The education watchdog Ofsted has told staff and parents at The White Bridge Junior School in Loughton that their school requires improvement.

Inspectors paying their first visit to the Greensted Road school in three years found that attainment in English and maths is rising after a two-year decline, but that pupils’ progress is still uneven.

No teaching was found to be inadequate but standards vary between lessons, and not enough teaching is good enough to ensure that pupils make consistently good progress.

The most talented pupils benefit from extra sessions in English and maths, while those who find reading difficult also make good progress because they are split into small groups with specially tailored reading programmes.

Ofsted wants more precision in the school’s improvement plan, and a more rigorous implementation of agreed policies.

It noted the school’s attempt to improve communication with parents through the introduction of a school newsletter.