GIGGLESWICK School is celebrating after receiving the highest possible 'excellent' ratings by the Independent Schools Inspectorate.

The independent school, near Settle, which has 462 pupils on its roll, including 215 boarders, was judged 'excellent' in both the academic and other achievements of its pupils, and their personal development.

The inspection, carried out in May, looked at both the educational quality of the school and its compliance with standards. Schools are required to meet minimum standards, under the ISI inspection, and are judged to be either 'met' or 'not met'.

It was found to have met standards in all eight areas, including quality of leadership, the welfare, health and safety of pupils, their spiritual, moral, social and cultural development, and the quality of education.

Inspectors also recommended to the Department for Education the school's proposal to increase numbers from its current capacity of 471 to 545.

Sam Hart, headmaster, said: “We are thrilled to receive the highest possible grading for the school, and it is testament to the absolutely superb team I have around me, supporting our young people in all areas of school life.

"Since my appointment, I have been absolutely committed to helping the school to build from a position of strength and to further enhance our reputation as one of the leading schools in the country, providing an all-round education and building skills for life. We look forward to continuing to deliver excellence over the coming years.”

Inspectors concluded that pupils achieved highly in a range of extra curricular and sporting activities with many achieving success in regional and national competitions.

They also had positive attitudes to learning, were hardworking and resilient, had 'excellent understanding of themselves', were self-confident and showed 'outstanding levels of respect and inclusivity'.

In order to do better, the school has been advised to "encourage pupils to develop their initiative further by providing more opportunities to take ownership of their learning within lessons".

The report states:“Pupils are determined and diligent learners, with an evident desire to succeed. This enthusiasm for learning is also embedded in the broader ethos of the school, which promotes a collegiate approach to pupils ' learning, with older pupils regularly helping younger ones."

It adds: "Pupils achieve well in all areas of the curriculum, thus fulfilling the school's aim to produce curious, skilled, and passionate learners."

Pupils at the school come from a wide range of backgrounds. Day pupils come from a 20 mile radius of the school, while the majority of boarders are from the UK. International boarders are from a range of European and world-wide countries.