TEACHERS at a Southampton school are celebrating after being rated 'good' across the board by government inspectors.

Ofsted said head teacher Graham Wilson, who has been at the school since last year after moving from St George Catholic College, has had "an immediate and beneficial impact on the culture of the school".

They said leaders are taking "effective action to address recommendations for safeguarding" and keeping "meticulous records of all child protection concerns" at the school, the city's largest with 1,679 on roll.

It comes just six months after eight Ofsted inspectors spent two days observing more than eighty lessons at the Dimond Road site, after the father of a former pupil called for an investigation to be launched into bullying at the school.

Amber Jackson, 15, was a pupil at Bitterne Park School and jumped in front of a train two years ago, fracturing her skull.

While it is not believed she was bullied at the school, after her death dad Tony Jackson criticised the school’s counselling service and governing body, lodging formal complaints which resulted in Ofsted inspectors conducting a report on the school’s safeguarding procedures.

In July last year inspectors said that while safeguarding was judged to be effective overall, they were “taken aback” by the “frequency” with which pupils reported bullying at Bitterne Park School and that the school's safeguarding policies were "narrowly judged to be effective."

Now the latest report published in November says that: "Considerable improvements have been made to the school's child protection policies and practises" and "pupils say that bullying has declined considerably."

Mr Wilson - who replaced former head teacher Susan Trigger - said he thought the July Ofsted report was "overly harsh."

However deputy head teacher Chris Sykes said the school brought in an action plan immediately after the July inspection.

He said: "We are absolutely passionate about ensuring our students are safe and happy both in and outside of school. Following the July inspection we put together a robust action plan to tackle all areas identified as needing development. We have reviewed, amended and updated all of our policies relating to safeguarding.

"We have launched the BPS core values - Respect, Achievement, Community, Enjoyment and Relationships. We have run a number of events including promoting and participating in anti-bullying week including the national 'wear odd socks day', making anti-bullying posters, KS3 assemblies on respect and relationships, a student led celebration of different cultures at lunchtime and running mental health awareness sessions.

"We have established a parent forum and are continuing to explore other ways to engage more widely with our community.

"We have introduced greater monitoring of the quality of PSHE and getting more student voice to contribute to the range of topics covered."

But he added that school leaders are "not complacent" and that there are always ways to improve.

Tony Jackson said: "We are delighted that Ofsted have intervened, leading to a reorganisation of the governing body and review of safeguarding practices in line with government policy - finally evidence of improvement for the wellbeing of children at BPS.

"Amber was a kind and gentle soul, and always wanted to help other people - so I would like to think that we've done her proud in this at least."