THE cloud which has hanged over a failing Burnley primary school for two years has been lifted following an Ofsted inspection.

The 230-pupil Coal Clough school was placed in special measures to bring about major improvements after an earlier inspection found it was failing to give its pupils "an acceptable standard of education".

An action plan was ordered after the Ofsted team ruled the school's weaknesses outweighed its strengths, lacked clear targets for improvement and had very poor educational direction.

Now a new visit by the inspection team has found acceptable standards are being provided and special measures can be lifted.

They said standards had risen steadily since the last inspection and pupils made steady progress in most lessons, linked closely to the quality of teaching.

Headteacher John Barrett had successfully steered the school's improvement.

The governing body had also improved and Lancashire Education Authority had provided a high level of support, they added.

Parental confidence and involvement in the school was also growing.

But inspectors make it clear the popular primary is still far from perfect and have identified key issues which still need to be addressed. Staff and managers need to promote higher standards, particularly in English, and further improve the quality of teaching. Developments have to be made to the curriculum and staff have been asked to seek ways to improve attendance and punctuality, inspectors stated.

Today Mr Barrett said he was absolutely delighted with the outcome: "Everyone has worked very hard over the past two years.

"It has been hard work, but it has paid off and we are looking to build on this success."

Plans to merge Coal Clough, Hargher Cough primary and Myrtle Bank infants schools in a new school on a site at Cherry Fold, has been welcomed by governors of neighbouring school St Hilda's RC High.

But the proposal, now under discussion, is controversial with many feeling the Cherry Fold site is too close to the edge of the core catchment area.