OFSTED has visited a secondary school in Herefordshire to check if it's still good – and inspectors left by saying it still was.

The inspectors said Queen Elizabeth High School, in Bromyard, continues to be a good school and was somewhere where pupils were valued and well cared for.

Leaders at the school, with 381 pupils aged between 11 and 16, had high expectations for pupils’ achievement, inspectors said, and the curriculum was carefully developed to meet pupils’ needs and interests.

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Inspectors said there was still work to do in three areas, including in making sure all teachers explained new information clearly and gave pupils useful feedback on their work.

Staff at the school, in Ashfields, were said to be ambitious for pupils’ wider development and the children, who behaved well in lessons, valued the broad offer of clubs, activities and external visits.

They also benefitted from a well-structured careers programme that includes a work experience opportunity.

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But the inspectors, Deborah James and Russell Hinton, said that in the last year, the school faced a "number of very challenging circumstances" that impacted exam results.

"Pupils did not reach the standards the school expected them to," the report of the January 10 and 11 monitoring inspection said.

"Current year 11 performance is now being tracked more closely. Pupils at risk of underachieving receive additional support and intervention."

To improve, Ofsted said the school should also get rid of inconsistencies in the way that teachers delivered the planned curriculum across and within subjects.

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It also said subject leaders did not consistently monitor the effectiveness of teaching and learning policies, so monitoring and review processes needed to be improved.

Leaders had not developed a strategic approach to improving reading across the school, which meant not all pupils had the confidence and fluency that would enhance their access to the full curriculum offered.

Pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) were well supported, the report said, and more widely, students tried hard in lessons and took pride in their achievements.

Ofsted also praised how teachers felt valued and respected and how trustees were experienced and very committed to the school. Safeguarding was also said to be effective.