INSPECTION service OFSTED has given an outstanding grade to a St Albans secondary school’s English department.

The success of the subject at Beaumont School has been attributed to high quality teaching and a drive to ensure pupils achieve their potential.

The inspector judged achievement to be outstanding with 90 per cent of students obtaining A*to C grades in 2010 in GCSEs, and of these a very high proportion attained the top grades.

Lesson observations showed teachers have excellent subject knowledge, with students enjoying English and responding well to teachers’ high expectations. The inspector also identified the outstanding range of activities organised by staff to enrich the English curriculum and broaden the students’ experiences.

He was impressed, too, with the shared goal of ensuring that students attained highly but also gained an excellent appreciation of English language and literature.

Headteacher Elizabeth Hitch said: “We are delighted. We believe that success in English is the key to success in all subjects and is one of the reasons that Beaumont students excel. Student success is also exemplified by the high numbers taking A Level English and achieving outstanding results.”

Theresa Proudfoot, head of English, added: “We aim to provide a rich and varied syllabus with a wide range of activities, enabling students of all abilities to fulfil their true potential.”