EXTRA efforts should see a Pendle high school make the grade in the months and years to come, according to education watchdogs.

Inspectors from Ofsted said West Craven Technology College, Kelbrook Road, Barnoldswick, provides a satisfactory standard of education for its 710 pupils.

And they have drafted a four-point action plan to ensure that headteacher Arnold Kuchartschuk and his staff continue along the right path.

Test scores for the former West Craven High, at Key Stage Three in English, maths and science, were lower than the school expected.

But reporting inspector Peter Cox remained confident that the school was on course to improve standards.

Mr Cox said: "The recently strengthened senior leadership team under the direction of a caring and committed headteacher, is well positioned to ensure that the improvements already seen continue more rapidly.

"By accelerating improvement, the gap between the schools' achievement and standards and that expected nationally is reducing.

"The school is now ensuring that students of all abilities reach the expected standards in relation to their starting points."

Maths results were close to the national average, according to inspectors, and GCSE exam results were more encouraging at the end of Year 11, they observed.

Nearly all students leave the school with five or more GCSE examination grades, with a 'high proportion' reaching at least grade C in their subjects, including maths and English.

The inspectors were pleased that the English department had been strengthened following the appointment of specialist teachers.

Mr Cox adds: "The quality of teaching varies and is satisfactory overall, although almost a third of the lessons seen were good."

The watchdogs were also impressed with provisions made by the school to enable boys and girls to study, off-site, for a GCSE in engineering.

"Parents are in the main very supportive of the school and comment on the friendliness and helpfulness of staff," said Mr Cox.

"However, some have expressed a desire to be more fully informed of what is going on in the school."

He has called for improvements at Key Stage 4 to be accelerated, while also raising standards at Key Stage 3, especially in English and science.

Mr Cox also believed the proportion of 'good' teaching, to benefit all students, was desirable.

And he wanted improvements made to systems of monitoring student performance, for the sake of consistency across the curriculum.

The school has maintained the same standard of education since its previous Ofsted inspection, which took place in May 2004.