A WEST Somerset school which converted to an academy nearly 10 years ago still needs to improve, Government education inspectors have said.

Danesfield Middle School, in Williton, which is part of the Beacon Education Trust and has 363 pupils aged nine to 13 years, was visited by regulator Ofsted for the third time since the start of the Covid pandemic.

Two monitoring visits were held in 2021 when inspectors concluded ‘leaders and those responsible for governance are taking effective action in order for the school to become a good school’.

Now, a full inspection has been held, including ‘deep dives’ into English, mathematics, physical education, science, and religious education teaching.

Lead inspector Frances Bywater found there had been a range of improvements but overall she still rated the school as ‘Requires Improvement’.

Despite the Church of England voluntary controlled school’s overall judgment, the inspectors agreed it was good for ‘personal development’ and noted the personal development of pupils was one of its strengths.

They said pupils were positive about personal, social, and health education, and had a range of opportunities to develop their leadership skills, including becoming prefects, reading mentors, and school council members.

Inspectors also said ‘parents and pupils are appreciative of the range of enrichment activities that are on offer’ and ‘leaders have prioritised the development of reading’ after a clear focus on helping the weakest readers began last year.

However, the inspection team said support was not as strong as it could be for youngsters with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) and teachers were not confident to adapt their teaching and the curriculum for pupils’ specific needs.

They said: “Leaders have recently reviewed the provision for pupils with SEND and have started to seek external support in this area.”

Headteacher David McGrath said the overall tone of the Ofsted report was encouraging and positive.

Mr McGrath said: “There have been plenty of opportunities over the summer holidays to read and review some of the comments made in the report and we are proud of some of the aspects the inspectors were able to observe and highlight.

“As leaders we have been clear about what needed to happen to develop the school, and this is reflected in the report and in the advice they offer.

“Phrases such as ‘pupils are kind and friendly’, ‘relationships between staff and pupils are strong’, ‘leaders act quickly and decisively when pupils talk to adults about their worries’, ‘leadership has focused on raising expectations of pupils’ behaviour and developing the curriculum’, all these comments combine to highlight that we are on an upward trend, which is a phrase frequently used by the inspection team.

“We are fully aware we are not there yet, and the outcome was not the one we wanted for areas of the school, but I am of the opinion that the community has full faith and belief that we will accelerate this progress and upward trend to offer the best for all our young people.”

The inspectors recognised that many of their 2021 recommendations had been addressed but felt it was too early to comment on the outcomes.

Danesfield academic improvement board chairman Hayley Lake said: “We were pleased to receive a judgment of good for personal development, which reinforces what we already know about the staff’s commitment to all children, ensuring that their best interests lie at the heart of all decision making. 

“Beacon Education’s core values are ambition, respect, and excellence, and we have a relentless focus on improving outcomes for every child in our care.

“We have implemented a range of new procedures over the last year and will continue to work hard in all areas, including those recommended by Ofsted, on our journey to becoming a ‘Good’ school.”

Trust chief executive Robert Lakin said: “Although we still have some way to go with the overall improvement of Danesfield School, I take heart from this report, which is one of the most positive ‘RI’ reports I have seen in my career.”

The Beacon trust operates five other schools and four nurseries in West Somerset and is responsible for more than 1,600 children aged up to 13 years.