OKEHAMPTON College has again come out on top after receiving an outstanding report from Ofsted.

Inspectors said the college has a 'clear vision for future development', which is shared by the governing body, principal Daryll Chapman, senior staff and other leaders and managers.

In its report, Ofsted said: 'Okehampton is a good and rapidly improving college, the governors, the principal and the staff have created an outstandingly caring and supportive community where students flourish and develop as individuals.

'Students' progress is good because of the good teaching they receive and lessons are well planned, with engaging activities which ensure that most students are motivated.

'Students value the support they receive from their teachers, particularly the extra opportunities which are provided outside normal lessons.'

The report said the college made a good contribution to community cohesion and was very successful in engaging its students.

'It is exceptional in building links within the Okehampton learning community and the local community as a whole, where both the governors and the specialist status make important contributions.

'The college has the International School Award and good links with schools overseas, as well as with others in contrasting areas in Britain.'

The inspector said the sixth form had improved as a wider range of courses had been put in place to meet the needs of students where academic courses are not the most suitable.

'These courses meet students' needs well, as is shown by the large numbers who complete them successfully.

'They play a key part in keeping students involved in learning and preparing further for their working lives.'

Mr Chapman said: 'We are very pleased that Ofsted have recognised the progress and improvements the college has made over recent years.

'This year we are ranked in the top 18 per cent of schools in the country for the work we do with students between key stage two and key stage four.

'A few years ago we were placed 24th out of 37 secondary schools in Devon and we have now moved up to fifth place in both headline figures and contextual value added scores at key stage four.'

The college, which was described by Ofsted as having a 'high performing specialist status for technology and applied learning', has seen students in Year 9 gain above average standards in English, mathematics and science.

The proportion of students who achieve five A* to C grades at GCSE, including English and mathematics, was above average in 2008.

The college offers students a comfortable environment in which to study, said Mr Chapman, who believes that is part of its continuing success.

'The majority of visitors mention that they enjoy coming to the college as they are always impressed by the atmosphere and feel within the school.

'In terms of the inspection judgements, Ofsted consider the college to be outstanding in 15 areas, good in a further 22 areas and satisfactory in one.

'This indicates significant improvement on the previous Ofsted report of three years ago and we are incredibly proud of the performance of our students.

'The report bears testimony to the hard work and dedication of the staff, who genuinely care about how well the students do.

'As a result, we have seen a huge amount of interest from parents outside of our catchment, enquiring about securing placement for their child at Okehampton College and we expect this to increase as the reputation of the college continues to grow.

'While we have never been complacent, we have been pleased by the progress of the college and we will continue to strive for excellence in all we do.'

Chairman of Governors Ian Courtney said governors were delighted with the report.

'In a nutshell, to see the effort which the teachers and students put in actually recognised, is particularly rewarding.

'It's great that the atmosphere of Okehampton College has been noted.

'It's hard to create an atmosphere as special as the one the college has. As a result the students want to be there and the teachers want to teach.

'All the staff put in a huge amount of effort and I would like to thank everybody for all their hard work and determination.'

One area in which Ofsted asked the college to improve was in the opportunities for writing in different subjects. The report said these need to be more systematically planned to help the students to develop their skills more effectively.

The college has also been asked to extend the opportunities given for the students to consider how well they are doing in their work.