Picking up top points in two independent inspections, a school in Bushey has been praised for successfully balancing learning, social development and fun.

Inspected on behalf of the Archbishop of Westminster, Sacred Heart Catholic Primary School gained "good" or "outstanding" results in every category of a church report, published alongside a glowing report by government inspectors.

The three to 11 year-old children, based in Merryhill Road, "love their school and are proud of their achievements" according to the Ofsted report, describing the school as good, with some outstanding features.

It said children progressed through the years achieving above average results in English, maths and science, praising teachers' planning of each lesson and the involvement of children regardless of their ability.

The Archdiocese of Westminster report, concentrating on religious education, praised work done to improve the 303 children's understanding of other faiths by visiting different places of worship, including local synagogues, and promoting "community cohesion".

The report also praised the school's move to raise money to create a major link with a school in Bisesero, Rwanda, recently visited by headteacher Rita Cooper.

Mrs Cooper said she was delighted with the reports and their recognition of improvement in areas such as computer use which were previously deemed unsatisfactory.

Both reports pointed out a high level of teamwork and leadership, mirroring Mrs Cooper's own praise of the work done by the school's staff, governors and teaching assistants.

She said: "We were all delighted with the report which confirmed our own school evaluation.

The staff, pupils and governors work hard, in partnership with the parents to make our school successful."

In a letter aimed at the children at the school, the Ofsted inspectors wrote: "You told us that you were proud of your school and that you really do enjoy being there. We felt the lovely family atmosphere in the school too. Your teachers teach you well.

"You work hard in lessons and are keen to learn new skills and to find out more about the world. You are very good at English, mathematics and science. You are very polite and sensible. Older children set good examples to all the others and this helps everyone get on well together."

Clearer marking of children's work and further improvement of information technology at the school were two areas marked for improvement in the reports.