A SCHOOL ranked inadequate five years ago has battled back to be judged as good by Ofsted inspectors.

Colburn Community Primary School, in Colburn, near Richmond, is celebrating after its years of hard work paid off.

Senior leaders and governors have worked to improve the quality of teaching and outcomes for pupils so they are now ranked as consistently good.

And the lead inspector said: “Leaders, including the governing body, have created a culture of strong teamwork and a desire to do the very best for pupils. They have successfully tackled the areas for improvement since the previous inspection.

In 2012, a damning Ofsted report ranked the school inadequate, with inspectors saying children were not making adequate progress due to weak teaching.

Chair of Governors Angela Dale said: “We are all very proud of this achievement as it reflects our ambitious vision and dedication to ensuring that all pupils achieve the best possible education.

“As a result of determined actions by senior leaders the quality of teaching is now good, and pupils achievements across all key stages, has improved.”

The inspection, which took place in June, found that teachers have good relationships with pupils, good subject knowledge, effective questioning skills and use teaching assistants well to ensure that pupils progress effectively.

The report also said that pupils behaved well, both in the classroom and in the playground, and that pupils’ welfare and development was good.

Inspectors praised the support provided within the school for pupils with special educational needs or disabilities, as well as commending the way that funding was being used to help more disadvantaged pupils make good progress.

Deputy head Debbie Nicholas said: “We now have a staff team that work exceptionally hard to meet the needs of all pupils in the community that we serve.”

But head teacher Mr Watt said he was aiming even higher.

He said: “We are very proud of this achievement but we are now carefully planning, based on a thorough understanding of the school and its local community, how to secure the school’s future success.”