NUNNERY Wood Primary School has been told to improve the standard of teaching for older pupils - but has been complimented on the good standard of education given to younger ones.

Inspectors from the Office for Standards in Education, Ofsted, found the quality of teaching at the school in Prestwich Avenue, Worcester, was variable.

Children learnt well up to year four but their progress was restricted in years five and six.

The school was deemed to be failing when headteacher Sue Mason arrived three-and-a-half years ago, but was taken off special measures in November 2003 and has improved dramatically since then.

While the quality of teaching and learning was described as satisfactory overall, pupils' personal development and the care given to them was judged to be good.

The report said: "They like and respect their teachers and it is clear that these feelings are reciprocated."

Headteacher Sue Mason was described by inspectors as the "driving force" for improvement.

She said: "We need to be clear what children need to learn next, what they already know, what they don't know and then we have to engage them, excite them and actively involve them, not just tell them something.

"The Ofsted report confirms our strengths and weaknesses, which, we know about but we are never, never, never complacent."

Mrs Mason said she was consulting about staff deployment to improve the school's areas of weakness. The report highlighted the differences between teaching at either end of the school.

It said: "In reception, the teachers know just when to intervene with well-judged guidance and when to stand back and to let the children work the things out for themselves.

"In the most effective lessons, pupils are keen to learn because skilful teaching successfully motivates them.

"In years five and six, lessons do not always have sufficiently high expectations for pupils.

"The pace of the learning is slower and the opportunities are missed to probe pupils' understanding through well-targeted questioning.

"Very occasionally, these weaknesses are so acute the teaching is inadequate."