RINGWOOD Waldorf School has been praised by education inspectors for making “considerable improvements” over the past year.

Ofsted rated the Folly Farm Lane school “good” in all six inspection areas, which look at the effectiveness of leadership and management; quality of teaching, learning and assessment, outcomes for pupils; and early years and sixth form provision.

It retains its “good” overall inspection rating.

The report said: “This school has improved considerably in the past year. The trustees and the headteacher are ambitious for the school. Their actions have led to modernisation and ensured that all of the independent school standards are met.”

It said pupils in the lower school make “good progress” in reading and writing which were inline with other pupils nationally. And the attainment of pupils in the upper school in English and maths at GCSE level was “above” the national average, adding attainment across a range of other curriculum areas was “strong”.

The leadership of provision for special education needs and/or disabilities (SEND) was “effective”provision for pupils and SEND pupils were “generally supported well”.

The report also stated that although teaching is “typically well planned” some maths teaching was “not adapted” to meet the needs of younger, less able pupils.

Staff were praised for being “motivated” and having “good subject knowledge”.

Inspectors said efforts to improve pupil attendance rates had “not had enough effect” and that attendance “remains too low”.

Ringwood Waldorf’s chair of trustees Esbjorn Wilmar said the inspection had been a “highly positive experience for the school”, adding: “We are delighted to have been awarded Good by Ofsted. All the staff deserve to have their hard work and dedication celebrated and recognised. The students enjoyed meeting with the inspectors and sharing their school experience with them. We look forward to building on this very encouraging result.”