YEALAND CE Primary School may be little, but it can now celebrate a big reputation.

Ofsted inspectors have said that, despite its size, the school offers an education which it would be difficult to better in a larger school.

There are fewer than ten pupils in each year group, says the school's latest Ofsted Report - a fact which makes comparisons from year to year with similar schools statistically unreliable.

But taking the years 1996 to 1999 together, results in the Key Stage 2 National Curriculum English tests were well above the national average and results in Mathematics and Science were very high in comparison with the national average.

Similar results were achieved in 2000.

Since the last inspection, the school has had a new library and information technology room and there have been improvements to the Key Stage 1 activity area and the recent acquisition of a playing field.

These have all helped to support improvements in the quality of teaching and learning and the standards of attainment, says the report.

The school has a very effective partnership with parents and the local community, says the report, and pupils' spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is good.

Teaching is very good or better in 67 per cent of lessons.

Under its 'what could be improved' section, the report recommends a "more systematic and structured use of homework" for pupils in Key Stage 2.

It also points out that children under five have limited access to large play equipment and those in Key Stage 1 have limited opportunities for physical education.

The school says these areas will form the basis of the governors' action plan.