STAFF at a Roman Catholic comprehensive school popped the champagne corks after their week-long inspection was over.

And they had more reason to celebrate when the results gave St Augustine's at Billington grade As in most areas.

The inspection, by the Office for Standards In Education, concluded that the school provided "excellent value for money" and its GCSE results were consistently above those found in most secondary schools.

School inspector Sue Styles said: "St Augustine's is a successful and thriving school which enables its pupils to achieve high standards. It provides them with a secure and supportive framework within which to grow and develop in all aspects of their lives.

"The school's achievements are firmly set within the values and ethos of a Catholic school."

The inspection praised the quality of teaching and the breadth and quality of extra-curricular activities, particularly music.

The only criticism made was about a lack of accommodation but this will be dealt with thanks to a grant of £652,000 for new classrooms from the Department for Education.

Head teacher Anthony McNamara said: "We are delighted because OFSTED is such an enormous event in the life of the school and every aspect of school life is put under the microscope.

"We are a local comprehensive school with no selection and it shows that parents don't need to go to a selective, opted-out school to get a good education. This kind of school can deliver the goods."

Mr McNamara admitted that staff found the inspection to be gruelling and added: "We had a fabulous party afterwards."

Although St Augustine's is a Roman Catholic school, up to three per cent of pupils can be non-Catholic.

However, competition for places is already intense and the school's population is predicted to grow by around 100 in the next few years. The OFSTED report said: "The intake is fully comprehensive though the ability range is skewed towards the upper end of the standard comprehensive school distribution.

"The school population is almost entirely white, mono-cultural and Roman Catholic."

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