A Bristol school destined for permanent closure has been praised by Ofsted in a new report.
The turnaround at St Pius X RC Primary School is bittersweet, as Bristol City Council has already approved controversial plans to shut it down at the end of August.
In what is likely to have been its final inspection before it closes its doors, the school in Withywood was visited by the education watchdog in March just weeks after the council's decision was made.
Ofsted judged the school to be "inadequate" in 2016 and again in 2018, which contributed to dwindling pupil numbers in recent years.
The latest visit was only an interim inspection, designed to monitor progress rather than give a new rating, but the feedback was positive.
In a report published last week (April 29), Her Majesty’s Inspector Caroline Dulon praised the improvements that have been implemented since 2018.
She wrote: "The culture of safeguarding is strong now. Pupils’ well-being is at the heart of the school’s work.
"Staff keep a close eye on pupils and report concerns quickly. Detailed records show that leaders take appropriate action promptly to help keep pupils safe."
While the regulator's routine inspections are still on hold due to the coronavirus pandemic, it continues to carry out monitoring inspections for schools judged to be 'inadequate' or 'requires improvement'.
Most of these check-up inspections are carried out virtually, but St Pius received a visit in person due to due to safeguarding concerns raised at the last inspection.
The school in Gatehouse Avenue, which teaches about 100 pupils, is one of three Bristol primary schools set to close on August 31.
St George’s and St Michael’s Church of England primary schools in the city centre will also close, but a 'new' school will open on the site of the latter, effectively making it a merger.
Parents of St Pius pupils spoke of their anger and frustration in October when the proposal was announced, and a petition was set up in hope of saving it.
However, the governing body said at the time that even if Ofsted did improve the school's rating, there would still not be a sustainable demand for school places in the local area for a Roman Catholic education.
In a newsletter to parents last week, school leaders said they were "delighted" with the new report even though it comes at a "difficult time for all involved in the journey of St Pius school".
Inspectors were positive about how teachers dealt with the pandemic and ensured pupils could be educated from home.
The report continued: "The local authority has provided valuable support to strengthen leadership and ensure that safeguarding is effective.
"It has also enabled subject leaders to learn from staff in other schools. As a result, subject leaders have made improvements to curriculum planning and assessment."
Noting that the school is closing, Ofsted said the aim for teachers and school leaders in these final months should be to "prioritise the most essential learning for pupils so they are as well prepared for their new schools as possible".
