FARNWORTH'S Cherry Tree Primary School, an Investors in People award winner, has a dedicated, committed teaching staff and provides a caring environment for pupils.

That is the conclusion of Ofsted inspectors who visited the school.

The educational standards reached by pupils are described as satisfactory taking into account pupils' levels of attainment when starting school, their rate of progress and their attitude towards learning.

Although overall attainment is low when judged against national averages, the school is praised for the way pupils develop generally and 93pc of all lessons observed were deemed satisfactory or very good.

Pupils with special educational needs make satisfactory progress overall and benefit from the well organised and wide ranging support afforded to them.

In their main findings, the inspection team praise the headteacher and staff of ther school in creating a caring, welcoming ethos where all pupils are equally valued.

Within the school's own development plan, many of the key issues for action highlighted by the team will be tackled.

Mr Eric Brindle, headteacher at Cherry Tree, said: "We are extremely pleased with the report and the very positive comments about all the hard work which is put in at Cherry Tree.

"We feel that the report offers some vindication of all the value added aspects which everyone - governors, staff and parents - greatly appreciate."

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