A COTSWOLD primary school is now one of the best performing in the entire country, following league tables published at the end of last year.

Staff at Ampney Crucis Church of England Primary School said they were absolutely delighted to have placed thirty-third in the yearly national league tables published by The Telegraph.

The school beat almost 16,000 other primary schools in England to achieve such a sought-after spot on the table.

Ampney Crucis Primary has just 82 pupils separated into three classrooms which headteacher Anne-Marie Wilkie thinks makes the achievement even more remarkable. The school came above every other school in Gloucestershire.

“I am absolutely thrilled,” she said. “We are a small school which means we often don’t have time to reflect on what we’re doing. We have just three classrooms and our teachers teach more than one year group.”

The headteacher believes the school did so well in the league tables because of the support from the families combined with high quality teaching.

“We are a small school which means the pupils are known to all staff,” said Anne-Marie. “We take a holistic approach, looking at the entire child and allowing them to be the best they can be.

“The hard work of all teachers, governors, dinner ladies, teaching assistants and each member of staff helped to achieve this.”

Anne-Marie said that the small school is so popular, it has been oversubscribed for the last four years. The school currently holds 82 students, only two under the maximum limit.

Although now being one of the best performing schools in the country, Ampney Crucis Primary is preparing to work hard to keep its top spot in the tables. Anne-Marie said she is already considering the next steps for the school and how to reshape the new curriculum.

Also in the top five of the county’s best performing schools is Northleach Primary School, who placed fourth.