WE are delighted to this week bring positive news about Bicester Community College.

Although the secondary school is still in special measures, its leadership team is confident it will quickly be released from that and become a “good” school.

Now, the foundations have been laid and everyone is keen to build on that sure-footing.

Ben Baxter, Tony Rushworth and the interim executive board should be congratulated on their hard work.

Effectively they have only been in control since late April.

So, in just seven months — including the summer holidays — they have turned the school around.

We all know that was no mean feat.

It was less than a year ago that the school was issued with a damning Ofsted report, which at the time Melinda Tilley said was the worst she had ever seen.

There were a few months of dithering before the former governing board was sacked and then headteacher Jason Clarke left.

So, for staff and pupils to come on the record so soon and say they are “proud” of the school it is pretty amazing.

Obviously Tony and his team have worked hard behind the scenes to be able to make such dramatic changes.

But it was also down to staff, pupils and parents who did their bit too.

Cooper School really stepped up to the mark, and Bob Wintringham has openly said if it wasn’t for Cooper “we would not be here now...”

There is a long way to go, but this latest report is a great start.