A SCHOOL has been graded as outstanding in a church inspection.

St James CE Primary, Daisy Hill, received the highest grade possible by the National Society Statutory Inspection of Anglican and Methodist Schools Report.

Inspectors reported: “St James is an outstanding school, both in its explicit delivery of distinctive Christian values, and in its breadth of provision to meet the needs of all learners.

“Shared Christian values are at the heart of all that the school does to develop children’s successful learning. It influences every aspect of a child’s development.”

The headteacher and the senior leadership team were said to have a “strong vision for the school based on Christian values and principles.”

The school is larger than an average-sized primary school and its profile shows that when children start they enter typically below national average.

But inspectors found that academically, a high proportion of pupils were found to make expected levels of progress above the national average and their lessons were complemented with an extensive range of music and sports that “St James promotes in its care of the whole child”.

Catherine Watkin, headteacher, said: “We were delighted to be judged as outstanding in all areas in our recent SIAMS inspection.

“This outcome is a genuine reflection of the ethos and culture of our wonderful whole school community where we live out our mission statement every day – ‘Working together to achieve excellence within a caring Christian community of faith, hope and love’.”

Ofsted graded the school as good when they visited in 2013.

Inspectors found: “Pupils’ achievement is good.

“From their different starting points pupils make good progress, especially in reading and writing, during their time in this friendly, caring school.”

They added in the report: “The quality of teaching is good overall.

“Pupils show high levels of enjoyment and are keen to take part in all activities.”