THE new headteacher of a Great Yarmouth primary school has been praised for his “excellent leadership” after the school worked its way out of special measures after just 13 months.

Greenacre Primary and Nursery School was placed in the failing category in October 2010 and has spent the last year battling back to shake off its under-performing tag.

Norfolk County Council gave leadership support until Bill Holledge took over as permanent head in September, having worked for a day each week in the school during the summer term.

The married father of three is new to Norfolk, having previously worked as assistant head at Culloden Primary School in Tower Hamlets, east London.

Mr Holledge, 32, said of his new role: “It is going really well. The pupils are very enthusiastic and very motivated. There is absolutely no reason why they cannot attain really highly and do well.”

Mr Holledge, who studied English at Cambridge, said his priority was to focus on the quality of teaching and on the core standards of reading, writing and maths.

“The school has been through quite a lot of change in the past few years,” he said. “To give everyone their dues people warmed to the challenge very quickly.

“One person cannot do it all. The success we have achieved so far is a testament to everybody not forgetting the pupils, parents and carers.”

Ofsted inspectors praised the school’s leadership, teaching and pupils’ behaviour.

Inspectors said: “Staff, pupils, parents and governors at Greenacre Primary and Nursery School have worked exceptionally hard to transform their previously failing school so that it is now satisfactory overall. The morale of staff is extremely high because of the extraordinary work of the county headteacher which has flowed seamlessly into the excellent leadership of the new substantive headteacher.

“Staff talk with great enthusiasm about his inspirational leadership and the very rapid improvements in pupils’ attainment since September.

“The new headteacher, ably supported by a good senior leadership team and good governing body, has two clear priorities for the school which are to raise pupils’ attainment so that it meets national expectations and to ensure that all teaching is good or better.”

Inspectors found that behaviour at the school was good and sometimes outstanding, pupils enjoyed school and there had been a “huge improvement” in attendance.