A PRIMARY school that had its Ofsted rating lowered to "requires improvement" after a summer inspection has introduced a "rigorous" system to monitor the quality of teaching.

Ofsted found that pupils at St Gregory's RC Primary School in Farnworth were making progress in improving teaching but still found "inconsistencies in marking".

The school, in Church Road, Farnworth was visited in Ofsted in June and saw its rating drop from "good" to "requires improvement".

Inspectors found that pupils were not making consistent progress in mathematics and writing, and the most able among them were not being sufficiently challenged.

They also found that marking was not doing enough to improve pupils' work and that the governing body was not always provided adequate challenges to the school to improve.

Ofsted called for a "rapid" improvement in teaching and the rate of pupils' progression.

A follow-up inspection was conducted on November 10, with the findings published recently.

It found that senior leaders and governors have taken effective action to tackle the areas requiring improvement identified at the inspection.

The acting headteacher has focused on teacher quality, but the plan does not clear enough measures of success, according to Ofsted.

All teachers have been given feedback on what to better since the inspection, in a "rigorous" overhaul, and pupil's work has improved, despite there still being marking inconsistencies.

Teachers have improved in boosting pupils' writing but are still missing chances to stretch children more in Maths lessons.

The behaviour of pupils has also radically improved since the inspection, with most now aware of school rules.

On further ways to improve, Inspector Drew Crawshaw, in a letter to acting headteacher Caroline Grundy, said: "The school should take further action to sharpen the action plan so that leaders can evaluate the impact of all actions on raising standards, and ensure all pupils in mathematics, including the most able, are systematically challenged to apply their learning by solving mathematical problems.

"They should increase the pace at which governance is improved, ensure governors have a clear understanding of the expected impact of pupil premium money spending so that they are able to hold leaders to account about the achievement of disadvantaged pupils."

St Gregory's RC Primary School, which caters for pupils aged four to 11. did not wish to comment on the latest Ofsted visit.