A PAIR of schools in Essex will start the New Year free of special measures after education inspectors gave them glowing reports.Both Templars Infant and Nursery School, in Witham, and Langenhoe Community Primary, near Colchester, have been on special measures following previous poor Ofsted inspections.

A PAIR of schools in Essex will start the New Year free of special measures after education inspectors gave them glowing reports.

Both Templars Infant and Nursery School, in Witham, and Langenhoe Community Primary, near Colchester, have been on special measures following previous poor Ofsted inspections.

But the schools have now been revisited by inspectors and have passed with flying colours.

At the 115-pupil Langenhoe Primary, in Bracken Way, inspectors found it was “now a good school”, where significant improvements have been made in teaching under the auspices of an “effective” headteacher and deputy headteacher.

After a two-year spell under special measures, a term used to denote those schools needing particular help to improve standards, the school is now rated “good” with some areas of its work classed as “outstanding”.

Inspectors found all aspects of children's welfare was good and their attitudes to learning was also rated as good.

In his letter to pupils, inspector Keith Gilbert said teaching and learning had been radically improved and added that he had enjoyed his visit to the school.

Mr Gilbert also inspected the 160-pupil Templars Infant and Nursery, in Cressing Road.

Placed into special measures in October 2003, inspectors have now deemed the school to be performing either at “satisfactory” or “good” levels.

Mr Gilbert praised the significant improvements made during the past two years and some of the teaching was found to be either “good” or “outstanding”. The atmosphere within the school was described as “calm and tolerant” and standards looked set to continue to improve in the future, the report said.

Mr Gilbert also praised the headteacher, Kerrie McGrory, who had played a pivotal role in fostering a good team spirit and had, overall, “done much in a short time”.

laurence.cawley@eadt.co.uk