THE remarkable turnaround of one of the district’s primary schools has been praised by the Hexham’s MP, Guy Opperman.

Whitfield Primary School looked set to close in 2016, but was saved at the last moment and joined the Good Shepherd multi-academy trust.

Head of school Katherine Ayre said: “All stakeholders at our school are delighted with the way school is progressing now.

“Our KS2 progress scores last year put Whitfield in the top five per cent of schools for progress in reading and maths, and in the top 25 per cent of schools for writing.”

Following a visit to the school, Mr Opperman said: “Whitfield is clearly a school which is on the up.

“It has great leadership and a highly committed staff team. Educational standards are rising and the pupils seem incredibly happy and engaged. The energy and sense of optimism is genuinely impressive.”