“LESSONS full of “joie de vivre” have helped a village primary school score top marks from inspectors.

Longworth Undenominational Primary School was rated outstanding by Ofsted for the first time.

Inspectors said “nothing of significance was less than good” at the 61-pupil school, in the village near Abingdon.

And they praised former headteacher Sandra North for boosting results over recent years.

David Carrington, who led the inspection, said: “The outstanding curriculum is rich, rewarding and relevant. It encourages the sheer joie de vivre seen in lessons.”

He added: “Everyone, adult and pupil alike, has high ambitions and the necessary energy and drive to reach their personal and collective goals.

“Success is measured vigilantly and any slackening of pupils' effort or progress is identified immediately.”

Chairman of governors Peter Tyrer said: “The school has been improving and improving, and we are just over the moon about this.

“Our wildest dream has been fulfiled.

“We had a change of headteacher a few years ago, and everything has been getting better and better since then.

“It has been a real delight to watch.”

He added: “A lot of parents around here are able to choose to send their children to private schools, but now we can show them that they are not going to get anywhere better than Longworth School itself.”

Mrs North, who was at the helm of the school during the inspectors’ visit in December, has now left Longworth to run Chilton Primary School.

New head Janice Peacock said: “We were delighted to get this Ofsted report, and it was all very much a team effort.

“It confirmed what we thought. We have worked hard to get the school where it is under the leadership of the previous head... but she went out on a high.”

She said the secret of the school’s success was teamwork among the staff, governors and parents, adding: “We work well as a team. We support each other and sing from the same hymn sheet.”