A RURAL school which is believed to have been paid for from the winnings of a racehorse wants to gain a reputation for producing thoroughbreds of its own.

Thorneyholme RC Primary School, at Dunsop Bridge, near Clitheroe, was built in 1865 and caters for 44 pupils, only nine of which are Catholic as the school is primarily a community school.

The building was erected in the same year that the village's St Hubert's Roman Catholic Church was consecrated and is a direct result of the village's connections with the Catholic Towneley family of Burnley.

The family was a strong influence in the area and owned several stables filled with excellent racing stock.

One such animal was the famous Kettledrum, a chestnut stallion with three white socks which won the 1861 Derby at odds of 16-1 and was revered among the country's racing circuit.

The proceeds of the horse's winnings are said to have financed the building of the church and, more than likely, the school soon after.

Ofsted inspectors have now praised its results in national tests as being 'consistently high' and at the same time, providing a happy and caring environment which recognises everyone as a valued individual.

And head teacher Andrew Wood said he wanted the school to be known for the way it educated its pupils just as much as its other connections.

They felt the pupils had a very positive attitude to learning over the broad curriculum and the attainment of English and maths at age 11 was judged to be very high and well above average in science. Pupils were said to achieving well in other subjects such as information and communication technology, and religious studies with the exception of physical education where standards are described as just satisfactory.

However, the inspectors recognised that a recent extension to the school would provide a more effective delivery of physical education.

Those pupils which go through school with special educational needs require- ments, of which there are currently four, generally maintain standards not significantly different from the national average by the time they leave.

Inspectors praised the good behaviour of the pupils and regarded them as 'enthusiastic and confident learners'. They felt their personal development was good and work well with others. They are punctual and lessons start promptly.

It was felt improvements could be made towards time allocation to support professional development, especially that of the recently appointed headteacher, and to meet the demands of continuous monitoring of the curriculum and of teaching is insufficient. The areas for improvement will form the basis of the governors' action plan.

Andrew Wood, headteacher of the school who joined the staff last Easter, said he was pleased with the inspectors' findings.

"The school is proud of its connections with the Towneley family and the history surrounding Kettledrum but equally proud of its high standard of teaching and the achievements of its pupils."

"We were very pleased that the inspection team recognised the hard work that the pupils, staff, parents and governors put into the school, and the favourable comments on a small school are worthy of note.

"Some people in the educational bureaucracy think that small schools are inefficient and unable to successfully deliver the best of the Government's literacy and numeracy initiatives. They are wrong!" concluded Mr Wood.