HAMELDON Community College is making satis-factory progress since being put into special measures, according to Ofsted inspectors.

Ofsted re-inspected the school earlier this month as a check up after they found the Burnley school to be failing in February.

And Ofsted yesterday published the findings from this inspection.

Back in February, inspectors criticised senior management, including the headteacher Gill Broom and the behaviour of pupils and found the teaching of all but three subjects to be unsatisfactory.

The new report, by Marguerite McCloy, says inspectors observed the college work, scrutinised documents and met with the headteacher, members of staff, groups of students, the chair of governors and representatives from the local authority.

Since the February inspection, a number of staff appointments have been made to strengthen the leadership team, it says. The inspectors found standards below average but achievement adequate. It adds: "Students do not make sufficiently rapid and consistent progress in order to do as well as they should and thus improve the stand-ard of their work.

"A significant number of stud-ents lack enthus-iasm for their work, or have not developed good independent learning habits; this is holding back the acc-eleration in progress necessary to raise standards.

But the report says senior leaders "recognise this situation" and are making "strenuous efforts" to raise standards.

"Settled staffing, consistent approaches to lesson planning, and more interesting approaches to work in the best lessons, are beginning to engage students' interests and enhance their confidence as learners," it says.

But, in total, the college had made "inadequate" progress on targets set for improving achievement following the February inspection.

Inspectors found students' behaviour was improving thanks to a new behaviour policy."Students comment on the more positive climate for learning," the report says. There is a better mood in the college."

A lot of work is being done to improve attendance, but the number arriving late is still "too high", according to the report.

Overall, the college had made satisfactory progress against its target to improve student behav-iour and attitudes. Satisfactory progress was also made against a target of improving the quality of teaching. The report says: "Compared with the inspection in February 2007, the proportion of inadequate lessons has reduced and the number of good lessons has increased.

"Staff are growing in confidence to share best practice and learn from each other."

The reports says that despite the progress there were some features of teaching not yet "consistently effective".

Also satisfactory was progress to improve consistency of leadership of management.

In conclusion the report says the college should be out of special measures by 2009.

Marcus Johnstone, Lancashire County Council cabinet member for children and young people, said: "I am very pleased that Hameldon College is starting to make good progress.

"I am pleased inspectors now consider there are positive relationships and racial harmony and that there is an ethos of hard work with pupils' efforts being recognised.

"To have achieved a satisfactory' rating on three out of the four target areas is encouraging. However, it is crucial for everyone to maintain and consolidate this level of effort and progress to ensure that the school turns the corner."