A RURAL school close to closing more than a decade ago has been rated as 'outstanding' in every area by Ofsted inspectors.

Pupil numbers at Crosthwaite Church of England Primary School were so low in the early 2000s the then head teacher Pam Warren warned it may have to shut.

But it was decided instead to open a nursery and since then numbers have steadily risen.

It now has a roll call of almost 90 and is celebrating after being rated highly following a two-day visit in March.

Head teacher Matthew Jessop said: "Huge credit for this must go to all the staff, governors, parents, community and, of course, our brilliant children – all of whom make this school what it is."

The school was judged as 'good' at its last inspection in 2013.

Now, inspectors said it was 'outstanding' in all five categories: leadership and management, learning and assessment, behaviour and welfare, outcomes for pupils and early years provision.

A report said Mr Jessop 'leads with drive, determination and moral purpose'.

"He is an inspiration to his pupils. He ensures that pupils learn and grow in harmony with one another," it adds.

And it also praised leaders and governors who 'have an accurate view of the quality of education that the school provides', adding: "They have tackled the areas for improvement identified at the previous inspection with resounding success."

Half of pupils achieve the highest standards in reading, writing and mathematics by the end of Key Stage 1 - 'well above the national average'.

The report added: "The standards achieved by pupils by the end of Key Stage 2 are equally high. Pupils’ progress in reading and writing is some of the best found nationally.

"The most able pupils make excellent progress. In mathematics, pupils’ achievement is above average, however, pupils would benefit from more opportunities to develop their problem solving and reasoning skills even further."

It said the curriculum was 'broad and balanced'.

"It is expertly planned to allow pupils to deepen their knowledge, skills and understanding across the wider curriculum, including humanities, modern languages, music, art and computing," it added.

"Staff are proud to work at the school and their morale is high. They believe in every child and work to ensure that each pupil shines. This ‘can do’ culture is infectious and permeates all aspects of pupils’ learning."