A SCHOOL for troubled students facing exclusion from their own classrooms — with centres in Totnes Newton Abbot — has been clocking up 'outstanding' results.

The Voyager specialist pupil referral units takes on youngsters aged from 11 to 14 years who are on the verge of being excluded from their school — or have already been told to leave and are waiting for a place in a new school.

The unit is based in Windmill House Totnes, but also has units at Seal Hayne, Newton Abbot and The Castle, Tiverton.

The aim of the units — which between them handle up to 45 youngsters at a time — is to turn the pupils back on to learning by getting them to believe in themselves.

A recent inspectors' report praising the unit, said youngsters enter Voyager 'switched off from learning and feeling a deep sense of failure' but concluded: "Creative leadership, an innovative curriculum and teaching geared to students' needs, successfully engage them with learning.

"Students who rarely attended their schools before, attend regularly because they enjoy learning for the first time. They soak up learning like a sponge through challenging and fun activities."

Students spend between half a term and two terms at one of the Voyager units following a specially devised curriculum.

It includes academic work but also improves social skills and offers a variety of outdoor activities.

Two Ofsted inspectors, led by Jeff Plumb, spent a day at Voyager recently and their report has just been published. It lists 27 separate areas of the PRU's work and judges 23 of them as outstanding.

"This is an outstanding centre. Achievement is outstanding." said Mr Plumb's report.

Mr Plumb says a very high proportion of students return successfully to mainstream schools and succeed academically.

Voyager headteacher Bryce Wilby said: "We have found that adventurous outdoor education can give the pupil a real opportunity to succeed at something they do not normally associate with learning."

The Ofsted report advises Voyager staff to ensure students review their own learning more and improve and work with Devon County Council to improve the accommodation.