Marshland High School, West Walton

MARSHLAND High School has failed to deliver the progress demanded of it by Ofsted more than 18 months ago.

A new report from an Ofsted inspector says the school has failed to sustain an earlier rapid improvement in exam results.

It also complains that some of the teaching is inadequate, recent improvements in the English department are fragile, and the school’s science specialism is having little discernable impact.

Around a fifth of the lessons observed by inspectors were deemed to lack urgency, and the report concludes: “The school has made insufficient progress in demonstrating an increased capacity for further improvement. The inspection has raised serious concerns.”

Two inspectors visited the school for a monitoring visit back in March, as a follow on from the September 2010 inspection that graded the school only as satisfactory.

After that, the school was tasked with raising students’ attainment, ensuring that the school rigorously evaluated its work, and improving its reports of students’ performance to the governing body.

The latest Ofsted report told head teacher Elizabeth Dormer: “In 2011, fewer students gained at least five good GCSEs including English and mathematics. This was partly because attainment in English was well below average.

“The progress made by students over their five years in the school was well below expectations.”

The report says current year 11 pupils are making better progress in English, but their overall progress remains below average, and their attainment low.

According to the inspector, a new monitoring system for key stage 4 pupils is an improvement, but governors are still not receiving enough information.

On a more positive note, the report says the proportion of A and A* grades increased to match the national average; if GCSE subjects only were considered, the school’s performance was above the national average; students’ behaviour was better than the last inspection; and school records show that serious disruption and disobedience have reduced markedly.