Balfour Primary School in Brighton was rated “good” by Ofsted following an inspection in December.
The school, in Balfour Road, had been rated “requires improvement” since 2017 after inspectors found that disadvantaged pupils were lagging behind their peers academically.
“Disadvantaged pupils make slower progress than their peers, especially in writing,” the report said.
“The school’s pupil premium strategy has not met their academic needs well enough. Sometimes, the most able pupils are not sufficiently challenged in lessons. This slows their progress over time.
“Additional support for pupils who have special educational needs (SEN) and/or disabilities does not help them to make sufficient academic progress.”
In another inspection in February 2020, inspectors raised further concerns about the teaching at the school saying: “Leaders and teachers do not have high enough expectations of what pupils can learn in all curriculum subjects. Not all of the subjects that pupils learn are well-planned. Pupils do not always know and remember the knowledge and skills they have been taught.”
But now, inspectors praised the “ambitious” curriculum, pupils’ behaviour and “high-quality training” for staff.
“Pupils are happy at this inclusive, vibrant school,” said the new report.
“Pupils are expected to work hard and they do. They eagerly engage with the learning on offer to them because it is fun and interesting.
“Pupils behave well. They enjoy working together in pairs and small groups, knowing the importance of being respectful and listening to each other’s views. This helps them grow in confidence as they build on each other’s ideas and learn together.”
The school, which has 675 pupils on its roll, spoke of its pride at the new report and thanked staff for their hard work, the community for its support and the school’s children for being the “heart and soul” of the institution.
“We feel it is a wonderful reflection of our school, highlighting our many strengths,” a spokesman said.
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