YOUNGSTERS, teachers and parents are celebrating the perfect end to the academic year after their school was declared “outstanding”.

Pupils and staff at St Mary’s Catholic Primary School in Ulverston will have an extra reason to enjoy the summer holidays thanks to the glowing report.

Inspectors from the Diocese of Lancaster Education Service gave the school top grades in all categories including overall effectiveness, religious education and catholic life.

The report's conclusion reads: “St Mary’s is an outstanding catholic school. It is very welcoming and has inclusion for all as a central goal and a shared vision.

“Pupils enjoy attending and they have a positive attitudes to learning.

“One Year Six pupil described St Mary’s as a ‘welcoming school where we all get on well and we are looked after.

“Pupils know that they belong to St Mary’s Catholic Parish family and are proud to be part of the school and parish.

“Since the last inspection, a rigorous system has been developed to improve standards, including monitoring lesson plans, book scrutiny, lesson drop ins and conversations with pupils.

“These strategies have made a significant impact on the improvement of teaching in RE.”

Highlighting areas where the school could maintain or improve standards, inspectors urged staff to further develop links with the Ulverston community and continue to involve parents in school life.

St Mary’s in Springfield Road forms the Our Lady of Furness Catholic Federation with Our Lady of the Rosary Primary School in Dalton.

Executive Headteacher Nicola Rielly said: “We are all so excited and proud of our ’outstanding’ result, what a way to finish the school year.

“St Mary’s is an extremely happy school full of delightful children, very supportive parents and of course fabulous staff.

“The Inspectors witnessed that the school lives out its federation aim to ‘lovingly learn in harmony’ and could not praise highly enough the children’s contribution to the Catholic life of the school.

“The result is an acknowledgement of all the dedication and commitment from school staff, parents and the parish community.”