The new leadership team at a North Devon primary school has been praised by education inspectors for providing clear direction and a strong commitment to raise standards.

Headteacher Toni Carter has been at Sticklepath Primary School for two years and her deputy, Sam Warner, joined this year.

Inspectors from Ofsted (Office for Standards in Education) said: 'The very good leadership skills and strong commitment of the headteacher are key strengths and (she) provides the school with a clear sense of direction.'

They add that Ms Warner has made an excellent start and 'is providing a good role model for her colleagues and has already forged a constructive partnership with the headteacher.'

Mrs Carter said today that she was confident the team she was building at the school would drive up results and improve standards.

The inspectors' report concludes: 'The school is a caring community where pupils' welfare is a high priority. Pupils' views of the school are positive and parents' views are very positive.

'In particular parents value the approachability of the staff and believe the headteacher is a strength of the school.'

But, say the inspectors, results at the end of Key Stage 2 (11 years old) are too low and partly a result of serious weaknesses in teaching and learning across the key stage which spans Years 3 to 6.

The inspectors accept there has been an improvement in English in Key Stage 2 but they say teaching in maths and science is unsatisfactory.

However they praise the work that staff are doing in Key Stage 1 (up to seven years old).

'Satisfactory teaching enables pupils to make sound progress in Reception and across Years 1 and 2,' says the report.

'Reception children benefit from effective provision for the development of their language skills and teaching in Year 2 is good.'

Today Mrs Carter said she had been without a deputy for two years before Ms Warner's appointment in September. Ms Warner is also taking on the role of Curriculum Manager.

As such, she is taking responsibility for the management of the curriculum throughout the school and will initially be concentrating on improving Key Stage 2. The school is also strengthening the senior management team with the appointment of a permanent new Key Stage 2 teacher.

'This teacher will be looking at some of the areas of curriculum leadership which have been criticised and I have already made some changes," said Mrs Carter.

'We are using county council education advisers and specialist teachers to work alongside our teachers in a coaching programme.

'We have also been working very hard on making the curriculum more inviting for the children and more motivating and inspirational. They have been working alongside specialists like artists, authors and threatre groups to make what they are learning more vibrant and exciting.

'I am confident that the statistics do not show the real progress we have been making and I firmly believe that our results in 2004 will demonstrate that.

The chair of governors, John Wilkin, said : 'I have every confidence in our new management team to take this school forward.

'I have known this school over a period of years and I believe it has improved dramatically over the past two years.

Mr Wilkin said all the staff, pupils and governors were looking forward to a major building programme at the school which will see three temporary classrooms demolished and replaced with new purpose-built permanent classrooms and a new playground.

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