Headteacher Valerie Lucas has been praised by Ofsted inspectors for her role in raising standards at her village school.

Inspectors from the education watchdog praised Wootton-by-Woodstock Primary School, in west Oxfordshire, for the quality of its teaching, the strengths of its "rounded" curriculum, and Ms Lucas' strong leadership.

Ms Lucas, who joined the school last year, described the report as a "morale boost" for the staff.

The school has just 40 pupils in two classes, and has occupied the same building since 1835.

Other than Ms Lucas there are two part-time teachers, two learning support assistants, a part-time school secretary and lunchtime supervisors.

The report said: "The school provides a satisfactory education and is improving rapidly.

"The pupils achieve satisfactory standards and the teaching is good.

"Teaching is well planned to take account of the mixed-age classes and is particularly effective in improving the pupils' spiritual, moral and cultural development."

It added: "The new headteacher has transformed the work of the school in a very short space of time and this is recognised by parents, who say that the school has improved in many areas."

Inspectors said standards in English, maths and science were satisfactory, but criticised the teaching of science, saying it was not practical enough.

Ms Lucas said: "I'm delighted with the report. This is a great moral boost for all those involved in the school, and is a tremendous endorsement of what a small school can achieve."

She said its strength lay in its emphasis on getting pupils involving in interesting activities outside the classroom.

She said: "We provide a much more exciting curriculum than the National Curriculum by enhancing it with external activities.

"We want the children to enjoy coming to school. It shouldn't be a place where children just sit behind desks.

She added: "It's a delightful place to work. We have very dedicated staff, dedicated governors and dedicated parents, who all put in more hours than they're expected to.

"We are more than just a school -- we're a part of the community."

The Ofsted inspection co-incided with a report by the Diocese of Oxford into the school's provision of religious education.

It said: "The school is a well-ordered and caring community fully supporting each individual with consideration, courtesy and compassion."