A RESIDENTIAL school for boys near Chippenham has been rated good by Ofsted and praised for encouraging pupils to be ambitious about their future.

Notton House near Lacock is an academy for boys, aged eight to 19, and supports a wide range of young people with special educational needs and disabilities, ranging from social, emotional and mental health to speech, communication and autistic spectrum conditions.

Head teacher Michelle Reysenn said: “I’m so proud of the team and the pupils here at Notton House Academy.

“Our number one focus is to provide the highest quality education and care possible for the young people we support and it’s great that this has been recognised in this report.

“We will keep working hard in the year ahead and continue to develop our school as we strive to help the pupils achieve their ambitions and obtain a high-quality education.”

The inspection, which took place in mid-May, praised staff for showing empathy and having a calm and consistent approach to supporting pupils when they are struggling.

Ofsted praised the quality of the curriculum and noted that staff understood that pupils needed to learn in a way that is individual to them.

The provision for pupils beyond their academic learning was also highlighted in the report, particularly the strong offer of therapies and other targeted support to meet pupils’ social and emotional needs.

And it was noted that project-based learning about the different continents, keeping up to date with current affairs and national and international events, helped pupils learn to be respectful and appreciate diversity, different religions and cultures.

The school was also praised for its careers education, which gives pupils the opportunities to meet a range of employers and to inspire them and increase their knowledge of the world of work.