A private school charging more than £1,000 per term has been hit with a damning rating by Ofsted.

Chartfield School in Westgate-on-Sea has been deemed to be inadequate by the watchdog on its latest inspection.

The report slaps the Minster Road school with a number of criticisms, including branding its safeguarding as "not effective" and stating that health and safety is "led poorly".

Last inspected in 2014, standards have slipped for the independent school, which has 67 full time pupils, as it was previously rated good by Ofsted.

Its early years provisions have also been labelled inadequate.

The report states: "Staff in the early years setting do not have the necessary skills and knowledge to safeguard children effectively.

"As with other staff throughout the school, they have not been provided with robust training to ensure that they know, for example, how to prevent children from radicalisation or to identify the signs of female genital mutilation.

"Health and safety in the early years is not managed well.

"For example, at the time of the inspection, dangerous substances, such as acrylic paints and aerosol cans, were stored within easy reach of children.

"Consequently, children's welfare was put at risk."

Despite the number of full time pupils rising from 40 to 67 in the last four years, no fire assessment of the building has been carried out since 2014.

"The lack of rigorous health and safety practice is putting pupils' safety at risk," the report adds.

"During the inspection, numerous concerns were identified that could lead to injury or harm of pupils, staff or visitors."

The findings from the inspection between June 26 and 28 also brands the governance of the school "weak".

It says: "Neither the head teacher nor other staff are held effectively to account by good performance management or appraisal systems.

"Leaders' roles and responsibilities are not clear.

"Lines of accountability for the school's effectiveness are not defined clearly.

"As a result, ongoing school improvement has been severely limited.

"During the inspection, numerous concerns were identified that could lead to injury or harm of pupils, staff or visitors" - Ofsted inspectors

"Neither the proprietor nor the head teacher has an effective knowledge of the independent school standards.
"As a result, not all of the standards are met."

But the report is not all doom and gloom for the school headed by Louise Shipley.

Inspectors rated its quality of teaching, learning and assessment; personal development, behaviour and welfare; and outcomes for pupils as good.

The report highlights some of the school's strength including the staff's commitment to the school and its teaching.

It states: "They (staff) show clear determination to help pupils achieve well.

"Teaching is good. Learning is typically well organised to ensure that pupils achieve well.

"Pupils develop positive attitudes and are well prepared for life in modern Britain."

KentOnline's sister paper Thanet Extra contacted the school but they declined to comment.