YOUNG people who did not achieve the results they were capable of in mainstream school are now blossoming thanks to the work of staff at a “welcoming and secure” centre.

The Personal Learning Centre, formerly the Young Mums Unit, has been marked outstanding by school inspectors, who found pupils who had not attended school for months were making strong progress ­— and enjoyed learning.

The top mark was awarded as the school celebrated its first anniversary in its new site in Chorley Street, Bolton.

The Personal Learning Centre is for young people who are not suited to mainstream schools for a number of reasons which could include emotional and social issues or pregnancy.

Inspectors found the leadership team has maintained the “outstanding quality of education”.

Inspectors reported: “You and your team provide excellent support for pupils who have various needs. Many have not attended school at all for some months before they come to you.

“At The Personal Learning Centre, they find a welcoming and secure environment that enables them to blossom.”

Ofsted praised the support the school gives pupils, which includes visiting pupils at their homes to teach them and rebuild their confidence, which “contributes to the very strong progress that pupils make”.

Pupils’ attitudes to learning were described as excellent with them wanting to do “their very best” and enjoyed their time at school.

Parents said that leaders “accurately assess” the underlying causes of the difficulty their children have in minainstream education and that they made “excellent progress with both their emotional and their academic development” at the school.

Paul Hodgkinson, executive principal, said a fall in teenage pregnancies meant more children who were not suited to mainstream school were able to benefit from the school’s smaller setting.

“This has been a real success story, children are achieving and are fully engaged with education.

“Some of the pupils have not attended school for six months to a year. We have worked with them to find a strategy which has worked for them to re-engage them back into education.

“The students will go on to college or employment, with all of them having positive destinations.

“The Ofsted has been a huge boost for staff who work really hard and it has been recognised they provide high level provision.”

The double celebration was marked with a visit from the Mayor of Bolton and, of course, cakes. which pupils had baked.