A school labelled inadequate has turned itself around and is now one of the fastest improving schools in the UK.

In its latest Ofsted inspection Hextable School jumped up two grading categories in most areas of assessment.

The secondary school was served a notice to improve in May last year.

A new head teacher was appointed and plans for the school to become an Academy were put in place.

In just over 12 months it has leaped from being inadequate (grade 4) to good (grade 2), in its quality of teaching, behaviour and safety of pupils and its leadership and management.

Improvement is still required in the achievement of pupils, with the school’s inspection judgement increasing by just one level, to grade 3.

Lead inspector Robin Gaff said: “Greatly improved teaching has led to a rapid and sustained rise in the standards reached by all groups of students.”

But the Egerton Avenue school did not achieve ‘good’ in this category, because Ofsted’s assessment had to be based on the school’s previous exam performances between 2010-12 - and last year the number of students gaining the Government standard of five A*-C GCSE grades was below the national average.

Mr Gaff said: “The school’s robust and reliable information about the current attainment of Year 11 and sixth form students indicates that they are on course to reach standards which are likely to be broadly in line with national averages, from their below average starting points.”

The overall grading is based on the achievement of the pupils, so the school has officially improved by just one grade, despite notable success in all other areas.

Head of the school Mrs Tina Bissett added: “We are very pleased with the report and are proud of what has been accomplished during the past 12 months.

"The progress that has been made is quite remarkable and it is really pleasing to have this officially recognised in the report.

“The quality of provision noted in the report is seen by us all as a springboard from which Hextable School can develop rapidly as we convert to Oasis Academy Hextable in September 2013.”