CORBRIDGE Middle School is a good school, where the behaviour and safety of pupils is outstanding.

And the 300 youngsters who attend are keen to do well in a school that they are very proud of.

That was the verdict of education watchdog, Ofsted, which sent a team of three inspectors to the school for a two-day assessment at the end of April.

It came after the school received a “requires improvement” judgement back in May 2013, when a key concern raised was that teachers did not recognise when the most able were ready for higher challenges, or when lower-attaining pupils needed extra support.

However, after a series of positive monitoring visits from Ofsted and the appointment of new headteacher Jane Kennedy in September, standards at the school are continuing to rise.

The latest inspection says teaching is consistently good throughout the school, and sometimes outstanding, while pupil’s progress is checked very carefully.

Staff have very good subject knowledge and typically have high expectations of what pupils can achieve, while the headteacher effectively leads the school supported by senior leaders, staff and governors.

“There is a very strong and shared commitment to improving the outcomes for all pupils,” the report adds.

Staffing changes at the school, including the appointment of food technology teacher, Dorothy Ricketts, as assistant headteacher, have helped ring the changes.

Mrs Kennedy said: “Although the inspection can be a stressful time for teachers, it was actually an absolute pleasure to show the inspectors all aspects of our school and see how impressed they were.

“We’re very lucky that the parents have always been very supportive of the school and know that their children are happy here. So it was wonderful for Ofsted to accept that the school has made a lot of progress in the areas it needed to.”

The report says the curriculum is “well planned and engages pupils very effectively”. It also highlights the work of an enrichment project, introduced by Mrs Kennedy, which enhances learning with regular activities such as gardening, pottery and producing a school newspaper.

Chairman of governors Jo Holmes said: “I’m absolutely delighted that the inspectors have been able to triangulate all of the evidence they collected into a report which highlights what we already know is great about the school.”