A PRIMARY school has been rated ‘outstanding’ by inspectors.

Egglescliffe Church of England (CE) Primary School, near Eaglescliffe, Stockton, was inspected by the National Society Statutory Inspection of Anglican and Methodist Schools (known as Siams).

The report rated the school outstanding in several areas and compares to Ofsted’s ‘good’ rating in January this year.

The Siams report said the school was outstanding at meeting the needs of learners and “the children are happy and engaged throughout the day.” It also singled out the effectiveness of the school’s leadership.

The church inspectors said the “the impact of collective worship on the school community is outstanding” and said nearly 90 children take part in the school’s worship group.

Areas for improvement included using the space in the school and grounds to better effect.

The Ofsted report in January also praised leadership and teaching in the school but said it was not yet ‘outstanding’ because: “There is not enough outstanding teaching... The most successful practice is not yet shared consistently across all classes. This means that some pupils are not challenged sufficiently to achieve more highly.”

Mary Cook, headteacher of the school, said she was very pleased with the report. “I would like to thank our excellent staff as well as all our children and parents,” she said.