A Chorley school is celebrating after being named as the 30th most improved school in England.

Chorley All Saints Primary School and Nursery Unit, Moor Road, has been included in the Department for Education and Skills list of top 100 schools over the period 2003-2005.

In particular there has been a significant improvement in both English and mathematics in Key Stage 2 tests.

Delighted head teacher Andy Purcell hailed hard work and an innovative approach to the subjects taught as the keys to the school's success.

He said: "The inclusion on the list is reward for the huge efforts of staff, governors, parents and most importantly the children.

"We have employed a creative approach to the subjects with innovative methods used to teach the core skills of literacy and numeracy.

"We have also founded a breakfast club where many of the children arrive at 8.15 to have a breakfast which means they are settled and ready to learn come the start of lessons."

All Saints have also been hailed for their achievement by Chorley MP Lindsay Hoyle.

He said: "I have written to the headteacher of All Saints in order to congratulate the school on this wonderful achievement.

"Our schools continue to get better and better and the commitment to education in the Chorley area has once again proved to be second to none.

"To reach the list of top 100 most improved schools over the period 2002-2005 is a major achievement of which everyone involved with the school can be proud.

"I am sure that the school will go from strength to strength and standards will continue to rise."

In Chorley as a whole, the league tables showed schools performing well.

County councillor Alan Whittaker, Lancashire County Council cabinet member for schools, said: "We are maintaining the improvement momentum that we achieved in recent years.

"The figures show our pupils advancing well in English, improving slightly in maths and holding steady in science.

"Performance in all three subjects is ahead of the national average and this reflects the heavy investment made in education by Lancashire County Council."