TEACHING at a Chepstow primary school was described as "good" by inspectors this week but its prospects for improvement were described as "adequate" because of a lack of coherence in planning, co-ordination and evaluation at whole-school level.

The Dell School was praised by the inspectorate Estyn for its quality of teaching; standards at the end of the Foundation Phase being "very high"; and performance at the end of Year 6 being high compared to that in similar schools.

Standards in speaking, listening and reading were described as good across the school, while standards of behaviour and pupils’ attitudes to each other and to adults are very good.

There are strengthening partnerships with other schools in order to improve standards, and the governing body is now well informed and holds the senior leadership properly to account, said the report, but inspectors deemed self-evaluation processes to be lacking rigour and consistency.

They said changes made to the leadership and staffing structures have not had sufficient time to impact on raising standards further, and the recently appointed head teacher has yet to exercise "an effective oversight" of standards, whole-school arrangements and classroom practice.

"Although teachers plan and work together successfully in year groups, there is a lack of coherence in planning, co-ordination and evaluation at whole-school level," said the report.

Head teacher Steve King said staff have done a lot to raise standards.

"The things Estyn measure for leadership came out as adequate, which you could say is 'good enough' but we strive for something more," he said. "As a team we've worked incredibly hard over the last year and staff, governors and hopefully parents think prospects for improvement are more than adequate."

He said inspectors had given clear recommendations for further improvement, which are line with the school's existing targets.

Inspectors tasked the Dell School with raising standards in English, mathematics and science at the higher levels of Years 3 to 6; improving standards in Welsh across the school and pupils’ awareness of the

culture and heritage of Wales; developing leadership and management roles and responsibilities, so that

procedures and practices across the school are consistent and coherent; and improving self-evaluation.

Outcomes, standards, wellbeing, provision, teaching, the learning environment, partnership working and resource management were all praised as good, while learning experiences, leadership, management and improving quality were all deemed "adequate".