A village school is celebrating after being given a ringing endorsement by Ofsted.

Marsden Infant and Nursery School has been judged as ‘Good’ overall and ‘Outstanding’ for the behaviour and safety of its pupils.

It’s positive news for the Brougham Road school which has made great strides over the last few years, since it had a Requires Improvement report.

Headteacher Frances Swallow said they were not complacent and would continue to aim high: “We were looking forward to Ofsted’s return because tremendous progress has been made since our last inspection.

“The school staff and leadership team, including the governing body, all have a clear focus on standards and are passionate about helping children fulfil their potential.

“We are very proud of our role in the local community and proud that our pupils and families enjoy excellent standards of care and education.

“The school has been moving forward very positively for a long time, but we are not complacent and we will continue aiming high for our children.”

The inspection took place in May and the report was released on Monday.

Inspectors praised every aspect of the school’s work, including teaching, leadership, achievement of pupils and the high standards in Early Years.

They were rated Outstanding in the behaviour and safety of pupils; and Good in leadership and management; quality of teaching’ achievement of pupils and early years provision.

The report highlighted that pupils’ progress has improved significantly and that attainment at the end of Year 2 – when pupils leave the school – is above average in all subjects. It also said that a “love of learning” can be seen in every class.

Ofsted also praised the quality of teaching at Marsden Infant and Nursery, adding that it captures children’s interest and its impact is sometimes outstanding.

Children are “highly supportive” of their classmates and “share the joy of each other’s success”. One pupil told the inspectors “Our school wants to make us all superstars” – and the other children agreed with them.

Mrs Swallow, who inspectors described as “highly dedicated” and praised her team, added: “Our role is to create a happy, secure environment where children enjoy learning, feel valued and love coming to school.

“There is a huge amount to celebrate at Marsden Infant and Nursery, and we will continue working exceptionally hard to become even better.”

Inspectors gave the school three areas to work on to become an Outstanding school – advising subject leaders to work more closely with class teachers; improving planning for activities in reception; and using problem-solving to develop maths skills.

The school caters for more than 200 children aged from three to seven.