BETTER teaching needs to be delivered at a Pill secondary school according to Government inspectors.

Representatives of Ofsted have released a report after visiting St Katherine’s School last month.

Following the inspection, which saw the Ham Green school analysed against a new, far more rigorous set of guidelines, it has been given a rating of ‘requires improvement’. Using a previous framework it had been rated as good.

Inspectors report that achievement is too variable across subjects and not enough students make good progress, particularly in science.

They also said teaching needs to be improved, with not enough staff routinely using assessment data to plan lessons and not using effective questioning.

Students were also observed to easily lose concentration and sixth form pupils have not made good progress in some subjects, although there are positive signs this is improving.

However, inspectors did recognise a number of positives at the school, including the fact headteacher Chris Sammons has raised expectations and accountability since he started in September 2012.

Outstanding examples of teaching were observed, students are thought to be well cared for and their education is enhanced thanks to extra curricular activities.

In the best lessons, teachers were described as exuding passion and having strong subject knowledge.

Mr Sammons said: “I know this school will be outstanding, and I am passionate about improving all aspects of our teaching and learning to make sure that all our young people have the best possible opportunities to be challenged and excel across all areas of the curriculum.

“I welcome the challenge of higher expectations, and all of us at St Katherine’s would agree that striving for ever higher standards absolutely encapsulates what we are about, my focus is to ensure this excellence is consistently high across all subjects.”