A school in Holmer Green is celebrating this week after it was awarded a good rating after an independent review. 

Holmer Green Senior School, in Parish Piece, was visited last month by an inspector from the Buckinghamshire Learning Trust and the visit focused on progress in teaching and learning.

Last year, the school was told it “requires improvement”. Ofsted inspectors said that progress needed to be made in English and that teaching and marking was not up to scratch.

However, during last month’s visit by an inspector from the trust, which saw 15 lessons being observed, 90 per cent were judged to be good or outstanding, with seven lessons given the category of outstanding.

The report praised the quality of students’ work, the relationships between teachers and pupils and the pupils’ good manners when moving around the school, amongst others.

The governing body were also judged to be good with outstanding features and the senior leadership team were said to be very strong and committed.

Qualified Ofsted inspector, Linda Foley, even told the school she would be very happy to send her own children there.

Michael Jones, headteacher, said: “[Mrs Foley] was full of praise for the rapid improvements which the school has made in such a short time.

“This wasn’t an Ofsted inspection but it was like an Ofsted inspection, so to have an external eye say we would be graded good if it were and to actually show their support and say she would send her own children here, is really great news.

“We’re all delighted. We went in with a lot of hope, a lot more hope than we had this time last year. It is fantastically encouraging and it’s given a real boost to all the pupils, staff and governors.”