Academy out of special measures

Waterhead Academy will be under new control by the Summer

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RAPID improvements have seen Waterhead Academy ditch its failing tag.

The Huddersfield Road secondary was judged to be inadequate (grade 4) in all areas in December 2014, and placed in special measures by Ofsted.

But inspectors from the education watchdog say that it is no longer failing to provide pupils with an acceptable standard of education.

They have removed it from special special measures and now class it as requiring improvement (grade 2) overall. Good leadership and higher expectations have had a "positive impact on staff morale and pupils' learning" and Ofsted praises new principal James Haseldine, saying: "He has ambition and vision for the school's future and in a very short time he has spared no effort in making a range of changes that are turning the school round rapidly."

Waterhead Academy replaced Breeze Hill and Counthill schools in 2010. It will be run by Moor End Academies trust from September after original sponsor Oldham College announced in April that it was pulling out.

Mr Haseldine was appointed executive principal on a temporary basis last November - becoming the school's fifth head - after just 31 per cent of pupils gained five A* to C grades in last year's GCSEs. The Trafford-based Dean Trust was also brought in to improve standards.

Mr Haseldine is now staying on to lead the school permanently and Ofsted says that he has swiftly established a "positive culture and ethos and an ambitious vision for the school."

Teaching is improving steadily, but is still not consistently good, and too many tasks are either too easy or too hard for pupils.

Attendance has improved dramatically, but is below average, and behaviour requires improvement although it is also improving

Other areas prised by Ofsted include "robust systems" to hold staff to account for pupils' progress, the new curriculum which has a strong focus on careers guidance and the higher profile given to the school library.

Mr Haseldine said: "The findings of the inspection are a positive step forward for Waterhead Academy and the community. The team has worked extremely hard to secure improvement.

"Students have responded to higher expectations. We still have hard work to do and our focus is to continue to improve the achievement of students through good teaching."

Oldham College principal Alun Francis added: "This is a great step forward for Waterhead Academy and another sign that Oldham schools as a whole are moving in the right direction. We are very pleased that the actions we took to bring in support from The Dean Trust and James Haseldine, have resulted in such a strong improvement.

"The college has supported the academy through some very difficult challenges but we are confident that it is being handed over to the new sponsor in good shape, with an excellent leadership team, an outstanding principal and a very capable and experienced group of governors."