Bishop's Castle school has positive inspection

Staff and pupils are celebrating at the Community College in Bishop's Castle, after the school managed to go up a grade across the board since its last inspection.

In 2013 the school was told it needed improvement, but thanks to a range of measures and hard work, the 394-pupil school has now got the thumbs-up from inspectors, who visited at the end of April.

The college has been graded regarding student achievement, quality of teaching, behaviour and safety and leadership and management. Headteacher Alan Doust said: "I am absolutely delighted to say that Ofsted have declared us 'good' in all aspects of the college's performance. We are no longer 'requiring improvement' and only one step from 'outstanding'."

"The last four years have seen a significant improvement across the school and many people have played their part - staff, students, governors, fellow school leaders and parents.

"Together we have created a school that we can rightly be proud of and that cannot only demonstrate a really good level of education now, but will also serve us well in the future.

"I would like to take this opportunity to thank staff for all their hard work, dedication, concern and commitment. We are very fortunate to have such people working on behalf of the students and community.

"I would also like to pay tribute to those students, both past and present, who have contributed to this successful outcome with their ideas and their very positive attitude to learning," he said.

Mr Doust said the lead inspector told governors his feelings were best summarised by a parent's letter he had received which said children were being offered "education in the broadest sense".

"I think this is the best compliment staff at the school could have been paid," he said.

James Sparkes, chair of governors, added: "Since Mr Doust took up his post in April 2011 there have been rapid improvements in many areas and staff have worked tirelessly to raise standards.

"The Ofsted team commented that our students were 'delightful, confident and proud of their school'.

"Anyone visiting the college cannot fail to be impressed by their politeness, good behaviour, their positive attitudes to learning and towards the college as a whole. It hasn't always been like this and governors feel we have come a very long way in a short time.

"We feel it is a fitting tribute to the work of our headteacher, Mr Doust, and his staff, and an important milestone on our journey to become an outstanding school," he said.