A primary school in a small Norfolk village has been praised in a recent Ofsted report for the strength of the school’s leadership and its atmosphere.

Sculthorpe Church of England Primary Academy was rated “good” by Ofsted inspectors following a short inspection on February 27, retaining the same positive rating it received in 2014.

The report stated: “This school continues to be good. The leadership team has maintained the good quality of education in the school since the last inspection in spite of considerable changes.”

It also highlighted the welcoming atmosphere of the Academy and said that pupils described the school as “fun and amazing”.

The importance of keeping children safe was also noted by the inspector, who stated it was “at the heart of the school’s culture and ethos”. Additionally, the good level of support offered by the school to pupils and families was commended in the report.

The school is part of the Unity Federation, which includes three other academies. Chris Allen, the executive headteacher of the federation said he was “delighted” with the outcome of the inspection.

“It confirms the judgements we have made in our self-evaluation and highlights what a special place Sculthorpe CofE Primary Academy is,” he said.

“We are very pleased that the hard work above and beyond our role often as educators is also celebrated in the report.”

The report did note that the school had seen a growth in pupil numbers leading to the construction of an additional classroom.

The capacity of the school is an issue that had fed into a wider issue in Sculthorpe relating to building houses. At the end of March, a High Court overturned a planning inspector’s decision to refuse planning permission to build 200 new homes in the village because the judge felt he had failed to take into account the public benefit of Amstel’s pledge to supply land for a new school.

The company also said they would contribute £372,609 towards the estimated £2.5m needed for the building.

Residents opposing the development said the village does not need a new school as one could be built within a new residential development in Fakenham.