A DUDLEY school is no longer rated as inadequate, but has been ordered to improve further by education inspectors.

The Pegasus Academy received a 'requires improvement' rating from OFSTED following an inspection in June, with the findings published on July 16.

The rating comes just over one year after the school, formerly known as Holly Hall, was slammed as 'inadequate' by the education watchdog in February 2018.

The new rating marks the school moving up a grade, an achievement which has been celebrated by the Dudley Academies Trust which runs the school.

Lowell Williams, Chief Executive Officer of Dudley College of Technology and Chair of the Board of Dudley Academies Trust said: “I am delighted that Ofsted has recognised the positive improvements that are being made, this is a resounding endorsement of the approach Dudley Academies Trust has been taking. I believe that we are on a real journey to move this school up another grade to ‘good’ in a very short time frame.”

The Scotts Green Close School was branded as 'requires improvement' across the education watchdog's four areas of assessment in leadership, quality of teaching, personal development and outcomes for pupils.

The report described maths teaching as 'inconsistent' and stated that although teaching has improved since the last inspection, it is not yet leading to 'consistently strong progress for all pupils to reach the standard expected of their age.

However, the principal and senior leaders were praised for their 'drive and energy' in improving the school, and for their 'determined effort' to tackle the areas judged inadequate in the last inspection.

The Dudley Academies Trust was also commended for providing 'effective support' to help the school's progress.

The school was also praised for its 'strong culture of safeguarding', effective support for pupils with special educational needs and pupils were reported to be 'happy and proud of their school'.

Jo Higgins, Chief Executive of Dudley Academies Trust, said the school is confident the weaknesses stated in the report are on the way to being solved: “We are on a clear mission to transform this school. We are addressing all areas that are holding us back; in September, for instance, we have an excellent, new head of mathematics joining us and we have a continuing drive to appoint the very best teaching staff.”

Andy Landers, the Principal of Pegasus Academy, paid tribute to staff and said the school was on 'the way up'.

He said: "Through the dedicated work of our teaching and support staff, we have come a long way; but I am not complacent and we have more to do to become the school of our ambitions. It is rewarding to see Ofsted acknowledging the progress that we have made and that this is a school on the way up.”