Jill Bennett had been acting head teacher at Priory Primary School in Dudley for a few days before it was put into special measures.
In July 2012, inspectors saw a pupil assaulting a teaching assistant who tried to stop a fight.
The watchdog's inspector Helen Morrison said it was "the worst school she had seen", said current head Ms Bennett.
It was then rated inadequate in all four areas assessed by Ofsted.
The watchdog said at the time there was:
Earlier, the school released its latest inspection, which deems it good in all four areas assessed.
Ms Bennett said her motivation to reverse the school's fortunes came because she attended it herself as a child, as did her sisters Glenda and Andrea, and Ms Bennett's own two children, Alex and Megan.
She said: "The area has always been deprived, but I asked myself, 'why couldn't Priory children have good opportunities?
"I told pupils, I was a good student myself, never an A* student, but I was always determined and that's what we would be."

Ferguson retired in 2013 as the club's most successful manager.
The 74-year-old Scot had stayed away from Carrington since then.
"He had not been back since he left, but I brought him back to be with his people," Mourinho told the United We Stand fanzine (subscription required).
"I wanted the players to see the big man and for me and him to share some minutes and have lunch together. I enjoyed it, he enjoyed it."
In his 26 years at Old Trafford, Ferguson led United to 13 league titles, two Champions League crowns, five FA Cups and four League Cups.
"I'm the type of person who does not see ghosts. I respect the past and I know he loves the club," said Mourinho, who was appointed in May as the third manager to succeed Ferguson after David Moyes and Louis van Gaal.
"We have good relations and I know this is his house.
"When he wants to come here, to the dressing room, to see the players train, he knows he is more than welcome."
Mourinho also said there was more expected of teenage forward Marcus Rashford in the current campaign after the 19-year-old's successful breakthrough last season.
"Last season there were no senior players on the bench waiting for him to make a mistake. The choice was Rashford or Rashford," he added.
"The situation is different this season. The number of injuries is smaller. The expectations about the players is higher.
"[Former United winger] Ryan Giggs' second season [1991-92] was not comparable to the season when he started. Then, in the third season, he reached the level of Giggs. It was the final explosion of Giggs. We want to play young players but sometimes in football, it is about the moment."

Eren Hasyer had denied attempting to aid the escape of Izzet Eren as he was being driven to Wood Green Crown Court in a custody van.
Accomplice Jermaine Baker was shot dead by police during the escape attempt in December 2015.
Jurors at Woolwich Crown Court cleared Hasyer, 25, of a firearms charge.
Izzet Eren was being held on remand at HMP Wormwood Scrubs accused of gun offences when he arranged for a gang to spring him from the van en-route to a hearing, Woolwich Crown Court was earlier told.
Jurors heard the prisoner hatched the escape plot from his cell using a smuggled mobile phone and the attempted breakout took place on 11 December, in what the prosecutor described as a carefully thought out and professional crime.
Ozcan Eren, 31, changed his plea and admitted his part in the plot after the trial opened.
Two other men, Nathan Mason and Gokay Sogucakli, admitted being part of the escape plot before the trial began.
A separate investigation into the death of Jermaine Baker is ongoing.
Det Ch Supt Tom Manson Met Police said: "This was a bold, well planned and carefully thought out conspiracy that bears all the hallmarks of a professional crime.
"They put in place anti-surveillance techniques; their own surveillance 'unit' and a command structure to run the operation."
A school an Ofsted inspector once dubbed "the worst she had seen" is now rated good.
[NEXT_CONCEPT]
Manchester United manager Jose Mourinho has revealed former boss Sir Alex Ferguson has been back to the club's Carrington training ground several times this season.
[NEXT_CONCEPT]
The final member of a gang which launched a failed bid to free a prisoner - during which one accomplice was killed - has been found guilty.