Bridgnorth Endowed School moved out of special measures

The school has been given an overall effectiveness rating of 'requiring improvement', which is one level up from 'special measures', though in several areas it was judged as 'good'.

The report, which followed an inspection on March 15 and 16, rated the Endowed sixth form as 'good', along with personal development, behaviour and welfare of students.

But both Quality of Teaching, Learning & Assessment and Outcomes For Pupils were rated as 'requires improvement'.

The school was placed in special measures following an Ofsted inspection in October 2014.

Head teacher Phil Loveday cited the 'good' rating of the sixth form as a particularly pleasing aspect of the most recent report.

He said: "Strong leadership in the sixth form means that students are now making good progress in nearly all subjects and are well-supported to develop personal and employability skills.

"The finding from Ofsted that teaching is consistently good in the sixth form follows Bridgnorth Endowed School sixth form students' good performance in the last two summers' exams, when they achieved results comparable to, or better than, other local schools and colleges."

Mark Freathy, chair of governors at the school, said that he was particularly pleased to read that Ofsted reported 'leadership at all levels, including governance, has improved significantly. There is now good capacity to drive further improvement because leaders have a clear and accurate view of the academy's performance. Appropriate plans are in place to tackle those areas requiring further improvement'.

Head of the inspection team Mel Ford said she was impressed with the school's pupils, noting in her report that 'pupils conduct themselves well around the school. They are polite to visitors and are keen to demonstrate their pride in their school. As a result the school is calm and orderly, pupils get on well with each other. Inspectors saw examples of them helping others having difficulties'.

Mr Loveday added: "The whole school has responded with real energy and team work to the challenges of the last 16 months and we will continue to work together to achieve even more.

"I would like to invite the parents of all children in Year 5 or 6 to visit us on May 4 at 7pm, where they can meet me and my senior team with governors, to listen to a review of Ofsted's findings, ask any questions about the school or Ofsted report and look at comparative data about progress in the school.

"We believe we offer excellent opportunities for children to develop confidence, resilience, academic success and other skills which will stand them in good stead in their future lives."

The Ofsted report is available to read on the Bridgnorth Endowed School website.