A CHATTERIS school has been praised for its quality of teaching and told its students are learning faster than the national average.

Cromwell Community College has received the first “good” rating in Cambridgeshire from Ofsted since the Government body introduced a new inspection framework at the start of the year.

But the inspection in March also found the secondary school could do more to encourage students to work independently.

In the headline findings of the report, inspector Alan Alder said: “This is a good school. Students’ achievement is good. They make faster than their peers nationally and their attainment is above average.

“Lessons, and the school in general, are calm and orderly. Any poor behaviour is promptly dealt with.”

The college, which teaches more than 1,000 students from ages 11 to 18, was said to be a safe environment for pupils and the teachers’ knowledge of their subjects was good.

Though the school scored “good” across the board, Mr Alder said the sixth form’s work was only satisfactory and the school and not been scored “outstanding” because students needed to be challenged more in lessons.

Inspectors have suggested the school provides more opportunities for students to work independently and “speak at length to explain [their] understanding of the work”.

“The school is well led. The ambition to improve is strong and very clearly communicated to the staff and to students,” said Mr Alder.

“The curriculum is well-designed. It provides opportunities for students of different aptitudes and interests to make good progress, enabling those with weaknesses in literacy to improve them and those who are high attainers to take additional subjects at GCSE.”

Principal Jed Roberts said: “Being the first secondary school in Cambridgeshire to be graded as ‘good’ under the new framework is a tremendous achievement and one we are all extremely proud of.

“The outcome reflects a huge amount of hard work and belief from the students, parents, governors and the whole staff team at the college.

“The judgement also marks a large step forward towards our aspiration of being an outstanding school.”