A SOUTHAMPTON school has transformed its performance just 18 months after inspectors declared it to be failing.

Cantell School has been taken out of special measures the most serious category for poor-performing schools set by education watchdog the Office for Standards in Education (Ofsted).

Head teacher Ruth Johnson has delivered on her pledge to take the school out of special measures by the end of the year.

"It's been a privilege to take a city school to this point of success," she said.

"For Cantell this is not the end of the journey, but the beginning of a bright future."

It was shortly after Mrs Johnson took over the 1,200-pupil school that inspectors found unacceptable pupil behaviour, unsatisfactory teaching and below-average pupil achievement.

The school, in Violet Road, was also criticised for students' poor attendance, truancy during lessons and poor management.

Now it's all change at the specialist maths and computing college under Mrs Johnson, who, aided by her staff, governors and local authority, has successfully put the school back on track.

Inspectors who visited the school last week judged Cantell to be a satisfactory and rapidly improving school.

Outstanding teaching was seen in a number of areas, and inspectors praised Mrs Johnson's strong leadership and management.

Educational standards have improved thanks to a curriculum which now includes more vocational options. Advanced skills teachers for information communication technology and science have been recruited, with further appointments to be made in maths and English.

GCSE results improved last year, and Mrs Johnson is confident the upward trend will continue.

Inspectors also found the care and guidance of the school to be good, with staff demonstrating a high level of commitment to students.

Attendance has also significantly improved thanks to various initiatives, including corridor patrols designed to make sure pupils are in lessons.

Mrs Johnson said: "This encouraging news follows months of hard work on the part of the school staff and governors and I would like to thank them all for their commitment to what has sometimes been a difficult task."