A SECONDARY school has been praised by the watchdog Ofsted and taken out of special measures following major improvements in a short space of time.

The BBG Academy in Birkenshaw had been rated 'inadequate' by Ofsted in October 2014 but following an inspection last month is now rated 'good' in all areas.

Poor behaviour by some of the 700 pupils, mentioned in the previous report, has now been addressed, although a "small minority" continue to have "less positive attitudes", according to Ofsted.

The latest report said: "Around the school, pupils are polite and well mannered. They are proud to be members of BBG Academy community and wear their uniform proudly and immaculately."

It said attendance had improved since the last inspection and the effectiveness of leadership and management was now 'good' - previously it was judged 'inadequate'.

The report notes: "Senior leaders have communicated their high expectations very clearly. As a result, pupils and staff are rising to the challenge set, teaching has improved, behaviour is now good and all groups of pupils are making good progress."

The improvements have been welcomed by The Rodillian Multi Academy Trust which officially took over the school in July last year.

Brian Sheldrake, chairman of the Trust, said: "From our perspective, the work the Trust has done to turn it around so quickly speaks volumes for the leadership."

He added: "It's a fantastic achievement and testament to the leadership and staff of the school in achieving such a superb outcome."

Mr Sheldrake said behaviour had been improved through the implementation of a 'positive discipline system'.

Ofsted singled this discipline system in its latest report, saying: "In the vast majority of lessons, pupils behave well.

"They are willing to learn and pay attention to their peers, teachers and other adults in the room. The positive discipline system (PD) is used consistently by all staff. Pupils and staff are fully aware of the consequences and rewards system. PD enables the pupils to make positive choices about their behaviour."

In a letter to parents from the school management, including head Jason Kenneally, the school said the Ofsted report "contains several phrases which we believe are central to the ethos and values of the BBG Academy."

Ofsted said BBG wass not yet an 'outstanding' school for six reasons: * Pupils’ achievement in other subjects, although good, is not as strong as it is in English, mathematics and science.

  •  A small minority of pupils, more often boys, demonstrate less positive attitudes to learning than others.
  • A small number of teachers do not adhere to the school’s policy on marking and feedback so some pupils are not clear about how to improve their work.
  • The most-able pupils are not challenged to make rapid progress.
  • The development of pupils’ literacy and numeracy skills is not consistently well embedded across subjects.
  • Middle leaders are developing their understanding and expertise, but they are not contributing to driving further improvement as strongly as they should.

The school's staff told parents: "We will address the points raised in the report and will continue to develop and improve the quality of provision, opportunity and support for all students at the BBG Academy."