If the plan goes ahead pupils – together with those from Hornby High School – will attend Central Lancaster High School. In the second of three features looking at the schools concerned, we focus on Skerton.

AS you stroll through the corridors of Skerton Community High School there is a buzz from the sheer amount of activity.

Each noticeboard is packed full of displays and newspaper articles on their achievements and classrooms are full of energetic lessons and pupils.

Headteacher Martin Burgess said: "That's the thing about this school – it is very proud about what it does.

"All over the place there are displays focusing on our achievements.
"It is really a statement about the things we are doing."

After a troubled history the school is now reaping the rewards of dedicated staff and enthusiastic pupils.

Chris Trueman, expressive and performance arts teacher, has been at the school for 21 years.

His courses have gained 100 per cent pass rate for the last eight years with the majority of students gaining distinctions and merits in BTEC qualifications.

He said: "I love it here. The kids are fantastic, everything we have done is superb and they are so responsive.

"A lot of the pupils are estate kids and they have taken a awful lot of flack in the past. They still do. They can be challenging and difficult but they have got something special.

"It is a really nice place to be. I don't think there are many people who have a job they love turning up for."

The school is home to a gifted and talented group comprising of the highest acheiveing pupils in each group.

The group is then challenged with extra activity such as a law and crime course at Lancaster University which they are currently working on.
Ken Pickering, head of humanities and the gifted and talented group, said: "We say, look we have something really special here and then we try and stretch them with extra activity.

"Every school should look after their most able, and of course, the less able."

PE is just one more subject growing in success, and has seen a 500 per cent increase in students gaining C grades last year.

The lessons challenge students to take responsibility for their own learning.

Teacher Jeremy Simpson explained: "I have asked them to do warm up exercises for homework and then they can teach others.

"It gets their confidence up. The children were shy to begin with but now they can stand up in front of a group."

Mr Burgess said: "It is very much about the buzz words of the moment – enterprise learning.

"We are looking for the pupils to take responsibility for their own work ethic. They will not only use this in the curriculum but all areas of life.

"We wanted to take this further and gain specialist business and enterprise college status for the school.

"This school's vocational courses are so good its frightening. Pass rates are going through the roof.

"This is something that is missing in this area and it's obviously something our pupils respond very well to as they thrive here."

Mr Burgess added: "It is sad they are thinking the place might have to go, but something will have to carry on.

"If it doesn't Lancaster will lose out.

"There is some hellishly good stuff going on here that any headteacher would want to take on board."