A SCHOOL has received a glowing report from an inspector who says inspirational leadership underpinned by Christian values is resulting in improving academic attainment.

St Hild’s Church of England School underwent its SIAMS (Statutory Inspection of Anglican and Methodist Schools) inspection on December 3 and 4 last year.

The inspection - carried out for the Durham Diocese of the Church of England to assess the impact of the school’s Christian ethos on pupils – rates the Hartlepool school as “good” overall with some outstanding features.

Inspector Nicholas Chamberlain says in his report: “A fully-embedded Christian ethos is being rapidly accepted as a badge of pride by learners, all of whom deeply value the commitment and care offered to them by the school’s staff.

“Inspirational leadership by the headteacher and her colleagues is driving up standards and opening an exciting vision of the future, inspired by Christian values.”

Headteacher Penny Barker said: “As a church school, our Christian ethos is central to everything we aim to achieve and we are pleased that its effectiveness has been recognised by an independent inspector.

"The outcome of the inspection reflects the continuous hard work and dedication of everyone here at 'Team St Hild’s' – students, staff, governors and parents/carers – and the challenge now is to build on the progress already made in terms of improved academic attainment by making a determined effort to take our school to the next level.”

In his report, Mr Chamberlain praises Mrs Barker, saying that she has “galvanised action, sparked vision and taken overdue strategic decisions, all while respecting the foundations laid by her predecessors”.

He adds: “The leadership team is slimmer, more visible and uniformly supportive of the drive to make St Hild’s into a beacon Christian school in the community. The Governing Body, equally, has carefully reorganised itself to meet the challenges that the school faces."