AN ISLAMIC independent girls school has ‘successfully tackled its inadequacies’ after a new team was brought in, an education watchdog found.

Ghausia Girls High School in Nelson has jumped up a grade after it was rated ‘inadequate’ by Ofsted a year and a half ago.

Although still judged ‘requires improvement’ bosses are confident the Cross Street school is now on the path to success.

The team was overhauled in September with a new trustee board and new teaching staff brought in.

A new headteacher Aneela Masood was also appointed.

Run by the Ghausia Education Trust, the small independent school has been open since 1996 and charges fees of £1,250-a-year.

Ofsted inspector Jean Olsson-Law said leaders and governors have successfully tackled the inadequacies and unmet standards identified at the previous inspection, but the school is not yet good.

She said: “The new governance and leadership teams have not had time to fully develop action planning and systems to monitor and improve teaching.

“Teaching is not consistently good in all subjects and year groups. Teachers do not all have the in-depth subject knowledge to ask probing questions and deepen pupils’ understanding.”

She praised the high ambitions staff have for the pupils and the personal development, behaviour and welfare of pupils was rated ‘good’.

Farhan Khaliq, one of the trustees, said they had taken on board what Ofsted said at the last inspection.

He said: “We restructured the leadership team and started looking at the quality of the teaching and that is an on-going process.

“Our focus is improving the results and raising children’s aspirations.

“We have created a new library and have a system in place to monitor progress.”

He said the school has also brought in advisors and is working with schools like Park High School in Colne who are helping them with the teaching.

“The team we have brought in have the right skills and we have a two year improvement plan in place and are hoping at the next inspection we will be rated ‘good', Mr Khaliq said.

The school has just over 30 pupils with numbers dropping after the last inspection however Mr Khaliq said he is hopeful the community will see the school is moving forward which will lead to an increase the school roll.