Maple View School

Inspection of Maple View School 305A Prince Charles Avenue, Mackworth, Derby, DE22 4LL

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Overall effectiveness Good

The quality of education Outstanding Behaviour and attitudes Good Personal development Good Leadership and management Good Overall effectiveness at previous inspection Good

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Overall effectiveness Good

Does the school meet the independent school standards?

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What is it like to attend this school?

‘Making life better’, reflects the school’s purpose and mission. The school’s motto is lived out daily. Staff care for all pupils very well. Pupils are happy and safe at Maple View School.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Staff know all pupils and their individual needs very well. They often pre-empt incidents of poor behaviour. Pupils are occasionally unkind in what they say and do. Staff respond quickly when they see any poor behaviour. They help pupils to manage and improve their behaviour and attendance over time. There is a clear and strong focus on ‘kindness’.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils are provided with an exceptional quality of education. Staff have high expectations of each pupil. Pupils are enthusiastic about their activities and learning. Pupils enjoy the sensory room, woodland area, vegetable garden, trampoline and swings. They like looking after the rabbits and chickens. They enjoy having the school dog, Teddy, around.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils benefit from a wide range of experiences. For example, they gain from horse- riding, cycling, visits to museums and shops, and residential trips to the coast.

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better?

The quality of education is exceptional. Leaders have created a broad and ambitious curriculum that meets pupils’ individual needs. Communication, literacy and numeracy form the core curriculum. Leaders make sure that the curriculum is well planned. They ensure that subject curriculums, for example, art and music, link to a half-termly story book. Leaders have thought carefully about the key knowledge pupils should learn and when. Pupils have lots of opportunities to revisit learning and to practise their skills. Pupils consolidate and embed their learning very well.

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better?

Leaders adapt the curriculum excellently. They maintain the curriculum’s ambition, and expertly meet the needs of pupils with special, educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). Teachers and teaching assistants skilfully and precisely adapt the curriculum to meet these pupils’ needs. To do this, they carefully use the targets in pupils’ education, health and care (EHC) plans.

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better?

Teachers provide expert teaching. They ensure that pupils learn the basics. They help pupils to build on this learning over time. For example, in mathematics, pupils build their knowledge of number, addition and subtraction. They then use this knowledge to learn how to tell the time. Staff help pupils remember what has been learned. They pay close attention to pupils’ responses. They continually and skilfully check pupils’ learning. They provide pupils with appropriate challenge and work that is suitably demanding. Staff have high learning expectations of what pupils can do and what they can learn. 5–7 July 2022 Specialist therapy staff support pupils to develop their communication skills well. Staff effectively use spoken language, signing and visual means of communication to support pupils. Pupils gain confidence and communicate well using a range of techniques.

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better?

Leaders have prioritised reading. They use a phonics scheme to support pupils with basic sounds and early reading. Staff are well trained. Pupils learn to read well. Some use their reading skills to improve their writing.

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better?

Pupils’ attitudes to school and learning improve over time. They improve their attendance and attend regularly. Staff have high expectations of pupils’ behaviour. They build trusting and respectful relationships with pupils. Staff help pupils to regulate and manage their behaviour. Leaders ensure that staff know and use pupils’ behaviour plans and risk assessments.

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better?

Leaders provide a range of opportunities that support pupils’ personal development. Leaders know that the school’s current personal, social, health, and economic (PSHE) education could be even better. They have an improved PSHE education curriculum that will be introduced in September. Staff help pupils become self- confident and more resilient to setbacks. They learn about right and wrong. For example, they develop their class rules. Pupils learn to respect and celebrate differences in others. They learn about different families, cultures and beliefs. They learn about physical and emotional health, appropriate relationships, and sex education. They take part in charity fundraising events. Pupils are prepared well for their next steps.

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better?

Staff are proud to be part of the school. They enjoy working as part of the staff team. Staff feel cared for. They value the varied professional development opportunities that they have. They believe that their workload is mostly fair. Typically, one member of staff said, ‘I love it here!’, when speaking about the school.

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better?

Directors and senior leaders know and understand their responsibilities well. They have a good understanding of the independent school standards and make sure that they are consistently met. They focus on the school’s educational provision, and pupils’ welfare, health and safety. They ensure that the school site is maintained to an appropriate standard. Leaders make sure that the school complies with schedule 10 of the Equality Act 2010. They know the school’s strengths and most priorities for improvement. On occasions, their scrutiny of leaders’ actions is not as rigorous as it should be.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

Safeguarding leaders know the pupils and their backgrounds very well. Staff receive regular training. They know what to do if they have any concern about pupils’ welfare. Leaders understand safer recruitment practices. They have undertaken appropriate pre-employment checks. 5–7 July 2022 Safeguarding leaders know their responsibilities. They take the right steps when there are concerns about pupils’ welfare. Leaders work with a range of external agencies to make sure pupils get the help that they need. They keep records of concerns and of the actions they take in response.

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(Information for the school and proprietor)

 Directors do not thoroughly check all key parts of the school’s provision. Consequently, they have not ensured that all aspects of the provision are of the very highest quality. Those who are responsible for governance should ensure that their oversight of all aspects of senior leaders’ actions is comprehensive, so that they are able to provide leaders with appropriate challenge and support.

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How can I feed back my views?

or to find out what other parents and carers think. We use information from Ofsted Parent View when deciding which schools to inspect, when to inspect them and as part of their inspection.

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How can I feed back my views?

The Department for Education has further guidance on how to complain about a school.

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How can I feed back my views?

If you are the provider and you are not happy with the inspection or the report, you can complain to Ofsted . 5–7 July 2022

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School details

Unique reference number 139787 DfE registration number 831/6012

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School details

Inspection number 10232282 Type of school Other Independent Special School

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School details

Date of previous inspection 6 to 8 March 2018

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Information about this school

 The school became part of the SENAD Group in 2019, and opened in June 2020.  The headteacher started at the school in 2020. The assistant headteacher was appointed in September 2021. Almost all staff are new to the school.  The school is registered for pupils aged six to 19 years. However, the school does not admit pupils aged over 16.  All pupils have a diagnosis of autism spectrum disorder with associated complex special educational needs. This includes either no, or limited, communication skills. All pupils have an EHC plan. 5–7 July 2022  Pupils have had significant disruption to their education with a history of poor attendance.  The school does not use the services of any alternative providers.  The school’s last standard inspection was in March 2018.

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Information about this inspection

Inspectors carried out this inspection under section 109(1) and (2) of the Education and Skills Act 2008. The purpose of the inspection 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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Information about this inspection

The school meets the independent school standards. These are the requirements set out in the schedule to the Education (Independent School Standards) Regulations 2014.

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Information about this inspection

This was the first routine inspection the school received since the COVID-19 pandemic began. Inspectors discussed the impact of the pandemic with the school leaders and have taken that into account in their evaluation.

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Information about this inspection

 Inspectors met with the headteacher and the assistant headteacher. They met with other members of staff. They met both directors.  Inspectors carried out deep dives in these subjects: reading; mathematics; PSHE; and creative subjects, including music and art. For each deep dive, inspectors met with the curriculum leader, looked at curriculum planning, visited lessons, spoke with the teachers, communicated with some pupils about their learning and looked at samples of pupils’ work. Inspectors looked at a range of other subjects.  Inspectors met with the headteacher in her capacity as designated safeguarding leader and special educational needs coordinator.  Inspectors met with staff and pupils both formally and informally.  Inspectors scrutinised a range of documents. These included policies related to curriculum, teaching, assessment, and health and safety. Inspectors reviewed the single central record and safeguarding and complaints records.

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Information about this inspection

 Inspectors toured the premises to review the suitability of the accommodation.  Inspectors considered the text response from one parent who responded to Ofsted’s Parent View survey. They reviewed the responses to the staff questionnaire.

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Inspection team

Chris Davies, lead inspector Her Majesty’s Inspector

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Inspection team

Gary Nixon Ofsted Inspector 5–7 July 2022 to achieve excellence in the care of children and young people, and in education and skills for learners of all ages. It regulates and inspects childcare and children’s social care, and inspects the Children and Family Court Advisory and Support Service (Cafcass), schools, colleges, initial teacher training, further education and skills, adult and community learning, and education and training in prisons and other secure establishments. It assesses council children’s services, and inspects services for children looked after, safeguarding and child protection.

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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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