Staff and pupils at Holy Trinity Primary Academy in Great Cheverell are celebrating after being praised by the government for their performance in school league tables.

Holy Trinity’s results in national tests by 11-year-olds in 2013 meant it was in the top one per cent of schools in the country.

The achievement relates to the ‘value added’ score in the league tables which measures the progress of pupils from when they took the tests aged seven to when they left the school aged 11.

A score above 100 means a school has done better than expected and Holy Trinity’s score was 102.7 – the best it has achieved.

Education Minister David Laws wrote to Mercedes Henning, Holy Trinity’s headteacher, saying: “Your results show that you are among the 250 top performing schools in terms of the progress your pupils make between Key Stage 1 and the end of Key Stage 2. Your school is exceptionally effective in educating its pupils.

“It is clear that you and your staff have provided your pupils with a good start in life and a strong springboard into secondary education.

“I would like to congratulate your staff, governors and pupils for their hard work and thank you for your leadership.”

Mrs Henning, who joined Holy Trinity in 2001 and has been head for eight years, said the results were a team effort.

She said: “We have got the most remarkable team with creative teachers, outstanding support staff, and it’s a tribute to their hard work. We have tremendous governors and parents and our children work so hard.

“As well as the academic success we have the ethos and values of being a Christian school and the children’s behaviour is remarkably good.

“There’s no bullying, people enjoy themselves, the curriculum is fun and creative, and parents like the fact that their children enjoy school.”

The school has reached its capacity of 150 pupils and frequently receives calls from prospective parents asking if there are spaces for their children.

Just under half the pupils at the school live in the Cheverells, Erlestoke and Coulston while others come from Potterne, Marston, the Lavingtons, Edington and Devizes.

Most pupils go on to Lavington School in Market Lavington, while some go to fee paying schools like Dauntsey’s School and Warminster School.