A SPECIAL SCHOOL has received a prestigious award and could become an Outstanding soon, according to Ofsted.

Oastlers School, in Flockton Road, East Bowling, received The National Nurturing Schools Award last Friday.

It was also graded as Good again by Ofsted, after a two-day inspection on December 3 and December 4 last year.

The education watchdog also outlined in its report that Oastlers could be judged as Outstanding, if it were to carry out a Section 5 inspection now.

A Section 5 inspection is the only way a school can change its grade.

The school - which now has 95 pupils enrolled - takes in children with social, emotional and mental health needs.

Students join the school from Year 7, but also at other times too, and the number of pupils has increased significantly since its previous inspection in March 2015 - when it was also rated Good.

Ofsted said in the latest report that at Oastlers School students "learn to believe in themselves".

The report continues: "Despite the many challenges pupils face in their lives, pupils gain GCSEs, move on to college and get jobs.

"Pupils aspire to live happy and fulfilling lives. They know that to achieve this, they must work hard and behave well."

This focus on the personal development is a major strength, Ofsted said.

The report states: "From the start, staff help pupils to be well prepared for their next steps.

"Pupils learn about how to pay bills, how to apply for a job and the risks of drugs and criminal gangs."

Staff also take students on a variety of trips, such as tours of stately homes, theatre shows and a visit to London.

These out-of-school experiences include those which will further help students in the future as pupils meet potential employers, visit different workplaces and practise their interview skills.

Oastlers School also has a strong charity focus.

Last year, pupils raised more than £3,000 for multiple charities.

One example of how they did this was running a coffee morning in aid of Macmillan Cancer Support.

By benefiting pupils and the community, the work Oastlers School is doing fits in with the ethos of the Nurture Group Network (NGN).

NGN is the body that runs the National Nurturing Schools Programme, which focuses on developing and embedding a nurturing culture throughout a participating school.

A school can then take it one step further and gain recognition for achieving a higher level of nurturing provision.

This is the National Nurturing School Award, which is assessed and awarded by the NGN.

Oastlers School were presented this accolade by Angie Franklin from the NGN in a celebration assembly at 10am on Friday, January 24.

Headteacher Lyndsey Brown said: "The Oastlers community is thrilled to have received the award from NurtureUK.

"It demonstrates the level of commitment and dedication the staff team provide our learners and their families.

"It is a very proud moment, to be recognised for such an achievement.

"Our recent Ofsted inspection ratified the work taking place in our fabulous school.

"We will look forward to the forthcoming Section 5 inspection as a result of such an affirming inspection in December."

These two significant achievements come after Oastlers was at the bottom of the Progress 8 rankings for 2018, when the latest league tables were released in October 2019.