The school, which has 1,398 students and 365 in the sixth-form, has good teaching and learning standards "some outstanding practice," but the sixth-form has suffered through staffing difficulties and having no permanent head.

"Several parents and a few students expressed concern that sometimes teachers are not present for lessons, even though work is usually set," said the report in relation to the sixth-form.

With twin specialist status in technology and vocational learning, the report says the school itself has "a positive ethos and provides students with an outstanding range of opportunities that are tailored very well to their individual needs.

"As a result, students enjoy their learning and all groups of students achieve well."

"Students are generally attentive and behave well, although both students and parents note that a minority of lessons are disrupted, and that this is linked to the quality of teaching," it adds.

The high school plays a leading role in collaborating with other schools and colleges in the area and extra support for students with difficulties is singled-out for praise.

Also praised is the leadership and management at the school and headteacher Mr Richard Moore "provides a clear direction that is well-focused on raising standards for all students."

The report adds the senior leadership team is "dynamic in leading new developments," with governors having an accurate understanding of the school and providing support.

The inspector said the school's specialist status had been used well to provide training for all its staff and for innovative use of technology.

The report does say marking is "not always sufficiently helpful or frequent" and the good practice in some areas is not consistent across the school.

Overall the school scored generally above average in the key areas identified, while the sixth form college achieved a mixture of broadly average scores.