A BASINGSTOKE secondary school has come out of “special measures” after watchdogs were impressed by its rapid progress and improvements.

In September 2010, The Vyne Community School was graded as “inadequate” by Ofsted, and put in “special measures”.

But following rapid improvements made by two interim headteachers, the school, in Vyne Road, has now been graded as “satisfactory.”

The report says: “Leaders have been successful in raising achievement, raising the quality of teaching, improving the curriculum, improving attendance and punctuality and transforming behaviour.”

When an Ofsted team visited on March 13, the school had no warning because it was meant to be a monitoring visit.

But Krista Dawkins, headteacher, said the inspectors were so impressed with the school, they decided to carry out a full inspection instead, and then said it had come out of “special measures”.

Mrs Dawkins, who took over as interim head in January, told The Gazette: “It hasn’t just come out of ‘special measures’ – it got ‘good’ gradings in two categories. This demonstrates that the school is rapidly improving. Normally, when a school is placed in ‘special measures’, it takes two years to come out of that category.”

The Ofsted report graded The Vyne as “satisfactory” is three areas and “good” in two, including leadership and management.

The report said: “Inspectors found the school to be calm and well ordered. The vast majority of lessons were well focused and students were engaged in their work.” It added: “Behaviour has been transformed over the last 18 months thanks to clear boundaries.”

The school governors are now looking for a permanent headteacher to lead the school from September.

Before Mrs Dawkins took over, it was run by Julie Churcher, head of Aldworth Science College, after former head Peter Hutchinson quit in March last year. Mrs Churcher was praised by Ofsted for turning the school around, and the watchdogs have been impressed that this progress has continued.

As revealed in The Gazette in February, the school is now in the process of becoming a sponsored academy, run by a trust which will be formed by Queen Mary’s College and Basingstoke College of Technology.

Bruce Newlands, chair of governors, said that if everything goes according to plan, it is hoped the school will convert to an academy next January.