A Walton primary school has been hailed outstanding by inspectors who praised teachers' hard work with pupils on "three core values" of honesty, respect and kindness.

Walton on Trent Church of England primary school, in Coton Road, underwent its Statutory Inspection of Anglican and Methodist Schools (SIAMS) inspection on October 3, where it was found to be outstanding in all areas.

Headteacher Sarah Rowe said staff and pupils were "very proud" to achieve the highest grade despite standards becoming increasingly harder to meet - and rising numbers of pupils and staff changes since the last inspection.

She said: "We are really very proud to achieve an outstanding grade in the inspection.

"The hard work from all of the staff and the children during the last couple of years has really paid off so it is great to have this recognised in our inspection.

"Building our school ethos has been the main area of focus for us and ensuring that our Christian distinctiveness is recognised.

"The children and staff renewed our whole school values last year and decided on three core values of honesty, respect and kindness.

"The children and staff chose these as they fit in so well with our five whole school Take Care Rules and we all believe that positive and caring relationships are the key to success for the children, staff and parents, which we are glad has been recognised in the report."

Mrs Rowe said the Siams inspection framework had "changed considerably" since the school was last inspected in 2012.

She said: "Church schools are inspected every five years and the benchmark does move so it is certainly now harder to achieve an outstanding grade."

Although there is not a vicar in post at the parish at the moment, the school has also recently achieved the foundation level of the International Schools award, creating a stunning start to the academic year.

Mrs Rowe said she was particularly proud of a number of points highlighted in the report by inspectors, who found the school was "characterised by high levels of care, where nurture and strong pastoral support are underpinned by the school’s distinctively Christian character."

Inspectors also noted: "The whole school community share a passion and vision for the school, and the head teacher and her team consistently demonstrate and live out the distinctively Christian values of the school with conviction, enthusiasm and compassion.

"Children are valued and affirmed as individuals. They are proud of their school and make a significant contribution to the life of the school through a wide range of responsibilities, including in collective worship."

Comments from pupils such as "our values of respect, kindness and honesty are all in Jesus’ teaching- they teach us how to live and help our actions every day" and parents, who said "this school is an extended family where everyone feels accepted and so kindness and care translate into all areas of school life" were also included in the glowing report, reflecting the high standards of the school.

The focus across school on "growth mindset" was also credited with giving children the opportunity to explore their underlying beliefs about themselves, their intelligence and capacity to learn.

"This had impacted strongly on children’s resilience and self-esteem.

Inspectors also found that children’s achievements and successes were celebrated and rewarded consistently across school, "contributing to the children’s sense of self-worth and their motivation to be the best they can be" while "care and nurture are integral to the work of the school."

The report concluded: "A well-planned programme of nurture and support ensures that children’s specific social and emotional needs are met exceptionally well in a happy, caring environment."

Mrs Rowe said she wanted to thank the children, staff and parents who "make the whole school community the special place that it is."

She said: "We are all very proud of our school. I would also like to say a special thank you to Reverend Bill, a retired vicar who lives in the village.

"We all love it when Reverend Bill pops in to say hello. The children love his enthusiasm and energy when telling Bible stories in collective worship and there are always smiles all round."