A FELIXSTOWE high school says it has a “clear vision” for its future and improvements are taking place.

A FELIXSTOWE high school says it has a “clear vision” for its future and improvements are taking place.

Ofsted inspectors have rated Deben High as “satisfactory” and given some advice on areas where they expect to see progress made.

New headteacher Rob Cawley, who took over in September, was praised as being “exceptional”, and has made a string of important changes in a very short space of time and has gained the overwhelming support of staff and students.

Improvements have included better communication between the school and parents, more rigorous procedures to monitor pupils' progress, and the leadership team has been revamped and given fresh direction.

Mr Cawley said: “We know there is still a lot to do to progress from satisfactory to outstanding but we have a clear vision for the school on where we want to be and what we need to do to get there.

“I am delighted that the work staff, pupils, governors have put in over the past few months to improve standards has been recognised through the inspection process.

“We are committed to our vision of raising aspirations for our students through creating a learning and teaching environment that provides them with the best possible opportunities for a successful future.”

Inspector John Mitcheson said the 895-pupil school in Garrison Lane was satisfactory in all areas, though the sixth form achieved a rating of good in some sections.

He said: “The school has a number of strengths, in particular the care provided for students and the high standards achieved in its specialist area of visual and performing arts.

“However, a combination of staff recruitment difficulties in some subjects and a lack of thorough monitoring by teachers and managers have led to some students underperforming in recent years.”

Work is needed to raise achievement in key stage four, firmly embed new assessment procedures, and monitor the effectiveness of leaders and managers.

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