A PRIMARY school near Andover has maintained its “outstanding” rating following a visit from Ofsted.

Longparish Church of England Primary School was visited by the education watchdog in December, and a report published this month said: “The findings do not change the overall effectiveness judgement of outstanding from the last section 5 inspection.”

The inspector looked at how specific subjects are taught at the school, including modern foreign languages (MFL).

The report said: “Leaders and staff know that there is work to be done to meet the breadth and ambition of the national curriculum. Pupils in Years 5 and 6 learn more or less the same aspects in German as they did in French when in Years 3 and 4.

“They do not study one language across the whole of key stage 2, which limits pupils’ progression and does not allow pupils to access the full programme of study for MFL.”

It added: “The rationale for teaching both languages is mostly based on teachers’ subject knowledge and their enthusiasm. Staff also feel that this gives pupils valuable experience of more than one language and prepares them for secondary school.”

Headteacher Trudie Cawthra wrote to parents following the visit to say: “The report reads well”.

She added: “I would like to commend the children who spoke with the inspector eloquently and sensibly which helped her celebrate all we do here with regards to modern foreign languages. Well done children. Thank you to all staff who worked hard during the process to provide the inspector with everything she needed.”

The school hit the headlines in 2017 after its former headteacher and deputy head quit the school because they are so disillusioned by the direction of the Conservative’s education policy.

In their letter to parents at the time, couple Alex and Peter Foggo said they were so profoundly opposed to recent changes in England’s schools that the only morally honest course open to them was to resign from their jobs at Longparish primary school.

The couple cited changes to the curriculum and the impact of high-stakes testing on the mental health of very young children among their concern.