A SCHOOL is celebrating after picking up a national achievement award two years after it was slated by Ofsted inspectors.

Belmont Primary School, in Guisborough,, also received praise in its latest Ofsted report when inspectors stated that "Belmont is a good school, where pupils enjoy their work and are keen to learn. There is a high proportion of effective teaching."

It was one of a number of schools across the country singled out by Stephen Timms, the school standards minister, for a special School Achievement Award.

It is a far cry from two years ago when inspectors criticised the quality of the teaching and aspects of leadership and management and created a special debate in the house of Commons for inspection procedures to be reformed.

Colin Linthwaite, headteacher at the school, said the staff and governors had worked hard to improve the school and received a lot of support from parents and pupils.

He said: "The parents have been absolutely superb throughout this whole debacle, as have the governors and the LEA. I think for the wider school community it is quite a positive thing. Parents have been very supportive and continue to be so and we appreciate their efforts. Everyone has been really helpful in trying to get us through this stage."

However, inspectors did point out that the school needed to look more closely at art and design, and design technology, as well as working further in maths in terms of problem solving in real life situations.