A SCHOOL is celebrating after coming out of special measures just 15 months after an Ofsted report branded it “inadequate”.

The education watchdog has given Riverside Primary School in Ferry Road, Hullbridge an overall rating of “good”, the second highest mark available.

Headteacher Megan Jenkins said the school’s reversal of fortunes over the last 15 months had been “a journey”.

Mrs Jenkins said: “We are delighted. The whole school team is delighted. The staff, governors, parents, children - everybody.

“We had several key issues which we needed to address and we have done that very well.”

Issues raised by Ofsted in November 2011’s “inadequate”, report following a merger of the infant and junior schools, found that attainment in maths and English was “exceptionally low” and that the school lacked a “clear short or long term plan.”

The new report states that “teaching has improved significantly”, that the “leadership is good” and “lessons are generally well organised and well planned.”

Mrs Jenkins described the report as “lovely” and “very positive”.

Describing the aftermath of the November 2011 report, Mrs Jenkins said: “In that situation you have to look at it as a team and pull through. We put an action plan in place. We put staff training in place and we turned things around.

“I want to stress heavily it was all down to everyone working together, including the parents. They were very supportive, as were the governors. It’s never down to one person, it’s a team effort.”