'Outstanding' school honour for third time

Barugh Green Primary is one of only two schools in the region to be named on the list of outstanding schools three times.

The praise comes after the school, on Higham Common Road, was given top marks by Ofsted inspectors and featured in an Ofsted high achievers internet hall of fame.

Barugh Green Primary, which consistently scores highly in Barnsley schools SATS league tables, is today joined by other local schools making their first appearance on the list.

They are High View Primary Learning Centre, Jump Primary, Kexborough Primary, Shawlands Primary and Wilthorpe Infant School.

Northern College is also judged an outstanding provider of adult education.

HM Chief Inspector of Educ-ation, Children's Services and Skills, Christine Gilbert, said: "I am delighted to recognise, publicly, such outstanding provision and to pay tribute to all who contributed to this success.

"Schools and colleges which have been categorised as outstanding in not one, but two or three of their inspection reports over the past 15 years, are especially deserving of our commendation."

Barugh Green Primary head, Michael Gilmore, said everyone at the school was “thrilled and very happy” to be named on the list for the third time.

He added: “Ofsted reports are more important than league tables, because we have always argued that tables do not always accurately show what is happening at a school, although our good results do reflect hard work by pupils and staff.”

“But schools and education are about a great deal more than test results. What is important is an overall view of the school.”

Outstanding providers are given a distinctive logo which they can use on documents and their website to show their achievement.