The school heading the list of "most improved" schools this year was officially deemed to be failing until March 2001.

The proportion of pupils who reached the required standard in English, maths and science has risen for four years running at St Barnabas' C of E primary in Manchester - from an aggregate score of 64 to 264.

It heads the Department for Education's list of about 100 schools which have done best in pulling themselves up in recent years.

The head teacher, Su Eastwood, said she had spent money recruiting good teachers, whose hard work she praised.

Sorting out the curriculum and pupils' behaviour had also been crucial - along with winning over parents.

"Parents had had a poor deal from the education of their children and, to some extent, they had bad experiences themselves of education," she said.

"That's turned around now, we have a thriving parent group and it is very supportive of our school."

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The table below shows the "most improved" primary schools in 2002.

The columns of figures show the aggregate score out of 300 for the years 1999 - 2002, and the overall increase.

Click the name of any school for a page detailing its performance.

Rank	School	99	00	01	02	+
1	St Barnabas' CofE Primary School, Manchester	64	160	204	264	200
2	Fulham Primary School, Hammersmith and Fulham	78	181	203	265	187
2	Nine Tree Primary School, Knowsley	40	163	189	227	187
2	Lenton Primary and Nursery School, Nottingham, City of	67	209	236	254	187
5	St Barnabas Church of England VC Primary School, Bristol, City of	100	119	220	272	172
6	Holy Name Roman Catholic Primary School Manchester, Manchester	71	154	200	242	171
7	Edinburgh Primary School, Waltham Forest	117	222	268	277	160
8	St Vincent de Paul Catholic Primary School, Liverpool	127	259	272	286	159
9	Broken Cross Community School, Cheshire	122	243	259	277	155
10	Wolston St Margaret's CofE Primary School, Warwickshire	108	212	226	261	153
11	Woodston Primary School, Peterborough, City of	82	176	227	233	151
12	Higher Folds Primary School, Wigan	74	152	213	224	150
12	St Bartholomew's CofE Primary School, Blackburn with Darwen	121	229	238	271	150
14	Churchwood Community Primary School, East Sussex	76	137	172	224	148
15	Fair Furlong Primary School, Bristol, City of	79	176	206	219	140
16	Morven Park Primary and Nursery School, Nottinghamshire	100	192	228	239	139
16	St Mark's CofE Primary School, Islington	119	215	243	258	139
18	St Bartholomew's CofE Primary School, Brighton and Hove	130	179	224	268	138
19	Arnhem Wharf Primary School, Tower Hamlets	105	138	231	240	135
19	Kensal Rise Primary School, Brent	103	174	213	238	135
19	Eastfield Junior and Infant School, Wolverhampton	110	189	206	245	135
22	Blue Gate Fields Junior School, Tower Hamlets	131	219	251	265	134
22	Laughton Junior and Infant School, Rotherham	150	238	242	284	134
22	Huntingdon Primary and Nursery School, Nottingham, City of	122	217	256	256	134
25	West View Primary School, Hartlepool	89	184	217	222	133
25	Falconride Primary School, South Gloucestershire	120	220	250	253	133
27	Murton Primary School, Durham	153	224	234	285	132
27	Riverside Primary School, North Tyneside	168	256	300	300	132
29	St Paul's Catholic Primary School, Tameside	146	247	248	276	130
30	Southwold Primary School, Hackney	78	118	142	206	128
30	St George's Beneficial CofE Voluntary Controlled Primary School, Portsmouth	93	155	180	221	128
30	Sharpness Primary School, Gloucestershire	172	230	260	300	128
30	Orford Church of England Voluntary Aided Primary School, Suffolk	164	227	245	292	128
34	Raynham Primary School, Enfield	102	150	207	229	127
34	Rabbsfarm Primary School, Hillingdon	132	182	214	259	127
36	Preston Grange Primary School, Lancashire	94	191	200	220	126
37	Highwood Player Junior School, Nottingham, City of	62	147	154	187	125
38	Joseph Cash Primary School, Coventry	106	216	218	230	124
38	Bygrove Primary School, Tower Hamlets	121	164	180	245	124
40	Willington CofE Primary School, Durham	160	263	279	283	123
41	Brownhills West Primary School, Walsall	133	222	227	255	122
42	Bonneygrove Primary School, Hertfordshire	158	234	276	279	121
42	Pemberton Primary and Nursery School, Wigan	104	178	200	225	121
42	Winkleigh Primary School, Devon	171	214	219	292	121
45	South Wingfield Primary School, Derbyshire	147	220	242	267	120
46	Lindisfarne Community Primary School, Gateshead	137	189	194	256	119
47	Glebe First and Middle School, Harrow	146	162	164	264	118
47	St Ann's Well Junior School, Nottingham, City of	90	113	200	208	118
47	St Michael's Primary School and Nursery, Essex	115	186	216	233	118
50	St Joseph's Catholic Primary School, Greenwich	183	224	260	300	117
51	Millfields Community School, Hackney	137	172	211	253	116
51	Linden Grove Primary School, Kent	98	168	214	214	116
51	Roe Farm Primary School, Derby City	135	188	223	251	116
51	Tufnell Park Primary School, Islington	124	203	217	240	116
51	Summervale Primary School, Oldham	116	158	217	232	116
56	Portway Primary School, Newham	130	179	204	245	115
56	Whitmore Community School, Hackney	116	171	173	231	115
56	Wallop Primary School, Hampshire	185	258	271	300	115
59	Church, St Nicholas Church of England Primary School, Lancashire	133	216	238	247	114
60	West Drayton Primary School, Hillingdon	98	198	206	211	113
60	Holy Family Catholic Primary School, Ingol, Preston, Lancashire	139	210	240	252	113
62	Hillstone Primary School, Birmingham	139	181	234	251	112
62	Heyworth Primary School, West Sussex	182	262	273	294	112
64	Newington Green Primary School, Islington	110	164	195	221	111
64	Skerton Community Primary School, Lancashire	95	155	205	206	111
64	Daleacre Community Primary School, Sefton	100	179	205	211	111
67	Trinity Church of England Primary School, Wolverhampton	157	216	254	267	110
67	Hunslet St Mary's Church of England Primary School, Leeds	140	180	229	250	110
67	Stoneleigh Primary School, Oldham	117	150	176	227	110
67	Coleford Primary School, Kingston upon Hull, City of	111	114	220	221	110
71	Southwark Junior School, Nottingham, City of	101	143	197	210	109
71	Hither Green Primary School, Lewisham	104	156	174	213	109
71	King Charles Primary School, Walsall	105	123	131	214	109
71	Brentnall Primary School, Salford	155	183	255	264	109
75	Orchard Primary School, Hackney	136	157	195	244	108
75	Netherton CofE Primary School, Dudley	164	191	204	272	108
75	Francis Edmonds Combined School, Buckinghamshire	96	178	193	204	108
75	South Kirkby Burntwood Junior and Infant School, Wakefield	92	144	180	200	108
75	St James's and St Michael's CofE Voluntary Aided Primary School, Westminster, City of	133	219	235	241	108
80	Barmston Village Primary School, Sunderland	130	210	232	237	107
80	St Paul's CofE Primary School, Newcastle upon Tyne	124	128	210	231	107
82	Weavers Close Church of England Primary School, Leicestershire	108	213	213	214	106
82	Meadowbank Primary School and Nursery Education Centre, Wigan	146	217	239	252	106
82	St Hilda's Roman Catholic Voluntary Aided Primary School, Sunderland	132	165	180	238	106
82	Lawn Primary School, Kent	63	82	126	169	106
86	Lytham St Annes Mayfield Primary School, Lancashire	152	255	257	257	105
86	Ewanrigg Junior School, Cumbria	136	205	217	241	105
86	Petteril Bank School, Cumbria	50	124	150	155	105
89	Britannia Community Primary School, Lancashire	166	221	252	270	104
89	Allens Rough Primary School, Walsall	170	248	258	274	104
91	Owton Manor Primary School, Hartlepool	67	114	161	170	103
91	St Andrew's Methodist Primary School, Salford	191	267	282	294	103
91	Bower Norris Catholic Primary School, Staffordshire	158	245	254	261	103
94	Hythe Primary School, Surrey	169	260	263	271	102
94	Southwick Church of England Primary School, Wiltshire	183	276	281	285	102
96	Ealdham Primary School, Greenwich	113	130	167	214	101
96	Paxton Primary School, Lambeth	185	230	276	286	101
96	Heron Cross Primary School, Stoke on Trent	92	139	175	193	101
99	St Thomas Cantilupe CofE Primary School, Herefordshire	170	229	250	270	100
99	Gainsborough Primary School, Hackney	80	129	173	180	100
99	Hurdsfield Community Primary School, Cheshire	167	173	214	267	100