STAFF and pupils at a Wotton-under-Edge school are celebrating an ‘outstanding’ rating in their recent Oftsted report.

The report was published after the 320-pupil Blue Coat Church of England Primary was inspected in June.

Inspectors were able to identify outstanding points in many areas at the school, including comments in their report that ‘teaching is excellent and staff work hard to enthuse and inspire their pupils’ and that ‘children are supported exceptionally well because staff have an extremely good knowledge of each child’s individual needs.’ The Foundation Stage (Reception) was also praised with the comment: "There is an excellent understanding of the needs of young children and their progress is carefully monitored, allowing activities to be planned at exactly the right level to help children develop and learn."

Children were also keen to praise their school to the inspectors. Their comments included: "This is not just a school, not just a place to learn, it’s more than that, it’s a place to socialise with your friends." Another said: "The teachers really support you, you don’t have to be shy of them."

Jo Woolley, who took over as head teacher at the school in April this year after Phillip Williams, the previous head of 11 years, retired, was delighted with the report.

She said: "We are enormously pleased and proud of this report. The school was awarded outstanding in its previous inspection in 2006 and this just goes to show that the school continues to go from strength to strength.

"There is certainly a special feel to Blue Coat and many people comment on it when they walk through the door.

"I would say this is due to a combination of a committed, dynamic and inspirational staff, enthusiastic children and supportive parents and governors."