• Jamie Palmer, 13, said: “My mum told me Ms Heron had turned her old school from rubbish to great so that is why I came here. I think it’s really good.”

• Luke Bradley, 14, said: “We got a trip to the Science Museum. We started off with a boring lesson class project, but it’s getting really good.”

• Alison Lindfield, 14, is doing a BTech in Sport. She said: “Lots of people used to be wandering around the corridors. It has changed and it feels a lot safer.”

• Ambassador Steph Hart, 16, attends governor meetings. She said: “Teaching is good, with more qualified staff. There’s not as much copying off a board anymore.”

•Abi Dean, 15, said: “We don’t get supply teachers in who we don’t know now. People that don’t want to learn have got out and we’ve got more chance.”

•Aiden Falshaw-Skelly, 16, said there’s less smoking and skipping lessons. “I used to get bullied,” he said.

“But that’s a lot better now.”

• Medissa Makoka, 15, said: “People used to misbehave and not listen to the teachers. Now we listen more and have more respect for them.”