A complete overhaul of staff at a school in one of the city’s most deprived areas has made it flourish.

Ofsted inspectors gave the thumbs up to the improved standards at Ryecroft Primary in Holme Wood, Bradford, following the school’s latest inspection.

The school was given a Notice To Improve when achievement and standards were deemed unsatisfactory four years ago.

Change was stimulated with the appointment of Jayne Clarke as head teacher two and a half years ago.

She admits to having had some difficult days at the start of her first headship as she went about replacing the entire teaching team.

The board of governors was also replaced.

Mrs Clarke, 49, said: “I had to be very single-minded. There was a big job to do. “The first thing I set out to do was to make it good enough for my children to go to, that’s the bottom line. Having the right team was vital.”

According to the report, Ryecroft is now a good, rapidly improving school. Every aspect of the school has improved, staff’s morale is very high and the curriculum, and its capacity to improve, is outstanding.

Children’s skills when they join the school are lower than what is expected nationally but when they leave their attainment is broadly average.

Learning, the report says, had been “exceptional” over the last two years.