A PRIMARY school is celebrating getting top marks from the government's education watchdog.

SS Simon and Jude's CE Primary School in Great Lever was given a grade of outstanding in every area by Ofsted inspectors.

Liz Peacock, school principal, said: “To achieve an outstanding grade from Ofsted in every area is credit to everyone involved in the school. I think the children, the parents, the staff and the governors will all agree that the report really captures the essence of our school — it is who we are.

“This is an achievement for the community as whole, they are a part of the school, and it is a celebration for everybody and something worth celebrating."

The report said that pupils have a 'curiosity and thirst' for learning, which was 'ignited by a rich and relevant curriculum'.

Mrs Peacock added: “The children are described in the report as passionate and enthusiastic learners and this is something we are incredibly proud of. All the staff here – the teachers, the learning mentor, the site manager, and the office staff – encourage the children to believe in themselves and leave SS Simon and Jude’s CE Primary School to be able to follow and achieve their dreams. This starts from when they start at our school to when they finish here, believing they can go on to achieve great things.

“We have a child here who wants to go on and find a cure for cancer. We teach life skills such as resilience, co-operation and being able to communicate with others in order for all our children to succeed in their future.

“Our children are already thinking out of the box and developing their skills for jobs that do not exist yet. Ofsted reported ‘respect and tolerance run as golden threads, permeating every aspect of school life'. This is what we come into teaching for, we are passionate about making a difference to each and every child. Everyone should be so proud.”

Executive Principal Simon Bramwell said he too was delighted with the report. He said: "I am very proud of our team of talented people who work very hard for the pupils in the school.

"The Ofsted judgement recognises the years of work that the school has put in firstly establishing and then maintaining high standards. We also need to thank the governors who set a course from the school and have backed the leadership team all the way in delivering on that dream.

"This is not the end of the journey though, every day brings its new challenges and joys and we look forward to the next phase in the life of the school with the same enthusiasm as we look back on the last."