A PRIMARY school is celebrating the end of an “unsettled period” and looking to the future.

St George’s CE School in Westhoughton has appointed a permanent new head and is celebrating an Ofsted report which recognised standards were on the up.

The school was given a good mark by the government’s education watchdog — an improvement on the satisfactory mark it was given when Ofsted last visited.

Inspectors said achievement of pupils, quality of teaching, behaviour and safety of pupils and leadership and management were all good.

They reported: “The progress made in learning by all pupils in all key stages and by all pupil groups is good. The quality of teaching is consistently good and sometimes outstanding.”

Pupils were described as being keen to learn and work together.

Ofsted inspectors added: “School leaders, led by the newly appointed headteacher, have a strong desire to bring about continuous improvement in teaching and learning.

“They know where the school needs to go and how to get it there.

“The staff of the school are fully behind the leadership and are equally committed to achieving these shared goals.

“This a new strength of the school.”

Results show that children are leaving school with grades above the national average with children achieving record results this year.

Ofsted inspectors said: “Teachers work hard to make lessons interesting and pupils say that they enjoy them and are well supported by their teachers.”

Jacqueline Gilbert, headteacher, said: “The school has been through an unsettled period over the last two years without a permanent headteacher.

“However, in the past 12 months, the school and governors have worked incredibly hard to strengthen the school in all areas, as can been seen in our latest Ofsted report.

“Achievement and attainment is strong in all phases. We have a committed and aspirational team of staff, wonderful, hard-working children and very supportive parents.”

She added: “I am excited about the future of St George’s and look forward to the wonderful journey ahead of us.”