A TIDWORTH school is 'delighted' after it received top honours from an education watchdog.

The Wellington Academy has been rated as 'outstanding' by Ofsted after a recent social care inspection in to the boarding school provision at the facility.

It was marked 'outstanding' in overall experiences and progress of children and young people and the effectiveness of leaders and managers.

It was also seen to be 'good' in how well children and young people are helped and protected.

In a report, the inspector said: "Residential students make exceptional progress both academically and personally.

"They develop significant confidence and skills to progress onto chosen career paths and mentoring programmes.

"Residential students' academic progress exceeds that of day students."

The report added 88 per cent of residential students applied to university and all of them were accepted, including five international students who chose to remain in the UK.

Leaders and managers were described as "ambitious" for students' achievement and develop "inspirational" practice.

Through feedback from a survey carried out in October last year it showed students felt safe and secure.

The inspector also said the director of boarding had devised a number of other new practices.

For example after undertaking a one-year piece of research into sleeping needs of young people, this resulted in older residential students being allowed to stay up later and attend school later in the morning.

In order for the school to further improve, the report said the school should update its CCTV policy and review use of surveillance cameras inside the boarding accommodation.

It should also implement a stand-alone female genital mutilation (FGM) policy to raise awareness of leaders and managers further.

The report added some of its boarding students come from backgrounds where they may be at risk from FGM, which is discussed with all students and staff along with some training.

The Wellington Academy’s state boarding provision opened in 2009 and takes students in Year 7 to Year 13.

The Wellington College Academy Trust is part of the Wellington College family of schools, with the others being as far afield as China.

Abrilli Phillip, executive headteacher, said she was delighted by the result of the recent inspection, and proudly celebrated the second 'outstanding' Ofsted rating in the trust with the Nest nursery also based in Tidworth, recently being rated as 'outstanding' by inspectors.

Ms Phillip said: "The trust’s mission is to deliver an outstanding two year to 13-year-old provision for young people in the community and this Ofsted result confirms that we are well on our way of achieving that."

Director of boarding, Matt Price said: “I am extremely happy and proud with the report as it is a great endorsement and representation of the hard work and dedication that the whole boarding team contribute to, allowing us to create an outstanding environment in which the young people are happy, safe and cared for and where aspirations are limitless.”