Staff and students at Meridian School are jumping for joy after receiving a much-welcomed ‘good’ Ofsted rating.

The results of the inspection – which were announced this week – are made even sweeter by the fact that the Royston school was devastated to receive a ‘requires improvement’ rating back in October 2013.

After a successful appeal in March, everyone at Meridian worked tirelessly to prove the inspectors wrong, and with their second bite of the cherry two weeks ago, the school’s efforts bore fruit.

Meridian received a ‘good’ rating across the board, with the sixth form singled out for particular praise for an ‘outstanding culture of aspiration throughout most classes’.

Students were marked out for their ‘good and sometimes rapid progress from their starting points’ and the school was described ‘as a harmonious community where discrimination is not tolerated’.

Teachers were rewarded for having ‘high expectations of their students’ and ‘encouraging them to work hard and aim high’.

While the teaching of reading, literacy and mathematics was deemed to be ‘often outstanding’.

Headteacher Michael Firth said: “The last Ofsted report was a horrible experience for the school to go through, which makes it all the better to have such a tremendous one now.

“The inspectors were very impressed by the students who were sparky, well-rounded, polite and ambitious. We are all very proud.”

Sixth form student Callum Goodall Makowski said: “I felt as though the last Ofsted report was both unjust, and incorrect.

“A lot of hard work is put in behind the scenes by every member of Meridian School, and we deserve the newly acquired ‘good’ status.

“Here’s to a bright future, for us to prove that we are more than ‘good’.”

MP for North East Herts Sir Oliver Heald, who joined in the celebrations at the school on Monday, said: “It is good news for Royston that Meridian is performing strongly and I congratulate all involved with the school, including the head, all the staff, governors, students and their families.

“It is good to see Meridian on the march.”

The Royston Schools Academy Trust’s three schools, Meridian, Greneway and Roysia, now all have a ‘good’ Ofsted rating.