An inspection carried out by Ofsted said William de Ferrers school in South Woodham Ferrers has "not ensured that the quality of teaching is of a high enough standard".

The report outlined how in some lessons "activity choices do not ensure that all pupils gain the knowledge and understanding they need to achieve as well as they could".

A previous inspection in 2018 said the school's quality of education was good.

The inspection carried out between September 24 and 25 this year said the school had managed changes, such as joining a multi-academy trust and appointing several new staff, well.

It said the new leadership team has made rapid improvements to the standard of behaviour in school.

The report also highlighted that the school provides many opportunities for pupils in all key stages to encounter employers and learn about the world of work. For example, all pupils in Year 10 and Year 12 complete work experience placements.

However, it says more needs to be done to improve the quality of teaching.

The report added: "The school has not ensured that the quality of teaching is of a high enough standard. In some lessons, activity choices do not ensure that all pupils gain the knowledge and understanding they need to achieve as well as they could.

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"The school should ensure that staff receive the necessary training to enable them to provide consistently high-quality learning experiences, which build on pupils' skills and knowledge.

"The school's identification of pupils' reading ability is not effective. Support for pupils who require help with reading is not delivered well enough. These pupils do not always improve their fluency and accuracy when reading.

"Consequently, they find it hard to access the curriculum fully. The school should ensure that it rigorously checks how well pupils can read and that well-trained staff deliver effective support to enable weaker readers to catch up with their peers."

The school was approached by the LDRS for comment.