A PRIMARY school previously rated as ‘outstanding’ has been told it must improve, with the education watchdog recommending an external review of the school’s governance.

Ofsted inspectors said The New Forest primary school, based in Landford, Nomansland and Hamptworth, requires improvement as governors “have not challenged leaders with sufficient rigour to halt the decline in standards”.

It said pupils “do not progress well enough” in the early years, and that in 2017, pupils reaching the end of Year 6 had made progress “significantly below that of other schools nationally in reading, writing and mathematics”.

Inspectors also raised concerns that funding set aside for pupils who have special educational needs (SEN) “is not having sufficient impact” on the children, who “do not make sufficient progress” in the core subjects.

They added: “Governors’ analysis of the use of additional funding for disadvantaged pupils and for sport is not detailed enough.”

And it said governors had “not challenged leaders with sufficient rigour to halt the decline in standards” from the school’s previous inspection in 2010, when it was rated ‘outstanding’.

This year the school was rated as ‘requires improvement’ in all categories, including leadership, quality of teaching, pupils’ personal development, pupils’ outcomes and early years provision.

The report recognised that pupils’ behaviour is good and the school has “positive values” that are “integral to the way in which pupils think and relate to each other”, as well as praising Year 1 teachers for the quality of their teaching and assessment.

An external review of the school’s governance and use of the pupil premium was recommended.