STAFF and pupils at a York primary school have received a late Christmas present with high praise from Government inspectors.

Osbaldwick Primary School was inspected in early December by the inspection body Ofsted, while the school prepared to stage its annual Christmas concert performances.

Praising the school’s “sustained improvement”, Osbaldwick was given an overall rating of good, with many outstanding features.

Head teacher Lesley Barringer was delighted with the results.

She said: “I’m proud to say we gave super performances and let Ofsted see an accurate view of our school.

“We have concentrated on improving standards for all pupils in the school, and the Ofsted inspectors were impressed with the outcomes.”

Miss Barringer said the highlight of the report was the findings that the vast majority of pupils make good progress and achieve well.

“The school has grown significantly over the last two years so this inspection is the icing on the cake,” she said.

Ofsted found both pupils and parents were more than satisfied with the education the school provides, with pupils telling inspectors how they found learning at the school “exciting and challenging”.

The inspectors found parents were very supportive of the staff, and praised the processes the school used to liaise with the families of their pupils.

One point highlighted by inspectors as a particular strength was the school’s dedication to preparing its pupils for the future.

Recently, it became the first primary school in the country to be awarded the Personal Finance and Enterprise Award because of its close links with the University of York and local businesses.

Miss Barringer said: “The pupils, staff, parents and governors of the school should take great pride from this report and we look forward to continuing the progress we are capable of.”