A HEADTEACHER has told pupils she is to stand down from her role.

Janet Felkin, headteacher at Blatchington Mill School in Hove, announced her imminent retirement to some students yesterday.

She took over from Neil Hunter at the Nevill Avenue site in September 2007.

An Ofsted inspection carried out just four months before Mrs Felkin’s arrival graded the school as Good with Outstanding features.

Less than three years later, she faced her first inspection at the helm, and the school dropped a grade to Requires Improvement.

The dreaded Ofsted inspectors returned to the school on January 31, 2013, when Blatch soared back up to Good with Outstanding features.

Mrs Felkin was praised by the Ofsted in the report, and lead inspector Paul Metcalf said: “The headteacher has been relentless in driving up standards and challenging underachievement in the school.

“Leaders focus tirelessly on improving teaching and learning and provide focused professional development for all teaching staff.”

Students’ behaviour – especially surrounding the issue of bullying – had been slammed in the 2010 report, but the turnaround spearheaded by Ms Felkin saw students behaviour graded as Outstanding in 2013.

The report said: “Students are well aware of the different forms that bullying can take and say that it is rare.

“Students were confident that any incidents of bullying reported would be dealt with efficiently and effectively.

“This included cyber bullying and the misuse of social networking sites.”

The school’s work in anti-LGBT bullying saw it recognised as a Stonewall champion and prompted a visit from opposition leader Ed Miliband in 2013 when he met with students to discuss their policies.