A once outstanding primary school in South Craven has been ordered to improve by Ofsted.

Bradleys Both Community Primary, which in 2007 was graded outstanding, has now been given a “requires improvement” rating in all areas, including teaching, pupils’ achievement and management.

Inspectors found that teaching was not consistently good and that progress required improvement in maths and english.

Teaching in early years was not good enough, behaviour amongst pupils was not always good and work set in some lessons was not sufficiently matched to abilities.

The inspectors also said that teaching had not improved enough and leaders were not fully effective in monitoring the quality of teaching.

However, the report acknowledged that pupils felt safe and enjoyed a good range of activities to support their physical, artistic and musical development.

There was also good teaching at the end of key stage one into key stage two, which resulted in above average attainment in reading, maths and writing at the end of year two.

The appointment of a new governing body, together with the support of an interim headteacher, had also led to a better understanding of what the school needed to do to improve.

The school, which is currently advertising for a new headteacher to take over at the start of the summer term, has been run by acting headteacher Alison Hitchen since Diane Cooper left last year.

Mrs Cooper, who started at the school in September, 2012, had previously been at Greatwood Primary School in Skipton and replaced long-serving head Ella Preston.

A spokesman for North Yorkshire County Council said: “Ofsted has acknowledged in its latest report that pupils attain above the average in reading, writing and mathematics by the end of Year 2 and that pupils enjoy a good range of activities to support their physical, artistic and musical development outside lessons.

“However, In order to bring about consistent improvement in the school, the local authority has formed a reconstituted governing body with a very experienced interim chair of governors and has put together a package of support for the acting headteacher.

“The strengthened and refocused governing body is also now in a position to oversee the appointment of a permanent headteacher. In addition, a partnership with Embsay Primary School, an outstanding school, has been established in order to share good practice and establish the highest standards in teaching and learning.”