A PRIMARY school has been praised by Ofsted inspectors as "very effective".

They said that Lingfield Primary School, Marton, Middlesbrough, had many strengths and pointed to the "very good leadership of the headteacher and his determination to maintain the high standards pupils achieve".

Inspectors noted that the "very good quality of teaching ensures pupils are well motivated, interested in their work and keen to do well".

All pupils show "positive attitudes to learning and their behaviour is of a very high standard".

The school achieved "very good results" and standards in the core subjects of English, maths and science were well above the national average at the end of key stage two.

The successful implementation of the National Literacy and Numeracy Strategies was "having a marked effect on standards in English and mathematics".

Provision for children under five in the nursery was described as "very good", ensuring "firm foundations for future learning and a confident start to school life".

The quality of teaching ensured pupils of all abilities learned effectively and teachers and governors were committed to maintaining and raising standards for pupils of all abilities.

Headteacher Tom Richards said: "Everyone at the school is delighted with the report. It's the reward for a lot of hard work by pupils, staff, parents and governors."

The inspectors also pointed to a number of areas, where the school could make improvements, including standards in information technology and the pupil's handwriting.