A “DROP in standards” has seen a Wickford school ordered to improve after inspectors found “instability” and teachers lacked knowledge about their subjects.

The Bromfords School, in Garage Avenue, Wickford, has been rated “requires improvement” in all areas by Ofsted following an inspection on November 29 and 30.

The report, published on January 26, found there had been a drop in standards since the previous inspection which had seen the school rated as “good”.

It stated: “Since the last inspection, there has been instability and issues of capacity within the senior leadership team that have caused a drop in standards.

“Some teachers do not have the subject knowledge and expertise they need to teach the curriculum effectively.

“This impacts on how well they learn and achieve.

“Leaders need to ensure that staff receive appropriate training and support to develop the necessary knowledge and skills to teach the curriculum effectively.”

At the time of inspection there were 1,171 students, all aged between 11 and 18.

In their previous visit by Ofsted back in 2016, the school was rated “good” overall.

Ofsted did, however, praise children’s experience of school life.

The report stated: “Most pupils are happy at school.

“They enjoy engaging in wider enrichment opportunities.

“Pupils enjoy lessons where teachers have high expectations.

“Some pupils worry about bullying but feel that staff will support them to successfully resolve issues when they report them.”

In a letter to parents, CEO Ahson Mohammed and headteacher Jochen Tree wrote: “You will rightly want to be assured that we have a robust plan to improve the school and address the areas identified.

“We will only accept the best for The Bromfords School.

“We do not and will not ignore that a minority of parents expressed negative perceptions of the school through the survey shared at the time of the inspection, and we know that we need to work harder on our communication with you.”

It added: “We want to give you reassurance and confidence over the coming months in each of these areas and will be communicating more regularly with you on our progress in the areas highlighted.”