PUPILS at an Abergavenny primary school are not being challenged enough, Estyn inspectors have found.

Our Lady and St Michael’s School, on Pen Y Pound Road, was rated “adequate” in both its current performance and prospects for improvement following an inspection in March this year.

Adequate is the third rating which Estyn can give a school – after ‘excellent’ and ‘good’ but above ‘unsatisfactory’. Adequate means the school’s strengths outweigh its areas for improvement.

The school’s last inspection in 2009 – which used a different rating system – found the school to be grades one and two, the two highest possible ratings.

In its report, published on Friday, Estyn said the voluntary-aided Roman Catholic school will now draw up an action plan showing how it will address the recommendations made by Estyn.

The inspectors said they will also monitor the school’s progress.

The school, which has 178 pupils across seven single-age classes, is run by the deputy head teacher Mary McCarthy who has been acting head teacher since September last year.

The inspector’s report said nearly all pupils behave well and are keen to learn while most pupils’ oral and reading skills develop well.

Pupils with additional learning needs also make good progress, the report said, while the quality of pupils’ wellbeing is good.

The quality of the school’s care, support and guidance is good and many children make adequate progress from their starting points.

But the inspectors also found that children who are able and of average ability “do not achieve their full potential” because the work they are given does not challenge them enough.

Children’s ability to use Welsh is weak and they do not apply their numeracy skills well, the report found. ICT to support their learning is also underdeveloped.

But the inspectors also said the acting head has a “sound vision” for improvement which she is beginning to convey well to all staff and governors.

Standards are beginning to be raised thanks to monitoring of teaching and scrutiny of pupils’ achievement, the report found.