Dover Grammar School for Boys is celebrating after receiving a good rating from Ofsted.

This comes just 18 months after head teacher Fiona Chapman took over the school which was previously rated requires improvement.

Since then staff have been working hard to make improvements.

It was inspected on Tuesday and Wednesday, February 2-3, and the report was released to the school in Astor Avenue on Monday.

Ms Chapman said: “We’re delighted. It was a very positive inspection. They really struggled to find areas for us to develop further.

“We came really close to outstanding on a couple of categories.”

She was particularly pleased with the positive comments about maths, as this was an area that needed improvement last time.

“It’s great for Dover and for the community to have schools that they can be proud of.” - Ms Chapman

The good rating also comes after the school achieved its best GCSE results in nine years last August.

Ms Chapman said: “I’m really pleased, not just for our school but it’s great for students, parents and staff, particularly the staff that were here for the last inspection. It’s been a tough year with changes in leadership so I’m delighted for them.

“It’s great for Dover and for the community to have schools that they can be proud of.”

Now she said the plan is to push for outstanding at the next Ofsted inspection.

Ms Chapman took over in September 2014 and the Ofsted report said since her leadership there was a “rapid but sustainable improvement in all areas of the school.”

Pupils at Dover Grammar for Boys were described as “courteous and friendly” and well cared for by the school.

The report also stated: “The school has a strong ethos of promoting equality and celebrating diversity.

“A small minority of pupils, especially those who enter the school with above-average attainment, do not make the same rapid and substantial progress as their lower- and middle-attaining peers.”

To improve the quality of teaching the school has been asked to ensure that teachers have high expectations of pupils, especially higher-attaining students.

Teachers should adhere to the marking policy and provide feedback and reduce the variability in the quality of teaching.