A SCHOOL in Whitchurch which had not had an Ofsted inspection for 13 years has been downgraded, losing its 'outstanding' status following an inspectors latest visit.

Testbourne Community School, in Whitchurch received a 'good' rating after being inspected in November last year.

The report, which was published on Thursday, January 25, sees the school downgraded from its previous 'outstanding' rating which it was given in December 2010.

The latest report said the school was last inspected under section 5 of the Education Act 2005 and judged ‘outstanding’ under a previous inspection framework.

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From then until November 2020, the school was exempted by law from routine inspection, so there has been a longer gap than usual between graded inspections.

Teachers at the school received some criticism for "not always" checking on students "learning precisely enough".

The report states: "This means some pupils do not learn as much as they could and therefore do not always achieve highly."

Despite this it was given praise for creating a "calm and purposeful environment" where pupils feel safe and "learn valuable lessons for future life" including experiencing the world of work.

It goes on to state: "The school has carefully crafted a highly ambitious curriculum through which pupils learn a wide range of subjects. Engaging and interesting topics are taught across all areas that ignite a passion for learning."

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The report also concludes that students "achieve well at this school" with teachers being knowledgeable about the subjects they teach.

The inspector noted areas of improvement for the school including ensuring that the behaviour system is well implemented and encouraging the school to make sure "all staff are able to confidently adapt the curriculum to the needs of individual pupils and check their understanding systematically".

The headteacher has also been praised in the report being both "strong and dedicated".

The school has been contacted for a comment about the inspection.