Inspectors praised schools which have recovered from failure

Caton St Paul's Church of England primary in Lancaster, Lancashire, has been commended in the annual report from education watchdog, Ofsted.

This is a reversal in the fortunes of the school - with inspectors identifying "very good improvement".

Head teacher Carole O'Hare says it shows the growing confidence of staff.

Optimism

In 1999, when Ofsted inspectors visited the school, they concluded that it was providing an unacceptable standard of education.

But re-inspections in 2001 and last year found that the school had been turned around - and it is now being held up as a positive example.

Ms O'Hare says that, although she was not head of Caton St Paul's at the time, the process of going into special measures is extremely tough for any school.

And she says that recovering from this involved a process of building confidence and maintaining optimism among staff.

The head teacher praised the hard work of her staff - and the inspectors' report highlights her "excellent" leadership within the school.

Ms O'Hare also says there has been an overall improvement in standards in the primary school sector in the past five years or so - and that there are fewer weaknesses for Ofsted inspectors to find.

The self-evaluation process that precedes an Ofsted report has also helped schools to identify where they need to make improvements, she says.

Evaluating the schools' achievements, the latest report from inspectors rates it as "very good" or better across a range of areas - including the standard of teaching, pupil behaviour, attendance, leadership and partnership with parents.

The school is also praised for having test results that are above average.

Ofsted lists 14 such schools - previously in "special measures" and now "outstanding":