A special school which was previously ordered to improve by the education watchdog has made ‘rapid progress’ and been upgraded to a “Good” rating.

Nexus in Upper Haysden Lane, Tonbridge is an all-age foundation special school for children with profound, severe and complex learning difficulties.

The school also operates a satellite site for primary-age pupils from Wouldham, All Saints Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School.

Four years ago Ofsted rated the education provider, which has more than 250 pupils enrolled, as “Requires Improvement”.

However, following its latest visit it has since been upgraded to “Good” overall and was named “Outstanding” for behaviour and attitudes, as well as personal development.

Inspectors found that all students at the school are “exceptionally well cared for and supported by staff and leaders”.

Staff understand pupils’ special educational needs and disabilities, including their communication needs, and leaders build every pupil a “very personalised” curriculum.

The report stated: “Leaders and staff plan each pupil’s day extremely carefully to enable them to access learning, and the wider life of the school, in a way that works for them.

“As a result, pupils across the school are motivated and engaged with learning. They persist when they find things hard.”

Older students also get the opportunity to go off site and apply life skills they’ve learnt at school.

Inspectors said support is “expertly delivered” by teachers, therapists and support staff work to make sure every pupil gets the provision set out in their education, health and care plans.

Since the previous inspection, leaders have made “rapid progress” with their early reading curriculum and have introduced a new phonics programme. Staff have also had in-depth training in how to teach phonics and early reading.

Leaders have also worked to strengthen the quality of education in academic subjects and progress has reportedly been made, the report said.

However, the school still needs to improve in some areas.

In some subjects, for pupils on a pathway with an increased focus on academic subjects, leaders have not considered carefully enough the important knowledge they want pupils to learn.

They have not broken learning down into small steps that will make sure leaders teach precisely and “ensure success for all”, inspectors stated.

As well as this, there is not always a consistency of approach across phases and pathways. As a result, some pupils do not progress through the curriculum as well as they could.

Leaders need to continue their work to develop the curriculum, and ensure teachers have the subject-specific expertise to deliver the curriculum consistently, it has been recommended.

The mixed school had its inspection on June 20 and 21 this year.

A spokesman for the school said: “We are very proud to share that Ofsted have graded Nexus Foundation Special School as good overall, with outstanding in the areas of behaviour and attitude and personal development.

“We have also been graded as effective in all areas of safeguarding. This is a testament to the hard work and dedication of the whole school community.”