Hope Tree School

Inspection of Hope Tree School Nursery House, Manor Farm, Impington, Cambridgeshire CB24 9NG

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Inspection dates: 22 to 24 November 2022

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Overall effectiveness Requires improvement

The quality of education Requires improvement Behaviour and attitudes Good Personal development Good Leadership and management Good Does the school meet the independent school standards?

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils describe Hope Tree as a ‘place where we can start to learn again’. Many have had negative experiences of education previously. Staff are caring and take time to understand pupils’ complex social and emotional needs. This helps pupils to feel safe and settled. Parents agree. One parent commented, ‘Hope Tree is quite simply amazing in every aspect possible.’

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils build trusting relationships with adults. They know leaders have high expectations of what they can achieve. The school’s curriculum for developing pupils’ personal skills is effective. However, this is not the same for pupils’ academic learning. Leaders are still developing their subject plans. This means that pupils are not achieving consistently well across the curriculum.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils behave well. They are courteous and polite to one another. Pupils appreciate the quiet and calm classroom where they work. There is rarely any disruption and bullying is not a problem.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils know there is always someone to talk to at school. They know that adults will help them regardless of their concerns. Pupils also like to talk to the school dog, Skye. This helps them to feel calm if they become anxious or upset.

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better?

Pupils have recently started to attend this school after it opened in June 2022. Many have negative experiences of education and have spent time out of school. All pupils have education, health and care plans. Leaders have rightly prioritised the best ways to re-engage pupils back into learning. Over a short period, leaders have successfully created a welcoming and safe school environment. As a result, pupils are attending school regularly and are ready to learn.

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better?

Leaders are developing the curriculum with impressive determination. They quickly identified that their original plans did not fully meet the needs of pupils. Pupils have gaps in their knowledge. Leaders’ plans provide a broad overview of what pupils need to know. However, their subject plans do not identify the smaller steps for building pupils’ knowledge. Leaders know this and have started to refine their curriculum plans. This work is not yet complete. In some subjects, such as religious education, pupils learn about broad themes which sometimes lack specificity. It is not as clear what pupils will learn to help them build their knowledge so they get better at the subject in the long term .

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better?

Teachers consider carefully how they deliver leaders’ curriculum plans. Pupils’ past experiences can make them anxious about learning. Teachers ensure that when introducing new concepts, they choose appropriate methods. They use assessment to identify gaps in pupils’ knowledge. In some subjects, teachers are not secure with the content. This is because subject plans are not fully developed. At these times, pupils do not build a secure understanding of the things they need to know. 22 to 24 November 2022 Pupils are competent and willing readers. They use their skills well to access all aspects of the curriculum. Leaders ensure that pupils experience a wide and diverse range of reading materials. The school library is well stocked and daily story time promotes pupils’ love of reading. Leaders have a phonics programme in place should any pupils need this support in the future.

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better?

Pupils work hard in their lessons. Teachers adapt their plans to allow pupils time to deal with concerns and anxieties. Whether through subtle conversations or comforting toys, pupils quickly regulate their emotions and return to their work.

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better?

Pupil’s personal development is promoted well. Leaders provide opportunities for pupils to broaden their experiences outside the school community. Regular trips to the alpaca farm are part of the therapies offered to support pupils’ well-being. Pupils earn ‘gems’ as rewards for demonstrating character values and showing responsibility.

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better?

Leaders provide pupils with careers guidance. A well-planned personal, social and health education introduces pupils to important ideas about the world of work. Pupils aspire to a range of possible careers, including becoming a geneticist or an author. The curriculum also supports pupils’ understanding of healthy relationships and staying safe.

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better?

The proprietor body has set out a clear vision and ethos for providing the best opportunities for pupils. The staff team is small but close-knit. They share the leaders’ vision and feel well supported in their roles.

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better?

The proprietor body has ensured that all the independent school standards are met. Leaders have quickly identified that their original curriculum plans require strengthening. While providing clear, planned sequences for learning, they require more refinement to ensure the needs of pupils are met well. Leaders have ensured that the curriculum for meeting pupils’ personal needs is strong. Pupils settle quickly and re-engage in learning as soon as they start at the school. Teachers are not fully secure in their subject knowledge as they lack expertise in a few subjects. This means that they do not implement all leaders’ curriculum plans as effectively as they should.

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better?

The safeguarding policy is on the school’s website and available to parents on request. The school complies with the Equality Act 2010.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

Leaders place high importance on safeguarding. They ensure that all staff are trained. Staff are alert to the signs that pupils are not safe. They understand how to report their concerns if they are concerned about any pupils’ welfare. Leaders ensure that appropriate checks are carried out on staff employed at the school. A 22 to 24 November 2022 few minor administrative errors on the single central record were corrected by the end of the inspection.

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(Information for the school and proprietor)

 In some subjects, the curriculum does not provide all the specific information that staff require to meet pupils’ complex needs. As a result, pupils do not progress as quickly as they should. Leaders must ensure that they identify what they want pupils to know in all their curriculum plans so that pupils’ knowledge builds progressively from the good start they make to their education  Teachers do not have all the information they need to deliver leaders’ subject plans well. Where subject knowledge is not as strong, some key content of the curriculum is not taught well. Leaders should ensure that staff develop the expertise they need to teach all subjects equally well.

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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. 22 to 24 November 2022

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School details

Type of school Other independent special school

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School details

Headteacher Rebecca Sands (Head of Learning)

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School details

Email address admin@hopetreeschool.co.uk 22 to 24 November 2022

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Information about this school

 The school’s registration with the Department for Education was approved in October 2021. It opened as an independent special school in June 2022.  All the pupils who attend the school have an education, health and care plan. Pupils who attend the school have social, emotional and mental health needs linked to a diagnosis of autism spectrum disorder. Many pupils have experienced significant periods of time out of education.  The school does not make use of 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 and have taken that into account in their evaluation of the school.

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Information about this inspection

 Inspectors met with the head of learning and the head of pastoral care. They are the only members of the proprietor body. Inspectors also held discussions with staff.  Inspectors carried out deep dives in these subjects: English, mathematics, geography and religious education. They met with the curriculum leader who is also the head of learning and pupils. They visited lessons and looked at pupils’ records of work.  Inspectors spoke to pupils with adults present to find out what it is like to attend their school and about their learning. Inspectors observed pupils as they arrived at school in the morning.  Inspectors reviewed a range of safeguarding documentation. They scrutinised the single central record and recruitment checks and considered the school’s safeguarding procedures.  Inspectors reviewed seven responses to Ofsted Parent View, the online survey, including seven free-text responses. Inspectors spoke to parents informally as

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Information about this inspection

they met their children at the end of the school day. Inspectors also considered a few responses to the staff survey. They considered four responses to the online pupil survey. 22 to 24 November 2022

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Inspection team

Steve Mellors, lead inspector His Majesty’s Inspector

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Inspection team

Fiona Webb Ofsted Inspector 22 to 24 November 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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