'Worst' school praised by Ofsted

Kathy August said the success was partly down to reducing truancy

A high school in Manchester, which had the worst truancy records in the country, has achieved outstanding in the latest Ofsted report.

Manchester Academy, formerly known as Ducie High School, was praised by inspectors for the overall effectiveness of the school.

Six years ago, only 5% of students achieved five or more GCSEs and had the lowest attendance rate in the country.

Headteacher, Kathy August, said the success was due to "discipline".

'Outstanding leadership'

"Simple things like a proper uniform, making sure the pupils behave properly and we pay a lot of attention to absences.

"We have to know why a child has had the day off, then we follow it up and we chase it relentlessly.

"We monitor what goes on in the classrooms and things have dramatically improved. Last year 61% of pupils gained A* - C GCSEs in comparison to 13% a few years ago."

Mark Wilson, lead inspector of the Ofsted team, said the "outstanding curriculum gives a very wide range of learning opportunities" which is made possible by the "overall outstanding leadership and management of the academy".