Despite having four different headteachers over the past three years St Katharine’s School in Savernake Forest has received a report from Ofsted inspectors saying the education its 67 pupils receive is satisfactory.

The previous headteacher but one Donni Blackwell, who had helped St Katharine’s get its reputation as one of the best schools in the area, left to move to Chilton Foliat School. The school was left without a permanent head early in 2010 after her successor, Andy Perry, departed suddenly.

Acting head Marie Svilis stepped temporarily in to keep the school on track and her work has been continued by the present stand-in head Sharon Cross until the permanent headship is announced later this year.

Chairman of the governors David Holland said the school had survived all the changes to get a satisfactory report as a result of the inspection last October.

Acknowledging that the school had been through an unsettled period, Mr Holland said: “The main thing about the report is that it reinforces St Katharine’s well-deserved reputation of being a caring school.”

He praised the way Mrs Cross and her staff had continued the work begun by Mrs Svilis in restoring stability to the school and already identifying issues highlighted by the Ofsted report.

Mr Holland said: “Under Mrs Cross’ leadership we are getting back on the road of being a really good school.”

The Ofsted inspectors praised the pastoral support as being “good” saying that pupils were well known individually and felt confident that they had an adult to turn to if they had any worries.

The report said much attention had been given to lifting achievement, rewarded in last summer’s national tests at Years 2 and 6 in which pupils gained the higher levels of three and five.