STAFF, parents, pupils and governors are celebrating Norton Fitzwarren Primary School’s best Ofsted report in two decades.

Inspectors have graded the school as ‘good’, describing it as “a welcoming school that has made good improvement since the previous inspection”.

Their report says: “The increasing number of pupils attending the school reflects leaders’ success in regaining the confidence of the local community.”

Norton head teacher Kirsti Nelson said: “It is fantastic to have the improvements that everyone – pupils, staff, parents, governors and the wider community – has helped make to the school recognised formally.

“Looking back through previous reports, the oldest one I’ve found is from 1999, when the school was graded ‘satisfactory’ and that remained the case until now.

“It’s likely to be at least 20 years since the school achieved a better report.

“Being recognised as a ‘good’ school is an even bigger achievement for Norton when you take into account the fact that Ofsted inspectors have got tougher in their judgements and raised the bar on standards since we were last inspected.”

Ofsted praised successful initiatives to improve teaching and the behaviour of pupils.

Chairman of governors Barbara Nadin added: “This Ofsted report is a great credit to the staff in particular.

“It confirms that all the initiatives put into place over the last couple of years have proved successful, and that we are on track to achieve our goals.”

Norton Fitzwarren Primary School, where numbers have doubled in the last three years, is to have two extra classes of pupils from September and has applied to become an academy.