A school in Oldham which has been put under special measures since it was rated 'inadequate' has made some progress though must make further improvements, Ofsted has warned.

Waterhead Academy on Huddersfield Road in Lees was rated 'inadequate' across three out of four key categories by the education watchdog earlier this year.

In a joint report by five Ofsted inspectors, they wrote: "Pupils are not getting a good deal at Waterhead Academy."

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They cited issues with "unruly" students, "poor behaviour", "foul and abusive language", as well as name-calling and homophobic and racist language, which impacted their learning and the confidence of staff members.

Pupils were quoted as being "fed up" and "unhappy" with the situation at the school and some told Ofsted bullying was common.

Inspectors found staff did attempt to deal with such incidents but that their efforts "are not always as successful as they could be".

Truancy was another low point in the report as inspectors found the children skip classes or arrive late while the staff "do not do enough" to challenge them.

It was claimed when staff do challenge pupils about their absence, "they are either ignored or subjected to pupils' disrespectful comments".

Staff and leaders were further criticised for having "low" expectations of the school and for prompting a decline in the quality of education.

On the subject of the 'inadequate' curriculum, the inspectors wrote: "Pupils have been failed for far too long.

"Their learning is fragile and they underachieve."

The delivery of lessons and a lack of knowledge of the curriculum by teachers was further "hampered by constant interruptions to lessons because of pupils' poor behaviour".

The lack of literacy and numeracy skills for pupils in Year 11 was another concerning issue raised by Ofsted which the inspectors wrote was due to a "legacy of low aspiration and ambition".

Pupils with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) do not achieve as well they should, "because they are adversely affected by an ineffective curriculum".

However, one positive was that the pupils benefitted from a "growing range" of extra-curricular activities and there were evidence of "effective plans" for the pupils' personal development.

Ofsted inspector, Niamh Howlett, visited the school in November for a monitoring visit to check on progress.

Monitoring visits cannot change the grade of a school's overall effectiveness but do shed light on the school's progress and can indicate if schools have improved enough to step up a grade.

Ms Howlett revealed leaders have made progress to improve the school but said "more work is necessary for the school to be no longer judged as requiring special measures".

In her letter to the principal, she found leaders have "accepted" the weaknesses identified at the previous inspection which led to "urgent and effective" actions to tackle the most pressing shortcomings, particularly the students' behaviour.

The education watchdog found eradicating such behaviour has been a key priority with a new strategy and expectation in place which is being followed by both staff and students "consistently well".

She said pupils and staff told her about the "considerable improvements" they have witnessed in behaviour which is helping more pupils to learn without unnecessary disruption while also posting a greater enjoyment of school life.

However, she noted the approaches haven't been "wholly successful" with a "small but significant" group of students who continue to cause problems while some "derogatory language" persists.

While suspensions have declined, there is still a high number of students who are removed from class to be taught in isolation units where, Ms Howlett said, the education on offer "is not good enough".

Still, an increase in staff has helped to curb truancy and disruption in corridors though absences are still an issue.

But the curriculum was one area of vast improvement that was noted by the inspector.

She said there is evidence of "positive changes" being made such as a "greater range of subject options" while more students are choosing to study the English Baccalaureate suite of subjects.

However, while she admitted the work is "still in its infancy", the work so far and whole-school training has been helpful in improving the delivery of education and assessment strategies.

She added: "Even so, this is not bearing enough fruit because the curriculum content that pupils should learn is not finalised."

Those who struggle to read with fluency, accuracy and confidence still need more support, especially those in key stage 4.

In her letter to the principal, she advised the school not to appoint early career teachers but praised a stronger leadership and network of support from the multi-academy trust and trustees who "maintain a sharp focus" on "its journey of improvement".

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