GOVERNMENT inspectors reviewing progress at a Fenland school say despite some concerns over teaching, GCSE results for 2013 “are on course to be the best ever”.

The dual edged assessment of Marshland High School is contained within a newly published report by a team of four Ofsted inspectors who visited over two days last month.

Leadership, management, and the behaviour and safety of the school’s 800 pupils is assessed as “good” but they concluded pupils’ achievement and quality of teaching “requires improvement”.

Overall though the inspectors appeared happier than on some previous visits and concluded that “the progress of many students is improving and standards are rising”.

On the negative side Ofsted thought that teaching is not always meeting the needs of students and some work is “not hard enough to challenge the most able”.

They also felt that “in some lessons the pace of progress slows down and students do not move on as quickly as they should”.

But on the positive side, the inspectors said they felt the amount of good teaching is rising, and interaction between teachers and students to foster good personal development “is a significant strength.

“The governing body, head teacher and senior staff leaders are a strong team. Together they are bringing about significant and rapid improvements.”

Last month’s inspection involved observing 41 lessons, all 100 minutes in duration, and they said standards in science continue to lag behind those in English and maths.

Head teacher Elizabeth Dormor said: “We know that there is further work to be done to enable our students to achieve even better outcomes but we are pleased that the inspection team has affirmed that we are making good progress towards this goal.”