A football club’s school has made “rapid and sustainable improvements”, according to inspectors, with its Ofsted rating increasing as a result.

The GFC School’s previous inspections concluded it “required improvement”.

However, after the education regulators' latest visit in late April to early May, it was rated “good”, with a few of the categories being ranked as “outstanding” — the highest mark.

The school, in Redfern Avenue, Gillingham, can take up to 50 pupils, aged 11-16, who have joined after a disrupted education. They may have been excluded or have found themselves at risk of exclusion.

It is owned by Gills chairman Paul Scally, who said it was a “great result”. He added: “I am very happy, very pleased and we can push on.

“It had two Ofsted 'requiring improvements' under the previous management and regime and in the summer we thought we were going to close it because I didn’t want to continue on that basis.

“But we accepted the resignation of the previous staff, we appointed a new board of governors, brought in a director of education, a new structure and with tremendous work from the staff we have had the [latest] Ofsted.

“These children deserve the same chance as every other child in the world..." Paul Scally

“They never announce when they are coming, they give you a few hours.”

He said the school had been given two “outstanding” and two “good” ratings across the four areas inspected, giving an overall rating of “good”.

He continued: “It is massive for us, we’re really pleased.

"It shows that the football and education side works very well together and we have had great success with these youngsters, whose parents and carers have given us the duty to educate and I think the inspector was highly impressed with what he saw.

"It is an excellent report and we are very pleased.

"What is important is that these children have now got a chance to develop.

"We are looking at a post-16 education as well, so we can take them from 16 through to 18 and my view is that we will set up an employment type of scenario where we will get them into full-time employment.

“The school is transforming the lives of some of the area’s most vulnerable pupils...” Ofsted report

“These children deserve the same chance as every other child in the world and we are just giving them a little opportunity through a different environment, one of sport and education.”

The report said: “The new leadership team has brought about a rapid and sustainable improvement in the quality of teaching and outcomes for pupils.

“Pupils receive outstanding care and opportunities for personal development.

“The school is transforming the lives of some of the area’s most vulnerable pupils.”

To become an overall "outstanding" school, inspectors said The GFC will have to “increase the progress that pupils make across the curriculum to make up for previous underachievement”.

It should also “develop a strategy to improve pupils’ punctuality”.

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