The turnaround of a Carlisle academy is complete, as Ofsted officially rates it as good.

Richard Rose Morton Academy leaders have now set their sights on it becoming great.

Government inspectors visited it earlier this month and today their findings have been revealed.

The Wigton Road school has been judged to be good across all areas of operations - its best rating since it opened in 2008.

Inspectors found that there is "no complacency" from leaders who strive for improvements.

"Concerted efforts" have also help raise standards significantly over the last four years - with August's GCSE results being the best in the academy's history.

Morton Academy's Progress 8 score - the new national measure by which secondary school performance is assessed - has also risen substantially this year, according to early indications.

The inspectors' key findings include:

* The principal's leadership is strong, effective and inspirational. Des Bird is also credited with developing a strong team of leaders, which has boosted the school's capacity for improvement.

* Leaders have improved the school significantly since the last inspection, tackling all issues previously identified.

* Teaching is good, improving significantly over the last two years, and as a result most pupils make good progress from their starting points.

* Pupils are safe and happy in school and their behaviour is good. The school is now a "harmonious community".

Governors receive praise too for making a "strong contribution" to the school, which has 538 pupils.

They are "well informed" and hold senior leaders "firmly to account for the quality of education provided".

Principal Des Bird, who is leaving next Easter to take up the headship at Workington Academy, is delighted.

He said: "The next target is to become outstanding. That is an ambition for us. We know it could be some way away but the journey we have been on to date has been remarkable.

"If we continue that rate of progress there is no reason with the staff and students we have here now why that could not happen."

The academy was once languishing at the bottom of school league tables.

Latest figures now put it in the top third of schools in Cumbria.

"This academy is in a very strong place," said Mr Bird.

"The leadership team is committed and we have long-standing members of staff. A lot of them have been here quite a long time and know the place, the students and families well.

"That gives us a lot of stability and that wasn't the case three or four years ago."

For the first time, the school has had the same team of staff as it did last year with no leavers or new starters.

Mr Bird also said that the first two years of his tenure involved getting teaching and other parts of the school right before that has been able to lead to the substantial improvements in exam results enjoyed by teenagers today.

Ofsted's two-day inspection scrutinised effectiveness of leadership and management; teaching, learning and assessment; personal development, behaviour and welfare; and outcomes for pupils.

Two years ago the academy required improvement.

Prior to that it was in special measures in January 2014 after failing an inspection.

Its predecessor Morton School also went through turbulent times and had been put into special measures because of its poor standards of education.

Academy chain United Learning took over as sponsor of Morton and its sister site, Central Academy, formally three years ago.

Its leaders pledged to ensure both schools would become "securely good" under its care.

Richard Rose Central Academy was judged to be "good" by Ofsted inspectors in June.