St Ambrose High in Coatbridge is an excellent, excellent, excellent, excellent, excellent school – and that's official!

A report from Her Majesty's Inspectorate of Education (HMIE) published today (Tuesday) awards the North Lanarkshire school five 'excellent', nine 'very good' and two 'good' quality indicators – making it one of the best secondary schools in the country and only the second to achieve five 'excellent' ratings.

To celebrate this terrific news, a host of former pupils including former Celtic and Scotland player, Tom Boyd; Clare Queen, one of Scotland's top female golfers; Charles Breslin, Managing Director of beCogent (one of Europe’s most advanced customer interaction centres and leading providers of outsourced services); and Father Francis McGachey, former pupil and current school chaplain, dropped into the school to join pupils and staff and offer their congratulations.

St Ambrose was inspected in November and December 2006 and today's report highlights areas where the school is "outstanding, sector leading" (excellent), where there are "major strengths" (very good) and "important strengths with areas for improvement" (good).

The learning environment established within the school was particularly praised by inspectors with pastoral care, climate and relationships, and partnerships with parents, school board and the community all receiving 'excellent' ratings. Expectations and promoting achievement received a 'very good' rating as did equality and fairness.

The other 'excellent' ratings among the 17 indicators were for personal and social development and leadership of the head teacher, while the remaining seven 'very goods' were awarded for:

• structure of the curriculum;
• the teaching process;
• meeting pupils' needs;
• pupils' learning experiences;
• overall quality of attainment: S3/S4;
• overall quality of attainment: S5/S6; and
• leadership across the school.

Specific key strengths included attainment levels, achievements in music and drama, the commitment of the staff, relationships between staff and pupils, partnerships with parents and the wider community, and leadership of the headteacher and the senior management team.

"This report simply confirms what we have known about our school all along", said Head Teacher, Bernard Fagan, "that we are at the forefront of delivering a first-class and modern education that works for pupils, staff and parents and gives our young people the best possible start in life. I am absolutely delighted for everyone in the school as this is true testament to the efforts and commitment of every single individual at St Ambrose."

St Ambrose High is North Lanarkshire's only music comprehensive, offering diversity and a wide range of additional opportunities in the performing arts, which was recognised and praised in the HMIE report. This approach led to spectacular results in last year's Higher exams, with an incredible 33 of 35 candidates achieving an 'A' pass.

"The music comprehensive has proved to be a tremendous success within St Ambrose and I am pleased that this has been recognised by HMIE. However, I am thrilled that the report highlights all of the other areas where we have made significant progress to the benefits of all our pupils", said Mr Fagan.

The only area where the school's quality indicator was rated as less than 'good' was in accommodation and facilities, which was classed as 'weak'. However, North Lanarkshire Council is already proactively addressing this issue with proposals approved to build a new St Ambrose High, to ensure that quality of the accommodation matches the quality of the education delivered.

Mr Fagan concluded: "We really couldn't have expected a more positive report given the condition of the current school building and I am very proud of the school and the report it has received today. For me personally, the most positive comment in the report is that our pupils are "motivated, enthusiastic, hardworking and well behaved" – that sums it up for me as that is what a great education is all about."

Michael O'Neill, North Lanarkshire Council's Director of Education, visited St Ambrose High before the publication of the HMIE report to congratulate staff and pupils and thank them for their efforts. He said: "This is a terrific achievement for the school and North Lanarkshire Council, which is committed to providing opportunities for all young people in all our schools to help raise achievement for all – St Ambrose is a great example of that.

"This report recognises the tremendous amount of work that goes into creating a quality teaching and learning environment where young people can grow, flourish and develop into responsible citizens of tomorrow and that a highly-positive ethos is clear from the second you walk into St Ambrose.

"I am thrilled that one of my last duties as Director of Education [Michael retires on Friday 30 March] is to visit this fantastic school, which epitomises all that education in North Lanarkshire sets out to deliver, to launch one of the best HMIE reports I've seen throughout my career.

Andrew Boyle, S6 pupil, who is currently raising funds to support his voluntary work in Thailand next year, added: "There is a terrific atmosphere in the school. I have thoroughly enjoyed and have gained a great deal from my years in St Ambrose."

Tom Boyd, who captained a St Ambrose football team which won the under 15 Scottish Shield, said "I keep in touch with my old school, most often to support their health promotion projects and I am always impressed by the very positive atmosphere in the school. The large range of activities including football, of course, which are on offer for the kids is very impressive and the school’s first class report is well deserved."

Charles Breslin, added: "I am absolutely delighted for everyone connected with St Ambrose. I must say though, that I am not surprised at the excellent report as I am a huge admirer of the work Bernard and his team are doing. St Ambrose gave me a great start in life and it is terrific to see significantly high standards being set in so many areas."

Clare Queen said: "I'm not at all surprised by the school's report as I drop in to the school regularly to keep up with my former teachers. I feel really lucky to have attended St Ambrose High. It's a great school that provides pupils with the whole package. I had a wonderful and memorable time here and I'm pleased for everyone at the school."

Father McGachey added: "I am delighted to offer my congratulations to Mr Fagan, his staff and the pupils of St Ambrose on the publication of this outstanding HMIE report. St Ambrose High, in many ways, is the embodiment of successful Catholic education today. The pupils and staff have proved themselves time and time again in the fields of faith and learning, and what the inspectors say in their final report underlines this commitment. The report is a tribute to the dedication and hard work of the teaching staff, and the enthusiasm and willingness to learn on the part of many of the pupils."

Another former pupil, Pop Idol winner Michelle McManus, who is currently recording a new album, also sent the school a congratulatory message, saying: "A fabulous report for a fabulous school. A strong emphasis on the school’s musical productions and performances is understandable – I got tremendous support and encouragement while I was a pupil at the school. The input from the music comprehensive has allowed the school to go from strength to strength."