A school has leaped from ‘requires improvement’ to ‘good’ in their latest inspection by the education watchdog Ofsted.

Nicholas Breakspear Catholic School, in St Albans, was inspected by Ofsted on July 15 and in two years the school is now ‘good’.

The inspector said the leadership of the head teacher has ensured the school and the wider community work well together and widespread improvements have been made since the last inspection.

Declan Linnane, head teacher, said: “The report acknowledges the collaborative work between the students, parents, staff, governors and parishes to bring the perception of the school closer to the reality.

“Not only are we one of the most improved schools in Hertfordshire, we have achieved this in record-breaking time.

“We are delighted as a community and we are very proud in what we have achieved.”

The inspector found the outcomes for pupils are good and since the last inspection, leaders have ensured an upward trend of improvement.

The attainment at the end of Year 11 is consistently above national averages, the report reads.

Personal development and welfare of pupils is a strength of the school and pupils make especially strong progress in humanities and modern languages.

The inspector noted sixth form students were making good progress and the curriculum prepares them for the next steps in their learning or careers.

Mr Linnane added: “The systems we haves established over the past two years continue to have a greater impact and are enhancing the lives of students, parents and staff alike.

“It is a school which continues to have a positive and outward looking approach and we use the school’s vision to constantly strive for quality and excellence in all that we do.”

In the inspection it found parents and carers value the education provided for their children.

They praise the actions leaders take to communicate with them to manage pupil’s behaviour effectively and to promote a happy environment in which their children learn.