Cockfield school comes top of the class for pupils' maths results

A GAUNLESS Valley school that put in extra effort last year has been rewarded after their maths results were in the top two per cent in the country.
All of Cockfield Primary School’s year six pupils last year reached the expected level or better after sitting their SATs.
The achievement was recognised by the Minister of State for School Standards Nick Gibb who sent a letter
to headteacher Kathryn Heatherington last month.
He wrote: “I would like to congratulate you, your staff and your pupils for the very high standard that pupils in your school have achieved in mathematics in the 2016 key stage two assessments.”
The headteacher attributed the success to a strategy that began early in the autumn term when a meeting was held with parents to explain what teachers believed the SATs, which were done differently and marked differently last year, would be like.
She added that parents put in extra effort to help with homework and teachers put on booster classes for the pupils.
Ms Heatherington also paid tribute to maths teacher Emma Hutchinson who was in her first year of teaching the subject.
She added: “Obviously we are all proud of the children  and their achievement. The children just work so hard for all of the year.”