A RIBBLE Valley school that plummeted from ‘outstanding’ to ‘requires improvement’ last year has been praised following its latest Ofsted inspection.

Leaders and governors at Whalley Primary School were commended for taking ‘effective action’ to tackle areas of poor performance identified in the last inspection in November.

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It comes after the school appointed acting headteacher Richard Blackburn to the position full-time which will take affect on Wednesday, April 1.

Mr Blackburn, who was the assistant headteacher at the school, stepped up to the role after Steve Austin resigned days before the start of the school year in September after three years in the post.

The 48-year-old has been at the school for more than 18 years and previously worked at St Nicholas’ CE Primary School in Church.

The Church Street school, which was inspected on March 6, has been told by the education watchdog to ensure steps taken to strengthen teaching quality are reviewed in a more timely fashion to inform leaders where improvements have been made or where further support and challenge is required.

Ofsted inspector Mark Williams said: “Leaders and governors accepted fully the findings of the November 2014 inspection.

“As a result, they have acted with determination to bring improvement.

“Where progress is best, it is because teaching quality is improving.

“Leaders have ensured teachers are better focused on the needs of their pupils than in the past.

“A range of strategies is in place to ensure that pupils in danger of not making expected progress are supported, including mathematics boosters and the use of the learning mentor for example.

“Furthermore, the review of pupil premium funding has enabled leaders to identify more clearly the strengths and needs of disadvantaged pupils.

“While teaching quality is improving, it is not doing so consistently across the school.”

Mr Blackburn said: “The staff have been really dedicated and I’m glad that that has been recognised by the inspectors.

“This is a work in progress but this is the first step on our journey back to being ‘outstanding’.

“I’m thrilled and delighted to have been appointed headteacher.”