JCoSS has received its best Ofsted report since opening 13 years ago, achieving the top inspection in three out of five categories.

It was ranked outstanding for personal development, pupil behaviour and attitudes, and sixthform studies, while achieving good in the remaining two areas and being rated good overall.

In each of its previous two full inspection, it had reached outstanding in one category.

Patrick Moriarty, who stepped down as head at the end of last term, said that as the bar for outstanding schools had increasingly been raised, “we are very pleased to have reached our highest set of judgments”.

The inspectors’ verdict “allows us to be more than satisfied that JCoSS was seen, valued and understood as the wonderful school it is”.

Describing the cross-communal school as “ambitious, supportive and inspiring”, inspectors said that leaders had embedded an “ethos that promotes tolerance and inclusion".

Careful thought went into how develop each child individually and teachers considered how to enrich the curriculum in all subjects.

“Pupils achieve highly and become confident and committed learners,” Ofsted reported. “They are encouraged to develop their own identity while learning to understand and celebrate that of others.”

Pupils behaved well with “very little time” lost to poor behaviour. They showed kindness and respect to others, whom they treated as equals.

“Rare occasions” of bullying were effectively dealt with and pastoral systems had been set up to help identify “where attendance or behaviour may indicate concerns about a pupil”.

Its sixth form “provides strong pastoral support and a highly ambitious offer”. Leaders ensure “ensure that a wide range of choices are on offer, even if group sizes are small”.

"When pupils have to make choices about their futures, they receive strong support," the inspection report said. "Careers education is carefully targeted to ensure that pupils learn about a range of options."

Inspectors had little criticism other than to say that in “a few instances”  leaders had not made sure their expectations were followed by all staff and this had led to inconsistencies in how pupils’ knowledge deepened over time.