A SECONDARY school in Hereford branded “inadequate” by inspectors is showing signs of improvement, a monitoring inspection has found.

The Hereford Academy was handed the worst possible rating by Ofsted after an inspection in November 2018 where pupils said they did not feel safe and others claimed some of their teachers “do not care”.

But Ofsted inspectors returned to the school in October and noted the improvements made.

While the school’s grading cannot be changed as a result of a monitoring inspection, inspectors found “there has been improvement in many areas of the school”, including pupils’ behaviour and attitudes.

Headteacher Michael Stoppard, who started in his role in June, said everyone has been working hard to turn things around, but is under no illusions about the work that still needs to be done.

“A huge amount of work is being done by all my staff to make significant improvements and I can reassure everyone that this work is continuing and will not stop,” he said.

“We know that our exam results in the last few years – which were due to a combination of factors including a curriculum that limited pupils as well and a general decline in standards across the school – have been a cause for real concern,” he said.

“We now have to ensure the improvements we have made are sustained and that we continue to drive our changes forward.

“We are addressing areas where we know pupils have gaps in their knowledge and inspectors were pleased that this issue is being tackled.”

The letter received by the school also said how almost all pupils who spoke with inspectors now feel safe and happy in school, and they trust staff to deal with problems.