OFFICIALS have given New Struan School a largely positive report after inspecting the service earlier this year.

Improvements in the curriculum were welcomed, with praise given to their approach to supporting students’ emotional needs.

However, inspectors did note that “some further work remains to be done to improve aspects of learning and teaching”.

New Struan School, based on Smithfield Loan, Alloa, is an independent residential and day school for young people with an Autism Spectrum Disorder.

The report read: “Across the school, young people have positive, trusting relationships with staff and appear happy in school.

“The majority of young people are now more actively involved in their learning and have more opportunities to learn outdoors and in the community, developing and practising skills for life beyond school.

“When engaged in suitable, stimulating activities matched to their interests and abilities, young people are motivated, active participants and do more for themselves.

“There is a greater emphasis on young people understanding the purposes of lessons and how they can improve. We have asked the school to continue to develop this practice more consistently in all classes.

“The school is making good progress with its plans to improve the curriculum,” inspectors noted. “The school day is longer and staff are planning well for individuals and groups in most areas.

“There is still a need to further extend the school day and for staff to make better use of the time available for learning.”

It was also recognised that some New Struan students had been attending college and were “gaining skills and confidence through planned work experience”.

Inspectors said that, in developing the curriculum, the school has established links with partners in the community which had resulted in “improved learning opportunities for young people”.

Furthermore, the report also highlighted the staff’s ability to cater for the students’ emotional needs, adding: “The ‘traffic lights’ behaviour support plans reflect a very good understanding of young people’s anxieties and behaviour and provide practical strategies for staff to support them in times of stress.

“It is important to provide time for staff in care and education to work together to plan joint learning targets and support strategies to ensure that expectations are shared effectively.”

The report also added that the school’s “capacity for improvement has strengthened considerably since the original inspection” which was made in October 2014, with a follow up in June last year.

Inspectors said: “The senior leadership team has provided clear guidance and focused support to staff. They observe and monitor the quality of learning and teaching and provide robust feedback to staff which is leading to better learning experiences and improved outcomes for young people.

“However, not all staff have an accurate view of the quality of learning and teaching across the school. The senior leadership team need to continue to work with staff to build an understanding of high quality learning and teaching to meet the needs of young people.”

The report concluded: “Since the original inspection the school has made some important improvements. However, some further work still must be done to improve aspects of learning and teaching.”