A SECONDARY school has been praised following an inspection by education watchdog Ofsted.

Haslingden High School and Sixth Form, which has 1,556 pupils on the school roll, has been rated 'good' in all areas.

Helen Gaunt, lead inspector, said senior leaders and governors focus their work on strong support for staff and pupils and have sustained strengths identified at the last inspection.

She said: "Leaders have taken action to curb a downward trend in mathematics and science that has occurred since the time of the last inspection.

"Teaching overall is good.

"Pupils currently in the school, including the most able, achieve well in many subjects across the curriculum.

"Pupils make the strongest progress in English, languages and humanities. Some inconsistencies in teaching remain in mathematics and in science."

She said the Broadway school is a harmonious community where pupils show respect for one another and for staff and that pupil behaviour is good.

She also praised the sixth form which sees teens achieve well particularly in academic subjects.

She added the school needs to further improve teaching, make better use of information about pupils' numeracy skills when they start school and continue to develop their work with disadvantaged pupils.