An academy trust’s boss has praised his pupils after they were rated among the best in the country.

Purleigh Primary School’s SATs results saw the school soar ahead of the national average.

The school is part of the Eveleigh Link Academy Trust, which has now moved into the top 15 per cent of schools nationally.

Joe Figg, headteacher of the school and chief executive of the trust, said: “We are very proud of everyone in the school community. It is all about our most able children who performed so well.

“We as a school are continuing to improve and that is showing with the whole trust too.

“Progress is so important. We really want to continue building our multi-academy trust in Maldon and Burnham.”

The school saw about a quarter of its 11-year-old pupils achieve marks above the higher standard.

In both reading and maths the school came above the national average.

Mr Fig said the school performed the best out of all the schools in the Purleigh area in writing, with three per cent of pupils scoring above average marks.

Mr Figg says the school’s success of the school has come is a result of the multi-academy trust it is part of.

He was proud of all five schools in the trust, saying: “We have a successful multi-academy trust where we are in the top 15 per cent in the three subjects.

“That has come from teachers working together with our pupils. It is also a case of teachers teaching teachers and school-to-school support.

“We have five schools in our trust. They are all of a similar size and we have been able to provide the support the children and the schools needed to perform.

“We are just over the moon with what the trust has been able to achieve.”