UPTON CE Primary is fired with a spirit of ambition that will make it a stronger school when it comes out of Special Measures, parents heard this week.

"A school that has ambition regularly changes as new ideas are made to work," chairman of the governors Jon Parsons told an open evening on Tuesday.

He said steady progress had been made since Government inspectors placed the school on Special Measures in February. A sign of its ambitious attitude was the opening of its new computer suite.

Mr Parsons said the previously hushed and defensive atmosphere of the staff room had changed to one of lively debate and a detailed action plan was being put into practice.

He said the inspectors considered the action plan "pretty ambitious", but that 90 per cent of it would be put in place by Christmas.

And he praised headteacher Mark Mumby for his ability to manage according to the plan.

Mr Parsons said there were now assistants in every classroom, special needs provision had been improved and children at Key Stage II were being grouped in sets to give them more concentrated learning objectives.

More homework was also being given and this would increasingly provide challenges matched to individual children.

"You can see loads of teacher development. They are getting out into other schools and sharing ideas of good practice," he said.

Governors were also receiving training so that they could monitor and evaluate the problems of the school.

A follow-up inspection in July had confirmed that the school was "on the right track" and its progress had been assessed as "reasonable", said Mr Parsons.

The inspectors will be back again at the end of November and every term, putting heavy pressure on the staff.

"An Ofsted inspector said schools which take charge of their own affairs produce excellence on a sustained, long-term basis", said Mr Parsons. "That's the plan and it will produce many other benefits for our kids."