OFSTED inspectors have congratulated Uplands School for its hard work in making learning fun for pupils.

Lead inspector Sarah Mascall wrote to the school last week to tell them teachers were working hard to make the school a great place.

She said: "You really enjoy going to school and being involved in all the activities.

"The school is very good at making sure you are safe and well looked after and your teachers try to make sure lessons are enjoyable and interesting."

Uplands School, in Tadpole Lane, provides for 79 pupils aged 11 to 19 with a range of special needs including severe learning difficulties, autistic spectrum disorder and those with profound and multiple learning difficulties.

The school was graded good' in the report with some outstanding features including attendance of pupils, how enjoyable they find lessons and the extent to which they make a positive contribution to the community.

Staff were praised for how well the school works in partnership with others to promote the pupils' well-being.

However there still is room for improvement with the pupils' overall achievements graded as inadequate.

The inspector wrote: "In order to make the school even better we have asked staff to: make better use of the information it has about how well you do so that it can be clear about what needs to be improved and so set itself targets that will make it even better."

Headteacher Mary Bishop says the school is working hard to improve its weaker aspects.

"We were given a few pointers by the inspectors and of course these are our priorities. We are very proud of the individual achievements our pupils make but of course there is always room for improvement," she said.

Since the last inspection, the school has moved from Uplands Road into a new purpose built school based on a campus that includes mainstream primary and secondary schools, as well as a primary special school.

Miss Bishop said the move has meant students are even better provided for with a school built specifically to cater for their everyday specialist needs.

"It's a great new building," she said.

"The past two years we've been here have provided great opportunities for the pupils and we are just so proud of the young adults they're becoming."