Orwell High School is a medium size secondary community school with Specialist Technology College status located in the port town of Felixstowe, Suffolk, England. In 2006 the school was issued with a notice to improve. There was a subsequent inspection in 2007 in which the school was seen to be making "satifactory progress" and therefore the notice to improve was revoked (by Mark Phillips HMI).
Pupils and Further Education students
As of 2006, Orwell High School has 881 permanent pupils, including a sixth form of 105. Age ranges from 11-18, but facilities are also offered for adult learners outside of school hours. The school is mixed sex and non-donomonational. According to 9 March 2006 Ofsted Report, over 95% of students are from White British backgrounds and almost all have English as their first language. The school has a higher proportion of students with learning disabilities than the national average. The school offers Further Education courses, primarily at A-Level, but also several specialised vocational courses. The FE courses are offered in conjunction with Deben High School, another state school of similar size also in Felixstowe.
Staff and management
The school is headed by Mr. Peter Tomkins and the chief of governors is Mr. John Barker. As of 2007, the school employs 52 members of teaching staff and 33 non-teaching staff. Peter Tomkins, who came to the school in 2005 after a period of instability and various changes in leadership, is providing "effective leadership”.
