Staff and pupils are celebrating being top of the class after their Shropshire school was chosen as one of just 60 schools nationwide to spearhead a campaign to help failing schools.

St Peter’s Primary School, Wem, was also awarded top marks by Ofsted inspector. The school has been named as a National Support School as part of a project to pair troubled schools with better-performing schools.

Ofsted inspectors rubber-stamped the school’s new status when they came to cast their eye over good practice in the development of leadership skills and effectiveness on a recent visit.

While the inspection was not for a full Ofsted report, the school was given a glowing report.

The status means the school’s leadership and teaching methods are held as examples of best practice to be used to help struggling schools to improve.

In his report, available on the Ofsted website, inspector Kevin Sheldrick said: “The school’s work to develop the skills and effectiveness of leaders is outstanding.

“All staff are involved exceptionally well in leading and managing the school.

“Partnership work with other schools has increased the confidence of leaders at all levels and helped them to reflect on their own practice.

“Your partner school confirmed that the support provided by St Peter’s has been highly influential.

“The headteacher of the partnership school particularly valued working together because of the relevance of your previous experiences.”

Headteacher Ian Nurser said he was delighted with the report and the school’s record of helping other schools to improve.

He said: “I am a National Leader of Education and St Peter’s is a National Support School so we support schools in challenging circumstances to improve the quality of education for their children.

“At St Peter’s everyone is expected to take a leadership role and we have a very strong record of developing future school leaders.

“I am particularly pleased that Her Majesty’s Inspector rated the leadership as outstanding, firmly based on our consistent approach to accelerating learning and developing children’s life skills.”