A SCHOOL once judged as needing improvement has come out top of the town’s secondaries under a new government scoring system.

Swindon Academy has been rated as well above average for the progress its pupils make between the end of key stage two and their year 11 exams – the only school in Swindon to achieve the accolade.

Just four years ago it underwent a huge change after Ofsted inspectors ruled it needed to improve the quality of teaching, pupils’ behaviour and attitude to learning.

Principal Ruth Robinson said: “It is the second year that we have been top of the league. We think it is an excellent measure because it allows local parents and the community to judge the school by the amount of progress they make between key stage two and the end of key stage 4. We have really high standards and expectations across the board.”

Not only did the school expect good behaviour from pupils, she said, it also focussed on high quality expert teaching and a strong recruitment campaign

“We attract the best teachers and have an expert training programme allowing them to plan and deliver the sort of lessons the children remember in a way they remember.”

She thought the school’s enrichment and extra-curricular programme was one of the reasons for the school’s success, along with the hard work of pupils and staff, including support staff.

In Wiltshire, Royal Wootton Bassett Academy scored above average and head George Croxford was pleased but keen to improve.

“To be honest we want to be well above average,” he said. It was also interesting to see how the attainment bar had been raised to grade five in English and maths, the equivalent of a high C or low B under the old system.

The progress 8 score results are the first since a new GCSE grading system was brought in for English and maths, scoring candidates from 9 down to 1, but staff said they had little idea of the grade boundaries until the results were in last summer. It meant a huge amount of uncertainty. Other subject gradings change this year.

Ridgeway School scored above average for the new measure, while Bradon Forest, Lydiard Park Academy, St Joseph’s Catholic College and Churchfields Academy were average.

There was disappointment for Nova Hreod, which was rated as well below average. Just last year the school earned the first good grade from Ofsted in its history and it was recognised as one of the most improved schools in the south west.

Principal Darren Barton said: “We have made some significant progress in the school which is reflected in the improved results we have achieved over the past three years.

“We won’t be satisfied, however, until we have a strong, positive progress 8 figure and this is something that we are all working very hard to achieve in the future.”

UTC Swindon was also well below average.

In a statement it said because it taught children from 14 it was not responsible for three of the five years measured, but it was close to average and had shown rapid improvement in one year. It said: “It is crucial that a number of measures are considered, for example the percentages of students achieving a grade 5 or above in English and maths is the third best in Swindon, well above the average for Swindon and above the average for all schools in England. At Post 16 the progress measure for UTC Swindon is the highest in Swindon, in fact the only school or college in Swindon with a positive progress score at this age.”