New Headteacher

Mr Evea started at the troubled Lancing school on Monday after serving as headteacher at Angmering School for the last 14 years.

He was appointed to the school last month after the previous headteacher resigned and Boundstone was placed in special measures after its second critical OFTSED report in a row. He will be at Boundstone for the next 15 months.

Speaking to the Lancing Herald, he talked of his plans for the school: "At the heart of it, it is a good school but it's going through a bad patch. It needs a pick me up, a tonic and a make-over."

He added that the OFTSED report did praise several aspects of the school's performance. These areas include the sixth-form, fine art and music.

"The report gives a clean bill of health to years 10 and 11. The kids there are making reasonable progress. Most of the criticism is about years eight and nine.

"The recurring theme that runs throughout the report is that there is some good teaching in years eight and nine. But most of the work is unpicked by a small minority of students."

Mr Evea said that the report was also critical about the state of the buildings and of the management of the school.

"We've started to address behaviour in lessons and around the site with a very clear message to students about the standards we expect.

"I've written to parents saying that I am unhappy at the number of children leaving the site at lunchtime."

He said that from now on, all students must have permission from their parents to leave the school at lunchtime. Those students will be issued with passes and any pupils found without passes will be treated as truants.

As well as these new measures, he also hopes to attract extra money to improve the state of the buildings and attract new teaching staff.

When asked about what kind of school he wanted Boundstone to be in 15 months' time, he said: "A school with restored pride and self-respect. A confident school that manages to persuade Her Majesty's Inspectors and the community that it really is a good school.

"The bottom line is that I want the teachers to be free to teach and the students to be free to learn."