INSPECTORS have praised a special school, saying it is “outstanding” in many areas.

Overall Southfield School, in Little Horton, was given a Good rating by Ofsted in a new report.

Inspectors gave the top rating to the school’s leadership, behaviour of pupils and sixth form provision after their visit last month.

It was the school’s first inspection since becoming an academy and the report shows the progress made since the last inspection in September 2011, when it was judged to require improvement overall.

The inspectors commented that “precisely targeted school development planning is leading to rapid improvements in all areas of the provision” and “students’ achievement is good and is improving.”

It said the most able students gained qualifications in reading, writing, communication and mathematics, while “students of lower ability make good strides in their personal, social and communication development.”

Headteacher Dominic Wall said: “We are delighted with the result of this inspection. To have three out of the five areas graded ‘outstanding’ and the other two ‘good’ is a great achievement.”

Southfield School is a generic special school, which provides a specialist education for students who have severe, profound and multiple learning difficulties, many of whom have autism spectrum conditions.

It currently has just under 220 pupils.