Primary school told to improve by Ofsted

While inspectors praised extra-curricular activities such as football, the school was told to improve (generic image)

A school previously rated as "outstanding" by Ofsted has been told to make improvements after a critical report from the watchdog.

Ofsted no longer gives overall grades to schools, but in a report released on Friday it said Harborne Primary School in Birmingham was inadequate in its quality of education and its leadership.

The school was also told it needed to improve its early years provision and behaviour.

The report said it had been affected by "turbulence in staffing", which had hampered its efforts to identify and make improvements.

Inspectors made a number of recommendations for Harborne Primary School

The report followed an inspection on 20 May and found most pupils achieved well in reading, writing and mathematics, but children with special educational needs (SEN) or disabilities did not.

SEN children also did not receive enough help with their behaviour, leading to a "high number of suspensions".

The inspectors said some pupils may be at risk of harm because the school did not "routinely involve external safeguarding agencies to support the most vulnerable pupils" and the school had been too slow to address these weaknesses.

Overall attendance was good, but the report said some pupils were frequently absent and their absences were not systematically checked up on.

In their conclusions, they also highlighted the need for a consistent approach to its curriculum, and said governors needed to "understand and carry out their roles and responsibilities effectively".

The inspectors said at present "they do not hold leaders to account fully".

However, they rated the school as "good" for its personal development of pupils.

The inspectors said extra-curricular activities, such as football, choir and a crochet club, were "inclusive and broaden pupils' experiences".

Responding to the report, Birmingham City Council said because there had been "some instability in leadership at the school" it had brought in an experienced interim headteacher.

It said the school was also getting "specialist school improvement support and revised governance arrangements".

It added: "We recognise the news of the inspection outcome will be unsettling for families, but want to stress that we are confident that we are making necessary improvements."