A once-failing city primary school has been rated ‘Good’ by Ofsted for the first time since it opened.

Inspectors who visited St John’s in Northgate in September also say its early years provision is ‘Outstanding’.

The report has been welcomed by head teacher Jo Warnock, who says it is the result of “a challenging, but exciting, journey”.

St John’s was created from the merger of Kingsmead and Diocesan & Payne Smith primary schools in 2012, but two years later was ruled to be “inadequate” by Ofsted and placed in special measures. A further inspection in 2016 showed some positive change, although the school was still rated as “requiring improvement”.

But an inspection in September found the school’s leadership, quality of teaching and the personal development and behaviour of pupils all to be ‘Good’ - the second highest rating.

“We are extremely pleased and will continue to ensure that our pupils achieve their full potential”, said Miss Warnock.

“It has been a challenging, but exciting, journey for the school and we would like to thank all those that have supported us along the way.

“Our pupils have a strong work ethic and are an absolute credit to the school and their families. It is a privilege to work with them.”

Inspectors praised the school’s “unremitting work” to ensure pupils attend school regularly and its wide curriculum that stimulates their interest.

It was also noted that effective support is provided for disadvantaged pupils and those who have special educational needs.

In particular, the early years provision was rated as ‘Outstanding’, with children receiving an excellent start to their schooling.

The report credits the “highly capable” senior leader, with oversight for early years and the “dynamic” nursery manager for bringing expertise and a stimulating environment which promotes effective learning.

But inspectors report that despite good teaching, outcomes for children still require improvement because progress is not consistent. They say provisional results for this year show that outcomes at the end of Year 6 remain well below national levels, which is partly due to a legacy of poorer teaching in the past. But they add school leaders are now beginning to tackle the underachievement successfully.