PARENTS and and ex-pupils have defended a County Durham school rated as requiring improvement at its last inspection.

Greenfield Community College, which spans across sites in Newton Aycliffe and Shildon, was given the rating across the board by Ofsted in a report published last month.

However, in a string of comments on Facebook, ex-pupils and parents of children at the school jumped to its defence.

Among them was Shauna Galloway who said: “Each to their own, I myself have no complaints about this school I have three who have/are excelling there [and] wouldn’t want anything different from them.”

Anne-marie Moore said: “Still a good school in my eyes.”

And Stephanie Hughes Well: “I couldn’t have asked for a better school in my opinion and when my little boy is ready for secondary school there will be no doubt in my mind this school will be at the top of my list to send him.”

Two commenters blamed the rating on the merger between the two sites while another agreed with the regulator’s findings.

Chair of governors, Dave Ford, last week said the body was committed to supporting and challenging the leadership in a bid to provide the “best education possible”.

Strengths including improvements in teaching and pupil care were identified.