ANOTHER school in Swindon has been told by Ofsted it needs to improve and the quality of teaching is not strong enough.

Churchfields Academy, which has almost 800 pupils, was visited by six inspectors in March and in the report published last week it has been rated as ‘requires improvement’.

It comes weeks after Grange Junior School and Kingsdown School, both in Stratton St Margaret, also came under fire by the education watchdog and received the same rating.

But headteacher Sandra Muir of the school in Salcombe Grove has vowed to get the academy’s rating back up to ‘good’.

“Staff were disappointed with the result but I am confident that the academy has the capacity and strength to enable it to quickly return to ‘good,’” said Mrs Muir, who has been a member of staff since 1999 and was appointed acting principal in November.

“Although Ofsted identified pupils were not making consistently strong progress across year groups and subjects, they did identify that attainment and progress for the current Year 11 has shown improvement.”

The report states that the quality of teaching has not been strong enough, but highlighted the positive impact the newly formed leadership team had made and would need time to take effect before further success was shown.

However it adds: “In particular boys make slower progress than girls over time, whatever their starting points.

“The progress of disadvantaged pupils and those with special educational needs or disability is inconsistent across the school, partly as a result of ineffective planning to meet their needs.

“Some pupils do not display sufficient awareness of how to be successful learners or possess the skills to do so.”

Behaviour issues were also raised after inspectors saw a group of pupils interrupting a class and fellow pupils’ learning.

It adds: “Inspectors saw some evidence of this, mainly from boys, in the form, for example, of talking over the teachers’ instructions. While such behaviour could not be regarded as prevalent it was of sufficient concern to those pupils who wish to get on with their learning for them to mention it in discussions with inspectors.”

Mrs Muir added: “The academy will not stand still. The report identified that the work which was taking place between Churchfields and Royal Wootton Bassett Academy is a positive move.

“There was also recognition that middle leaders have started to work well together across faculties, which is having an impact on the progress that our students make.

“I would like to thank our parents and staff for their continued support of Churchfields Academy and we look forward to a future of positive change.”