Three years ago, Park View School in Birmingham was a failing school on the verge of special measures. Under new leadership, the business and enterprise college has since become one of the most improved schools in the country, more than doubling its pass rate for GCSE science. The range of different science GCSE courses on offer caters for all students across a range of abilities. At all levels, lessons are fast-paced and active, to keep pupils focused and involved. The school closely monitors pupils' attitudes, academic progress and attendance. Individualised targets are reinforced by a pastoral team that has developed strong relationships with parents. Parental support has been central to improving pupils' attainment. To reward achievement in science, the school recently ran a competition, asking pupils to design a system to support life on Mars. The winners travelled to NASA in the USA; we see how they got on there.

Video Series: Improving Core GCSE Results
Release Date 2007