A PRIMARY school in Basingstoke has received a glowing report from education inspectors, who described the leadership and management of the school as outstanding.

Inspectors from Ofsted visited Chalk Ridge Primary School, in Brighton Hill, in November, and were pleased with what they found.

Barry Jones, the reporting inspector, said in his report: "Chalk Ridge primary is a good, improving school. It has a very positive, welcoming ethos and the parents speak very warmly of the school."

Mr Jones highlighted leadership as a strong quality and commended the new headteacher, Donna Shave, for providing excellent direction for the school.

He reported that pupils are making good progress throughout the school and attaining standards significantly above the national average by Year Six.

Improvements in the quality of the curriculum for younger pupils were also praised. However, the standard of pupils' writing was highlighted as a concern.

Mr Jones reported: "At age seven years, there are too few pupils attaining good standards in writing, and the quality of writing is too inconsistent throughout the school."

Headteacher Ms Shave - who has only been at Chalk Ridge since September - said improving writing is something she has been working on since she joined the school.

"Writing is an issue across the school and, in the world we live in, we just don't actually do it enough. With all the e-mail and text-speak, children don't get the same practice they used to," she said.

A special writing team was set up in the school in September to encourage inspiration for writing and improve standards.

In terms of pastoral care, the inspectors were impressed with a buddy system operating at the school where older pupils help others who find break-times difficult.

Ms Shave said: "The staff and children were keen to show the inspectors how good the school is and this comes across very well in the report.

"I am especially pleased that the inspectors heard from the children that their teachers help them and that they think they are cool."

Colin Jacobs, vice-chairman of the governing body at the school, said all the governors were very pleased with the report.

He added: "We have been told we are improving and that is the main thing. Hopefully, next time we will do even better.

"Ms Shave has achieved a lot since she arrived and we are all very grateful to her and her team for that."

First published: Thursday, December 29, 2005