St Francis Catholic Primary School in UK's top three for pupil progress
A primary school in Walsall has been named as one of the top three per cent in the country for pupil's progress.
St Francis Catholic Primary School, in Mill Road, has received the prestigious title after getting a letter in the post from the Rt Hon Nick Gibb MP and Minister of State at the Department for Education.
The school, which has around 210 pupils, was previously placed into special measures but is now ranked 'Good'.
However, the ranking marks the school's commitment to progressing and improving its standards.
The letter from Rt Hon Nick Gibb MP, said: "I would like to congratulate you, your staff and your pupils on the very high level of progress that pupils in your school have demonstrated in the reading, writing and mathematics Key Stage 2 assessments this year.
"This means that in terms of the progress your pupils make between Key Stage 1 and the end of Key Stage 2, your school is amongst the top three per cent of primary schools in the country."
Dawn Richards became headteacher in September 2015 and said the school has changed 'immensely' since then, including a completely new set of teaching staff.
She said: "We have focused on the development of the holistic development of the child, and when you have this right then you academic side too.
"It's not just about English and maths, you have to focus on the talents of the children and for some that won't be in the classroom, it could be something like football. They need to be aware that they can make mistakes and that is what school is for.
"It is a completely different focus now which is on the children.
"The school has been through many changes over the years. I believe the staff all work together to ensure the very best education for all children. They are a close knit school and it is wonderful that Rt Hon Nick Gibb MP has acknowledged such an achievement."
