A HEREFORDSHIRE primary school continues to be good, but still has work to do, Ofsted inspectors have said.

After visiting Brockhampton Primary School, on the Downs near Bromyard, inspectors said it is a happy place where pupils enjoy learning.

It said the school, with 192 pupils aged between two and 11, set high expectations for pupils and they work hard and support each other, as well as know what is expected of them in terms of behaviour and work.

RELATED NEWS:

Safeguarding was said to be effective and the pupils felt safe, knowing they can talk to staff or fellow students about any worries.

The school, in the countryside near Bromyard, makes good use of its outdoor space which aids pupils' physical and mental health, inspectors said after the ungraded inspection.

Because when Ofsted last visited in 2017 the school was judged to be good, this latest inspection was to see if the school continued to be good or whether its grade could change at the next full inspection.

Want to stay up to date with all the latest Bromyard news? It's easy, just sign up for our weekly email newsletter here and all the important stories that matter to you will be delivered straight to your inbox.

Under the leadership of headteacher Matthew Mander, a broad and effective curriculum has been created, with English and maths suitably prioritised, with progress regularly checked by staff, with morale among the team high.

The school's ability to look after pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities was also praised, as well as its work on pupils' personal development and focus on music

But lead inspector Heather Simpson said in her report after the visit on October 18 and 19, published in November, that there were three areas where the school could improve.

OTHER NEWS:

She said not all curriculum subjects set out the explicit knowledge, skills and vocabulary that teachers want pupils to know and remember in different year groups, including in the early years, leading to children having gaps in their learning.

She said that teachers’ use of assessment in some foundation subjects is at an early stage of development. This means that leaders have not identified where additional support is needed or know how well pupils are achieving.

The final point was that sometimes, books that children in the early years and key stage one take home do not support the phonics work they learn in school. This reduces their progress in phonics.