RODMARTON School has received ministerial praise for its outstanding performance in last year’s Key Stage 1 tests.

The school was singled out as one of the top 105 performing primary schools in England and headteacher Colin Jones has received a personal letter of congratulations from David Laws MP, minister of state for schools.

Mr Jones said: “We are absolutely delighted but it is not just about attainment at Rodmarton. We are about the whole child here. It is another feather in our cap. It’s great for the school and is nice to be recognised. But wait until Mr Laws sees our 2013 results – they were even better.”

Rural Rodmarton school, which has just 80 pupils, was measured against other schools with near identical intakes and stood out in two ways.

Mr Laws wrote: “First, you were ranked number one in your table. Second, over 20 percent more of your pupils achieved a level 4 or above in English and maths than is typical of a school with your intake. This is a fantastic achievement that you should be very proud of.”

He continued: “I congratulate your staff, governors and pupils for their hard work and thank you for your leadership.”

Rodmarton school governor Matthew Dyer said: “We are punching above our weight at Rodmarton. We are a small school and it is not all about results. It is also about creating a good and friendly environment for the children. We have good teaching staff at all levels and this is down to them.”