AN ‘inadequate’ Pendle school has been praised in its final Ofsted inspection before converting into an academy.

Nelson Castercliff Community Primary School was told that it is making ‘reasonable progress’ towards the removal of special measures after an inspection last month.

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The Marsden Hall Road North school was given the lowest Ofsted rating in July, 2014, but has since been praised in a string of follow-up inspections.

The report comes just months before the school is due to come under the control of the Pendle Education Trust in September, which already runs Pendle Primary Academy and Colne Primet Academy.

Ofsted inspector David Selby, in a letter to headteacher Victoria Milne, said: “The increases in pupils’ achievement identified in the previous monitoring inspection have continued.

“The progress of pupils across the school and in Year Six, in particular, has been speeded up by the extensive programme of additional teaching designed to help pupils catch up if they start to fall behind others.

“Teaching has continued to improve. The school’s records indicate that no inadequate practice has recently been observed in the school.

“As in the previous monitoring inspection, the sample of teaching and learning seen during this inspection included no ineffective practice.

“The quality of marking remains inconsistent and, therefore, insufficient in helping pupils learn as well as possible.

“Pupils behave well; they work hard and get on well together.

“The school continues to be characterised by good relationships between pupils and between adults and pupils.”

“Pupils’ expectations of their own behaviour are high. They say that any incidents of bullying are infrequent and dealt with quickly by adults.”

Anita Ghidotti, the chief executive of the Pendle Education Trust, said: “We are delighted that the school is coming into our trust and that is going to become part of our trust family.

“We have had success at Pendle Primary Academy and we feel that we are well placed to increase achievement at the school.”

Chair of governors Lorimer Russell-Hayes said: “The governors and school are very proud of the progress we have made and are confident about future success.”