WHITBY Community College which was placed in special measures by the schools inspector Ofsted has had its notice to improve removed after a favourable inspection.
Inspectors visited the school last month and the resulting report was published this week.
The report rated the overall effectiveness of the school as satisfactory and the effectiveness of the sixth form was graded as good.
It read: "Standards in the sixth form are rising and students' achievement is good. A-level results in 2007 continued the year-on-year improvement and were above national averages."
Teaching and learning were both recognised as good because teachers made lessons active by involving and encouraging students to develop their "independent learning and group work skills".
The school was placed in special measures in November 2005 following a damning Ofsted report which highlighted concerns about the standard of teaching and examination results.
It dragged itself out and was given a notice to improve in March 2007 before head Rachel Totton left to be replaced by Keith Prytherch, who took over full time in January.
Michael Maddison HMI, who led the inspection team, said students' progress was improving and was now satisfactory, teaching in lessons was getting better and students' behaviour was improving.
In the report he said: "As a result we found that the college no longer requires significant improvement as it did when it was inspected last year.
"However, you could do much better and we have asked the headteacher, the teachers, and the governors to continue the work they are undertaking to make sure you all achieve as well as you can and gain the best possible results in examinations."
Mr Prytherch said that staff were all pleased with the college's Ofsted report because it had recognised the improvements that had been made.
He said: "It is a credit to the hard work of the students, the determined efforts of the staff and the fabulous support we have from parents.
"Personally, I am pleased to read that Ofsted have recognised that we are well aware of weaknesses and have plans to improve further. I am working tirelessly with the local authority, Learning and Skills Council and other local partners to secure further developments and investment in the college. I do not see this removal from notice to improve as the end of something but the start of something.
Links to other stories:
Schools to share headteacherCollege head to leaveCollege given Ofsted boostCollege making satisfactory progressCollege failing, 'but we will improve'The full article contains 425 words and appears in Whitby Gazette Friday newspaper.
