A school for pupils with social emotional and behavioural difficulties has been taken off special measures after two years.

Government inspectors declared Bessels Leigh School, near Abingdon, is no longer failing.

Her Majesty's Inspector of Schools praised progress but said more work still needed to be done if recent advances were to continue.

School principal John Boulton said: "This is good news particularly as we are celebrating our 40th anniversary this year. We have addressed the issues set out and it is a tribute to the hard work and dedication of all our staff and the work of pupils."

Bessels Leigh School is an independent residential school for boys aged between 10 and 17 with social emotional and behavioural difficulties. There are 29 pupils placed by local education authorities from all over the country.

Six pupils live at the school all year. The school has 45 full and part-time staff. It is not maintained by the local education authority but run by a charitable trust and is funded by education authorities that send pupils to the school.

It opened in 1964 and is one of nearly 40 similar schools in the country.

A few pupils come from minority ethnic backgrounds but none has English as an additional language. Many pupils come from disadvantaged circumstances and their families are themselves experiencing difficulties.

An inspection of the school in May 2002 was critical of many aspects of work and the school was made subject to special measures because it was failing to give its pupils an acceptable standard of education.

The governors drew up an action plan to address the key issues and the school was visited by inspectors on four occasions to monitor the progress being made. In March this year an inspection said the school should be taken off special measures.

WHAT THE INSPECTORS SAID:

* Standards in most subjects are rising steadily for the majority of pupils. Although most pupils start in the school achieving well below their potential, many make up significant ground, especially in English, mathematics, science and information and communication technology.

* The pupils are making good progress in literacy as a result of the improved teaching of English. The specialist teaching of reading is having a very positive impact on standards, the pupils' self-esteem and their confidence.

* Standards of numeracy are improving and the standards pupils achieve in ICT have improved significantly.

* The pupils' behaviour is satisfactory overall and their spiritual, moral and social development is satisfactory. The provision for their cultural development is satisfactory.

The proportion of good teaching has increased since May 2002 and recent improvements have been maintained.

The leadership and management of the school are satisfactory. The trustees are well led and have a clear view of the strengths and weaknesses of the school. The principal has worked closely with the trustees to develop a clear sense of direction for the school.

Need to improve :

There are too few opportunities for pupils to appreciate music and performance.

The school needs to continue to improve the consistency of the teaching across all subjects and extend the curriculum to increase the provision for music and the performing arts.

The trustees, headteacher, senior managers and staff need to develop further strategies to improve the behaviour of pupils and to meet the pupils' emotional needs more fully.

There needs to be a wider range of therapeutic support.

INSPECTION SUMMARY