A COLNE Valley infant school still has a long way to go – but it’s on the right track.

Marsden Infant and Nursery School, previously regarded as Inadequate by Ofsted, has just moved up a grade to Requires Improvement (3).

The school’s strengths are reading and writing, pupils’ behaviour, and better systems introduced by senior leaders and governors.

Inspectors were, however, looking for improvements in maths, work tailored to individual students’ abilities, marking, and pupil independence and monitoring.

Headteacher Frances Swallow said: “We are pleased that Ofsted agree with our view that the school is making good progress. Some of the changes we’ve made have had a relatively quick impact and others need time for their benefits to be felt, but this is certainly an improving school.

“A new assistant headteacher will join us in September and we are confident that the school is in a much stronger position than 12 months ago. There is still some way to go and we are striving for further improvement, especially in leadership capability and maths, but our work is paying off.

“We are also confident that we are equipped to demonstrate yet further progress when the school is inspected again.

The Brougham Road school has 200 pupils aged three to seven, the majority of whom are ‘White British’. The number of pupils with free school meals or special educational needs is below average.