A primary school in Lichfield is one of only six in the country in line for a prestigious award recognising its strong links with the local community.

Chadsmead Primary School in Friday Acre has discovered it has been selected as a finalist for the Outstanding Primary School Community Involvement award, sponsored by the Times Educational Supplement. Now proud headteacher Lester Davies is preparing to travel to London next month to attend the TES Schools Awards, hosted by Rory Bremner.

The school found out it was among the regional finalists in March, but now judges have whittled down the hundreds of contenders to just six from across the country.

“We’re really excited,” said Mr Davies. “It’s fantastic to have even got this far.

“I, and a couple of other members of staff, will be going to London for the awards on June 9, so we’ll keep our fingers crossed.”

The award recognises the way schools use the local community to provide interesting and exciting experiences for their children.

And the awards nod is not the only achievement being celebrated at the north Lichfield primary school.

A recent visit from Ofsted led inspectors to describe the school as “outstanding”.

Aspects singled out for praise included excellent teaching, strong relationships, and the exemplary behaviour of pupils.

The Ofsted report reads: “Chadsmead provides outstanding education that meets children’s learning and individual needs extremely well. All staff are committed to the task of giving the children the best possible start to their education. This is a school that is keen to keep improving, and its capacity for further improvement is extremely good.”

It also praises head Mr Davies for “strong leadership and a clear philosophy for enabling pupils to achieve well”.