PUPILS, staff and parents at an Abingdon primary are celebrating after the school was rated outstanding.

Inspectors visited Thomas Reade Primary School, in Radley Road, earlier this month and it was graded outstanding in 18 areas of assessment and good in the remaining nine.

Headteacher John Serle said: “We are absolutely delighted with the report. It is a validation of where the school is.”

At its previous inspection in February 2009, the school received a good report, but was told it was “knocking on the door of being outstanding”.

Mr Serle said: “I think we have now taken the door off its hinges.

“The particular thing that has been recognised throughout the report is that the school is one big team.

“That sense of teamwork and team effort is there very strongly.”

There are 205 children at the school, and 107 parents completed questionnaires about their experiences.

Everyone said their children enjoyed school, their children were kept safe and made progress, and that their child’s particular needs were met.

In his report, inspector Mike Capper said: “One parent accurately captured the essence of this outstanding school when commenting ‘the school is welcoming and friendly and is extremely well-focused on the children’s welfare and development in all areas of their education’.

“Consequently, pupils’ attainment is high by the end of Year Six as they develop values such as respect, politeness and good manners, as well as growing enormously in confidence and self-esteem.”

Mr Capper praised good teaching, very high-quality care and a “rich and vibrant curriculum”.

Mr Serle said pupils had scored significantly above the national average for the last three years at Key Stage One and Key Stage Two.

The school’s contextual value added score – measuring how well children progress between the two levels from their individual starting points – put it in the top seven per cent across the country.

Jenna Washington, 10, said: “All of the teachers make it an enjoyable place to learn and we have perfect equipment to do so.”

And Ollie Mawby, also 10, said: “The lessons are awesome and the teachers work hard all the time. ”

There are 21 other outstanding primary schools in Oxfordshire.