PUPILS and staff are celebrating after Charmouth Primary School was upgraded to 'good' by Ofsted inspectors.

The school has been praised for improving following a 2013 inspection, which found the school had gone from 'outstanding' to 'requires improvement'.

But lead inspector Janet Dinsmore lauded the school for good leadership and management, behaviour and safety of pupils, quality of teaching, achievement of pupils and early years provision.

Headteacher Gillian Morris, said: "I am proud of the team at Charmouth who have worked extremely hard over the last two years to achieve this result.

"We are particularly pleased that Janet Dinsmore recognised the considerable changes that we have implemented in order to make the rapid progress required.

"Everyone involved with Charmouth Primary School is delighted that their hard work and success has been recognised. Charmouth is a very special place, in a unique location, where children are valued and are encouraged to thrive.

"We look forward to the school going from strength to strength and for all our children achieving the very best they can in their primary years and in the years ahead."

In her report, Ms Dinsmore said that pupils are well prepared for their next stage of education and are 'articulate, creative and imaginative'.

Mrs Morris was praised for building 'a strong team of leaders so that the school can make more rapid progress' - while governors were highlighted for being 'effective in providing a balance of support and challenge to the school'.

Older pupils told inspectors that behaviour at the school had improved since the arrival of Mrs Morris in 2012. A yellow and red card system is used effectively and any minor issues are dealt with well by adults. Pupils' moral and social development was also judged as good.

The school was not judged as 'outstanding' because the most able pupils are 'not always given sufficient opportunity to apply their skills to complex problem-solving activities' and planned topics do not give pupils a wide enough experience of different cultures or 'prepare them sufficiently well for life in modern Britain'.

Chairman of governors, Adrian Ragbourne, said: "I am delighted that the exceptional hard work, professionalism and commitment of Gillian Morris and all our staff have been recognised by Ofsted.

"We believe that our wonderful children deserve the very best education in the safest and happiest environment. I am very proud of everyone."