STAFF and pupils at a Southampton school are celebrating after it was rated “good” by inspectors.

Ofsted praised Maytree Nursery and Infants School in Derby Road for how it promotes the attendance of pupils and its effective safeguarding arrangements.

In an open letter to head teacher Jan Goatley they said: “Parents value you as the head teacher. They say you listen to them and handle everything with a bright smile.”

It states: "The inspection finds the school continues to be good" and "Parents like the work" that Ms Goatley and her team do" adding that staff "go out of their way to help" and that "parents like the care" shown to their children".

Ms Goatley said: "Our staff are highly experienced and committed and I have high expectations of the quality of teaching in school.

"My leadership team support and encourage staff to improve continually - we all want to be the best we can be".

Chair of governors Doris Capes congratulated the school and added: “It was particularly pleasing to see that the inspector acknowledges all the hard work that the school does in order to help children achieve good progress, despite many children starting in nursery from very low starting points. "Maytree’s high expectations for the quality of teaching and for all children, have ensured that progress in key subjects such as language and mathematics has improved greatly since the last inspection.”