A specialist school for children with autism has been described as ‘outstanding’ following an Ofsted inspection.

The National Autistic Society’s Radlett Lodge School in Harper Lane has achieved a ‘Good’ Ofsted rating for its residential provision, with ‘Outstanding’ features, following a recent inspection. The school is rated as ‘Outstanding’ for its education provision.

The NAS Radlett Lodge School first opened in 1974. It caters for up to 55 pupils in its day school and also runs a modern, purpose-built home called the Lodge in the school grounds where children stay on a weekly, termly or flexi-boarding basis.

Ofsted inspected the Lodge between June 12 and 14. They gave an overall rating of ‘Good’, stating that the effectiveness of leaders and managers is ‘Good’ and how well children and young people are helped and protected is ‘Outstanding’.

The inspectors highlight the high standard of care offered to pupils, noting that, “the children flourish; for some this is life changing”.

The report also praises the expertise of the staff, stating that they “understand and are responsive to the unique needs of each child” and recognising the “excellent” attendance rate of pupils.

Jeremy Keeble, Principal at Radlett Lodge School, said: “Everyone at Radlett Lodge School has high ambitions for our pupils. I’m delighted that the progress of the children and young people living in the Lodge, and the hard work of the team, have been recognised by Ofsted.

“We’re constantly trying to improve and make sure we give our pupils the best possible start in life. A huge part of this is preparing them for the world and developing their life skills, so they can be as independent as possible. It’s really good to see this part of our work highlighted by the inspectors – and the parents they spoke to.

“Being autistic can be hard at times but we’ve seen again and again how understanding and the right support can make all the difference.”