A RECENT Ofsted inspection has said a Forest secondary school is taking effective action towards lifting out of special measures.

The Forest High School in Cinderford, which was judged inadequate last May, was praised for its progress in leadership and management.

The report identified senior leaders have ‘significantly improved’ the culture in the school for pupils and teachers and ‘boosted’ teachers’ confidence and morale. A good programme of coaching and support has been introduced to develop key teaching skills, and pupils also value highly the changes that senior leaders have made.

It further added that “the chief executive officer of the Trust and the Chair of the local governing body share, with the executive headteacher, a clear vision for the future of the academy. They are relentless in driving forward the improvements and developments necessary to achieve this in a challenging, but realistic, time­scale.”

Executive headteacher, Miss Yvonne Jones said: “This report shows that in a short space of time the school has made some improvement.

“There is still a very long way to go but hard work does not deter myself, the staff or the Academy Trust. The Trust, together with our improvement partner Pate’s Grammar School, have a clear vision of how to improve the school and are striving to succeed.

“We are also making significant progress, alongside improving quality, in enhancing the curriculum to provide greater enrichment opportunities and building on our sponsor’s expertise in the arts, sports and preparing learners for apprenticeships and employability – all areas judged outstanding by Ofsted at the SGS College inspection in 2014.”­