A POOLE school in special measures is making satisfactory progress, according to its latest monitoring inspection.

Ashdown Technology College at Canford Heath, which educates 647 pupils aged 12 to 18 with a sixth form of 44 students, is improving after its first monitoring inspection in the summer judged progress to be inadequate.

In February the failing school was put into special measures following an Ofsted inspection and the latest monitoring inspection has reported progress since then and since the previous monitoring inspection to be satisfactory.

Interim headteacher Ian Cox, who is leaving at the end of this term said: “Clearly we are pleased that the hard work of students and staff is resulting in progress that Ofsted have recognised. “At the same time, there is work to do and we are all clear about the next steps required for still further improvements.”

The report acknowledges the school has been undergoing significant changes with interim heads, converting to an academy, re-structuring the senior leadership team and a £15million revamp of on-going building work among them.

Students achievement was improving. “The proportion of lessons where students’ progress is at least good has increased and is now inadequate in only a small minority,” said the report.

The overall quality of teaching has improved. “More teaching is now good and fewer lessons are inadequate; a small proportion of teaching is outstanding. Despite this overall improvement, the proportion of teaching that requires improvement is still too high,” the report said.

It added that pupils’ behaviour continued to improve, teachers had clear targets for raising the achievements of their students, governors had a sharper school improvement plan and the parents had better communication based on pupils’ progress.

“The interim headteacher has been highly effective in putting in place all of the systems and procedures to underpin school improvement, giving the school enhanced capacity to improve,” said the report.