A school was celebrating today after Government inspectors took it off special measures.

The champagne has been flowing at Wesley Green Middle School in Blackbird Leys, Oxford, which is officially no longer a "failing" school.

Wesley Green has been on special measures since 1997, when an Ofsted inspection team raised concerns about the quality of teaching and learning.

Headteacher Paul Reast had to draw up an action plan including a series of targets and explanations on how the school would achieve them. The Department for Education and Employment agreed this plan and Ofsted inspector Jennie Weltman visited every term to make sure the school was meeting its targets.

The team which teaches Key Stage Two of the National Curriculum met weekly to plan every lesson for the following week. Pupils began each day with half-hour sessions in which they learned how to study and play in a group.

Wesley Green pooled its resources with other schools in the area to pay for a special needs teacher to work with pupils on a one-to-one basis to improve literacy skills. Mr Reast said: "When we found out, we had a few glasses of champagne and now we are carrying on with our work. All the time I knew that the school was better than we were two years ago, but you need to have that confirmed.

"It is not a system I would want to impose on anyone, but it has had a beneficial effect."

An Oxfordshire County Council spokesman said: "We are delighted that Wesley Green is out of special measures. It is a credit to the staff and governors at the school and the staff of the local education authority who have worked hard to tackle the issues raised by Ofsted."

Story date: Thursday 16 December

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