'We have to do more work now school is improving'

Students at a school where teachers reported having scissors thrown at them said they now "have to do a lot more work" after bosses vowed to make positive changes.

Westbourne Academy, in Marlow Road, Ipswich, was rated inadequate and put into special measures last June following an inspection by Ofsted.

It came after teachers went on strike in protest over the poor behaviour of pupils, some of whom were reported to have used "derogatory" and racist language.

Inspectors recently returned and said that, while more work was needed, some progress and improvements had been made – and students agree.

Ryan, 15, told the BBC there was previously "a lot of disruption and swearing" in class but now not so much, due to students being aware of the repercussions.

"I think it's gotten a lot better and there are a lot less people saying things that hurt people because they get punished for it," he said.

Jasper, 14, said the school was now "a great place to focus" because staff were "stricter on the rules".

"There used to be so many interruptions in the classes but now it's just quiet, which is great," he said.

"I have to do a lot more work now, but I think it's definitely better for my learning and everything. I think it's better."

Connor, 14, meanwhile, said the school was previously a "horrible" place to study and there were "so many disruptions".

"No-one could really focus on their work but now it is better and stricter, and it's helping," he said.

"I can understand my work more and hope to get better grades in my GCSEs next year. So, I think it's really positive now."

Sophia, 12, who is on the school council, believes there are still improvements to be made but that overall, it is moving in the right direction.

"It's changed a lot and there are more rules in place, but I think we can still do better," she said.

"It is good for now, but I think a lot of things can change."

Ciara, 11, said there were now "a lot less people bunking".

"I think it's improved quite well and there is a lot better behaviour," she said of the school, which has nearly 1,000 pupils and recently adopted a no-phones policy.

At the time of the inspection, the school was being run by the Academy Transformation Trust (ATT) but is now being transferred to the Inspiration Trust.

ATT had appointed a new board to "drive forward rapid change" and made new appointments to its leadership team.

Ofsted said this had resulted in some change, with inspectors noting that pupils' behaviour had "substantially improved".

Kate Godsal, assistant principal of behaviour, said in order for changes to be made, bosses first had to be "honest about what was going wrong".

"When you are around the majority of students in this school, who are wonderful and amazing, it's really important you are a voice for them," she said.

"It's important to make things better for them and [I think] this school will be amazing and has the potential to be outstanding.

"We're on a journey. We are not where we want to be yet, and there's still lots of work to do, but we are determined to get the best out of our students."

After Ofsted's most recent visit, inspectors reported more students were going to school regularly and their experiences with learning across the school were better.

They also acknowledged that leaders would "prioritise" staff wellbeing and had "focused sharply on changing the culture" of the school.

Principal Martin Higgon said he was "regularly" working 70-hour weeks and at weekends to turn the school's fortunes around.

"I'm not going to be happy until this school is really exceptional, because that's what the students deserve and that's what the staff want us to do," he said.

"I would say it's an evolution rather than a transformation – it's a journey and it's hard work, but we're not scared of hard work at Westbourne.

"We've still got lots of steps to take, but we've brought the right people in, we've made improvements, and we've seen the impact of those changes."

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