A primary school is taking effective action to improve, Ofsted believes.

The finding was reached following a monitoring visit by the watchdog to Parkgate Primary on Brooklands Road, Parkgate.

The school was found to require improvement at a full inspection last June as it had been at a previous inspection.

But Her Majesty’s Inspector (HMI) Tanya Hughes has now told headteacher Andrew Hutchings: “Senior leaders and governors are taking effective action to tackle the areas requiring improvement identified at the recent inspection in order to become a good school.”

Activities undertaken by the inspector during her visit included meeting Mr Hutchings, his deputy, teachers and governors.

She also spoke to children and parents, looked at the school’s action plan and visited classrooms to see children and teachers at work and to examine the work in pupils’ books.

The HMI points out that since the last inspection in 2016 three members of staff have left the school. Three new governors have also been appointed.

'High expectations'

She has told the head in a letter: “Governors and staff in the school share your high expectations and commitment to providing a good quality of education for pupils.

“You have acted quickly to tackle the areas that were identified for improvement at the previous inspection and are leading improvements effectively with the support of your deputy headteacher and a highly committed team of staff. “

The inspector continued: “You and your staff have constructed clear development plans which identify the correct priorities for improvement. The implementation of your plans has been effective in bringing about rapid improvements to the school particularly to the curriculum on offer.”

Changes have been made to the timetables of individual classes to ensure that teachers give enough time to different subjects to enable the curriculum to be taught in sufficient depth.

Steps have been taken to ensure the curriculum is ‘thorough, carefully planned and offers a range of additional opportunities for pupils, including visits and visitors which bring learning to life’.

More senior teachers are said by the HMI to be ‘extremely positive about the changes that are taking place’ which contribute to the school’s improvement.

Teachers have more confidence in their ability to teach the full range of subjects and parental workshops, led by teachers, see parents working alongside their children.

The progress of different groups of pupils is now tracked more carefully and teachers each term have raised expectations about what pupils of all abilities should achieve.

This is especially the case for the most able pupils who are now being given more-challenging work. Pupils who are not making enough progress are identified and supported so that they catch up.

Action has been taken to improve the quality of pupils’ writing skills which are improving across the school. As a result progress in writing is becoming more rapid.

The local authority is providing support to the school and school improvement meetings are checking that improvement plans are progressing as intended.

At last year’s inspection Ofsted felt the school had not successfully tackled all the areas for improvement from their previous visit.