Hartmore School

Inspection of Hartmore School Gloucester Road, Hartpury, Gloucester, Gloucestershire GL19 3BG

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Overall effectiveness Good

The quality of education Good Behaviour and attitudes Good Personal development Good Leadership and management Good Sixth-form provision 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?

This is a happy, calm and quiet school and the pupils like it. They say that the staff are kind and help them to focus on their learning. For many pupils, this is the first time that they have been successful in a school. They like the small classes and the high numbers of staff who help them to learn.

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What is it like to attend this school?

There are good relationships across the school. Staff show pupils how to behave. As a result, behaviour is good, and pupils feel safe in school. They say that there is no bullying and that the pupils are nice to each other.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Parents and carers say that the school is very supportive. They feel that staff know and understand their children. They value the good communication of staff and feel able to talk with them.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Students in the sixth form follow a wide range of subjects. They achieve well and are increasingly successful. Staff give students sound advice and guidance. This helps them to plan their future education and raises their ambitions.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils enjoy the range of activities provided by staff. These include the weekly outdoor education sessions and visits to places of interest.

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better?

The proprietor and leaders work well together. They have developed a strong, shared vision for the school to help pupils to grow into happy and successful adults. Leaders view pupils’ personal development as a key factor in supporting this growth. Staff focus on modelling and building healthy relationships. They teach pupils how to develop relationships successfully. Leaders’ actions have ensured that the independent school standards (the standards) are met.

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better?

The curriculum is well matched to the needs of the pupils. It is broad and ambitious. This helps pupils to achieve well in a range of examinations. Leaders have created detailed, sequenced curriculum plans, called ladders. Teachers use these effectively to assess pupils’ knowledge. They then match the curriculum to pupils’ learning needs. There are many subjects offered and pupils like this wide choice. Many pupils who attend the school have missed much of their education. The school re-engages them, and they begin to make progress. Staff are ambitious for their pupils.

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better?

The school’s staffing provides much one-to-one support. Professional development is in place to support the subject knowledge of staff. However, teachers’ subject knowledge is not developed systematically and so lacks depth.

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better?

Pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities are supported well. Teachers assess pupils’ progress against their targets every term. They then write reports for pupils and parents. These are comprehensive and contain detailed information on 11 to 13 October 2022 attitudes, progress and attainment.

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better?

There is a well-structured and established process throughout the school for developing reading. This includes a structured phonics scheme and a planned reading curriculum. There is also a range of strategies in place to support the development of reading. As a result, pupils enjoy reading and make progress.

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better?

The curriculum for sixth-form students is very broad. Students take examinations in a wide range of subjects. They enjoy their time at the school. They value the close, supportive relationships with staff. The depth of advice and guidance is strong. The careers education programme is developing well. Visits to local college providers develop students’ ambitions. Students are aspirational and well prepared for the next steps in their education.

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better?

The proprietor has ensured that leaders comply with schedule 10 of the Equality Act 2010. They have an appropriate accessibility plan in place, which is published on the school’s website.

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better?

Staff feel well supported by leaders, who help them to manage their work. Staff support each other and feel proud to work at the school. Staff turnover is very low.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

Leaders have established a strong culture of safeguarding in the school. This ensures that concerns are promptly identified and acted on. There is close attention to detail, which ensures the safety and well-being of the pupils. Staff training is thorough and runs throughout the year. The identification of local safeguarding issues informs the school’s teaching. This ensures that it is well matched to the pupils’ needs. Leaders regularly commission reviews of the quality of the school’s safeguarding and act on any recommendations for improvement. Leaders have received training to ensure that they recruit staff who are suitable to work with pupils.

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(Information for the school and proprietor)

 In some subjects, teachers’ subject knowledge is not deep enough. As a result, pupils do not make the progress of which they are capable. Leaders should evaluate the quality of education more systematically so that they know where training and development are needed to deepen the subject knowledge of staff. 11 to 13 October 2022

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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. 11 to 13 October 2022

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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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sixth form

Email address schooloffice@hartmoreschool.co.uk

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sixth form

Date of previous inspection 10 to 12 July 2018 11 to 13 October 2022

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Information about this school

 Hartmore School is an independent special day school providing education for boys and girls with social, emotional and mental health needs. The school is based on two sites, with 36 places for boys and girls aged seven to 18 years on the main site and 12 places for girls on the second site.  The school is owned by Hartmore Education Limited.  Most of the pupils have an education, health and care plan. They are placed at the school by their local authorities.  The school uses one unregistered alternative provider.

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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 had received since the COVID-19 pandemic began. Inspectors discussed the impact of the pandemic with leaders, and have taken that into account in their evaluation of the school.  Inspectors held meetings with the headteacher, senior leaders, subject leaders and staff.  The lead inspector spoke with the proprietor by telephone.  Inspectors examined the school’s arrangements for safeguarding by meeting with the designated safeguarding lead. They also scrutinised policies, procedures and record-keeping and reviewed the safeguarding checks made on staff when they are recruited.  Inspectors carried out deep dives in English, mathematics, science and personal, social and health education. For each deep dive, inspectors met with subject leaders, looked at curriculum plans, visited a sample of lessons, looked a range of pupils’ work and held discussions with teachers and pupils. Inspectors also visited

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Information about this inspection

a range of other lessons across the school’s two sites.  Inspectors spoke informally to pupils around the school site, talked with them during lessons and met them in groups.  Inspectors reviewed a range of school documents, including policies and record- keeping for behaviour management, incidents, exclusions and attendance.  Inspectors considered responses to the online survey, Ofsted Parent View. 11 to 13 October 2022

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Inspection team

Malcolm Willis, lead inspector Ofsted Inspector

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Inspection team

David New Ofsted Inspector 11 to 13 October 2022 regulates and inspects 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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