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One of the most striking success stories in this year's school tables is Wandle primary in Wandsworth, south-west London - which last year found itself named the country's worst-performing primary school.

Then, its pupils managed an average test score of only 41 out of 300.

This year's 11 year olds achieved 240 - above the national average of 233.

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The "most improved" schools

The head teacher, Paul Larkey, who took over just over a year ago, said: "We have had a great year. The children have done really well - and it's juts the start of things."

Parental involvement

Mr Larkey said the school had been suffering from a high turnover of pupils.

Most came from a nearby council estate, spoke English as a second language and were from families poor enough to qualify them for free school meals.

He hesitates to offer advice to other struggling schools because each was different, he said.

But his first job had been to get parents on board, convincing them that it was not just a matter of league tables but about giving their children a decent chance in life.

"We met parents regularly and they could see we were making progress," he said.

Extra funds

"I invested a lot of money in learning assistants - and on the school building, so the parents could see the difference."

Paul Larkey: Asked parents to "stick with us"
He sings the praises of a learning mentor - a graduate who had lived locally and knew many of the families - who gave extra help to pupils who were finding school a struggle.

Government "Excellence in Cities" money and extra funds for booster classes had all been used very carefully by the teachers.

His aim is to continue improving - so that staff no longer have to worry about giving the older pupils basic skills.

"It might seem an odd thing to say, but none of us are interested in teaching them just to read and write.

"We want to be able to take for granted that those have been covered in the early years.

"We want to teach them art and playing the trumpet - as broad a curriculum as possible."

Four-year improvement

The official "most improved" school in this year's tables was Osmani Primary in the east London borough of Tower Hamlets.

Teacher shortages and the high cost of living are an issue there.

It headed the list of 103 schools whose results have risen consistently over four years.

Seven out of every 10 children in the school qualify for free meals and English is the second language of most of the pupils, who are of Bangladeshi and Pakistani origin.

The head teacher, Judith Grylls, said the secret of the school's success was hard work from both pupils and teachers.

Overseas recruits

But she added: "It's hard to get teachers who want to stay in the inner cities. They want to stay five or 10 years, then they have children and move away."

Five of her 20 teachers came from Australia, New Zealand and South Africa.

"Without them, we couldn't operate," she said.

The table below shows the department for Education's ranking of schools which have improved their Key Stage 2 national curriculum test results most over the past four years.

The columns show the aggregate score out of 300 for the years 1998 - 2001, and the overall increase.

rank	school	98	99	00	01	+
1	Osmani Primary School, Tower Hamlets	38	200	219	268	230
2	New Monument School, Surrey	44	158	252	265	221
3	Brooke Dean Community School, Cheshire	30	126	227	250	220
4	Elm Wood School, Lambeth	57	138	211	268	211
5	Woodlands Park Primary School, Windsor and Maidenhead	64	146	205	272	208
6	Stanley Road Primary School, Oldham	32	167	184	239	207
7	Huntingdon Primary and Nursery School, Nottingham	50	122	217	256	206
8	St William of York RC Primary School, Bolton	100	270	273	294	194
9	Kearsley West Primary School, Bolton	78	200	256	271	193
9	Fender Primary School, Wirral	57	152	180	250	193
11	Our Lady Mother of the Saviour Catholic Primary School, Halton	91	177	264	281	190
12	Riverside Primary School, North Tyneside	112	168	256	300	188
13	Paxton Primary School, Lambeth	93	185	230	276	183
14	St George's Church of England Primary School, Southwark	77	142	225	256	179
15	St Columba's Catholic Primary School, Knowsley	81	172	236	259	178
16	Richard Cobden Primary School, Camden	72	142	176	248	176
16	Wakefield Methodist Voluntary Controlled Junior and Infant School, Wakefield	124	252	296	300	176
16	Meadowbank Primary School and Nursery Education Centre, Wigan	63	146	217	239	176
19	Keir Hardie Primary School, Newham	102	155	255	277	175
19	Dovecotes Primary School, Wolverhampton	77	197	225	252	175
21	St Silas Church of England Primary School, Liverpool	81	137	179	254	173
21	Whittlefield Primary School, Lancashire	89	243	246	262	173
23	Ryders Green Primary School, Sandwell	37	129	188	209	172
23	Brunswick Park Primary School, Barnet	87	183	223	259	172
25	St John Bosco Roman Catholic Voluntary Aided Primary School, Sunderland	108	163	205	279	171
26	North Beckton Primary School, Newham	77	125	216	245	168
27	Redlands Primary School, Tower Hamlets	64	142	218	230	166
27	St Teresa's Catholic Primary School, Essex	115	203	220	281	166
27	Adswood Primary School, Stockport	34	136	183	200	166
30	Vicarage Primary School, Newham	88	168	207	253	165
30	Pooltown Community Junior School, Cheshire	43	149	207	208	165
32	Star Primary School, Newham	57	95	175	220	163
32	Launcelot Primary School, Lewisham	77	147	169	240	163
34	Brockholes Wood Community Primary School, Lancashire	100	146	218	262	162
35	Woodgate Junior and Infant School, Birmingham	91	148	176	252	161
35	Devonshire Hill Primary School, Haringey	63	80	109	224	161
35	Brooksby Primary and Nursery School, Nottingham	115	152	252	276	161
38	Cavendish Junior School, Derbyshire	94	159	183	254	160
38	Alma Park Primary School, Manchester	77	179	200	237	160
38	St Barnabas Church of England VC Primary School, Bristol, City of	60	100	119	220	160
38	Holy Name Roman Catholic Primary School Manchester, Manchester	40	71	154	200	160
42	Alexandra Park Junior School, Oldham	54	154	162	213	159
42	Ladypool Primary School, Birmingham	72	147	193	231	159
42	Roseheath Community Primary School, Knowsley	79	202	230	238	159
42	Marlborough Primary School, Kensington and Chelsea	123	145	237	282	159
46	Westfield Junior School, Cumbria	47	169	172	205	158
46	Clarendon Fields Primary School, Tameside	87	183	233	245	158
46	Slater Primary School, Leicester	69	163	212	227	158
49	Park Way Primary School, Kent	75	151	176	232	157
49	Edinburgh Primary School, Waltham Forest	111	117	222	268	157
49	John Hellins Primary School, Northamptonshire	143	211	267	300	157
52	St Mark's CofE Primary School, Islington	87	119	215	243	156
52	Beever Junior Infant and Nursery School, Oldham	73	133	168	229	156
54	Surrey Square Junior School, Southwark	102	133	194	257	155
54	Accrington Spring Hill Community Primary School, Lancashire	39	137	139	194	155
54	St Francis Church of England Aided Junior School, Durham	133	243	281	288	155
54	Holy Trinity and Saint Silas CofE Primary School, NW1, Camden	126	203	275	281	155
54	Bransty Primary School, Cumbria	137	193	238	292	155
59	St Barnabas' CofE Primary School, Manchester	50	64	160	204	154
59	Woodfield Primary School, Plymouth	66	144	190	220	154
61	Hallsville Primary School, Newham	93	129	210	246	153
61	Larkman Middle School, Norwich, Norfolk	38	47	158	191	153
61	St Paul with St Luke CofE Primary School, Tower Hamlets	111	234	244	264	153
61	Dunkirk Primary and Nursery School, Nottingham	100	181	240	253	153
65	Foster's Primary School, Bexley	138	233	247	290	152
65	Cross Flatts Park Primary School, Leeds	100	224	236	252	152
67	St Albert's Catholic Primary School, Knowsley	115	168	228	266	151
67	Albemarle Primary School, Wandsworth	119	219	252	270	151
69	Deneside Junior School, Durham	79	158	174	229	150
69	Goldenhill, St Joseph's Catholic Primary School, Stoke-on-Trent	144	179	224	294	150
71	Greenland Junior School, Durham	90	169	189	239	149
71	Delves Lane Junior School, Durham	100	161	197	249	149
71	North Prospect Community School, Plymouth	122	171	253	271	149
71	Sacred Heart Catholic Primary School, Liverpool	94	120	204	243	149
75	Dilkes Primary School, Thurrock	113	166	196	261	148
76	Horfield Church of England Primary School, Bristol, City of	137	237	272	284	147
76	St Margaret's at Troy Town CofE Voluntary Controlled Primary School, Medway	112	259	259	259	147
76	Montagu Primary School, Newcastle upon Tyne	93	163	200	240	147
79	Blue Gate Fields Junior School, Tower Hamlets	105	131	219	251	146
79	St Joseph's Catholic Primary School, Bradford	95	181	221	241	146
79	St Richard's RC Primary School, Manchester	142	250	253	288	146
79	Top o'th'Brow Primary School, Bolton	54	120	153	200	146
79	St Bartholomew's CofE Primary School, Blackburn with Darwen	92	121	229	238	146
79	Noak Bridge Primary School, Essex	123	209	225	269	146
85	Arnhem Wharf Primary School, Tower Hamlets	86	105	138	231	145
85	Melbourne Park Primary School, Essex	89	184	210	234	145
85	John Street Community Primary School, Cheshire	100	203	226	245	145
88	Allanson Street Primary School, St. Helens	138	207	243	282	144
88	Elsley Primary School, Brent	143	251	258	287	144
88	St Anthony's Catholic Primary School, Solihull	97	192	228	241	144
88	St Benedict's Catholic Primary School, Coventry	125	165	192	269	144
88	St Thomas' CofE Primary School, Kensington and Chelsea	138	219	263	282	144
88	Newport Primary School, Middlesbrough	88	137	229	232	144
88	Stonehill School, Hertfordshire	125	238	258	269	144
95	Leigh Primary School, Tameside	70	165	188	213	143
95	Wakefield Snapethorpe Junior School, Wakefield	74	168	171	217	143
95	Hythe Primary School, Surrey	120	169	260	263	143
95	Allens Croft Primary School, Birmingham	72	92	174	215	143
99	Bardfield Community Junior School, Essex	76	143	171	218	142
99	Carpenters Primary School, Newham	109	117	181	251	142
99	St Mary's Church of England Primary School, Sefton	71	173	213	213	142
99	Lepton Church of England Voluntary Controlled Junior, Infant and Nursery School, Kirklees	141	215	254	283	142
99	Ireleth St Peter's CofE Primary School, Cumbria	133	220	229	275	142

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