AFTER being ordered to improve by Ofsted last June, Birchwood High School has been praised for changing ‘at a pace’ in a report by inspectors.

Following a visit to the Brock Road site in April, Shirley Gornall from Ofsted said there was a ‘buzz of energy’ in classes.

And the school was praised for taking in 14 students from the recently closed Future Tech Studio after the it suddenly closed down, leaving 47 youngsters without a place to study.

Ms Gornall said: “The school’s work to improve the quality of teaching has moved on at pace.

“Pupils told me that they now feel clearer about what they are learning. they said that they liked having a ‘pattern’ to their lessons.

“There is a ‘buzz’ of energy in some classes, reflecting pupils’ positive attitudes to their learning.”

She added teachers had not lost any of their creativity and encouraged students to use the correct terminology in subjects like religious studies.

Incidents of bad behaviour have also reduced and pupil attendance has slightly improved.

Head teacher, Moira Bryan, said “We are delighted that the improvements in the quality of teaching, in behaviour for learning and in the school culture have been recognised by Ofsted.

“These improvements have come through the hard work of our young people and dedicated staff supported by parents and carers. The focus on high aspirations, high expectations and high achievement has built a positive working environment based upon mutual respect for everyone in our learning community .”

But Ms Gornall said students’ notes are not always good and often contain spelling mistakes.

And she added more could be done to raise pupils’ aspirations.

She said: “A significant proportion of pupils that are excluded are disadvantaged. Leaders and staff continue to work hard with individual pupils and their families to find the most effective ways of improving behaviour.”

Governors at the school were praised for their ‘knowledgeable and tenacious’ help. The report also said the leadership team are working hard to tackle problems and work towards a good rating for the school.

Read the full document at reports.ofsted.gov.uk.