STAFF and pupils at a 147-year-old village primary school have been recognised for being top class in a prestigious annual publication.

Walford Nursery and Primary is featured for best practice in the 2021 edition of The Parliamentary Review, which examines how key British organisations are responding to different political and economic challenges.

The school is ranked in the top 100 primaries in the country according to The Times newspaper, and embodies a ‘can do’ attitude.

And headteacher Louise George said: “We are delighted to be involved in The Parliamentary Review and we hope our story is read widely.”

In the article, the head says the 203-pupil school is “popular with a positive ethos and family atmosphere”.

Her team of nine teachers, seven teaching assistants, a nursery manager and three supervisors have “the drive and passion required to ensure that every pupil succeeds”, she adds.

“Walford is a place where everyone is valued as an individual, their views respected and where children are at the heart of all that we do.

“The whole school community, children, parents, carers, staff and governors, is valued for the contribution they make to the work and life of the school.

“There is a strong sense of teamwork and a belief that together, everyone achieves more.”

She continues: “Walford’s highly motivated teachers are trusted to take risks and innovate in ways that are right for all pupils.

“Our ambition is to grow a community of learners who are inspired and enthused through the principles of developing a growth mindset. “Pupils believe that they can achieve, improve and succeed through effort and hard work.

“They know their strengths and their next steps in learning and they know how to get there.

“Pupils also demonstrate independence in their learning, they are resilient and they rise to the challenge, developing relevant knowledge, skills and understanding across the curriculum.”

The school was ranked 84th in the country in the The Times Top 250 State Primary and Independent Prep Schools, and is a Science Hub School for the Ogden Herefordshire South Partnership, a two-time Sainsbury’s School Games Gold Award winner and has also received a Healthy Schools Award.

The head adds: “Walford has a high level of expertise with specialist leaders of education in Early Years/Key Stage 1, in English/Key Stage 2, a maths hub mastery specialist teacher, two local authority moderators in both key stages and a computing coordinator who has successfully embedded tablet technology across the curriculum which has been recognised by Apple as best practice.

“As a result, we have been awarded Regional Training Centre status, and as a sector-leading school of technology, we now provide training for headteachers, teachers and other professionals within the local authority and beyond.”

The article praises the local authority-administered school’s “highly skilled’ board of governors and says the school offers “a wide range of exciting opportunities that challenge and motivate learners to become successful, confident, independent and caring citizens of our diverse and rapidly changing technological world”, including specialist art, sport and music teaching.

“Hands on experience in every subject”, includes a wide variety of school trips, visiting authors, historical actors and top athletes, and exposure to “unique opportunities” such as star gazing and moon landings in The Stardome planetarium in the school hall and performing a Commonwealth dance for HRH Prince of Wales.

Teachers promote STEM subjects via engineer visits through its annual “Inventor Award” and its links with the South West England primary and secondary Engineer Leaders Awards, and for the past four years, pupils in every year group in Key Stage 2 have won a coveted Primary Engineer Award.

The school has recently benefited from two major extensions, including the replacement of two mobile classrooms, while the children’s dreams became a reality when it secured enough funds for its impressive Boynton Learning Lodge.

The children put their computing knowledge and skills to the test and created a thought-provoking film about our school, which was then sent to businesses, resulting in a first funding donation of £45,000 from National Grid.