There would appear to be light at the end of the tunnel for the troubled Chudleigh Knighton C of E Primary School after the latest round of SATs results revealed a 'huge' improvement. Last month the 95-pupil school, which has had nine headteachers in three years, received a damning Ofsted report and was ordered to improve. Earlier this month it was confirmed that the school is to 'federate' with Blackpool C of E and will come under the management of Blackpool head, Paul Jones. But as the summer holidays get under way, parents have been given some unqualified good cheer with the news that pupils achieved 'remarkable' results in their national SATs tests. The number of children gaining the expected level four grade in English has rocketed from 38 per cent last year to 93 per cent, a score that Devon County Council said was 'well above' last year's national average of 79 per cent. The number of pupils gaining level four in maths also rose from 54 per cent to 71 per cent, a figure just below the national average of 75 per cent. In science, the figure grew from 70 per cent to 86 per cent, exactly matching the national average. Acting headteacher Mark Musty, who joined the school last September, said he was delighted with the results. 'They reflect all the hard work and commitment shown by the staff and pupils to raising standards,' he said. 'This improvement demonstrates the good standard of teaching and leadership the school has experienced since September 2005. 'I am confident the school now has a firm basis from which it can continue to improve. These results are something of which all members of our school are justly proud.' Mr Musty is to return to his regular teaching post in Torbay and hand over the job of overseeing teaching and learning to Scott Ord. The overall management of the school will become the responsibility of Mr Jones, who has been appointed executive head. Governors and parents at the school have welcomed the federation plan which is one of the first in the county.
