It's taken more than two years and an almost complete change of staff to get an infants' school out of special measures.

But St Andrew's Nursery and Infants School is celebrating.

The school, in Hickory Road, Greenstead, was put under special measures for the first time in its history in 2001.

A report by Ofsted inspectors criticised standards of literacy and information technology, leadership and management, standards of teaching, pupil behaviour and nursery provision.

But the school is now back on track and looking to the future.

Headteacher Jackie Breeze said: "I'm absolutely delighted. I can't stress enough how hard the staff here work.

"Teaching is not an easy job and when you have the the stress of special measures it wasn't made any easier but the teachers worked hard for the children."

Mrs Breeze was the fourth teacher to take the helm at the troubled school over the past two years when she became head in September.

She said only two teachers who worked at the school when it was placed in special measures were still part of the ten-strong teaching staff.

Mrs Breeze said now it was free from special measures which meant a once-a-term visit by inspectors the school had the freedom to look ahead.

She said: "The real pressure comes from knowing you will have inspectors in school every term.

"You don't know when they are coming so you try and organise everything else going on around visits.

"We now have the freedom to do what we know is right for our school. We have got strategies in place which will take the school forward.

"When we were in special measures, we had to be guided by the local education authority, which was fine, but now we are in a position to do what we think is right for St Andrew's.

Last Updated on Fri 11 April 19103 at 14:5