A primary school in Failsworth where pupils 'flourish' in a 'warm and friendly' environment has dropped down a grade.

South Failsworth Community Primary School on Paddock Lane teaches children between the ages three to 11 and was previously graded 'outstanding' by the education watchdog in 2011.

Yet a fresh inspection carried out by Sheena Clark, Wendy Tracey and Patrick Rayner in April this year found the school to be 'good' overall and only 'outstanding' in one area of personal development.

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However, the Ofsted team had plenty of praise for the primary in their joint report.

They wrote pupils "flourish" and are "celebrated as individuals" due to the care they receive from staff in the "warm and friendly school".

Meanwhile, the school is "ambitious for what pupils can achieve", both academically and in their wider school life with an "aspirational" curriculum, which means many achieve high standards.

The school's approach to reading and phonics were other positives in the report, as Ofsted said the school prioritises the task to "foster pupils' love of reading" and help them experience different cultures from high-quality texts and ultimately become confident, fluent readers.

When it came to the youngsters' behaviour, the report revealed the students behave well, know the rules, are welcoming, compassionate and polite with each other as well as adults and work and play cooperatively. 

The report added: "They are confident and proud of their school."

Younger children follow instructions, listen carefully and are "enthused" when sharing their learning experiences while older pupils "act as role models".

Their personal development is a key highlight in the report as students benefit from a "comprehensive" range of clubs, activities and trips that are designed with their talents and interests at heart.

They take part in local community work, such as litter picking, visiting the mayor where they experience being councillors and enjoy outdoor learning where they develop other life skills such as teamwork and innovation.

This means their learning goes "far beyond" the curriculum and the classroom, helping them to consider future aspirations and to aim "extremely high".

The school also has a "highly effective" system to identify and support children with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). 

As for staff, inspectors said teachers are "knowledgeable" and have "well-established" strategies to help pupils with their learning and embed this into their long-term memory.

Instances where pupils have misconceptions are addressed quickly, the report added.

However, inspectors found some subjects are "underdeveloped" and that the school "has not sufficiently developed leadership expertise" which means some staff "do not have the support that they need to implement the curriculum as effectively as the school intends".

In addition, Ofsted said while governors "know the school well", some information they receive "goes unchecked".

The report added: "Where this happens, governors do not understand the specific details that will help the school continue to progress.

"This means that on occasion, they do not hold the school to account as effectively as they could."

To restore the school's 'outstanding' grade, Ofsted said the governing body should ensure the school provides "clear, specific and precise information" to continually improve the school and help teachers to deliver some subject curriculums effectively. 

South Failsworth Community Primary School has been contacted for comment.

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