A SECONDARY school in Abingdon has been told its senior leaders are taking “effective action” to tackle areas which need improvement.

Fitzharrys School, in Northcourt Road, had its first monitoring visit last month since it was told by Ofsted inspectors that it required improvement in February. In 2012 the school, which has 665 pupils, was rated inadequate.

Headteacher Jonathan Dennett said the school had already taken steps to look at the recommendations Ofsted made after the visit.

He said: “We are very pleased that Ofsted have recognised Fitzharrys’ continuing progress.

“Fitzharrys is a school that is really going places. We have great students, hard-working and creative staff and governors and the support of our parents. Our success is a real team effort.”

He added: “The school has already taken steps to address the recommendations highlighted in the May monitoring visit.

“The inspector was very positive about this work. We are all looking forward to our results in the summer to show just how far the school has moved on in a short space of time. We also look forward to future visits from Ofsted to show our good progress towards our high ambitions for Fitzharrys.”

Her Majesty’s Inspector Sarah Hubbard said in a report published last week: “Your senior leaders have a strong resolve to move the school to good.

“They are supporting middle leaders more effectively.

“As a result, middle leaders are starting to take greater responsibility for improving outcomes in their subject areas.”

She said it was being supported by Faringdon Community College to make those improvements. She added: “The governing body is providing the school with high quality support and challenge. The changes they have made are well-considered. They include setting up a new panel which focuses on how well pupils are achieving.

“As a result of an ever-sharper understanding of the information provided by the school, the governing body is asking increasingly penetrating questions. The minutes of meetings are presented in a helpful question and answer format which clearly identifies where governors are challenging senior leaders about the school’s performance.”

She said guidance for teachers is “tailor-made” but plans to make sure middle leaders are routinely involved in evaluating teaching is not being “implemented with enough urgency”.

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