Papillon House

Inspection of Papillon House Pebble Close, Tadworth, Surrey KT20 7PA

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Inspection dates: 29 November to 1 December 2022

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Overall effectiveness Good

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

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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?

Pupils at Papillon House are exceptionally well looked after by staff who know and understand how to meet their needs. Pupils recognise that the adults who work with them adapt learning if required, but always maintain high expectations of them to engage and participate. Pupils benefit from the impressive emphasis on personal development at this school. They learn to be increasingly confident and independent during their time here.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils describe their school as a happy place and this is evident in the positive way they interact with their teachers and peers. Pupils rightly feel very safe here. Bullying is extremely rare. Any incidents of unkindness are addressed quickly and appropriately. Pupils are taught about how to manage their emotions and build respectful relationships with others. This work is highly effective.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Parents and carers appreciate the way that leaders work closely with them and communicate regularly. Leaders have an expression that ‘when a pupil comes to the school the family comes too.’ One parent encapsulated this when they told us, ‘The school are always happy to help and support. It feels like home, with hugs, smiles and respect on every step.’

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better?

Leaders have succeeded in their aim of creating a learning environment where all pupils experience success. They recognise that this looks different for everyone. Leaders think carefully about pupils’ individual needs when making decisions about the kind of curriculum and therapeutic input which is right for them. They rightly place an emphasis on personal development and communication skills for all pupils because they know that these areas make the greatest difference to their lives.

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better?

Pupils enjoy coming to school and attendance is high. Leaders communicate quickly when pupils are absent. They go above and beyond what can reasonably be expected in order to support parents and get pupils into school.

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better?

Leaders have ensured that all adults working at the school have a precise understanding of pupils’ individual needs. In addition, they provide extensive training so that staff are highly knowledgeable about special education needs and/or disabilities (SEND), particularly autism spectrum disorder. Within each class, therapists, teaching assistants and teachers work together as a team of experts to meet the individual needs of each pupil. They recognise quickly when a pupil requires additional support and adapt as needed. It is a particular strength of the school that teaching and therapy are woven together skilfully. Leaders are highly strategic in the way they deploy and adapt this support by continually reviewing the plans in place for each pupil. 29 November to 1 December 2022 Pupils learn well in a range of academic subjects because of teachers’ highly personalised approach. Leaders and teachers work together to break the information

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better?

in pupils’ education, health and care plans into short-term goals. Teachers assess pupils regularly and use this information to review learning goals and shape what they teach next. Although this individual approach is a strength, there is some variability in how well lesson activities chosen by teachers contribute towards learning in academic subjects. Leaders have successfully expanded the range of accreditations which older pupils work towards so that there is something appropriate for everyone. They have recently introduced a new approach to teaching reading in the school and pupils are learning to read well as a result.

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better?

Pupils are strongly encouraged to participate in an extensive range of extra- curricular activities provided by the school. Uptake is very high. Pupils vote for the lunchtime clubs they would like to see running each term. Leaders respond to pupils’ preferences and carefully design activities which encourage them to interact with each other socially. Activities include dance, construction, and remote-control car clubs.

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better?

Pupils’ learning in personal, social, health and economic (PSHE) education is an important part of the school’s curriculum and something they do exceptionally well. The PSHE curriculum is very well planned to cover what all pupils need to know while adapting to individual needs. Where necessary, specific approaches such as social stories are used to help teach topics which some pupils find challenging. In addition to the PSHE that pupils study in school, leaders organise visits to places in the local community where pupils develop and practise important life skills. Leaders work closely with pupils’ families to plan these visits to make sure they are meaningful. For many pupils, these visits are life changing because they are designed to help pupils overcome significant barriers such as going out for a meal in a restaurant or visiting a supermarket. Pupils also receive tailored advice about careers and next steps, including opportunities to visit colleges and find out about

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better?

Leaders at this school place pupils’ needs at the heart of their decision-making. They combine this with a sharp understanding of their responsibilities in running a school. The leadership team and the proprietor work closely together to ensure that the school continues to meet the independent school standards. This includes ensuring that the school publishes an appropriate accessibility plan. Leaders recognise that their staff play a key role in the school’s success. Staff appreciate the value that leaders place on well-being, workload and professional development.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

There is a strong culture of safeguarding at this school. As a result of regular training, staff understand how to identify and report safeguarding concerns. They do so readily. Staff understand and take into account the additional vulnerability of 29 November to 1 December 2022 pupils with SEND in this aspect of their work. Leaders respond quickly and appropriately to any concerns raised. They perform the required checks on new staff. In addition, there is a strong focus in the school’s curriculum on pupils’ learning to keep themselves safe. Leaders ensure that a current and suitable safeguarding policy is published on the school’s website.

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(Information for the school and proprietor)

 Some of the recent improvements leaders have made to the formal academic curriculum, including reading and mathematics, are not yet fully embedded. Sometimes, the activities chosen by teachers in these subjects do not contribute as strongly as they could to pupils’ learning of the intended curriculum. Leaders should continue with their plans to provide additional training and resources to support teachers and help to ensure that pupils learn consistently well in all subjects.

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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. 29 November to 1 December 2022

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School details

Unique reference number 135407 DfE registration number 936/6590

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School details

Inspection number 10243537 Type of school Other independent special school

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School details

Annual fees (day pupils) £56,370 to £66,810

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School details

Email address admin@papillonhouseschool.co.uk

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School details

Date of previous inspection 26 to 28 June 2018 29 November to 1 December 2022

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Information about this school

 Papillon House is an independent special school in Surrey. The school takes pupils from three local authorities.  All pupils at the school have an education, health and care plan where the primary diagnosis is autism spectrum disorder. Most pupils also have associated social and communication difficulties.  The headteacher was appointed substantively in September 2022. She was previously the acting headteacher.  The school does not currently use 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 leaders and have taken that into account in their evaluation of the school.  Inspectors met with a range of leaders, including the school’s proprietor, headteacher, deputy headteacher and other senior staff to discuss their areas of responsibility.  Inspectors carried out deep dives in these subjects: communication, mathematics, personal development and physical development. For each deep dive, inspectors met with subject leaders, looked at curriculum plans, visited a sample of lessons, spoke to teachers, spoke to some pupils about their learning and looked at samples of pupils’ work. Inspectors looked at the teaching of early reading as part of the deep dive into communication.  Inspectors carried out other activities to check that the school meets the

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Information about this inspection

independent school standards. These include a check of the school premises on each site and specific checks of the school’s policies and website.  Inspectors judged the effectiveness of safeguarding by meeting with leaders, discussing records of concerns and speaking with pupils and staff about this aspect of the school’s work.  Inspectors considered responses to the staff surveys as well as responses to Ofsted’s Parent View. Inspectors spoke to pupils throughout the inspection, including through the subject deep dives. There was a member of school staff 29 November to 1 December 2022 present when inspectors spoke with pupils. This did not have an impact on the quality or impartiality of evidence gathered.  Inspectors did not make a separate judgement about either early years or sixth form because of the very small number of pupils in each of these phases.

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Inspection team

Chris Ellison, lead inspector His Majesty’s Inspector

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Inspection team

Alan Johnson Ofsted Inspector 29 November to 1 December 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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