GOVERNORS at a Fenland second school won the highest rating possible by OfSTED inspectors who praised their work as outstanding. As the 800 or so pupils at Marshland High School returned from their holiday on Tuesday, the school was buoyant over the OfS

GOVERNORS at a Fenland second school won the highest rating possible by OfSTED inspectors who praised their work as "outstanding."

As the 800 or so pupils at Marshland High School returned from their holiday on Tuesday, the school was buoyant over the OfSTED inspection carried out in July.

School inspector Ian Middleton told pupils "your school is very well led and managed. You support each other very well and value your teachers.

"And your standards of work and examination results are good and rising."

Mr Middleton praised the school the showing fast progress and every aspect now merited a 'good' rating, well up on the 'satisfactory' rating of 2001. .

Headteacher John Bennett said: "All of us are delighted by this outcome and I would like to pay tribute to the hard work of staff and governors, supported by parents and other outside agencies, who together have achieved this success."

Mr Middleton said: "The school is implementing a variety of strategies to raise standards and there are indications that new subject leadership is having a positive impact."

He added: "The vast majority of students and parents value the positive ethos that is created by staff, who work well together and make learning enjoyable."

The report identified only two areas of concern, the need to raise standards in English and inconsistencies in the quality and use of assessment.

Mr Bennett said: "I want to build further in all areas, make the good things better and improve the two areas they have picked out."

Marshland was awarded specialist science status last year and now has a four-year programme to ensure all learning resources will be available to students on their intranet.

Mr Bennett said: "Our intention is to get it so the children can get to information from the internet at home. It teaches independent learning skills and lets them take responsibility for their learning.