A primary school in the Maldon district has been rated "good" by Ofsted following an initial inspection, but has been warned its rating might be lower if a full inspection was carried out now.

In a report published on Wednesday (15 December), Ofsted said: "There has been no change to this school's overall judgement of good as a result of this initial inspection.

"However, the evidence gathered suggests that the inspection grade might not be as high if a full inspection were carried out now."

Inspectors said pupils are well cared for by the school, on Rowan Drive, and "many parents comment on how much their children enjoy the school".

Students said bullying is rare but, when it happens, leaders "deal with it well".

Looking at the quality of education, however, inspectors said the school "does not always support pupils to achieve well".

They said: "In subjects other than reading and mathematics, pupils' learning is not always well planned.

"This results in pupils not having a secure grasp of important knowledge they need to be able to learn and remember more."

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Inspectors also found students with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) "do not get the support that they should".

They said: "As a result, pupils with SEND do not achieve well.

"Leaders must make sure teachers understand the needs of pupils with SEND so they know how to support these pupils effectively to access the same curriculum as all other pupils."

They advised the school to ensure subject leaders get "the training they need to plan learning effectively" and "put in place more rigorous processes that ensure the most vulnerable pupils attend school more regularly".

The school was previously rated "good" by Ofsted in June 2016.

As a result of Ofsted's latest findings, the next inspection carried out at the school will be a full inspection.

Heybridge Primary School has been contacted for comment.