DIDCOT’S St Birinus School is celebrating after Ofsted inspectors rated the boys’ school good — a grade better than the town’s girls’ school.

An Ofsted report found the school provided outstanding pastoral care, good teaching with outstanding practice and good, above-average achievement.

The Mereland Road school, which has 1,259 pupils and 182 sixth formers, achieved the same grade as when it was last inspected three years ago.

Inspectors said attendance was particularly impressive and the vast majority of pupils behaved well in lessons and around the school.

Janet Mercer, of Ofsted, said: “Relationships between students and staff are very positive. The school has made significant improvements in its systems for monitoring and evaluating the quality of teaching since the last inspection in 2006.

“The curriculum is well planned and the specialist status has widened provision in modern foreign languages and technology. Good practice and expertise are shared with all the feeder primary schools.”

The report also praised the sixth form, set up in partnership with Didcot Girls’ School.

Ms Mercer said: “Successful partnership with other schools and colleges have ensured appropriate vocational options for students in Years 10 and 11 and a wide choice of A-Level subjects in the sixth form.”

Headteacher Chris Bryan said: “The inspection team was very impressed with all aspects of our work.

“We were particularly delighted that the personal development and wellbeing of pupils – together with our care, guidance and support – was regarded as outstanding.

“This is a tribute to our staff who devote so much of their time to this.”

The report added the school needed to improve systems for monitoring attendance in the sixth form and increase challenges in lessons for the most able students to raise achievement of the highest grades.

hcover@oxfordmail.co.uk