Schools in Norfolk have 'hauled themselves up by their boot straps' an education leader says, after a national report painted a rosy picture of learning in the county.

%image(14807109, type="article-full", alt="Lionwood Infants has gone from "good" to "outstanding" in its lastest Ofsted report under executive head Selene Sawyer.PHOTO BY SIMON FINLAY")

Ofsted's annual report, published today, revealed that Norfolk is the fifth most improved county in England for the proportion of pupils at good or outstanding secondary schools over the last four years.

It says the quality of early years provision, from birth to five years old, is 'impressive' in the east of England, with Norfolk having made improvements which have brought it in line with the national level.

The number of pupils in good or outstanding secondary schools has risen by 32 percentage points to 77pc since 2012, while, in the same window, the figure for primary schools rose by 27 percentage points to 86pc.

Paul Brooker, regional Ofsted director for the east of England, said the report reflected a positive picture – but that there was more work to be done.

%image(14807110, type="article-full", alt="Ofsted's annual report was issued on Thursday. Picture: Barry Batchelor/PA Wire")

'This is pleasing in the sense that it shows a trajectory of improvement,' he said.

'We are looking back over the last five years and it is clear that the East has been on quite a journey. Within that, Norfolk in particular has made signifncant improvements.'

But he added: 'The issue, though, is that the improvement has taken it up to average. Schools in Norfolk have hauled themselves up by their boot straps and it is now in a strong position to build upon.'

Mr Brooker said education in Suffolk was improving, particularly at primary level, while the overview in Cambridgeshire was a 'mixed bag'. But pockets of the region are still cause for concern, he said, including Fenland and coastal areas, in which it is challenging to both recruit and retain staff.

%image(14525138, type="article-full", alt="Ofsted's annual report was published today. Picture: David Jones/PA Wire")

'We are under no illusion of how much there is to do,' he said, 'but we are certainly cautiously optimistic.'

And when asked what exactly had caused education in Norfolk to take promising steps, he said a stern approach from chief inspector of schools Sir Michael Wilshaw had acted as something of a wake-up call.

'Five years ago, there was a level of complacency,' he said. 'Scrapping the 'satisfactory' Ofsted grading and replacing it with 'requires improvement' made a lot of people aware that mediocrity was not good enough.

'But it is important to say that all that work comes down to and is testament to the schools.'

Nationally, Sir Michael's report said schools were considerably better than in the past, and though English education was 'not yet world class', there had been 'significant improvements'.

But it highlighted widespread struggles to recruit teachers, leaders and even headteachers.

• The report can be found here.

• What do you think of education in the region? Email lauren.cope@archant.co.uk