Marvellous Mereside Primary is a class act

Youngsters at Mereside Primary in Blackpool are being given the best chance in life after the school was honoured yet again.

The school was named the best in the resort for how children progress in reading, writing and maths during their SATS years in junios to the age of 11.

Headteacher Sarah Bamber, who began at the school in September after 12-and-a-half years at Strike Lane in Freckleton, said: “We are all very proud of the children and the progress they have made.

“The teachers are fantastic and they tailor the curriculum to the needs of the children and it makes a massive difference.”

Many teachers dislike traditional Government-produced league tables which rank schools based upon results in key subjects because it ignores key indicators like demographics.

So the ‘progress’ lists – formerly known as ‘value added’ – are seen as a better way to judge schools.

It puts Mereside top of the tree – just two years after it was ranked within the top 20 per cent of schools in the country for outstanding results in reading, writing and maths by the Schools, Students and Teachers Network’s (SSAT) annual Educational Outcomes Awards.

Mrs Bamber added: “When I arrived at the school in the summer I knew straight away what a fantastic school it was, with confident children who wanted to learn and supportive parents who had bought into what the school was trying to achieve.

“There’s a lot of debate about league tables but all we want to see is when children leave us, they are confident and independent and have dreams and aspirations that they can achieve anything they want.”

TOP TEN

1) Mereside Primary School

2) Our Lady of the Assumption Catholic Primary School

3) Christ the King RC Primary School 1

4) St John’s Primary School

5) Westcliff Primary School

6) Layton Primary School

7) Holy Family Primary School

8) Kincraig Primary School

9) Westminster Primary School

10) Revoe Primary School

Results based on figures from Department for Education