Epsom College has been praised by inspectors after it was judged as “excellent” in all areas.

The Independent Schools Inspectorate (ISI), the equivalent of Ofsted for independent schools, awarded it the top grade following a visit in February.

Key findings focused on the day and boarding school’s pupils, praising their academic achievements, as well as personal development, as excellent.

The ISI report said: “The overall achievement of pupils is excellent, reflecting the school’s ambitious aim to prepare them for eventual entry to the most competitive universities.

“Pupils, including those identified as having SEND [special educational needs or disabilities] or EAL [English as an additional language] make excellent progress over time.

“School leaders make effective use of a well-developed assessment and tracking system, which enables them to identify differences in progress and put strategies in place to narrow the gap.

“Pupils participate actively in their own learning and this is fostered by a highly effective tutor system, along with the supportive and collaborative nature of both pastoral and academic staff.

“Thus, pupils have a clear vision of how well they are progressing.”

ISI inspectors judge schools as “unsatisfactory”, “sound”, “good” or “excellent” – and usually list areas they recommend to improve.

In Epsom College’s report there were no recommendations for improvement as all areas judged were rated as “excellent”.

Headmaster Jay Piggot said: “It’s very rare for a school to receive a report without recommendations.

“As the lead inspector made clear in her feedback, the ISI team may only make recommendations where there is clear evidence of a need for improvement and no such evidence was found at Epsom [College].

“I am pleased that the inspection report acknowledges the advancement of the college in recent years.

“This progress has been, and continues to be, a collective effort from all members of the college community and I think governors, parents, pupils and staff for all we have achieved.

“It has been and remains a pleasure.”

Epsom College, in College Road, is an independent day and boarding school for 11-to-18-year-olds with 900 pupils on its roll.

ISI inspectors visited between February 5 and 7 before publishing the latest findings of their inspection.