FARTOWN High School has been holding special events to encourage its students to set themselves high achievement targets.

The school, which was put in special measures by Ofsted inspectors last month, held an Aim Higher day on Tuesday.

Aim Higher is a Government scheme to encourage pupils to explore all further education opportunities open to them.

Fartown High has been giving its pupils the message through fun advice sessions and learning games.

Year 11 students were given advice on exam and revision techniques and Year 9 pupils were given tips on choosing their GCSE subjects.

Parents were invited to the school to find out how to support their children's ambitions.

Anita Mulkerrin, the school's Aim Higher mentor, said: "We provide as much support and advice as possible at what is a difficult time for them.

"My door is always open for the students. They tell me what they want to do with their lives and we find a way of doing it.

"I have a `star board' which shows ex-students who have achieved great things.

"It's an inspiration to current students.

"We want them to aim as high as possible."

Schemes such as Aim Higher could help to pull Fartown High out of its special measures position.

Eighteen months ago, the school was taken off special measures, but results fell again and the measures were brought back.

Ofsted's latest report, in January, found Fartown High's pass rates for national tests for 14-year-olds in English, maths and science had fallen by 10% and were 20% below the school's target.

The number of GCSE students attaining grades A* to C had also dropped to 27%.

Inspectors reported that learning in two-fifths of lessons was "unsatisfactory" or "poor" and found teaching in a third of all lessons was be below standard.