6:00am Friday 25th December 2009
By Christine Sexton
TEACHERS and pupils have been praised for their efforts in making improvements in standards at a Southend secondary school.
Inspectors from education watchdog, Ofsted, visited Futures College, in Southend, and praised staff and children for their work.
The college was formerly Thorpe Bay School, which was taken off the Government’s special measures list in 2006, after a five-year battle to improve standards.
In the latest report, Ofsted says figures for GCSE passes show a “notable improvement” on the results for 2008.
It says the number of pupils achieving five higher grade GCSEs has “risen significantly” and the points scored are close to the national average.
Inspectors said the 92 per cent of pupils gaining five GCSEs, including English and maths, although still below the national average, was “a very creditable outcome”.
The college is working with Prospects College and is undergoing an extensive building programme designed to allow the two organisations to work together on the same site. A new upper college is nearing completion.
The report said pupils are showing increasingly positive attitudes to learning, and behaviour has improved significantly.
Attendance at the college remains below the national average, although it is improving.
The report concluded the college’s overall progress was satisfactory.
Southend Council’s head of school and preventative services, Jane Theadom, said: “We are very pleased with the progress made by Futures College, and that this progress has been acknowledged in the Ofsted report.
“We appreciate the dedication shown by the principal and staff to ensure the outcomes for the young people continue to improve.”
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