A Basildon school is celebrating after being given a glowing report by Government inspectors.

Ghyllgrove Community Junior School, in The Gore, was described by Ofsted as a good school with "outstanding" provision for hearing-impaired pupils.

Inspectors said the school had "improved considerably", and was continuing to do so. Ghyllgrove is in the Basildon Education Action Zone, which aims to raise achievement, and 25 per cent of the 217 pupils are registered as having special needs.

Pupils' achievements in English, maths and science were said to be below average in the national tests, but they matched national levels in classwork and foundation subjects.

Inspectors said: "The school's results have been improving overall faster than schools nationally, but few pupils achieve more than the standard expected nationally."

Pupils were described as "polite, considerate and helpful", with respect for other people's beliefs and satisfactory attendance levels. Teaching was satisfactory or good in 85 per cent of lessons and very good in 15 per cent, with English particularly praised.

Ghyllgrove's curriculum was praised, as were special needs provision and programmes for pupils' spiritual, moral, social and cultural development.

Headteacher Cath Power said: "I am so proud to be the headteacher of a good school, especially as the way in which schools are inspected by Ofsted gets tougher each year.

"All the staff and governors at Ghyllgrove Community Junior School are absolutely delighted with the huge improvement confirmed by the Ofsted team."

Celebration - Cath Power congratulates her pupils at Ghyllgrove Community Junior School

Picture: ROBIN WOOSEY

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