STAFF and pupils at a tiny primary school outside Ledbury have been celebrating after an Ofsted inspection classified it as "good".

The result is a step up for Pauntley CE Primary School, which at its last inspection two years ago was said to be "requiring improvement".

The latest inspection concludes that pupils "make good progress across the school, reaching standards of attainment that are typically above average", and that teaching is "consistently good, and an increasing amount is outstanding".

But it also says that teachers "do not respond quickly enough to the progress made by individual pupils" and criticised the "limited opportunities" pupils have to develop information and communication technology skills.

Head Chris Ward said: "We're delighted that the progress made has been recognised by the inspectors. We've got a great bunch of kids, the staff are brilliant and the parents and governors very supportive.

"The inspectors have pointed out areas that must be improved and we're ready to to the hard work."

The school, which has just 32 pupils on its roll, has at its emblemDick Whittington, who as well as being a well-known pantomime character, was a real person born at nearby Pauntley Court in 1354, who went on to become Mayor of London three times.

The school is holding an open day on Wednesday , June 4, from 9.30am to 11.30am, when members of the local community and prospective parents are all invited.