By Harrison Cox

A SOUTHAMPTON school has been rated good in all areas by Ofsted.

Inspectors found pupils at The Polygon School became more confident and had greater self-esteem.

The school, in Handel Terrace, Southampton, is a specialist school for boys with complex neurodevelopmental disorders such as autism and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder.

The Ofsted inspection awarded the school a good grade, better than their previous inspection where they were rated as requires improvement.

Inspectors found that the pupils who attend the engagement centre had an individual curriculum carefully tailored to their needs and future aspirations.

The report states: “Teaching is good because staff help pupils to re-engage with their learning.

“Positive relationships rapidly develop. Pupils say that the staff at this school really care about them.”

It adds: “The school’s work to promote pupils’ personal development and welfare is good.”

Inspectors also observed positive relationships throughout the school.

“Pupils were seen to treat each other with respect and listen to what others have to say. In school, staff have high expectations and frequently encourage pupils to ‘have a go’ at new activities.

“This helps pupils to become successful learners,” the report said.

Inspectors also praised the school for how teachers and other staff give pupils the self-belief to succeed, stating: “Often pupils arrive at the school with low starting points when compared to others of the same age, however they are making progress, which is down to the staff.”

The report also says the behaviour of pupils is good. “Although there are some incidents of very challenging behaviour when pupils first arrive, records show that these diminish the longer the pupil is at the school,’’ it states.

The inspection team visited every teacher and class group over a two-day period. As well as speaking to pupils and scrutinising their academic work, the inspectors spoke to a number of parents and carers.

Head teacher Anne Hendon-John was thrilled.

She said: “The feedback from our parents was exceptional. I was delighted to hear the favourable comments, where parents had identified that the transfer of their child to The Polygon School had been a positive life changing experience.”

Fourteen of the pupils have recently achieved academic success with religious education and entry level English.