A HUDDERSFIELD school is celebrating after Ofsted inspectors said it can come out of special measures.

And they did so at the seaside - or at least, on a special "beach" in the school playground.

Christ Church Woodhouse C of E Nursery, Infant and Junior School at Sheepridge has transformed itself from a struggling school to a spectacular success.

Ofsted inspectors visited two weeks ago to deliver the good news.

Parents were invited to the school yesterday to celebrate the good news with children at book-making sessions and the beach party.

Headteacher Margaret Shaw, who joined the school in October, said staff are delighted.

She added: "It is down to the dedicated staff that we have had this success, especially those who have stayed with the school during some very difficult times.

"Everybody is absolutely ecstatic."

Ofsted put the school into special measures because it was failing in five areas.

These were: quality of teaching, standards, attendance, information technology and governors.

Mrs Shaw said the key to improving was to get a stable team of staff and train them intensively. She said: "We now have a stable team and we worked a lot on staff development, so that has impacted on standards.

"Governors have worked hard to improve themselves and we have recruited behaviour improvement persons to provide extra-curricular sports activities.

"We also have a thriving breakfast club. This has motivated the children and has impacted on attendance."

Mrs Shaw also said the special measures period had been difficult, with staff under constant pressure to perform well at inspections every term.

She said: "Being in special measures means everyone in the school feels they are rubbish. It is easy to get in and not easy to get out.

"You have to prove yourself and be better than average to get out of special measures."

She said the school's foundation classes have always been a strength of the school, even while it was in special measures.

Foundation teacher Joanne McLean said they had worked hard during the past three years. She added: "It is not easy being in special measures. It is an enormous amount of hard work. We all had to work and support each other through a very difficult time.

"We've also had support from parents, because we have good links with the community," she said.

"Now the team we have really enjoy working here. I think that is the key to success."