DARWEN Academy still has 'a long way to go' according to its first Oftsed inspection.

The landmark school, which opened at the former Darwen Moorland site in 2008, and will move to a new £48million building off Redearth Road in September, has had a mixed review.

Despite improving on SAT scores and a 'significant rise' to 68 per cent of students gaining five or more A* to C grades at GCSE, a much lower proportion - 23 per cent - included GCSE English and mathematics.

This puts the school as the second lowest performing in the borough, and worse than predecessor Moorland High School. The academy has aimed to raise the figure to 36 per cent.

The inspector, Patrick Geraghty, said: “Of concern is that the academy was slow to realise that its projections were over optimistic and that teachers’ assessments were not all well founded.”

In a high-profile £2million link with businessman Rod Aldridge, the academy has an entrepreneurship specialism, and, although the reports states students are benefitting from the link, it adds: "The key entrepreneurship characteristics which underpin the academy’s central aims are insufficiently evident in day-to-day teaching and learning.”

It also goes on to say that the specialism has 'a long way to go before its defining characteristics become a hallmark of teaching and learning.'

Most of the staff and students from Darwen Moorland transferred to the academy in 2008. The principal, Brendan Loughran, and most of the vice and assistant principals were appointed directly to the academy.

Students joining the school were found to have generally attained below average reults in national tests at primary school. Many have weak basic skills, particularly in literacy and oral skills.

Around 24 per cent of the 764 students have learning difficulties or disabilities, which is higher than the average.

Attendance has risen to be in line with the national average and students speak of how much behaviour has improved Teaching was said to be 'good and occasionally outstanding in about a quarter of the lessons, satisfactory in three fifths, and inadequate in a small minority.