By Felix Lowe

PUPILS from Hale Primary School, near Fordingbridge, have excelled in a key set of national tests for 11-year-olds.

All 13 pupils who sat last summer's key stage two tests achieved Level 4 in the core subjects of English, maths and science, propelling their school to the top of the league tables in Hampshire.

The national average for children achieving Level 4 is 79 per cent, 76 per cent and 87 per cent respectively. Hale Primary was one of eight Hampshire schools to manage the extraordinary feat of securing 100 per cent for each subject.

Level 4 is the expected standard necessary for pupils to have a chance of doing well at secondary school. Of Hale Primary's 13 pupils, 62 per cent reached Level 5 in English and maths while an impressive 92 per cent obtained Level 5 science.

Headteacher Maria McCusker said she was "extremely pleased and proud" of her bright pupils, but underlined that the school was more concerned with giving an all-round education than topping the league tables.

She said: "Each year we set targets with the local authorities and it was evident that we had a high scoring cohort this time round and so the Level 4 expectancy was 100 per cent.

"It's a nice feeling but we really are just doing our job. At the end of the day, it's not just about the figures it's about educating the child. I'd like to think that the reality is about the entire learning experience the child has had in our time, and not just about the key stage exams."