Delight for table-toppers (From Gazette Series)

Delight for table-toppers

WHATEVER the arguments for and against school league tables, it's always nice to be at the top!

That's the happy situation for pupils and staff at Thornbury's St Mary's Primary School which is top of the South Gloucestershire league in this year's primary school performance rankings.

In the tables published by the Department of Education and Skills, the school notched up 294 points - the joint highest score in the district - for its aggregate key stage two test results in English, maths and science.

The Church of England school was also ranked second in South Gloucestershire in the new Value Added measure, indicating children's progress and improvement between the ages of seven and 11.

Acting head teacher Maureen Bowers said: "Of course the school is delighted to be number one in the district in the performance league table. "But we are even more pleased to have done so well in the Value Added measure. In my view is the more significant score because it shows the progress children have made since entering the school and is a better indicator of what teaching staff have achieved."

Frenchay Church of England Primary School also notched up an aggregate point score of 294 but were placed second for statistical reasons. Top of the class in the Value Added measure was Frampton Cotterell's Highcroft Junior School.

In terms of overall performance, South Gloucestershire school performed well when compared with the rest of the country. The district's average points score was 241.2 compared with the national average of 234.