A PENDLE primary placed into a category of concern by an education watchdog is out of special measures.

Staff, parents and students at Earby Springfield Primary School are celebrating after a being told by Ofsted Inspectors they are no longer under performing.

The news comes just two years after inspectors visited the school and highlighted problems.

Earby Springfield Primary School Headteacher Dawn Liversidge said: "This is fantastic news. We've just had a tree-planting ceremony and it all seems to tie together – beautiful new trees to welcome the spring alongside the news that we're out of special measures.

"Everyone here is so pleased: our staff, governors, children and parents, and officers from the county council who have helped us turn our action plan into reality.

"We don't have the official Ofsted report yet – that will be published soon – but the inspectors told me categorically that we were no longer in special measures and that we could tell everyone. So we are shouting it from the rooftops – it feels like a wonderful start to the year."

The Bailey Street school had four monitoring visits from inspectors since 2010 to ensure the school was on the right track and following the action plan.

County Councillor Susie Charles, Cabinet Member for Children and Schools, said: "This is really good news. It always cheers me enormously to hear that we have helped a school turn itself around, and I should like to congratulate everyone at the school on their hard work and a very happy result at the end of it.”

The school’s SATs results were above government targets last year, and attendance levels are above the national average.