High Grange School

High Grange School Hospital Lane, Mickleover, Derby, Derbyshire DE3 0DR

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Effectiveness of leadership and management Good

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Good

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Personal development, behaviour and welfare Outstanding

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Overall effectiveness at previous inspection Good

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

 Senior leaders and governors are ambitious for their pupils. They ensure that pupils receive the support and opportunities necessary to enable them to become confident and successful.  At all key stages, the carefully planned curriculum enables pupils to engage well with their learning and make at least good progress.  Teaching is good. Teachers plan activities well, paying close attention to pupils’ prior learning and their interests. Teaching assistants provide effective support.  Leaders regularly check the quality of teaching. They provide staff with frequent opportunities to share best classroom practice.  Pupils make outstanding progress in their personal development, behaviour and welfare because of the strong support that they receive from all staff, including therapy staff.  Attendance is well above that seen nationally in similar schools. Pupils receive highly effective support to ensure that they attend regularly.

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

 Pupils receive well-targeted support to help them to manage their behaviour. Most pupils behave well, in lessons and in social time.  The programme for personal, social, health and economic (PSHE) education enables pupils to understand the need to respect and be kind to all people.  Staff are highly vigilant of pupils’ welfare and safety. Pupils know staff will help them to resolve any anxieties that they may have.  The post-16 provision is good. Good teaching and effective support help students to achieve well and prepare effectively for their next steps.  Pupils make rapid progress from often very low starting points. They achieve well.  Key stage 2 pupils do not make as much progress as they could in mathematics. Their progress in mathematics does not match the very strong progress they make in English.  Some teachers do not check pupils’ understanding with sufficient rigour before introducing new tasks and moving learning on.

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

 Teachers in key stage 4 do not receive sufficient opportunities to develop a secure understanding of how pupils’ learning in their subject contributes to the development of pupils’ knowledge, understanding and skills across the whole curriculum.

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

Compliance with regulatory requirements  The school meets the requirements of the schedule to the Education (Independent School Standards) regulations 2014 (‘the independent school standards’) and associated requirements.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Ensure that pupils’ progress in mathematics matches the strong progress that they make in English, particularly in key stage 2 and as pupils move into key stage 3.  Ensure that teachers consistently use questioning effectively to check that pupils are secure in their understanding before introducing new tasks or moving learning on.  Ensure that key stage 4 teachers receive opportunities to work together so that they can: – identify occasions when, to promote learning in their own subject area, they can build upon pupils’ learning achieved in other subject areas – develop a secure understanding of how pupils’ learning in their own subject area contributes to pupils’ understanding and progress across the whole curriculum.

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Effectiveness of leadership and management Good

 The proprietor has ensured that the school meets all of the independent school standards.  Senior leaders have high expectations for their pupils. They ensure that pupils receive the support that they need to help them to engage well with their learning, manage their behaviour and grow in confidence. Pupils make strong progress in their learning and outstanding progress in their personal development as a result of this support.  All staff share the leaders’ ambitions for the pupils. They provide precise care and support to enable pupils to adopt positive attitudes to their learning and to each other. Due to this, pupils grow in confidence and develop their social and emotional skills very well.  Senior leaders have developed a large team of therapists, who work effectively to provide pupils with the support that they need to develop their personal, social and emotional skills. This contributes significantly to the outstanding progress pupils make in their

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Effectiveness of leadership and management Good

personal development.  The carefully crafted key stages 2 and 3 curriculum ensures that pupils develop their understanding and skills well across a wide range of subjects, including English, mathematics and science. Enrichment activities, including off-site visits to local places of interest, enable the pupils to explore their learning beyond the classroom.  As pupils move into key stage 4, they choose from a wide selection of subjects, working towards qualifications that are appropriate to their level of ability and their intended next steps. Excellent advice and guidance, including from external professionals, ensure that pupils choose subjects which interest them and which will best serve them for their next steps, including any career interests that they may have.  Wide-ranging extra-curricular activities ensure that pupils develop their creative and sporting skills, as well as engage with members of the local community. Playing inter-

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Effectiveness of leadership and management Good

school sports, including football, and entering trampolining competitions ensure that pupils meet those from other schools. This helps them to develop their social skills.  The PSHE programme provides pupils with effective opportunities to develop their spiritual, moral, social and cultural understanding. Pupils learn about different cultures, beliefs and religions. They also learn about democracy, for example engaging in mock elections, including a vote on Brexit. As a result, pupils come to understand the need to accept the wide variety of cultures, beliefs and values that exist locally, nationally and globally. This is preparing them well for life in modern Britain.  Senior leaders engage well with other schools to ensure that teachers’ assessment of pupils’ work is accurate and to ensure that the curriculum is suitable for the pupils. Senior leaders have also ensured that they provide training to other schools and businesses on

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Effectiveness of leadership and management Good

understanding how to accommodate the needs of pupils who have a diagnosis on the autistic spectrum disorder (ASD) and Asperger syndrome.  Senior leaders regularly check on pupils’ behaviour. This enables them to identify any patterns that may emerge regarding pupils’ behaviour. When this is the case, leaders put into place effective strategies to help pupils to manage their behaviour. The school’s records show that such support helps pupils to manage their behaviour more effectively and rapidly reduces the risk of pupils repeating challenging behaviour.  Senior leaders’ regular checks on pupils’ progress enable them to provide extra support for those pupils who are not making rapid enough progress. This support ensures that pupils across all key stages make strong progress in their learning across a wide range of subjects, including in English.  However, extra support for key stage 2 pupils who are not making rapid enough progress

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Effectiveness of leadership and management Good

in mathematics has only begun recently. This support has yet to ensure that pupils in key stages 2 and 3 make consistently strong progress in this subject, progress that is as strong as that which the same pupils make in English.  Through the fortnightly ‘Academic Board’ meetings, staff receive training on effective teaching and can share best practice. This training has yet to ensure that all teachers’ classroom practice is of the very highest quality.  Teachers in key stages 2 and 3 receive effective support from key stage 4 subject specialists, particularly in mathematics, English and science. This support helps the key stage 2 teachers understand how pupils learn across the whole curriculum. Opportunities for key stage 4 teachers to work with others from the same key stage to plan pupils’ learning across the curriculum are less frequent.

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Governance

 Through their regular meetings with senior leaders, members of the governing body, including the proprietor, have developed a secure understanding of the quality of the school’s provision. They ask challenging questions of the detailed information that they receive from the principal to ensure that senior leaders have identified the right priorities for improvement.  The governors provide effective support to senior leaders to ensure that their actions to bring about further improvement are effective.  The significant investment the governors have made in the school has ensured that pupils are able to take advantage of a wide range of opportunities to explore their interests. For example, through the purchase of the latest music technology, pupils can explore their interest in recording and mixing music. The development of an outdoor, all-weather football pitch and running track has ensured that pupils can engage in sporting activities

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Governance

at lunchtime and can play host to inter-school football tournaments.  The governors use the services of a consultant, who is external to the school, to check the accuracy of the information that senior leaders provide them. They also encourage senior leaders to work with similar schools, to learn from the best practice of other professionals.  The governors understand their responsibilities to keep pupils safe.

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Safeguarding

 The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.  The school’s safeguarding policy, which is on the school’s website, reflects the latest guidance.  Senior leaders who are responsible for safeguarding take timely and effective action to support pupils about whom they have a welfare concern. Where appropriate, they maintain regular contact with parents and carers and make referrals to external agencies. In working with these agencies, leaders are tenacious in securing the support that the pupils need.  Leaders maintain detailed records of their actions to support pupils in their welfare.  Safeguarding training for staff is both regular and comprehensive. Staff know the different types of abuse and the signs to look for. They are also aware of issues in the local area that may affect their pupils, including the criminal exploitation of children. They teach their pupils what to do should any such issues affect them.

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Safeguarding

 Staff know that it is everyone’s duty to keep pupils safe. They know to whom they must report any safeguarding concerns that they may have.  Pupils told the inspector that they feel safe at the school. They know that there are staff to whom they can speak if they are feeling anxious or have a concern. They know that staff will listen to them and take effective action to help resolve their concern.

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Good

 When planning lessons, teachers carefully consider pupils’ prior learning. This ensures that they set tasks that are suitably challenging and enable pupils to make at least good progress.  Teachers use their knowledge of pupils’ interests well when planning learning. This ensures that pupils are interested in what they are learning and engage well in the lesson.  Teachers have good subject knowledge. They use this knowledge effectively to set tasks that enable pupils to become secure in their understanding.  Teaching assistants provide well-targeted support to pupils to ensure that they are secure in their understanding. Teaching assistants receive appropriate training to ensure that they provide effective support, including to support pupils to develop their social skills.  Teachers have high expectations of their pupils, including of their behaviour. They are quick to identify when a pupil is losing interest in their work and adopt appropriate

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Good

strategies to help them to re-engage quickly with the task.  Teachers and teaching assistants have strong relationships with pupils, which they use well to ensure that pupils adopt positive attitudes to their learning and grow in confidence.  Where learning is most effective, teachers listen to pupils’ ideas and incorporate these into later learning. This encourages pupils to engage in thoughtful discussion and to explore further the ideas which they themselves have formulated.  Most teachers use questioning well to check pupils’ understanding before they move the learning on. This ensures that pupils build upon their previous learning when encountering a new topic.  Some teachers, however, are not sufficiently rigorous in checking on pupils’ understanding before introducing a new task or topic. On such occasions, teachers do not make sure that pupils are able to use what they have already learned successfully when

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Good

undertaking a more challenging task or when learning something new.

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Personal development and welfare

 The school’s work to promote pupils’ personal development and welfare is outstanding.  The well-targeted support that therapy staff, teachers and teaching assistants provide ensures that pupils grow in confidence and adopt positive attitudes to their learning. The pupils enjoy coming to school and are keen to do well.  Pupils speak very highly of the care and support they receive from all staff. They greatly value this support.  Pupils receive precise support from therapy staff to help them to develop their social and emotional skills. Over time, pupils can communicate more effectively. This enables them to interact well with other pupils and with staff and to act with increasing independence.  Regular opportunities within the PSHE programme to consider different points of view and beliefs enable pupils to become mindful of others’ feelings and opinions. Pupils understand the need to listen to each other, including in lessons.

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Personal development and welfare

 Pupils learn how to stay safe, including when online and when out in the local community. They learn about making healthy choices, including eating healthily, exercising regularly and maintaining healthy relationships.  Pupils understand the different types of bullying and know that it is wrong to be mean to other people. Pupils say that bullying at the school is rare, but that when it does occur, leaders deal with it effectively. The school’s behaviour records confirm this to be the case.  Pupils understand the importance of being kind and sharing. They help to raise money for local causes, for example by setting up a local clothing bank.  Pupils receive effective opportunities to prepare for adulthood. Learning to use public transport, visiting the local community and learning about personal hygiene ensure that pupils develop the skills that they need to live independently.  Pupils receive impartial careers advice and guidance to consider the career opportunities

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Personal development and welfare

available to them. Where appropriate, pupils undertake work experience to help them to understand fully the requirements of their chosen career. Such experiences ensure that they know what qualifications they require to secure a job in that area of employment.  Leaders regularly check on the attendance, welfare and progress of the very small number of pupils who receive some of their education away from the school site.

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Behaviour

 The behaviour of pupils is outstanding.  Many pupils have a history of non-attendance at their previous school, including periods of significant absence from any form of education. Senior leaders ensure that pupils receive effective support to attend regularly. As a result, the proportion of pupils who are absent, including those who are regularly absent, is well below that seen nationally in similar schools.  Where pupils are absent for sustained periods, leaders ensure that there is regular contact with the pupils’ parents or carers, including through the family liaison officer. Staff conduct home visits and provide work so that pupils do not fall behind while absent.  Pupils who demonstrate challenging behaviour receive effective support to manage their behaviour. Over time, occasions when these pupils engage in inappropriate behaviour reduce due to the support that they receive.  Pupils conduct themselves well around the school site, between lessons and during social

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Behaviour

times. High staff presence ensures that pupils have adults to talk to if they are anxious or worried.  In lessons, pupils behave well and engage with their learning. When pupils lose interest in their work, adults provide quick and effective support to enable the pupils to re-engage quickly with their learning. As a result, little learning time is lost, while other pupils in the room can continue with their learning undisturbed.

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Outcomes for pupils Good

 Almost all pupils arrive at the school having attained standards that are well below those expected of them for their age and stage of education. Leaders are quick to identify each pupil’s starting point. They use this information well to ensure that pupils receive the support that they need to make rapid progress in their learning.  This support includes a wide range of therapies that enable pupils to manage any additional needs that previously have acted as a barrier to their learning. Pupils develop in their confidence, which enables them to engage more effectively with their learning and make strong progress.  Pupils who left key stage 4 in 2018 attained qualifications at an appropriate level across a range of subjects. For many of these pupils, this attainment reflected at least good progress from their different starting points.  The school’s performance information and pupils’ books indicate that pupils in key stage 4

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Outcomes for pupils Good

continue to make at least good progress in their studies. Most pupils are on track to achieve the targets that their teachers have set them.  Pupils in key stage 3 make at least good progress in their different subjects, including English, mathematics and science. This is because of the good-quality teaching that they receive and the close support that the teaching assistants provide.  All pupils move on to sustained places of education or training when they have completed their key stage 4 studies. Most pupils remain at the school and study qualifications at an appropriate level in the school’s post-16 provision. Some pupils continue with their studies at local mainstream schools and colleges.  Pupils make rapid progress in English, including in key stage 2. This is because pupils have received well-targeted support to develop their communication and literacy skills.  The progress that key stage 2 pupils make in mathematics, while good, does not match

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Outcomes for pupils Good

the very strong progress that they make in English.

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Sixth form provision Good

 The well-designed curriculum in the post-16 provision enables students to choose from a wide range of subjects. Students complete qualifications that are at an appropriate level, given their prior attainment and their intended next steps. Leaders provide careful advice to ensure that students consider their interests and any career plans that they may have when choosing subjects to study.  Where it is appropriate, students complete some of their studies at local colleges. The senior leader who has oversight of the post-16 provision undertakes regular checks on the attendance, welfare and progress of these students.  Students receive effective support to help them to manage any additional needs that they may have. As a result, students grow in confidence and engage well with their learning.  Good-quality teaching ensures that students make good progress academically.  Students learn how to be safe, including when online. They undertake regular off-site

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Sixth form provision Good

visits to learn how to keep safe when they are in the local community.  Students receive effective support to prepare for independent living. They learn how to cook for themselves, how to budget and how to maintain their personal hygiene.  Students receive opportunities to take on positions of responsibility. While some students attend the school council, others provide younger pupils with support in their learning. These experiences enable students to recognise the value of helping others.  Attendance is high. Students receive effective support to help them to attend regularly.  Students behave well. They have positive attitudes to their learning and want to do well.  Students receive effective, independent careers advice and guidance. They are able to undertake work experience to explore their career interests further, to understand the demands that their chosen career will place upon them.  When they leave the post-16 provision, all students move on to sustained places of

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Sixth form provision Good

education, work with training, apprenticeships, or employment. This includes continuing with their learning at university.  The PSHE programme, students’ subject studies and the wide-ranging enrichment activities enable students to explore their learning beyond the classroom. The students understand that people hold different values and beliefs. They understand the need to accept all people, including those who are different from them.

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School details

This inspection was carried out under section 109(1) and (2) of the Education and Skills Act 2008, the purpose of which is to advise the Secretary of State for Education about the school’s suitability for continued registration as an independent school.

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School details

Type of school Other independent special school

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School details

Gender of pupils in the sixth form Mixed

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School details

Of which, number on roll in sixth form 21

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School details

Annual fees (day pupils) £76,500–£125,526

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School details

Email address gavin.spicer@highgrangeschool.co.uk

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School details

Date of previous inspection 29 September – 1 October 2015

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Information about this school

 High Grange School is located on the outskirts of Mickleover, Derby.  The school is registered to provide education for up to 55 pupils aged eight to 19 years.  The school caters for pupils who have a diagnosis of autistic spectrum disorder (ASD) and Asperger syndrome, together with associated communication and emotional difficulties.  All of the pupils and students have special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). All pupils and students have an education, health and care plan.  The school uses two colleges and one place of alternative provision to provide pupils and students with some of their education off site. These are Derby College in Derby, Burton and South Derbyshire College in Burton-on-Trent and Highfields Happy Hens in Etwall.  The school’s ethos is ‘enjoy, develop, grow, achieve’.  The school’s last standard inspection took place 29 September to 1 October 2015.

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Information about this inspection

 The inspector observed learning on 12 occasions. All visits to lessons took place jointly with the principal or the headteacher.  The inspector checked the school’s facilities against Part 5 of the independent school standards.  The inspector looked at pupils’ books across a range of subjects from different key stages.  The inspector held meetings with the principal, the headteacher, the proprietor and a further member of the governing body, senior leaders, members of the therapy team and a selection of the teaching and support staff.  The inspector observed pupils’ behaviour at breaktime, during which time he spoke with pupils. He also met formally with a selection of pupils and students.  The inspector spoke by telephone with a member of the local authority’s team of officers who are responsible for safeguarding. He also spoke with a representative of an alternative provision that provides pupils with education away from the school site.

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Information about this inspection

 The inspector took into account the 14 responses to the online parent survey, Parent View, and the 11 responses to the free-text service.  There were no responses to the pupils’ survey. The inspector took into account the 45 responses to the staff survey.  The inspector reviewed a range of documentation relating to the school’s provision, including self-evaluation and improvement planning, behaviour and attendance, achievement, governance and safeguarding.  The inspector checked the school’s single central register and the school’s system for recruiting staff.

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Inspection team

Simon Hollingsworth, lead inspector Her Majesty’s Inspector guidance 'Raising concerns and making a complaint about Ofsted', which is available from Ofsted's website: www.gov.uk/government/publications/complaints-about-ofsted . If you would like Ofsted to send you a copy of the guidance, please telephone 0300 123 4234, or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk .

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Inspection team

Parent View You can use Parent View to give Ofsted your opinion on your child's school. Ofsted will use the information parents and carers provide when deciding which schools to inspect and when and as part of the inspection.

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Inspection team

You can also use Parent View to find out what other parents and carers think about schools in England. You can visit www.parentview.ofsted.gov.uk , or look for the link on the main Ofsted website: www.gov.uk/government/organisations/ofsted .

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Inspection team

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Inspection team

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Inspection team

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Inspection team

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Inspection team

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