High school's methods featured on TV

Producers from the Inside Out programme brought in top education expert Sir Bruce Liddington for the day and he took time to talk to staff and pupils.

His conclusion was encouraging. “The advantages of what was planned are already bringing in bonuses... I am confident the people running the school know what they are doing and the pupils will be successful in the future.”

Sir Bruce - a former Schools Commissioner - said he initally feared the problems he might see connected with change.

The major differences are the longer school day, which now runs from 8.30am until 5pm, and the teaching in Pods of up to 90 pupils, with a team of teachers and teaching assistants.

During his visit, he acknowledged that teachers were still addressing the challenge of pace - each lesson is three hours long, which he said can be a long time.

He also questioned why some teachers used microphones and questioned whether fatigue was a problem for some students.

Both principal Mike Conn and English teacher Caroline Mortlock were interviewed, and Caroline admitted there is still a long way to go.

“Keeping up the pace of lesson is a challenge, but we have a menu of activities in each session which keep pace appropriate to learning. The team of teachers is able to offer support to each other.

“The three-hour sessions flow, and we go deeper for longer. Tiredness is a real problem, although we focus of pupils having healthy breakfasts, drinking water regularly, and taking breaks.”

Mr Conn said: “We invited the BBC to come in for three days, along with an education expert, and look at how Bexhill High School now runs.

“We let them go wherever they wanted to, and let them ask questions of various people. And we are delighted with the outcomes.

“Some people thought it a risk to allow them in while we are at such an early stage.

“But we are proud of what we do here at Bexhill High, and now we have a ringing endorsement from a top education expert to go with it. That can only be good for our school.”