OVERJOYED pupils and teachers are celebrating an Ofsted inspection which led education officials to praise their school.

Inspectors found Woodbury Salterton CofE Primary School was a good school with a raft of outstanding features.

New headteacher, Louise Lowes, who started this term, paid tribute to her predecessor, Sally McCloskey, and all the pupils, staff, parents and governors for the report.

Mrs Lowes said she now wanted to build on the school’s record of success.

She said: “We are already working to a very high standard but I firmly believe we can achieve even more.

“I want to maintain the wonderful ethos of the school with its warm feeling of family where every child feels valued and is safe, happy and excited about learning.

”I want every individual to have high aspirations for him or herself, for others and for the school as a community and the shared belief that those aspirations can be achieved.”

Mrs Lowes joined Woodbury Salterton from Littletown Primary in Honiton where she was an assistant head.

Education inspectors, in their report, said a key to success at the school was how pupils wanted to learn and do well.

Lead inspector, Rowena Onions, remarked how children got off to an excellent start in the outstanding Early Years Foundation Stage because of an extremely well-planned and well-balanced curriculum.

“Throughout the school, the care, guidance and support provided is outstanding as are the pupils’ behaviour and the way they adopt healthy lifestyles,” she said.

“The school has a dedicated staff team who work together very well. Pupils are very well managed and the high expectations of the teachers are generally met.

“Teaching assistants are skilled and well deployed. Staff and governors have worked together to develop the school with energy and enthusiasm.

“Parents are particularly pleased with the quality of teaching and leadership and feel that their children like school. Inspectors agree with these opinions.”

Ms Onions said Woodbury Salterton demonstrated a good capacity to get even better in the future.

To continue its improvement, she said the school should ensure pupils achieved as well in maths as they do in English and develop its assessment of pupils’ progress.

Mrs Lowes said a new, more rigorous programme of assessment had already been put in place.

A member of staff had been appointed as a local authority lead teacher for maths, receiving additional training and experience that will benefit the school.

“We will be working to achieve even higher results in both subjects in the future,” she said.