FARNHAM Heath End School has been judged ‘good’ across the board by Ofsted – capping a rapid turnaround for the once-struggling secondary school.

The judgement is the result of a two-day inspection carried out in January, and lifts the academy out of its previous category of ‘requires improvement’.

It is the first inspection of Farnham Heath End (FHES) since it joined the Weydon Multi Academy Trust in April 2017, then welcomed a new principal, Stuart Maginnis in January 2018.

And the school’s new leadership team was singled out for particular praise by inspectors.

“This is a school that has improved rapidly under its new leadership,” begins the report.

“Senior leaders have very high standards and expectations and pupils have learned to work harder and be more resilient.

“The school leaders have made many changes in the last two years. They have done this with enthusiasm and optimism, gaining the trust of staff even when they have had to make difficult decisions.

“Pupils, staff, and parents and carers have all told us that it has become a happier place to attend. Staff love working here.”

The school was awarded ‘good’ for each of Ofsted’s four categories: the quality of education; behaviour and attitudes; personal development; and leadership and management.

The use of research to train teachers was highlighted as a strength which has led to raised standards and improved the breadth of the curriculum.

And teaching staff were also praised for effective lesson planning and assessment.

The report added: “Teachers structure learning well, enabling pupils to remember and understand what they learn. Teachers use assessment well so that they know how pupils are doing and can adjust the content of their teaching accordingly.”

Strong new behaviour policies were recognised as effective and fair, and inspectors noted that bullying is rare and that pupils feel safe to be themselves at school.

Supporting students with special educational needs was highlighted as a strength with the FHES SEND team labelled “very effective”.

Also praised was the wide range of activities to encourage pupils’ personal development including: promoting equality and diversity; engaging with the wider community, and preparing pupils for the next stage of their education.

Principal, Mr Maginnis said: “I am very proud of this report and the recognition that students and staff truly deserve. The past two years have been so enjoyable and I look forward to even more successes in the coming years.”