Head's pride as school is in top one per cent

Jan Potter, from St Chad’s Church of England Primary School, spoke after 100 per cent of her Year 6 students achieved at least the expected standard in reading, maths, and writing.

The Hardhorn Road school is just one of 187 nationally to reach that level of achievement, and has drawn praise from government schools minister Nick Gibb MP, who has sent staff a letter congratulating them on their success.

Mrs Potter said: “We are very proud. The letter came out of the blue and we are all thrilled to receive it and to get recognition for the standards in school.

“It’s the result of hard work over many years. The teaching is of an exceptional standard and there’s a very good atmosphere.

“The children who come here skip to school full of smiles and we get a lot of support from parents.”

In his letter to the school, which is currently rated ‘outstanding’ by education watchdog Ofsted, Mr Gibb said: “I am writing to congratulate you, your staff, and your pupils for the very high standard of performance in the 2015 national key stage 2 tests.

“One hundred per cent of your pupils gained level 4B or above in reading and maths and level 4 or above in writing.

“This makes you one of only 187 schools in the country to achieve this level of attainment.

“We want to ensure every child has the necessary fluency in reading, writing, and maths to give them the platform for success at secondary school and beyond, and your school has provided this.

“Thank you for your work in producing such high standard and congratulations to you and your staff for your hard work and professionalism.”

St Chad’s, which dates back to 1830 and has 247 pupils, was also recently awarded the Early Years Step Into Quality Markfrom Lancashire County Council, which Mrs Potter described as a “fantastic achievement”.