NEILSTON Primary was excellent – three times over – according to education watchdogs in 2007.

The village school was put through a thorough inspection in February of that year.

And their report four months later awarded the school the top ‘excellent’ category in three areas.

They were: the school’s dedication to pastoral care; climate and relationships; and equality and fairness.

Other areas inspected included the curriculum and quality of staff teaching.

And the leadership of head teacher Janie McCombe was noted as ‘very good’.

Just one category – pupil attainment in maths – received a ‘good’, but inspectors noted that standards were improving.

The Her Majesty’s Inspectorate of Education watchdogs also called for better accommodation.

This included improvements to the fabric of the school building and improved access.

But they were so impressed by the overall high performance, strong record of improvement and effective leadership in the school, they didn't need to return to check on progress.

Head teacher Ms McCombe said: "We are very pleased with the report. It is a tribute to the hard work of all pupils and staff at the school.

"It also reflects the excellent relationship we have with parents which the inspectors noted."