A PRIMARY school judged inadequate last year has come out of special measures 14 months later.

St Nicholas Primary School, Sarajac Avenue, East Challow, was rated good in all areas when inspectors visited last month — a significant improvement on Ofsted’s verdict in April 2012 when it received inadequate ratings.

In October, King Alfred’s Academy in Wantage agreed to provide extensive support to the school, with the academy’s headteacher Simon Spiers acting as executive headteacher and assistant headteacher Andy Browne becoming interim head at St Nicholas.

Mr Browne said: “I’m so proud of the school as a whole because it has been a team effort.

“Everyone has worked so hard in order to bring the school around.”

Inspector Chris Nye said children made consistently good progress and achieved well, while teachers planned interesting lessons which met the needs of all pupils.

He said: “The interim headteacher, interim executive board and middle leaders have worked tirelessly to address the weaknesses.

“The school has made rapid and secure improvement as a result.”

Those weaknesses included low attainment and inadequate teaching, and low-level disruption to lessons.

One key improvement was a love of reading fostered in the school, which had been achieved through improvements to the library, book corners in each classroom, and promotion of reading in assembly with staff talking of favourite books.

The school has been supported by local authority staff including advisers in English, maths, special needs and early years, while the Diocese of Oxford also gave help.

Mr Spiers said the judgment reflected the leadership of Mr Browne and hard work from the staff team as a whole.

He said: “They have delivered day in and day out.

“When Ofsted came back, secretly we were hoping we would get good, but realistically we didn’t expect to get it at this stage. We didn’t think he would have seen enough, but he had two great days so I am incredibly delighted.”

The school’s next challenge is reinstating the community’s faith in the school.

Pupil numbers have dropped from 84 at the time of the initial inspection to 67 now, and nine youngsters have been offered places for 15 spaces from September.

Mr Browne said: “Already we have had a couple of expressions of interest, and I can see that growing quite rapidly.”

Fiona Craig, Diocese of Oxford deputy education director, said the outcome represented a team effort.

She said: “The church community in East Challow is fervent in its loyal support for the school and there is no doubt that this support will continue in the days that lie ahead.”