Pupils are jumping for joy after their school was given the highest Ofsted rating for the first time in its history.

Maltings Academy, in Spinks Lane, Witham, came top of the class when inspectors rated it as ‘outstanding’ this week after it was told it needed to improve in the quality of teaching and pupils’ achievement in 2013.

The school, now run by the Academies Enterprise Trust, opened in 2008 and its predecessor school - the John Bramston School - was placed in special measures in October 2006.

After an inspection on March 4 and 5, it was rated outstanding in all areas, including leadership and management, the behaviour and safety of pupils, quality of teaching, pupils’ achievement and sixth form provision.

Inspectors found that students make rapid progress from when they start at the school and a high amount of pupils make expected progress in English and maths at GCSE.

The report stated that pupils’ behaviour was exemplary.

It read: “Students, including those in the sixth form, almost universally show a determination to learn, to make improvements to their work and to meet their challenging targets.

“They do not tolerate disruption because, as they explained to inspectors, ‘we want to learn’.”

See next week's paper - out next Thursday - for a full report and pictures of pupils.