A UNIQUE school that runs solely on donations has been rated 'inadequate'.

The Treehouse School in Cholsey, near Wallingford, has fallen to Ofsted's lowest standard after inspectors identified safeguarding failures.

A new report of the 15-pupil primary school states: "Systems for reporting and recording concerns about pupils’ welfare and safety are disorganised and poorly maintained.

"Written records are incomplete and confused.

"Concerns are not logged systematically or in enough detail."

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The inspector said the approach to recording accidents and attendance is 'not careful enough' and pupils are consequently 'at risk of harm.'

The independent day school does not charge any fees, and instead runs as a charity relying on donations and fundraising.

It opened in 2012 and had previously been rated 'requires improvement' in 2017, and has plans to expand.

Despite the overall rating, the latest report did rate two areas of assessment 'good' - quality of teaching, learning and assessment, and outcomes for pupils.

The inspector credited the school for offering a 'broad and interesting' curriculum and was impressed by the enthusiasm children demonstrated.

The report, published last week, added: "Pupils’ confidence and resilience as learners is developed well so that they are well prepared for the next stage of their education.

"Pupils relish the opportunity to expand their world view, for instance through reading and discussing information from newspapers.

"Teaching provides a myriad of opportunities for pupils to extend writing and mathematical skills across the wider curriculum, in meaningful ways."

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Ofsted described the school atmosphere as 'calm and harmonious', adding: "Pupils' relationships are generally characterised by a warm regard for each other and a secure sense of comradery.

"Children’s confidence is nurtured and self-esteem is bolstered through a wide range of experiences."

Lee Ryman, the school's headteacher and co-founder, said much of the report was positive and reflects the school's principles well.

She added: "The children are clearly thriving in the nurturing environment we have created, and have developed a joy of learning which is delivering successful educational outcomes.

"We do take very seriously some of the negative points identified in the report, and have already acted swiftly to address our administration and record-keeping procedures."

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The school teaches children aged five-11, and embraces the motto 'nature, nurture and nourishment.'

Lee Ryman and fellow founder Sharon Julian, both former state school teachers, set up the school after becoming frustrated with the 'outdated and test-driven' approach of education.

The school is based in a detached former house in Wallingford Road, next door to the Red Lion pub.