Henry David Learning Woodfield School

Inspection of Woodfield School The Dutch Barn, Main Street, Frolesworth, Leicestershire LE17 5EE

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Overall effectiveness Requires improvement

The quality of education Requires improvement Behaviour and attitudes Good Personal development Requires improvement Leadership and management Requires improvement Overall effectiveness at previous inspection Not previously inspected

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Overall effectiveness Requires improvement

Does the school meet the independent school standards?

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils enjoy attending this small and welcoming school. They settle well because staff are caring and kind to them. One parent said: ‘All staff are respectful towards my child. It is the first time he has been happy at a school. He is a different child.’

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What is it like to attend this school?

Relationships between staff and pupils are very positive. Pupils know staff will look after them and keep them safe. Staff help pupils manage their emotions. They provide effective support and therapy to pupils with mental ill health and those suffering from trauma.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Most pupils engage well with their learning. Staff provide ways to help pupils make positive choices about their learning. As a result, inappropriate behaviour disrupts fewer lessons over time as pupils are able to manage their behaviour better. Records show that bullying rarely happens. Most pupils are certain that if bullying did happen, staff will deal with it quickly and effectively.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Leaders are committed to building up the numbers of pupils at the school gradually so that they ‘get things right for all pupils’. They want to ensure that they can meet the needs of all pupils so that pupils can work towards an ambitious future. However, leaders do not have a sharp enough view of the quality of the education they deliver and of the opportunities they provide to promote pupils’ personal development.

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better?

The quality of education is inconsistent. However, leaders are starting to develop a clearer overview of the school curriculum. Previously, they have not given enough thought to what pupils should learn and when. However, more recently, leaders have supported subject teachers to start to think carefully about what they teach and the order in which they teach it.

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better?

Some areas of the curriculum are taught in a clear and logical order. An example of this is the teaching of reading using a systematic synthetic phonics programme. This ensures that pupils at the early stages of learning to read make good progress towards becoming accurate and fluent readers.

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better?

Leaders have not ensured that there is a consistent approach to assessing pupils’ learning needs when they first arrive. Teachers are unaware of some pupils’ starting points. They do not have a clear understanding of where there are gaps in pupils’ knowledge. Teachers do not always pay enough attention to the suggested strategies contained in pupils’ education, health and care plans (EHC plans) when thinking about how best to help pupils learn. This means that sometimes the work teachers give to pupils is too hard for them to understand. For some pupils, the work is too easy and does not challenge them.

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better?

Leaders and teachers have focused on understanding pupils’ social, emotional and behavioural needs. They cater for these very well. Each pupil has a detailed 14 to 16 June 2022 behaviour support plan. These plans provide clear strategies that help pupils manage their emotions so that they can engage with their learning. All staff are aware of these plans. Staff apply a consistent approach to supporting each pupil. As a result, pupils are getting better at managing their behaviour.

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better?

Most pupils have joined the school after significant periods of time out of education. Their attendance has improved since starting at the school. All pupils are now attending school more than they did at their previous setting. This is due to the effective support and encouragement they receive from staff to attend regularly.

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better?

The programme to support pupils’ personal development is in the early stages of development. Pupils in key stages 2 and 3 benefit from personal, social, health and economic (PSHE) education lessons. Older pupils do have some personal, independent careers advice. However, other opportunities to promote their personal development are limited. Leaders are aware that they need to provide more relationships and sex education (RSE) and health education to pupils. Teachers have started to ensure that pupils learn to respect those with backgrounds different from their own. There are limited opportunities at the school for pupils to develop their interests and talents.

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better?

Leaders provide well for pupils’ physical health. There is lots of drinking water available for pupils throughout the day. Pupils have regular cooking lessons. They enjoy going to the leisure centre each Friday.

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better?

The proprietor and senior leaders have an ambitious vision for what they want pupils to achieve. However, they have yet to realise this vision. Leaders have not provided the proprietor with the important information he needs to know about the quality of all areas of the provision. As a result, the proprietor has not had a sharp enough view of the quality of education delivered at the school.

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better?

Staff value the support leaders give them. They say that leaders care about their well-being and are considerate of their workload.

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better?

The proprietor and senior leaders have ensured that the school’s site promotes pupils’ welfare, health and safety. There has been lots of investment in the building to ensure that pupils enjoy high-quality facilities. Leaders identify any issues with the building and are quick to rectify them.

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better?

Leaders have developed effective policies and procedures that ensure that staff take a consistent approach when working in the school. Leaders have created accurate risk assessments for individual pupils. They also assess the risk associated with any activities pupils engage in.

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better?

The school complies with schedule 10 of the Equality Act 2010. The school’s safeguarding policy is available on its website. 14 to 16 June 2022

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

Staff understand their responsibility to use their knowledge of the pupils to identify quickly any concerns about pupils’ welfare. They know to report any such concerns immediately. Regular briefing meetings enable staff to remain up to date with any issues related to pupils’ well-being. The small number of pupils, and regular contact with families, enable staff to provide comprehensive support. Those responsible for leading safeguarding are quick to act, involving other agencies when appropriate. They keep accurate records and have appropriate procedures in place to manage any allegations. Pupils are taught about how to stay safe, including when working online.

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(Information for the school and proprietor)

 Until recently, leaders have not ensured that there is a coherently planned curriculum in place that identifies the key knowledge and skills they want pupils to learn across all areas of learning. As a result, the curriculum does not always suit pupils’ starting points and build towards clear goals. Leaders need to ensure that there is an ambitious, well-sequenced curriculum in each area of learning that meets pupils’ needs, including those needs identified in EHC plans.  There is inconsistency in the planning and delivery of the PSHE curriculum. As a result, pupils have had variable experiences of learning about modern Britain, careers guidance and RSE and health education. Leaders are in the early stages of addressing these issues. They should ensure that the personal development curriculum fully prepares pupils for life in modern Britain.  Leaders’ oversight of the quality of education and pupils’ personal development is

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(Information for the school and proprietor)

not yet strong enough. As a result, they do not have a sufficiently precise understanding of the quality of these aspects of the provision. Leaders, including the proprietor, should ensure that their oversight of all aspects of the provision enables them to identify and address promptly where the provision is not yet good.

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How can I feed back my views?

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 . 14 to 16 June 2022

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School details

Type of school Other independent special school

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School details

Email address sandie@henrydavidlearning.co.uk

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School details

Date of previous inspection Not previously inspected 14 to 16 June 2022

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Information about this school

 Woodfield School is an independent special school that provides education to pupils aged seven to 19 who have a range of special educational needs and/or disabilities. These include autism spectrum disorder; social, emotional and mental health needs; and moderate learning difficulties. There is also provision for pupils with a diagnosis of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder and those who have had adverse childhood experiences. All pupils have EHC plans.  Pupils who are above the compulsory school age study a curriculum that is appropriate to their stage of education.  The school does not make use of any alternative provision.

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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 carried out deep dives in reading, English, mathematics and science. For each deep dive, inspectors discussed the curriculum with subject leaders, visited a sample of lessons, spoke to teachers, spoke to some pupils about their learning and looked at samples of pupils’ work.  Inspectors also looked at individual pupils’ EHC plans and checked these against the school’s provision.  The lead inspector met with the proprietor.  Inspectors considered a wide variety of school documents, including the school self-evaluation and school development plan.  Inspectors took note of the responses received on Ofsted Parent View and considered the results of the Ofsted staff and pupil surveys. Inspectors met with small groups of pupils to gather their views.  To judge the effectiveness of safeguarding, inspectors read the school’s relevant policies, scrutinised the single central record, checked the school’s procedures for

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Information about this inspection

the safe recruitment of staff and met with the safeguarding team. Inspectors also spoke with staff and pupils. 14 to 16 June 2022  Inspectors considered relevant documentation and reviewed the school facilities to check the school’s compliance with the independent school standards.

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Inspection team

Dave Gilkerson, lead inspector Her Majesty’s Inspector

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Inspection team

Simon Hollingsworth Her Majesty’s Inspector 14 to 16 June 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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