TWO of Blackbird Leys' three primary schools breathed a sigh of relief this week after Ofsted inspectors acknowledged their efforts to turn things around.

Windale was placed in special measures last year and struggled to extricate itself, with a report in November saying staff were "not taking effective action".

A new Ofsted report based on a February visit said it is now on the way to coming out and newly-qualified teachers can be appointed again.

Meanwhile Pegasus has not had an Ofsted rating since it became an academy in 2013, but after a visit in February was told it had remained 'good'.

Jill Hudson, executive head of the Blackbird Academy Trust (BAT), which also runs Orchard Meadow Primary School, said: "The trust is delighted that the excellence of education provided by Pegasus has again been recognised by Ofsted and that Windale is now well on the journey.

"There was always going to be a challenging time for our schools but the strength of our partnership, the skill and determination of our staff, the support of our families and our amazing children has always meant we have no doubt we will achieve our goals."

According to Ofsted, a total of 1,274 pupils attend the three BAT schools. Windale and Pegasus have the largest potential capacity with 598 spaces at each.

Last year BAT parachuted in 'troubleshooting head' Matthew Wynne, who has a history of lifting schools out of special measures in Birmingham, to take the helm at Windale.

The new report noted "significant" improvements in pupil behaviour and the quality of teaching but said more needed to be done to help disadvantaged pupils. There is no maximum length of time a school can stay in special measures and Windale is likely to need several more visits before it will come out.

It added: "Most notably, pupils reported to inspectors that the academy provides them with an environment where their talents are now nurtured, where they feel safer, and where they know more clearly what they have to do to succeed."

Staff at Pegasus are revelling in a glowing report, with inspector Elizabeth Farr reserving special praise for headteacher Francis Murphy.

She said: "You have demonstrated a purposeful and diligent approach to raising standards. You demonstrate high levels of commitment to the pupils of Pegasus School, ensuring they are safe, happy and excited by the rich and appealing curriculum."

Writing quality and mathematics was noted to have improved and pupils "get off to a flying start" in phonics, using the sounds letters make to learn to read and write.

The report added: "Pupils’ first-hand experiences are extended well beyond the school gate and they bubble with enthusiasm about the prospects that lie ahead."

Mr Murphy said both the school and BAT were "thrilled" with the overall report, adding: "The school is extremely proud of the curriculum it offers the children and it was

wonderful to see this recognised in the Ofsted inspection.

"Our teachers go the extra mile for their children, making learning magical and engaging. We believe our children are amazing and capable of anything."

Evenlode Tower resident Lauraine Dineen, whose sons Harry and George go to Pegasus, said: "We got the report yesterday. Everything at Pegasus is brilliant. There's plenty of support for me and the boys and all questions are answered very quickly. I'm confident that I picked the right school for the boys."

Fellow Pegasus parent Stephanie Loggins said it was a "fantastic" school and she "knew it would do well".