A SECONDARY school in Selby district has been given top marks in its latest report - less than a year after winning specialist arts status.

Selby High School was praised in its Ofsted report, published this week, and judged as "outstanding" in the quality of care, guidance and support offered to students.

The school gained specialist status in performing and visual arts in June, and head teacher Paul Eckersley said the award had given the school a huge boost.

Mr Eckersley said: "I am delighted with the report. We have come a long way in two-and-a-half years. We got the specialist status at the first time of asking.

"I was delighted that they recognised how far the school and the members of the leadership team have come."

Inspectors said the school is "good" across a range of categories including personal development, the well-being of students, and the curriculum.

The report said: "In many subjects, achievements were significantly better than students in schools in similar circumstances."

It said the school's curriculum is good and provides "a wide and balanced programme".

After gaining the special status, the school was handed £150,000 to develop drama, music and art facilities.

It will also receive an extra £123,000 every year for the next four years to run new courses, offer extra-curricular activities and boost students' achievement.

Mr Eckersley said the school had already widened the curriculum and established links with primary schools after gaining the status.

He said two state-of-the-art dance and drama studios will be installed in the school by the end of September, and he revealed plans to turn the school's main hall into a performance space that will seat almost 300 people.

"The initial impact is already beginning to show, but the real impact will come next year," he said.

"We are beginning to lay the foundation stones in terms of what we can offer our youngsters, the wider community and younger students at primary school."

He added: "The targets we have set ourselves are very challenging but we are extremely hopeful that we will achieve those aims for the best quality of education for our youngsters."