A SCHOOL is celebrating ‘the best Christmas present’ after receiving a good Ofsted inspection.

Oversands School at Witherslack was praised for how its staff supports and cares for students and how the school creates a safe environment, among other commendations.

The inspection, which took place between October 19 and 21, saw the independent day and residential special school, gain a ‘good’ rating in all categories.

The report said: “Children receive individualised care from a stable and committed residential staff team.

“There is a culture of respect, tolerance and encouraging empathy of each other’s needs. Together, they build relationships demonstrating trust and reliability.”

The report also described how pupils felt the school had improved their lives and made them feel safe.

It also said the school’s leaders and managers are ‘child-focused and aspirational’.

“Children say that they feel safe at school and told inspectors how residential staff have helped them to better manage the risks in their lives at school and at home,” said the report.

“One child said, ‘Going to this school is worth it. Without it, I’d be nothing.’ Another child told inspectors that they were now more able to choose more positive friendships at home and had better relationships with their family because residential staff had helped them to understand how this could happen.”

The report did make a number of recommendations including the improved monitoring of records of children going missing, incidents and injuries to further enhance staff practice, ensure its compliance with the fire safety legislation through ‘improved oversight of fire exits and emergency staircases’ and ‘further enhance the plans for children’s development to help them to reach their full potential’.

Oversands’ head teacher Sarah Roscoe, said: “We are incredibly proud of our school and to gain a good Ofsted result for our wonderful residential provision is the best Christmas present for us all. “The residential staff team work tirelessly to support our children and their families, which is celebrated in this report and for which I am so grateful.”

Karen Appleby, Oversands School care manager, added: “I am so proud to be a part of the Oversands School team and to lead a tremendously dedicated group of staff in the residential part of our school. We provide amazing opportunities and experiences for our young people and we will continue to do so as that is what they deserve.”