A primary school headteacher has said the secret behind its rapid success is constant evolution.
Longwick Primary School was recently rated ‘good’ in an Ofsted inspection.
It marks an improvement since the previous report in 2009 which rated it ‘satisfactory’ and identified many areas requiring work.
Hilary Goddard said: “We have worked really, really hard over the last couple years. There has been massive changes.
“Our success is because of constant evolution. Looking at what we are doing well and how we can improve it.”
Mrs Goddard took over at the school in 2011 and was immediately tasked with turning things around.
The report said that the school has made ‘rapid progress since the last inspection under the thoughtful guidance of the headteacher’.
The head added: “What we have got is a good group of people. The staff team, the support of all the parents. They are all passionate about learning.
“When I arrived I was given a very clear message that a great deal needed to be looked at and addressed.”
Mrs Goddard added that such are the pressures of education she and the school cannot rest on their laurels and there a few known areas for it to be rated as ‘outstanding’.
“We have already identified what we need to work on next,” she said.
“There are gaps in mental mathematics. We have addressed it well the last few years. But you are on catch up if the foundations were not there already.”
The head also stressed that because Longwick is considered a village school (it has 144 pupils with capacity for 210) they have to take children from a wide catchment area.
“We feel we are a special school, we just need to spread the message,” she added.