EVERY parent wants their child to have the best chances in life and to fulfil their potential.

Outside of family life, a child's school experience is the most important part of his journey to adulthood.

So the school they attend every day from age four to age 11 is fundamental to a child's growth and development, emotionally, mentally, physically . . . as well as he small matter of learning.

A positive and affirming primary school experience is fundamental to a child being able to head to high school with the confidence and resilience he or she will need to make the most of the opportunities there and to be able to cope with the pressures there will be in that new environment. So a lot of responsibility rests with the teachers and staff at primary school . . . and that's before they even start teaching the basics of reading, writing and arithmetic!

So it's a credit to Bolton primary schools that yet again they can say with authority that they send children off to high school with standard assessment test scores that are above the national average. Particularly so, when many Bolton primary school children start school without the home learning advantages that other children across the country are privileged to enjoy.

We congratulate Bolton primary schools on the sterling job they do in teaching children the basics they need for life post-11. But also for doing so much more to enrich the lives of those children.