STAFF and pupils at a Chippenham school are celebrating after being named as one of the most improved in the latest primary school league tables.

Redland School was bitterly disappointed when it was severely criticised by Ofsted inspectors two years ago, and branded as having serious weaknesses.

Now it has turned the tables and has been pinpointed as one of the county's most improved schools.

This year pupils scored 89 per cent in English, 83 per cent in maths, and 94 per cent in science.

Headteacher Hilary Etherington said: "We have made a phenomenal improvement, the standards have shot up through the diligence and hard work of the staff and pupils.

"Two years ago Ofsted said pupils weren't achieving what they should be. We feel as if we have climbed a mountain since then. These results clearly show the progress we have made."

School inspectors returned to Redland last November to check the school's progress and confirmed it had made major improvements.

Mrs Etherington said big changes had been made since the Ofsted inspection including new staff, new assessment and record keeping procedures, and an active board of governors.

The improvement in results in this year's key stage two tests for 11-year-olds is reflected overall in Wiltshire. Results in English show that the percentage of pupils achieving the national expected level of level four or above has risen by 2.5 per cent since 1999 and 8.3 per cent since 1997.

Overall 75.4 per cent of children achieved the expected levels in English compared with the national average of 75 per cent. In maths 71 per cent of Wiltshire pupils achieved level four or above, an increase of 2.2 per cent from 1999 and 4.4 per cent since 1997.

In science 85 per cent of county pupils achieved level four or above an increase of four per cent since 1999 and 11.4 per cent since 1997.

Rowde Primary School was the only school in the county to score 100 per cent in all three subjects. Headteacher David Ball said he was pleased with the results.

He said: "They're the product of good teaching and good learning. This has been a very good year group and the children have worked very hard."

But Mr Ball criticised the tables for failing to take into account social deprivation of communities or a school's environment.

"There are some schools in the county which are doing splendid work with their children but that doesn't come out in the tables because there is no differentiation," he said.

"If they could find some way of reflecting the background situation I'm sure they could be of real value to schools and to parents."

Crudwell CofE School headteacher Barbara Harvey said she was very pleased with her pupils' results and said they reflected the hard work of children and teachers.

But she also expressed reservations about the league tables' worth because she said they only measured results in maths, English and science.

She said: "The tables have their place, but at this school we try to make the children whole people and also work on other areas such as their creative sides."