STAFF and students are celebrating after a secondary school was lifted out of special measures in time for the new term.

Woodlands School, in Woodlands Approach, Basildon, has been rated “requires improvement” by Ofsted overall, with its leadership rated “good”.

Previously, it had been ruled as ‘inadequate’.

The school has been praised by inspectors for teaching allowing students to make good progress and rising standards in English and science at GCSE, as well as extra training which is helping teachers improve further.

It is the beginning of a turnaround for the school, which only last November was put into special measures by Ofsted.

Karen Kerridge, who was put in place as executive headteacher following the damning report, praised staff and pupils for their progress.

She said: “The school is one of the quickest nationally to be removed from special measures and has now been graded as requiring improvement. I would like to take this opportunity to thank staff, parents and students for their support since November.

“We are confident the school’s progress will be maintained next academic year.”

While inspectors praised the school, they also said more improvement was needed in order for it to be rated “good”.

Ofsted said the work that had been done to turn around the school needed to be maintained and that a small minority of teacherswere still not expecting enough from pupils.

However, it recognised the school had a vigorous training scheme in place to help staff.

Simon Cox, the new headteacher, said he was very pleased with the progress.

He said: “This has been recognised by our recent Ofsted report and we are very proud of this acknowledgement.”

The report is an improvement on last year’s, which claimed the then headteacher, Andy White, had covered up his school’s failings.

Inspectors said the school had been presented by Mr White as excellent when “nothing was further from the truth”.

At the end of last term the school moved from Takely End into its new home in Woodlands Approach.