School rated ‘inadequate’ before converting to academy told it still needs to do better

A primary school that was rated ‘inadequate’ before converting to an academy has been told it still needs to do better. Education watchdog Ofsted says Bredbury Green Primary School, in Romiley, Stockport, ‘requires improvement’ following a recent inspection.

A newly published report says children love going to the ‘happy’ Clapgate school, praising the ‘committed staff’ and ‘effective steps’ taken to improve pupils’ learning in maths and English. But while the youngsters behaviour and personal development are rated as good the quality of education and leadership at the school are said to still not be up to standard.

The report notes that the school is ‘ambitious’ for all its pupils - but youngsters ‘do not achieve as well as they should in subjects other than English and mathematics’ “They do not have a secure knowledge of some important parts of the curriculum,” it adds. “This is because, in some subjects, leaders have not made it clear enough to teachers what pupils should learn.”

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Officials acknowledge school leaders have ‘thought carefully about how the curriculum will develop pupils’ understanding of diversity’ - but ‘not considered the most important knowledge that pupils need to learn in these subjects’.

“As a result, Inspection report pupils do not develop a secure knowledge of some important aspects of the curriculum,” the report continues. “For example, older pupils have only a superficial knowledge of mapping skills in geography.”

And while staff are said to ‘routinely check’ how well pupils are progressing, inspectors found this sometimes does ‘not identify when pupils have not learned or