INSPECTION week for any school is always a stressful time, but when Government inspectors arrived at Whitecliffe Primary, in Carlin How, east Cleveland, it was also the week of the area's devastating floods.

Throughout the week, headteacher Gill Steele reported severe disruption for families from Carlin How and Skinningrove, with half the children absent on one day, school transport hit, and dinner ladies among the absentees as evacuated residents.

But now the school is pleased with the end product, an encouraging report which says the school is improving.

Mrs Steele said: "It was a very difficult week for everyone in the community, but we were determined to focus on the inspection. There has been an awful lot of hard work invested in the school since our last report, and despite all the traumas of these dreadful few days, we arere very pleased that the inspectors have recognised the improvement."

The school received a critical report in June, 1998, which identified serious weaknesses.

The new report says: "Overall, the progress made in most areas where concerns were noted previously is good, although the full impact of these initiatives in raising standards have yet to be realised."

Particularly pleasing was the judgment that "the school has sound systems and strategies in place to continue to make further improvements".

The action plan, which is being implemented, has targets that include better monitoring of pupils' personal development and improving standards in both key stages.