A SCHOOL which was placed in special measures by the education watchdog four years ago is celebrating after it achieved a “good” rating.

Ofsted inspectors deemed there was a catalogue of concerns at Wallop Primary School in November 2014 but following a visit on 20 February, the school was praised for its “consistent focus on improvement”.

The school was awarded a ‘good’ status for all areas of inspection including effectiveness of leadership and management; quality of teaching; learning and assessment; personal development, behaviour and welfare; outcomes for pupils; and early years provision.

In her report inspector, Linda Jacobs said that headteacher Martin Lambert, who joined the school in May 2015, has “focused sharply on improvements that make most difference to pupils’ enjoyment of school, their learning and their achievement”.

The report added: “Pupils achieve high standards in reading, writing and mathematics as a result of effective teaching.

“Leaders carefully track all pupils’ progress, which allows any gaps in learning to be identified and quickly addressed.”

In response to the new rating Mr Lambert said: “It has been a tricky journey at times but a very worthwhile journey.

“For this time, we were just happy to get a good rating because special measures damages schools in all sorts of ways, in morale, and ethos.”

He added: “Actually the staff knew it was a good school long before Ofsted came we were waiting for when they came, and we were ecstatic especially for the parents and children that have continued with us through the special measures three years.”

But Mr Lambert confessed that the school still has work to do as inspectors said there were some “remaining inconsistencies in pupils’ learning and progress” and that the wider curriculum was not “well developed or well led in every subject”.

Mr Lambert added: “We have still got a lot to do we have still got to develop the school working on the curriculum making sure the children not only have a good academic background but have fun as well.

“The most important thing is our team who are just fantastic, the teachers and support staff all work as one unit with the same goal of making sure we do what’s best for the children.”