THERE was a double celebration at a primary school last week as it unveiled new buildings and was praised for better teaching.

Teachers and pupils at Leverton Junior School in Honey Lane, Waltham Abbey, showed off £150,000 worth of improvements to their school building, including a new reception area, offices and refurbished toilets, during a visit by Epping Forest MP Eleanor Laing and mayor of Waltham Abbey Ricki Gadsby on Friday, April 1.

A few days later, Ofsted published its latest report, stating that the school had gone from ‘satisfactory’ to ‘good’ overall.

The inspector noted that the school had strong leadership from headteacher Louise Martin and her deputy, Neil Woollcott, and that teachers kept pupils interested during lessons.

Mrs Martin said: “We’re very pleased that we have gone from satisfactory up to good.

“The teachers have been working very hard and we had several outstanding lessons. We have high expectations of the children.”

She said the school had managed to get funding for the improvements to its buildings before the Government’s funding cuts were announced.

“The impact (of the new buildings) has been enormous,” she added. “Overall, it’s had an effect on the effort put in.

“There is also a new medical room, a new meeting room where teachers can meet with parents and I have a new headteacher’s room.”

She said the school’s pupils had been keen to show off the new building when they met Mrs Laing and Cllr Gadsby during their visit.

The school’s pupil council showed them round before taking them to speak to classes.

“With Eleanor, they were very interested to know how parliament works,” Mrs Martin said. “Both the visitors were very interested in our school.”

Parents at the school came in for criticism recently for parking in front of driveways in Honey Lane at the beginning and end of the day.

Mrs Martin said the school was encouraging parents to walk or do the school run by bike.

"We also encourage parents to try and car-share," she added. "We have a path at the back of the school that about a year ago we had built for them to walk along.

"It's down to the parents."