Third Littlehampton school leaves "intensive care" for brighter future

St Catherine's was the third primary school in the town in as many years to be described as "failing" by education watchdog Ofsted in June, 2006, but continuing progress under acting head teacher Gill Howell, her staff and the governors have achieved the necessary improvement.

The Catholic school is the last of the three to be taken out of "intensive care", raising hopes that educational standards in Littlehampton are now moving in the right direction.

The school heard the good news just before breaking up for the belated Easter holidays. Said Mrs Howell: "We are very pleased. But it's onwards and upwards from here and we are certainly not resting on our laurels. We know we are putting the steps into place to make progress, and it's about continuing to do that and improving even further.

"The Ofsted report gives us all a feeling of some success and achievement, which runs through the staff and the pupils. The parents are pleased. They have been very supportive. And we have had good wishes cards from other heads and from the diocese."

Ofsted inspector Stephen Long said St Catherine's was an improving school which had made satisfactory progress since his last monitoring visit in November. The school was now providing a satisfactory standard of education and care and no longer required special measures.

* For the full story, see this week's Littlehampton Gazette (April 10, 2008), on sale now.

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