CHILDREN at St Stephen’s CE Primary School have gone to the “top of the class”.

Their behaviour and safety has been hailed as “outstanding” following an Ofsted inspection at the Colville Drive school in Bury.

St Stephen’s has also been rated “good” in its overall effectiveness, achievement of pupils, quality of teaching as well as leadership and management.

The Ofsted report states: “Pupils behave exceptionally well at all times, in and around school. They develop highly positive attitudes to learning and this contributes to the pupils’ good academic progress.

"The way all pupils, including some with considerable additional needs, are totally integrated in all that the school offers is a credit to the pupils and to the school, and to its commitment to ensuring all have an equal opportunity.

"Pupils show a mature sensitivity and patience so that everyone feels they belong and are valued.”

On leadership and management, the report said: “The school’s drive and ambition are evident in its success in raising achievement.

"Decisive actions improve the school where necessary. The adoption, for example, of a whole-school approach to teaching literacy and mathematics has resulted in rising standards and in good and accelerating progress for pupils.”

Inspectors say that headteacher Julia Rowlands has created a “strong team of senior leaders” who regularly and thoroughly check data on pupils’ performance and observe lessons to see how well they are taught.

Teachers regularly check on the standards reached and the progress made by every pupil. This process ensures that any who could do better is identified and supported to accelerate their learning.

Mrs Rowlands said: “We are absolutely thrilled with the Ofsted report. We have all been working so hard to build on the improvements made since our last inspection in 2010. A more rigorous inspection criteria was brought in this September and we were pleased that the inspection team acknowledged the fact that we have raised standards in both Key Stage One and Two.

“We are very proud of our children and the grade of ‘outstanding’ for behaviour and safety. We were particularly pleased that the report acknowledges the hard work and dedication of all our staff throughout the school and the strong partnerships we have built with our parents and the wider community.”

She added: “It was also heartening to know that the inspectors acknowledged our drive and ambition and noted that we have the capacity and potential for further improvements in order to move to ‘outstanding’ in all areas.

"The team noted that we have ‘teachers who fire a love of learning in our children and plan exciting activities’”.

Mrs Rowlands concluded: “We would like to express our thanks and support to all the staff, pupils and families who work tirelessly to ensure that our school maintains the excellent standards acknowledged by the inspection team. I am very proud to be the head teacher here. I couldn’t imagine working anywhere else.”