Primary school league tables 2009: rural school named England's best

Hampstead Norreys Church of England primary in Berkshire, which has only 105 pupils, gained better Sats results than almost 15,000 others across the country. All 14 pupils taking Sats this year exceeded the standard expected of their age group in maths and science. Children are expected to gain “Level 4” in the key subjects, but at Hampstead Norreys all 11-year-olds reached “Level 5”. In addition, some 93 per cent of pupils reached the higher standard in English exams. It comes despite the fact that the school only has four teachers and a quarter of pupils have special needs. Alexandra Butler, the head, who has been in charge for four years, said: “We know the children extremely well and that gives us the chance to challenge them all, whether that’s in sport, music or IT, on top of the non-negotiable English and maths. “Every child is treated like an individual and, as a head, I'm able to have a personal understanding of all pupils and their parents.” Miss Butler said the school ran 21 clubs including canoeing, cricket, cross-country, music lessons and an eco-club. “In a bigger school, where the staff are perhaps a little more run, it is often harder to put that icing on the cake,” she said. The disclosure comes despite the fact that primary schools are increasingly being forced to expand to take on more pupils. The Telegraph told last month how parents across the country were revolting against proposals to add another class onto schools because of rising birth rates and immigration. Mervyn Benford, from the National Association of Small Schools, said: “The Sats results of the very smallest schools are often far better than the national average. “We need more small schools – of which Hampstead Norreys is a fine example – particularly in our towns and cities. Parents and teachers are much more likely to be on the same wavelength in a small school than a large one, and that can only be a good thing, particularly in a deprived area where children have many particular needs.” Source:telegraph.co.uk/