The head of a Bradford primary believes the academy system gives schools the power to progress.

Jayne Clarke, head teacher at Ryecroft Primary Academy in Holme Wood, said the school is a shining example of how the system can turn a school round, boasting a near trebling of test results.

And Ryecroft has been singled out by the Department of Education as proof the idea works.

Ryecroft became an academy in September 2012. Mrs Clarke had arrived five years earlier.

“The school was in dire circumstances,” she said. “Really, really low standards. The children were being let down. We were not in a good place.

“It was a moment of ‘Oh, my goodness’. But then it was, let’s roll up our sleeves and work with me to give the children what they deserved.

“There was a legacy of under-achievement.”

The DofE then broached academy status. “We set about finding a sponsor matching our purposes and NET validated what we were doing. We were urged to take risks.

“We won’t tolerate second-best. We will lead from the front.”

Mrs Clarke says the school is now the hub of the community. “Everyone is so proud of the school,” she said.

“This is a safe, yet exciting, place. We have given children the power to belong and feel good about themselves. That didn’t exist before.”