A SPECIAL school is continuing on the road of improvement with its new headteacher.

Karen Baxter became the new head of George Hastwell School at the end of last term and has led the Walney school through its change of status to become a sponsored academy this September.

George Hastwell School is sponsored under The Queen Katherine School Multi Academy Trust along with neighbouring island secondary, Walney School.

The Moor Tarn Lane school was placed in special measures in April last year.

The Department for Education expects all schools placed in special measures to become a sponsored academy.

Ofsted praised the improvements being made at George Hastwell while under the executive headship of Susan Gill, the headteacher of Sandside School.

During Mrs Gill’s time at George Hastwell, Mrs Baxter was the head of school at Sandside.

George Hastwell School had an interim head in Carolyn Singleton until Mrs Baxter was appointed as the new head.

George Hastwell is now classed as a new school and Ofsted is expected to return in around January 2017. Ofsted will take into account of where the school was in special measures.

The governing body has just approved the school’s improvement and development plan

Mrs Baxter said: “It’s a very exciting time to be at George Hastwell School.

“There is a very supportive and positive staff and the pupils are fantastic.

“There have been a lot of changes in the school and the staff and pupils have been tremendous.

“I’ve not met very many parents yet, as a lot of our pupils come to school by bus, but the ones I have met have been very supportive.

“One of our plans is to get parents more involved with a friends of the school group.”

Mrs Baxter said there have been improvements across the board in the quality of teaching and learning, pupil are assessments, pupil behaviour and the school environment.

She said: “The big thing we need to work on is consistency. We are in the process of developing our curriculum.

“It is tailored to our school, that will help the pupils to be more engaged and it will help with that consistency and the flow through the school.”

While George Hastwell School reports to the MAT, it still works with the local authority to place pupils at the school.

The school is upgrading its building and grounds to the cost of around £400,000.

This summer a primary outdoor classroom was completed. The next project will be developing the garden areas and creating a wildlife area.