COUNCILLORS have praised the efforts of a school that was told it was ‘inadequate’.

Darwen Vale was told it needed to improve after inspectors visited in June.

But Coun Mike Johnson said the number of A* to C passes including English and maths had jumped over the past 12 months from 45 per cent to 53 per cent.

He said: “The school has had five headteachers in the past few years. They moved the whole school out and back again. But they have now got a strong headteacher there.

“A few years ago, when there were strikes at Darwen Vale, my son, who goes there, said he was sick of people ‘dissing’ his school. Let’s try to support them now.

“They have been through a difficult time and it was unfortunate the inspectors came before the results were out.”