A SECONDARY school jumped for joy yesterday after it turned its fortunes around to receive a Good Ofsted rating.

Bradon Forest School in Purton celebrated as it received the positive rating across all areas in the latest report, two years after the school was ordered to improve by the education watchdog.

Special praise was given to the school’s leadership team, the warm relationship between teachers and students and the well-thought out and structured curriculum.

With the addition of headteacher Dr Andrew Morrison, who took up the post in September 2013, and a renewed focus on pupil motivation, the school has bounced back.

Dr Morrison said: “We are delighted that inspectors highlighted the ‘rapid progress’ that has led us to being one of the 100 most improved non-selective state schools over the last two years when we were in the bottom two years ago.

“I think the key was improving confidence in the students and staff and making them see what they are capable of with the right motivation.

“It’s down to the work of the team and the students, what we’ve done is achieve sustainable growth and that is why it has been so successful."

The report marks a remarkable turnaround for the school in just two years.

In 2014, Bradon Forest was criticised by Ofsted for its slow progress in GCSE results and poor lesson planning.

Inspectors said of the school at the time: “Students’ achievement requires improvement because progress has been too slow and results not good enough in a number of GCSE subjects.”

But in the April 2016 report lead Ofsted inspector Stephen Smith praised Bradon Forest for its dedication to motivating its 850 students and preparing them for life after education.

"There is a warm relationship that exists between teachers and students, a reflection of mutual trust and respect," he said.

"The students at Bradon Forest are known as individuals and cared for by staff who value the relationships they share with them. These positive relationships reflect a warm, welcoming school where they are all respected regardless of background or circumstance.

“The report recognised that the well-thought-out curriculum ensures that students are well prepared for life beyond school. In 2015 students’ results for both English and Maths were significantly higher than the national average for the second year running.”

Dr Morrison said the school was now focused on reaching outstanding levels in the next few years.

"Bradon Forest students are fiercely proud of their school and its recent journey of improvement. They are well looked after and feel safe in school,” he said.

“While the report is extremely positive we continue on our journey of improvement.

"The staff at Bradon Forest School and I look forward to working with our students and their parents over the next few years to make our school an even more special place to learn.”