A BURNLEY school, which is currently in special measures, is considering becoming an academy after being praised following a recent Ofsted visit.

Coal Clough High School was rated as ‘inadequate’ in May 2014 and has been visited twice by inspectors in September 2014 and again last month.

After February’s visit, lead inspector Janet Palmer, said the school was making ‘reasonable progress’ on the serious weaknesses highlighted.

Lancashire County Council’s action plan drawn up when the school was rated ‘inadequate’ now also declares the school fit for purpose.

It was also revealed in the Ofsted report that the Swindon Street school, which caters for children who have been excluded from other schools, are sick or are otherwise unable to attend main stream schools, is considering becoming an academy and has met with a potential sponsor.

Mrs Palmer said: “Improvements in the effectiveness of leadership and management are evident in the improved tracking, recording and evaluation of students’ attainment and progress, greater rigour in the monitoring of teaching and reductions in the levels of truancy and incidents of poor behaviour.

“The information that is kept regarding individual students’ progress and behaviour is now detailed and comprehensive.

“However, the school’s analysis of teaching and learning indicators that not all teachers use this information effectively to plan lessons.

“Attendance has increased as a result of the considerable efforts made by the school to tackle absenteeism through a range of effective strategies.

“Behaviour has improved due to a more consistent application of the school’s behaviour policy and improved relationships between staff and students.

However, the report highlighted areas where the school still had to improve on before it could be considered to be rated above ‘inadequate’.

These include the use of information by teachers to plan work around pupils’ levels of knowledge.

Mrs Palmer said: “Teachers do not systematically use the information they have on what students already know and what they can do to plan work that meets their varying needs.

“The resources selected for use in the classroom are not always effective in capturing students’ interest and developing their enthusiasm for learning.”

Burnley MP Gordon Birtwistle, who represents the area where the school is based on the borough council, said: “The school had a really tough time when it opened but a lot of hard work has gone into it from the staff.”

“They really have worked hard and I’m delighted that the hard work is paying off.

“I don’t want any school in my constituency to be in special measures because it means that the youngsters in Burnley are not being educated to the highest standard possible.”

Head teacher Kelly Dawson was not available for comment.