A NEW era has been ushered in at a Farnworth primary school which was taken out of special measures this week.

Our Lady of Lourdes RC Primary School, in Beech Avenue, has been making major reforms since it was placed in special measures in October 2003.

Now, Linda Chadwick, the deputy head, has been appointed the new head teacher to take the school onwards.

She said: "I cannot tell you how proud I am of the staff and pupils. This has been a fantastic team effort.

"I also have to thank all those who have helped us in any way. We have had so many good wishes and prayers from the parish, it really feels like a celebration for our whole school family."

Mrs Chadwick said coming out of special measures was not the end of the improvements. "It is, however, the end of the beginning," she said.

Mrs Chadwick will take the reigns next month when she takes over from Simon Bramwell, who was appointed temporarily in January last year to address the schools decline.

In a letter to parents this week, Mr Bramwell said: "When I came to Our Lady of Lourdes in January 2004, I came with a single focus - to get the school out of special measures. Those early days were difficult and some hard decisions needed to be taken."

He said the school was effectively re-started in September 2004 and that since then the teaching staff, 80 per cent of whom were new recruits, had performed "wonderfully" to turn the school around in a short space of time.

Mr Bramwell said the school was at the beginning of an exciting new phase. He said: "When I leave in two weeks time, I will not be leaving behind a job, but a group of staff and pupils whom I have immense professional and personal respect for.

"I also know that Mrs Chadwick is the right person to take the school on from this point."

The school has been supported by an informal partnership between it and St George's CE School in Westhoughton, the school Mr Bramwell will be returning to next month.

The project has attracted the attention of the Department for Education and Skills, which is looking at the advantages of informal school partnerships.

The school was inspected on Tuesday and inspectors found rising standards, no unsatisfactory teaching - almost 50 per cent of which was good or very good - and an improved working environment.

The children's behaviour, attitude to work, and politeness were all described as good.