SINCE opening its doors more than 180 years ago, Hilperton Primary has always had strong links with the community.

With 173 pupils over spread across six classes, the school, located in Newleaze, prides itself on strong Christian values such as respect and responsibility – something which headteacher Vicki Cann says the school tries to teach the children in their learning but also in how they behave in the village.

“What we are working towards at the school is making sure the children are kind and look after one another and be respectful and that they believe in themselves,” she added. “It is important that we give them the opportunities to find out who they are by giving them a different range of experiences to discover their interests.

“There have been some great improvements to the school over the years and we are delighted by our recent Ofsted rating of good. I think the report is a reflection of the hard work, dedication and professionalism that everyone in our school shows daily and it is confirmation of the significant improvements that we have made.

“The things we are really proud of are the way we are a village school and we make every child in our care be the best they can be.”

History records show the primary became a national school with 100 pupils in 1843 and, over the years, the village has expanded and pupil numbers have steadily increased.

Mrs Cann, who is in her fourth year as headteacher, added that since relocating to their current site in September 1970, pupils have taken full advantage of the green space on site and is something she believes is a feature of which most people are completely unaware.

“We have some lovely links to the community as well as St Michael's Church and we have members of the congregation helping out in the school," she said.

“It is hard to pinpoint a moment that has stood out to me at my time at Hilperton but the support from parents, pupils and staff is a real strength of our school.

“It is a terrific place to work and everyone here is dedicated to the children and they work hard to see that they are achieving in their learning.”