A BASINGSTOKE school has been praised by Ofsted for its swift and effective actions to improve pupil behaviour and safeguarding measures after concerns were raised.

A team of Ofsted inspectors visited Everest Community Academy, in Oxford Way, Popley, on January 30, and carried out an urgent inspection to determine the effectiveness of safeguarding arrangements.

This was after concerns were raised with Ofsted about the effectiveness of leadership and management in the school, behaviour and attitudes of pupils, and the personal development of pupils at the school.

Everest Academy is part of the multi-academy trust Bourne Education Trust (BET).

Inspectors, who visited lessons and spoke with pupils and staff throughout the inspection, concluded that the culture of safeguarding in the school is particularly strong.

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Inspector Mark Enser praised interim headteacher Penny Alford for taking swift and effective action to improve pupil behaviour despite only being in post as interim headteacher for a short period of time.

In a letter to the headteacher published on Tuesday, March 12, the inspector wrote: “The safeguarding team are knowledgeable about the risks that pupils face and they ensure that this knowledge is shared with all staff through well-planned training.

“The impact of this training is monitored to ensure that it is making a difference. Staff and pupils are confident in how to report concerns.

“However, leaders are aware of the need to continue building the confidence of pupils in making such reports. There are close working relationships with external agencies, including local schools, and this enables pupils to get the help they need in a timely manner. The trust and governors are providing effective support in monitoring the effectiveness of safeguarding at the school and leaders are quick to put in place any improvements that are needed.”

But the inspector heard from trust leaders that there had been a decline in standards in the school last year.

The leaders, however, took quick action to make sure that the right leadership was in place and that staff received the support they needed to reverse this decline.

“The school recognised that the behaviour of a small group of pupils was leading to other pupils being unsafe,” the letter read.

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“This has now been resolved but it resulted in a rise in the use of exclusions and suspensions. However, the use of exclusions and suspensions has now fallen sharply as behaviour has improved.

“The school is also making less use of alternative provision and has created their own bespoke in-house provision to help those pupils who need additional support. Early indications are that this is proving effective in meeting those needs and keeping pupils at risk of exclusion in the school and involved in education.”

Reacting to the letter, Ms Alford, who is also the chief education officer of BET, said: "We are pleased that the Ofsted inspectors recognised the hard work of all of our staff in ensuring Everest Community Academy is a safe and positive environment in which to learn. All of our school community are working closely together to ensure Everest continues to move forwards and gives the students of Popley the best possible experience."