The ultimate and unusual accolade has been paid to Keston Infants and Nursery School by OFSTED inspectors who concluded there were no areas in which it could improve.

Headteacher Linda Hall said: "Obviously I'm very pleased. It's recognition of the hard work that everybody connected with the school has put in. Our teachers work extremely hard and we feel we give the children a very good education."

The two day inspection took place during March when three inspectors focused on what the 301-pupil school does well and what could be improved.

OFSTED summarised the school as outstanding with consistent and very good teaching promoting and sustaining the highest standards.

The school's results are in the highest five per cent in the country. The inspectors wrote: "The school has a strong culture of self evaluation. There are no areas in which the school could, realistically, improve further.

"This is an outstanding school. The school provides a high quality of education for all its pupils which enables them to develop self-confidence, very positive attitudes to learning and achieve their best."

Croydon's director of education, David Sands, said: "The school is extremely fortunate to have such hard working and dedicated staff who are led by an outstanding headteacher in Linda Hall."