SWANMEAD Community School has been celebrating after being acknowledged as one of the most improved schools in the country following the official release of Key Stage 2 SATS results.

The results indicated that Swanmead had increased the percentage of children at national expected standards in reading, writing and maths by 26 per cent.

Staff and pupils at Swanmead Community School have been celebrating after being acknowledged as one of the most improved schools in the country following the official release of KS2 SATS results.

The improvements from 2016 to 2017 leave the school as one of the highest improvers in England and Wales.

Following new tests taken by children in Year 6 last year, the school found itself in a difficult position with just 36 per cent achieving the expected standards in all three areas.

Mathematics in particular was an issue with the school 27 per cent behind national figures.

Fast forward 12 months and the school has increased its Maths scores from 43 per cent to 69 per cent, and Reading from 53 per cent to 75 per cent.

The combined scores for Reading, Writing and Maths from 36 per cent to 63 per cent.

The school sits above national figures for primary, junior and middle schools across the country and believes it has developed a 'blueprint' in which to deliver future successes.

Mark Walker, headteacher at the school, said: "I have been in touch with the Department for Education and they have been unable to tell me of another school across the country who has shown this level of improvement from 2016 to 2017 that we have.

"I am incredibly proud of our school community; the staff, the support of the parents and, in particular, the magnificent performance of our young people are all to be hugely congratulated for this.

"After the disappointment of 2016 we knew we had to do things differently and I believe we now have the recipe that will enable further successes for the school with regard to this aspect of school standards.

"Important to remember is that this is only one aspect of a school's success.

"Although we're delighted with these results we are equally as proud of what we offer our children in terms of the arts, science, outdoor education opportunities, pastoral care and a whole lot more.

"This is the bedrock of Swanmead and shall ever more be so."