COTSWOLD Chine School in Box provides an 'outstanding' quality of education, according to its latest Ofsted report.

The school has successfully maintained its high standards from the previous inspection and students have made 'outstanding' progress because of the quality of the curriculum, teaching and assessment.

Also marked as 'outstanding' was the provision for the welfare, health and safety of the pupils and their spiritual, moral, social and cultural development and behaviour.

Cotswold Chine School, owned by the Novalis charitable trust, provides education for students with complex learning needs and significant problems associated with behavioural, emotional and social difficulties.

A third of the students are autistic and ages ranging between nine and 19.

The school opened in 1954, was last inspected in June 2006 and is dually registered as a children’s home.

As a Steiner school, it aims to provide a holistic approach to both care and education.

"I am immensely pleased with Ofsted's evaluation as it reflects the hard work and efforts of the students, teachers and staff at the school," said headteacher Maureen Smith.

"Many of the young people at the school have experienced difficulties within a more mainstream system but once settled they generally find that the school’s holistic approach to education and care provides them with an environment in which they can make progress and achieve both socially and academically."