MATRAVERS School in Westbury is ineffectively managed, its teachers do not have high enough expectations of what pupils can achieve, and its sixth form courses need improvement, say inspectors.

After a visit last week, quality standards body Ofsted put it in the Requires Improvement category.

But the school is refusing to accept the grading, and has lodged a complaint against the way the inspection was carried out.

After the two-day inspection, many aspects of the school and its teaching have fallen to the Requires Improvement grading, down from the Good rating it had held since it was last inspected in February 2015.

Head Dr Simon Riding declined to speak to the Wiltshire Times about the report this week, and the school issued a statement saying it has made a complaint against Ofsted.

The report states that the effectiveness of leadership and management, quality of teaching, learning and assessment, outcomes for pupils and 16 to 19 study programmes all require improvement, with only personal development and welfare being rated as good.

The report reads: “Leaders and governors do not have an accurate understanding of the school’s effectiveness.

“The quality of teaching is variable across the curriculum. Some teaching does not challenge pupils sufficiently, which leads to less positive attitudes to learning.”

One parent, who repeatedly raised concerns with the school, said he was not surprised by the report.

The father, who wishes to remain anonymous, said: “My child has been given several detentions over the term for minor things.

“One of his classmates was so desperate to go to the toilet that she was almost in tears, but a teacher would not let her go.

“My child told the girl that she should just go and was issued a detention for disruption.

“I complained to the school and tried to speak to Dr Riding but he doesn’t address the issue.

“We don’t know what to do anymore.”

The school’s statement says: “Matravers School will not comment on this report at this stage as we have a formal complaint with Ofsted at present relating to this inspection.

“In the meantime, we will continue to focus on delivering at least national or better progress for all our students as the report acknowledges that we already do.”

The full report can be read at reports.ofsted.gov.uk/