A primary school's hard work to transform itself from an under-performing centre to "outstanding" in the eyes of Ofsted has paid off.

Silloth Primary School has received the top rating from Government inspectors ranking it as outstanding in all of the five areas tested.

It's a complete turnaround for the school which inspectors said back in 2012 needed to improve.

Ever since then the school has worked tirelessly to changes its fortunes and has made steady progress, being rated "good" at its last inspection in 2013.

Praise has been handed to all corners of the school, with inspectors saying the headteacher Rachel Ingrams has "ensured that the rapid pace of improvement noted at the time of the previous inspection has been continued".

They also reserved praise for the quality of teaching, saying it has continued to improve, adding that children make substantial and sustained progress and that pupils' spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is exceptionally strong.

The report is the latest piece of good news for the school as it as been shortlisted for the best primary school in the Golden Apple Awards, presented by the CN Group, publishers of The Cumberland News .

Mrs Ingrams has also made the shortlist for best education leader.

She said: "We're absolutely delighted with the report because it reflects the sheer hard work and dedication of all the staff, governors and pupils and the tremendous support we receive from the community.

"It's been a really significant journey. It's been difficult at times but everyone has had a clear vision for Silloth Primary School.

"Our vision statement from 2013 until now has been to be an outstanding primary school and an inspiration to others. We've worked hard towards achieving that."

Writing about the headteacher, the inspectors commented: "The headteacher is an inspirational leader who works hard to ensure that pupils are at the centre of everything the school does. She trusts staff to develop approaches that are right for the pupils."

They were also full of praise for the pupils.

The inspector added: "Pupils are confident and self-assured learners. Pupils enjoy being at school and they are proud of their achievements. They gain a lot from the adults around them and one said: ‘You can talk to the teachers as much as you want for help.’"