THE Castle School in Taunton has been graded Outstanding in a recent Ofsted inspection.

The report of the inspection, which was carried out last month, stated that “pupils flourish, they work hard, and their behaviour is exemplary”.

It also added that “the curriculum is broad and ambitious, with a rich set of experiences” and “teachers have expert knowledge and the school's approach to reading is highly ambitious”.

James Lamb, headteacher, said: “I am exceptionally proud of this outcome. Inspectors saw the school at its best, which is something I get to witness daily.

“The report highlights what wonderful students we have in the school and how we are committed to our vision of enabling every child to achieve, belong, and participate.

“I am especially pleased that the report recognises the work that we do to educate the ‘whole child’, helping to build character, whilst ensuring that we maintain our academic ambition for all our students.”

Mrs Watson, deputy CEO for the Blackdown Education Partnership and formerly CEO of The Castle Partnership Trust said: “I'm delighted that inspectors have recognised the exceptional quality of the provision at The Castle School under the superb leadership of Mr Lamb.

“There has always been an extremely strong sense of moral purpose and shared commitment from everyone in the school community, going back many years to Kevin Freedman, who was the Headteacher when The Castle School was previously judged Outstanding.

“This makes The Castle School a very special place. The sense of belonging and family underpins everything at The Castle School and is a key value of the new merged Trust, the Blackdown Education Partnership, which opened this academic year.”