in the outcome of the report, they were committed to addressing the school’s areas of weakness and building on its strengths.

“Following the period of change that the school has recently been through, I am confident that the school can make significant improvements over a short period of time and I look forward to working with governors, staff, parents and pupils in achieving this,” he added.