The report of the first Ofsted inspection of the Compass secondary ‘free school’ in Bermondsey has been published and the school has received the second lowest possible rating from the education watchdog.

The Compass School opened in September 2013 on the former Southwark College Bermondsey site in Drummond Road.

Inspectors visited for the first time in May 2015 and their report has now been published.

The school has been given a rating of 3 on a scale of 1 to 4 which means it ‘requires improvement’.

The report is critical of teaching, behaviour and attendance at Compass – but the inspectors also praised the principal and senior leadership for their work to improve the school.

“As we have set out in a letter to parents and our wider community, we are both surprised and deeply disappointed with the judgement we have received from Ofsted,” said principal Lauren Thorpe.

“It does not accurately reflect the fantastic progress that our students are making, nor the ethos and values of our school.

“We have formally set out our concerns about the Ofsted inspection that took place through Ofsted’s complaints process, but are now focussed on moving forward and ensuring that Compass School reaches its ambition to be an outstanding school, where all students can go on to be successful in the career that they choose.”