SHEBBEAR College has been labelled 'outstanding' in helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do, according to their recent OFSTED Boarding Inspection.

The inspection, carried out in late November, rated the overall boarding provision as 'Good', gave credit to the boarding staff.

Inspectors said: 'The strength of Shebbear lies in the staff group and those who undertake boarding duties in particular.

'They give wholeheartedly to promote a spirit of community and instil mutual respect and responsibility throughout the pupil body.'

The report goes on to note the behaviour of pupils which reflects the values laid out by the school.

The overall student population was described as 'responsible, confident, respectful and polite'.

Headmaster Bob Barnes said he was extremely pleased the 'outstanding' contribution made by the boarding staff, led by head of boarding Lin Quirk, had been recognised.

He also praised the pupil body for making life such fun at Shebbear.

The headmaster went on to widen the praise of his pupils by commenting on the recent Government performance tables for GCSE and A Level.

He said according to the new measures of success Shebbear was 'markedly the best in North Devon and fourth in the county'.

'I am absolutely thrilled that 53% of our pupils achieve this level of success given that the national average is 15.6%. It highlights the strength of our broad curriculum and the hard work of both staff and pupils — they should feel a real sense of pride in this achievement,' said Mr Barnes.