Too many times we hear stories about schools which have not had a good showing in the exam results tables, or have been deemed by inspectors to be below par.

This can have a very negative effect on staff, pupils and parents, and though criticisms have to be levelled if they are deserved, such blanket descriptions rarely tell the whole story about a school.

Where there might be poor exam results, there might be a good sense of community within the school. Schools which cater for more challenging pupils might have success in areas other than academic ones. There is good and bad everywhere, but sometimes the perception of “bad” often outweighs the good when it comes to education.

So it is very heartening to hear about a school that has had its fair share of knocks coming good in the long run.

Not only was Atlas Community Primary School given a stern warning to buck up its ideas after Ofsted inspectors declared many aspects of school life to be “inadequate”, the school itself was the target of thieves and vandals and teachers had to remove drugs paraphernalia from the school grounds before the start of each day.

It would be understandable for any pupils and teachers at any school in that situation to think they were in a bit of a hopeless mess. But the school has turned itself around and is now one of the top five per cent best performing primaries in the country.

Their story shows that determination, a will to succeed and hard work can turn around any situation, no matter how desperate it seems. Well done to everyone concerned.