School leaders in Northumberland have been showered with praise after it was revealed the county's Ofsted outcomes were the highest they had ever been last year.
Also singled out for praise was Northumberland County Council's School Improvement Team, which works with schools to improve outcomes for pupils.
A report presented to members of the council's family and children's services overview and scrutiny committee on Thursday showed that five schools that had been judged as requiring improvement had moved to 'Good' following inspections between May 2021 and July 2022.
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Furthermore, six schools that were either inadequate or requiring improvement were judged to be "taking effective action" by the education watchdog. Two good schools were also moved to outstanding and one outstanding school retained its status - although two other outstanding schools were judged to be good.
Speaking at Thursday's meeting, the council's cabinet member for children's services explained why he felt good education was so important.
Coun Guy Renner Thompson said: "This is a report that everyone at Northumberland County Council can be immensely proud of. It shows all the work we have done over the last year.
"It really focuses in on our key priorities - economic growth, tackling inequalities, and providing value for money. We as an administration have been very clear with what we want to achieve - good education and jobs for those people to go into.
"It is pointless having one without the other. The more children that come through good or outstanding schools, that will follow through with more will bring better qualifications and enable them to get into a good job and out of any poverty they're in.
"We're really trying to build up the population of Northumberland so they're well educated, well-financed and happy people."
The council's executive director of children, young people and education - Audrey Kingham - was also keen to highlight the achievements of the county's teaching staff.
She said: "This report sets out much to celebrate. Everyone has really pulled up trees."
However, she also warned there was a struggle to recruit some staff into schools.
She added: "We're beginning to see some of the challenges talked about in social services in school work. We're really challenged in finding teaching assistants, support assistants and for leadership roles."
Her comments came in the week teachers took to the streets as part of the second day of industrial action, with teachers in Northumberland voicing fears they could lose existing support staff without more Government funding.
Northumberland’s school improvement service was overhauled after a damning Ofsted inspection in 2013, which concluded that there was a “significant and worrying decline” in school standards in the county and an “urgent and pressing need for significant action to establish and embed a clear vision for sustained improvement”.
In 2022, the team were said to have "revolutionised" the county's "failing" school system, with the number of schools in the county judged as inadequate or requiring improvement has dropped from 40 in 2017 to 19 last May.
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