DANESFIELD Middle School in Williton requires improvement in every category according to a recently published Ofsted report.

But progress is already being made following recent changes there.

The report rated the school as ‘requires improvement’ in each category examined, including the effectiveness of leadership and management, quality of teaching, learning and assessment, personal development, behaviour and welfare, and outcomes for pupils.

On the positive side, the report said that staff, parents and pupils shared the vision of the newly-appointed headteacher and a culture of raised ambition and expectation was now evident in much of the school’s work.

It also said the headteacher had brought stability to the leadership of the school, systems and plans with the potential to bring about more rapid improvement were now in place, and most pupils appreciated the support they were being given with their work and were pleased with the changes introduced by the new headteacher.

The report recommended a number of steps for the school to improve further.

These included ensuring middle and senior leaders took an active part in monitoring the quality of teaching and pupils’ learning, and took swift action to bring about necessary improvements.

The report also said Danesfield needed to strengthen teaching, learning and assessment across the school so that pupils make at least good progress, improve attendance at least in line with national expectations and improve pupils’ understanding and knowledge of fundamental British values.

An external review of governance should be undertaken to assess how this aspect of leadership and management may be improved.

Full report in this week’s Free Press.