Norfolk's only Church of England high school has just received an outstanding report following an inspection.

Archbishop Sancroft High School in Harleston was judged as 'outstanding' in three out of the four categories assessed during last month's Church School inspection.

Headteacher Richard Cranmer said: 'Ofsted have raised the bar and increased the emphasis on academic achievement with the focus very much on English and Maths only. The Church School inspection looks at some of the other very important aspects of education and what I believe parents want from a school.

'I welcome this inspection as it reassures us that many of the extras that go into a good education are recognised by an external set of eyes.'

Firstly, the report says the 400-pupil school, through its distinctive Christian character, is outstanding at meeting the needs of all learners. 'Pastoral support is outstanding,' it says. 'Where the school behaviour code is infringed, students are encouraged to see the mistakes they have made, take responsibility for their actions, and learn from them. This method of restorative justice has almost totally removed issues pertaining to bullying and nastiness.'

Spiritual development is also judged to be 'outstanding'.

Secondly, the impact of collective worship on the school community is 'good' but needs formal monitoring.

Thirdly, the effectiveness of religious education is 'outstanding'. The report says teaching is 'enthusiastic' and pupils achieve 'significantly above national expectations' in Religious Studies.

Finally, the effectiveness of the leadership and management of the school as a Church school is 'outstanding'.

The Church inspector's report follows an Ofsted report published last month in which the school, which has specialist science college status, was judged as 'satisfactory' but with signs of improvement.

The full Church inspector's report can be found on the school website at www.ashs.org.uk.