A SCHOOL has been taken out of special measures just a year after the original judgement after hard work under a new head raised standards.

Newent Community School and Sixth Form Centre was taken out of special measures on Friday, January 24 just 12 months after the original judgement. Following a damning Ofsted report the school lost its original headteacher Jane Steele and three members of the governing body, all of whom resigned. But since the report was published, which described teaching as inadequate, work has been done to raise standards. The original report said teachers did not have a good enough understanding of the progress students are expected to make and that students who started at the school with below average attainment did not make enough progress.

Lead HMI Inspector, Mike Smith, informed governors, the headteacher and staff of his decision to take the school put of special measures at a meeting held at 1.25pm.

A team of HMI Inspectors visited the school on Thursday, January 23 and Friday, January 24

and praised the headteacher Kirsten Harrison for all the work that had been undertaken and achieved over the past year.

Mrs Harrison thanked staff and students by saying: “Well done to you all. Thank you so much for all your hard work; for your care and love for the school. The commitment and resilience has had its just reward.

“The school would like to take this opportunity to thank parents for their continued support during this particularly challenging period and look forward to the partnership continuing over the coming months ahead.

“We have looked closely at every aspect of the school, from classroom teaching to the board of governors in order to improve every aspect of our operation.

“But we will never become complacent and will continue to work towards taking the school forward again in 2014.”

Since being placed in special measures in January, 2013, the school has been supported by Chiquitta Henson, a National Leader of Education and headteacher of Circencester Deer Park School.