The head of the borough's worst performing secondary school has vowed to turn it around, saving it from slipping into special measures.

Shene School was given a "notice to improve" in its most recent Ofsted inspection - a further blow to the low GCSE grades the school received just a few months ago.

Headteacher Lesley Kirby - who has been in the job just five months - is the fourth head at the East Sheen school in five years, but said she was determined to stick it out and see through her ambitions for improvement.

"In a school like this we have to have good teaching. I would not take on teachers who are just satisfactory.

"I used to work for a selective schools where very average teachers did fine, but in a school with inner city kids like this, they expect a lot more.

"They will not accept second best."

Commenting on the notice to improve, she said: "We were pleased because it has given us a mandate to work on. The inspectors didn't put us into special measures, because they believe we can improve."

In the school's Ofsted report, inspector Roger Whittaker wrote: "The overall effectiveness of the school is inadequate but it has, and is demonstrating, a satisfactory capacity to improve."

It added: "The effective and clear-minded leadership of the headteacher, strongly supported by the senior team and governors, is now managing the school well. She has set a clear direction for improvement. The positive effects of senior leadership are increasingly evident in the improving culture and ethos in the school, which are well focused on raising standards."

Councillor Malcolm Eady, cabinet member for children's services and education at Richmond Council, said: "We are providing intensive support to the head teacher, staff and governors to implement an action plan and to make sure the school improves as quickly as possible."