The Mile House Therapeutic School

School progress monitoring inspection report

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The Mile House Therapeutic School Bath Road, Sulhamstead, Reading RG7 5HJ

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Main inspection findings

Part 3. Welfare, health and safety of pupils Paragraphs 7–7(b), 32(1) and 32(1)(c)  Safeguarding was found to be effective at the previous inspection. This continues to be the case. The safeguarding policy is fit for purpose and published on the school’s website. Leaders ensure it is implemented consistently. An external review of safeguarding was completed in September 2022. Part 8. Quality of leadership in and management of schools Paragraph 34(1)–34(1)(c)  Weaknesses in leadership and management were identified at the time of the emergency inspection in June 2022. At that time, leaders were not being held to account sufficiently to ensure that they were fulfilling their responsibilities effectively.  The proprietor produced an action plan to address the weaknesses identified at the emergency inspection. This was judged to be acceptable with minor modifications. At the time of this progress monitoring inspection, leaders had not heard from the Department

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Main inspection findings

for Education (DfE) about the action plan’s suitability.  At the time of the emergency inspection, the proprietor had decided to establish a governing body to support the process of holding leaders to account. Since then, some progress has been made. A board of governors was appointed in September 2022, and three governing board meetings took place during the autumn term. These meetings provided opportunities for governors to get to know the school through, for example, reviewing policies.  Governors’ roles in holding leaders to account are at an early stage of development. They are too accepting of what leaders tell them about the school’s work. For instance, at a recent governing board meeting, no questions were asked about the school’s improvement plan, which had been circulated well in advance of the meeting. The next meeting of the governing board is scheduled for February 2023.  There have been some recent changes in the membership of the governing board. The

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Main inspection findings

proprietor has identified a range of training opportunities to support governors in their roles.  At the time of the emergency inspection, the proprietor had commissioned an independent review of leadership, culture and school values. The proprietor has now commissioned an external consultancy to work with leaders and governors. Consultants have completed preliminary visits to the school to familiarise themselves with its work.  The action plan included the intention to appoint an executive headteacher. The proprietor has now appointed an executive headteacher who is responsible for overseeing the work of the three schools owned by the proprietor. She has familiarised herself with the school and with the work of the governing board and has created an action plan to support improvements in governance. The executive headteacher is currently working with the interim headteacher to consider how information about the

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Main inspection findings

school’s work may be most usefully provided for governors.  This part of the independent school standards is not met.

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Compliance with regulatory requirements

The school does not meet the requirements of the schedule to the Education (Independent School Standards) Regulations 2014 (‘the independent school standards’) and associated requirements that were checked during this inspection. This included the standards and requirements that the school was judged to not comply with at the previous inspection. Not all of the standards and associated requirements were checked during this inspection.

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School details

This inspection was carried out under section 109(1) and (2) of the Education and Skills Act 2008, the purpose of which 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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School details

Type of school Other independent special school

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School details

School status Independent special school

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School details

Proprietor Calcot Services for Children Limited

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School details

Annual fees (day pupils) £53,625 to £90,000

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School details

Website www.themilehousetherapeuticschool.co.uk

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School details

Email address themilehousetherapeuticschool@csfc.co.uk

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School details

Date of previous standard inspection Not previously inspected

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Information about this school

 The school was registered by the DfE in April 2022.  The proprietor is Calcot Services for Children Limited, which also runs a number of children’s homes across Berkshire, South Oxfordshire and Hampshire. The Mile House Therapeutic School is one of three schools belonging to the proprietor.  The school caters for pupils who have social, emotional and mental health needs and/or a diagnosis of autism spectrum disorder. All have an education, health and care plan.  An interim headteacher and interim deputy headteacher were in post at the time of this inspection. Both were appointed in January 2023.  An executive headteacher was appointed in November 2022. She oversees the three schools owned by the proprietor.  The school uses three unregistered alternative provisions.

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Information about this inspection

 This inspection was carried out at the request of the registration authority for independent schools. The purpose of the inspection was to monitor the progress the school has made in meeting the independent school standards and other requirements that it was judged to not comply with at its previous inspection.  An emergency inspection took place on 22 June 2022, when the school was judged not to comply with the independent school standards.  The DfE required the school to prepare a statutory action plan due to non-compliance with the independent school standards identified during the emergency inspection. This was evaluated by Ofsted and accepted with modifications by the DfE in November 2022.  This was the first progress monitoring inspection since the emergency inspection in June 2022. The inspection was carried out with no notice.  The inspector met with the interim headteacher, interim deputy headteacher and school

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Information about this inspection

business manager. She also met virtually with both directors and the executive headteacher. The inspector toured the school and reviewed the school’s website. She checked the single central record and considered a range of documentation associated with the independent school standards checked during the inspection. The inspector spoke informally with pupils during the school day.

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Inspection team

Julie Sackett, lead inspector His Majesty’s Inspector

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The school does not meet the following independent school standards

Standards that were not met at the previous inspection and remain un-met at this inspection

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Part 8. Quality of leadership in and management of schools

 34(1) The standard about the quality of leadership and management is met if the proprietor ensures that persons with leadership and management responsibilities at the school-

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Part 8. Quality of leadership in and management of schools

– 34(1)(a) demonstrate good skills and knowledge appropriate to their role so that the independent school standards are met consistently;

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Part 8. Quality of leadership in and management of schools

– 34(1)(b) fulfil their responsibilities effectively so that the independent school standards are met consistently. guidance ‘Raising concerns and making a complaint about Ofsted’, which is available from Ofsted’s website: www.gov.uk/government/publications/complaints-about-ofsted . If you would like Ofsted to send you a copy of the guidance, please telephone 0300 123 1231, or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk .

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Part 8. Quality of leadership in and management of schools

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Part 8. Quality of leadership in and management of schools

You can also use Parent View to find out what other parents and carers think about schools in England. You can visit www.parentview.ofsted.gov.uk , or look for the link on the main Ofsted website: www.gov.uk/ofsted .

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Part 8. Quality of leadership in and management of schools

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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Part 8. Quality of leadership in and management of schools

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Part 8. Quality of leadership in and management of schools

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Part 8. Quality of leadership in and management of schools

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