A FAILING Poole secondary school has been placed in special measures after inspectors branded it “inadequate”.

Ashdown Technology College in Canford Heath will have to make a number of improvements set out by Ofsted. It will receive regular visits by the inspectors and if the school fails to improve it could close.

The school was given notice to improve in 2010 after government inspectors scored Ashdown the lowest ranking, a number four rating, for overall effectiveness.

The report said the teaching was not good enough, especially in the 55-strong sixth form, and staff turnover was cited as being a major problem.

The school was revisited in February by a team of four inspectors who placed the school in special measures and said it needed to : n Improve the effectiveness of leaders and managers n Continue to raise student achievement n Further improve behaviour The news comes a month after headteacher Liz Jones, who had been at the helm since 2006, retired a month early.

Deputy head Keith Newman took over as acting headteacher of the school, which has 700 pupils aged 12-18, until a permanent appointment is made.

Last month work began on a £15million redevelopment of the campus as part of borough plans to change the age of transfer in 2013.

Speaking yesterday, Mr Newman said: “I took on the interim role knowing the Ofsted inspection outcome and made the decision with complete confidence that we could add-ress the issues and come out of this very quickly.

“Ashdown’s results compare very favourably with other schools.”

The school is already working with the Borough of Poole to address the shortcomings identified by Ofsted by implementing a Raising Achievement Plan.

Stuart Twiss, chief advisor to schools at the Borough of Poole, said students and parents will be kept informed.

Confidence

Laura Dagnall, chairman of governors at Ashdown Technology College, said: “As chair of governors and a parent governor, I felt the need to show my confidence in the school and its teaching for the future. My own child is starting in September 2012, my third child to go through the school, and I have every faith in this being the best choice for my daughter.

“We are extremely positive about the immense improvements happening. The entire governing body is confident.”

Parent Greg Nielson said: “The judgement was a bit of a shock as my experience of the school with my daughter has been nothing but positive and she is loving the school and progressing well.”

Strengths

Inspectors highlighted a number of strengths at the school including: “Students feel safe in the school and there are good arrangements for safeguarding.”

“The governing body has played a strong role in supporting improvements that have come about since the previous inspection and have the capacity to support it well in the future.”

Sixth-formers were identified as having “their needs met well and provision of outcomes are improving as a result of a change in the leadership of this area”.