After weathering some tough times a Stevenage primary school is celebrating a much improved Ofsted report.

A January 2013 report said that Featherstone Wood Primary School had serious weaknesses and required immediate improvement.

Since then the school’s head and management team has changed and after its latest inspection is has received a ‘good’ rating.

Head Louise Shuttleworth said: “The whole school community has worked so hard.

“It has been a huge challenge and every term since 2013 has seen an inspection from either Ofsted, senior inspectors or the local authority.

“I am so thrilled, it validates the hard work and dedication from the children, staff and governors.”

The problems started when the school’s previous head Carol Pratt and deputy head Sittel Shah were off work for a lengthy spell and the school’s senior leadership team went through constant changes.

Miss Shuttleworth, who took up her role in January last year, said that she was delighted and will continue to work hard to improve the school’s performance.

She said: “When I took over as head the children asked me if we could have a banner outside the school once we were ‘good’.

“They are over the moon that we now have one. This really is a momentous time and I am so proud to have been part of it.”

One Year 5 pupil said: “This school is good because they don’t give us easy work, they challenge us.

“This is a huge shift in their thinking from when I started at the school in September 2013.”