A PRIMARY school with “passionate” teachers has been rated Good by the education watchdog following an inspection.

Old Heath Community Primary School, in Old Heath Road, Colchester, was praised by Ofsted for maintaining its Good standard for the third time in 15 years.

Pupils enjoy a “happy, hard-working” school community where they care about each other and get on well with staff, the inspector’s report, following their visit in December last year, reads.

Their behaviour was lauded, particularly when it comes to following school rules, and pupils showed they were keen to learn and work hard when doing so.

Bullying is a rarity, the inspector noted, as pupils understand unkind behaviour to be unacceptable and staff deal with any incidents “quickly and well”.

But the report stated how pupils’ speaking and listening skills are underdeveloped and some lack the confidence to join in debates and respond to questions.

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Yet the inspector was sympathetic about this, stating the Covid-19 pandemic has limited opportunities for pupils to engage in class discussions or practice new vocabulary.

However, they advised leaders at the school to give priority to completing and implementing plans to improving pupils’ oracy and then embed this provision across the curriculum.

The curriculum as a whole was described as “broad and ambitious”, with necessary adaptations made to the need of pupils.

Curriculum leaders were praised for having strong subject knowledge and being passionate about their work, while providing “effective support and professional development” for teachers.

Leaders have prioritised reading across the school, the report continues, with the early reading curriculum carefully organised so pupils’ phonics knowledge builds over time.

The inspector added: “Pupils use their knowledge of sounds to read unfamiliar words accurately. All teachers share their love of books with pupils.

“Pupils read a wide variety of books, often linked to the school’s curriculum. Pupils make connections between the books they read and their learning in other subjects.”

Furthermore, the school has an “effective” range of support for pupils who fall behind with their learning.

This includes pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities, so, as a result, pupils with SEND achieve well.