A Heathfield school's record-breaking exam results and dramatic improvements in the classroom have chalked up an appointment for the head to meet with Prime Minister Tony Blair. St Catherine's C of E Primary and Nursery School is among the most improved schools in the country according to exam results lodged in the past four years and now headteacher, Maureen Bailey, has been invited to Number 10. She will attend a reception on May 10 where Mr Blair will pay tribute to her work and that of a select band of other headteachers who have achieved similar results. A delighted Mrs Bailey said: 'Naturally I am honoured to receive this invitation. But I would not have received it were it not for the hard work of all the staff and pupils at St Catherine's and the support of our families and the local community.' For pupils and staff at St Catherine's, the news of the prestigious trip comes shortly after the school moved into a new £3 million complex at the start of the academic year. It is much closer to the Heathfield community than the old site and has seven classrooms and a purpose built nursery. It can accommodate up to 210 pupils in addition to the nursery children and replaced ageing mobile cabins which were pressed into action as classrooms. Of the new school Mrs Bailey said: 'The children are absolutely bowled over by the facilities we are now able to offer them.' In the 2005 national SATs tests the number of pupils at St Catherine's gaining the expected Level 4 grade in English almost doubled from the pervious year's 48 per cent to 91 per cent. Maths results also improved significantly over the 2004 results, with Level 4 grades rising from 63 per cent to 78 per cent.
