IMPROVEMENTS at a Felixstowe high school have been recognised by government inspectors, who have praised the positive way it is developing and moving forward.

IMPROVEMENTS at a Felixstowe high school have been recognised by government inspectors, who have praised the positive way it is developing and moving forward.

The inspection team recognised the work the Orwell High School's leadership team had done over the last 18 months, but said further improvement is still needed at Keystage 3, especially in English.

Headteacher Peter Tomkins said: “We believe the report gives an accurate picture of the school at this stage in its development and we are pleased that it validates the measures we have taken to improve the performance of the school.

“Orwell has been through a very difficult time, but the future looks very positive and the inspectors' report paints a very positive picture of the way the school is developing.”

GCSE results improved last year by a massive 12 per cent but improvements are still needed in results for students at Keystage 3.

Students take the Keystage 3 tests at the end of Year 9, when they are 14 years old, and these tests are a key indicator of how they will achieve at GCSE.

The results in English at Orwell have been consistently low over the last five years and so Ofsted will return next year to see if they have improved.

The report - compiled after the inspection team's visit in March - acknowledged the work that has been started over the last 18 months and states that “the headteacher is providing effective leadership and there is evidence, particularly at Key Stage 4 that standards have improved in the last year”.

It said that in “a short period of time” the leadership team had begun to “introduce many of the changes which are necessary to improve standards, and morale is improving”.

It concludes that the school's “capacity to improve is good because of the accuracy of the self-evaluation, progress in the improvement and monitoring of teaching, the introduction of many processes designed to improve achievement, and recent improvements evident at Key Stage 4”.

What do you think of Orwell High School - is it moving in the right direction? Write to Your Letters, Evening Star, 30 Lower Brook Street, Ipswich, IP4 1AN, or e-mail EveningStarLetters@eveningstar.co.uk

second story:

STUDENTS at Orwell High School in Felixstowe today launched their Anti-Bullying Campaign.

A group of students have spent the last three months training with the Community Education and Youth Service as peer mentors and shared what they have learned with their fellow pupils.

They organised the launch, which included the performance of a monologue about the effects of bullying, as well as a range of musical events and stalls.

The school supported the event with a non-uniform day.

Headteacher Peter Tomkins said: “This is a really positive move to counter bullying.

“Unfortunately bullying is a feature of all schools and workplaces and it is essential that there is an ethos which doesn't tolerate bullying and is based upon respect for others.

“The school has set up this project to empower the students themselves - too much anti-bullying work is done to students rather than with students.”