A WEST Devon school which provides education and care for boys with severe emotional and behavioural problems is celebrating, after being presented with the coveted Investors in People award. Chelfham Senior School, which has bases at Kilworthy in Tavistock and at Bere Alston, has worked hard to support its staff with training and development, providing them with the skills and self-confidence needed to support the education of students with huge challenges. Its commitment to its staff has earned the school an excellent reputation, which has been borne out by its recent Ofsted report. Will Crosby, principal, said: ?We?re delighted to be recognised as an Investor in People. ?Our mission statement is to provide a caring and consisent living and learning environment, in which students feel safe and valued and are encouraged to achieve their full potential. ?We can only achieve this if we are providing our staff with the opportunities they need to meet the challenges they face on a daily basis. Our staff, our pupils and their families deserve nothing less.? There are 186 staff at Chelfham School, who provide care for 68 young people throughout the year. Some of the students have complete 52-week placements ? others are termly boarders. Such is the reputation at Chelfham, it is now accepting students from throughout the country, who suffer from a wide variety of disorders, including many within the autistic spectrium, obsessive compulsive disorders and Pradi-Willi syndrome. Staff training is extensive and varied and includes distance learning, coaching, external courses, visits from outside speakers and on the job training. Most have NVQ qualifications at levels 3, 4 and 5 and others are undertaking open university degrees, sponsored by the school. Investors in People assessor Derek Johnson said: ?The dedication of staff to students is totally apparent, with very visible examples of support, camaraderie, encouragement, recognition and when necessary, appropriate discipline.?