A school that has ‘visionary, highly ambitious leadership’ has risen up the Ofsted scales to being rated good from previously being told it needed improving.

Millfield Primary in Littleport has been praised for giving children an ‘excellent start to their experiences of learning’ which continues throughout the years which means pupils get a ‘highly effective curriculum that stimulates their intellectual curiosity.”

Overall the school is good and the early years provision is rated as outstanding.

Susan Aykin, Ofsted lead inspector, said: “From very low starting points children make rapid progress.

“Through determined hard work and high expectations of staff and pupils’ the head teacher “has led a wide range of effective school improvements.

“The deputy head teacher, other leaders and governors share her ambition and vision for the school.”

The Grange Lane school, which has 291 pupils, is now part of the Elliot Foundation and has been told to become outstanding it must now look at leadership of all subjects so they become as consistently strong as English and mathematics.

Ms Aykin said the school’s work to promote pupils personal development and welfare was good with most parents agreeing their children were happy at school.

Pupils were well behaved, she added, and took pride in their work and themselves.

Disadvantaged pupils make good progress and through carefully targeted support they fall in line with others nationally.

For the SEN children: “accurate assessment information is used to identify where pupils required additional support.

“As a consequence pupils receive tailored intervention support, enabling them to access the curriculum successfully.”

The newly structured nursery came in for praise also where inspectors found that the relationship with parents is “very positive.”

In addition the training is highly effective and with indoor and outdoor areas that immerse children in “highly effect tive imaginary worlds.”

Ms Aykin said: “The curriculum has been skilfully constructed to facilitate children’s intellectual curiosity and thirst for finding out about the world around them.

“In collaboration with teachers, staff and their peers, children determined what they are going to learn, how they are going to learn, the rationale for learning and how they will evidence their success in learning.”

The report also praises PE provision in the school and said there is good spiritual, oral, social and cultural understanding at the setting.