PUPILS and staff at Winterbourne Valley CE VA First School are celebrating after receiving top marks in their latest Ofsted report.

The Winterbourne Abbas school and its pre-school were both given the highest possible ‘outstanding’ grade across all areas following a visit from inspectors.

The inspection team was bowled over by the school and its methods, with a glowing Ofsted report praising all areas of assessment.

The report states: “This is an outstanding school.

“Pupils’ achievement is outstanding and they make progress so that by the time they leave Year Four, their attainment is high in English, mathematics and science.”

Achievement in ICT, art and design, geography, history and music is also identified as being above average.

Other areas commended in the report include the support for pupils with special educational needs and the pupils’ involvement with their local community.

The pre-school, which is part of Winterbourne Valley’s Foundation Base, was inspected alongside the main school and also achieved ‘outstanding’ ratings across the board.

The report adds: “In the Early Years Foundation Stage, children benefit from high quality provision and the success of the pre-school working in partnership with reception as an effective Early Years Foundation Stage unit.”

Headteacher Rachel Horne praised the hard work of all those involved with the school, which had seen it move onwards and upwards from the last Ofsted inspection in 2007 when the school received an overall ‘good’ rating.

She said: “We are highly delighted with the content of the report and the findings of the inspectors.

“It’s a real testament to all of the hard work that the children, staff and governors have put into the school since the last inspection. We have done lots of hard work turning the school around, involving the pre-school with the Foundation Base, and that’s all been viewed positively by the inspection team.”

Mrs Horne said that the school would not be resting on its laurels following its success and would continue to make improvements.

She said: “We don’t intend to stand still and we are going to carry on moving forwards.

“There is still lots of hard work to be done but it’s good news for the school and the community in general.”