School staff and pupils win praise from inspectors

According to the school inspections body Ofsted, St Michael and All Angels Catholic Primary School in Wombwell, near Barnsley, was already a good school, but it now has more "outstanding" features.

Inspectors visited the school in Wombwell over two days in May, where they observed five lessons and held meetings with staff, pupils and the chairman of the governing body.

Inspectors said they noted that "determined and reflective leadership has led to improvements in many aspects of the school's work, more of which are now outstanding since their last visit in July 2007.

They said the school works extremely successfully to promote community cohesion, including the "forging of highly constructive links with all groups of parents and carers".

Ofsted also found that pupils' spiritual, moral, social and cultural development to be outstanding and said that it led to extremely good behaviour because pupils consider how their actions affect other people.

According to the inspection team the school needs to raise attainment in mathematics to evaluate its new curriculum to make sure it provides pupils with enterprise activities to give them practice at budgeting and handling money.

Headteacher Peter Davison welcomed the report and said: "I am very proud that St Michael's is judged to be a good school with many outstanding features.

"I am equally proud of the children, the staff and the entire community who work so hard to make St Michael's such a special, happy school."

The chairman of the school's governors, Eddie Goddard, added: "The governors are very pleased that St Michael's is affirmed as a very good school by Ofsted inspectors."