North London Hospital School

Inspection of North London Hospital School Priory Hospital North London, Grovelands House, The Bourne, Southgate N14 6RA

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Overall effectiveness Outstanding

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

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Overall effectiveness Outstanding

Does the school meet the independent school standards?

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What is it like to attend this school?

When pupils arrive, the focus of their short stay is recovery. When they are ready to learn, the school’s staff make sure the curriculum is adapted flexibly, so that it meets pupils’ complex needs. They do this outstandingly well.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Staff build strong, trusting, professional relationships with pupils. This helps increase their engagement in education over time. Staff have realistically high expectations of pupils’ behaviour and attendance. When pupils are ready, they behave and attend very well. Incidents, including any bullying, are dealt with immediately and effectively.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The school provides exceptional standards of care, support and supervision. Pupils are kept safe and feel respected. They can be themselves in this truly nurturing environment. Staff expertly help pupils to recover. Pupils regain confidence and are very well supported to think positively about their futures.

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better?

Through the building of trusting, working relationships, staff thoroughly understand pupils’ various needs and interests. When pupils are well enough, leaders and staff tailor the curriculum and timetable exceptionally well to meet their individual needs. Staff have consistently high expectations of pupils to try their best. They are highly skilled in re-engaging pupils in learning. Where pupils are not ready to access the classroom, staff ensure pupils do not miss out on education by supporting them on the ward.

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better?

Pupils learn a range of subjects. Where they have a mainstream school, staff support them to continue studying the curriculum and qualifications that they were learning previously. Teachers assess pupils carefully, planning step-by-step learning that builds on their prior knowledge. Pupils have access to a wide range of books and are encouraged to read as often as possible. Staff are well prepared to teach pupils at the early stages of reading, including those who speak English as an additional language.

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better?

The school’s commitment to pupils’ personal growth and recovery is exceptional. Staff are dedicated, patient and resilient. They are determined to develop pupils personally, socially and emotionally. Bike rides, enterprise projects, well-being walks and trips to farms, zoos and theatres are just some of the ways in which staff bring the curriculum to life. Staff skilfully and sensitively prepare pupils for their next steps. A highly effective health, well-being and careers programme contributes strongly to this. Pupils learn about physical and mental health, equality, British values, and a range of careers. A regular range of careers visits is organised. Recent visits have included the fire and rescue service, a nurse, an author and a beekeeper. These help to motivate pupils. The relationships, sex and health education programme is sensitively planned as part of the curriculum. 21 to 23 March 2023 Leaders ensure that high-quality professional training is available to teachers. As the

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better?

teaching team is small, leaders ensure that specialist teaching and subject expertise is shared across the wider group of hospital schools. Staff find this helpful in strengthening their practice. Staff are also positive about working at the school. They feel very well supported by leaders.

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better?

As pupils recover, staff prepare them as well as they can for coping with what comes next. This may include returning to their mainstream school or moving to a further education college or another residential setting. Staff regularly update parents, carers, and the range of professionals involved in pupils’ care.

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better?

Proprietors and leaders, including those responsible for governance, are highly effective. They demonstrate deep care and commitment to providing the best possible provision for vulnerable pupils. They regularly and effectively check quality and compliance with statutory requirements. The school is compliant with both the independent school standards and schedule 10 of the Equality Act 2010.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

Leaders ensure that staff receive regular specialist training to ensure they understand pupils’ specific safeguarding risks. Staff in the school and hospital work together as a matter of routine. They share important information and follow the rigorous procedures in place to deal with incidents and concerns. Risk assessments are thorough and effectively implemented. Staff help pupils to learn strategies to keep themselves safe, including through the health and well-being programme.

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Safeguarding

The school’s safeguarding policy reflects the latest statutory guidance and is available in hard copy. The staff recruitment process is thorough. All the checks on those who work with pupils are completed and recorded in line with the requirements.

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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. 21 to 23 March 2023

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School details

Unique reference number 142534 DfE registration number 308/6005

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School details

Inspection number 10267677 Type of school Hospital school for pupils with mental health needs School category Independent school

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School details

Proprietor Aspris Children's Services Ltd

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School details

Email address northlondonhospitalschool@aspriscs.co.uk

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School details

Date of previous inspection 4 to 6 December 2018 21 to 23 March 2023

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Information about this school

 North London Hospital School is an independent day school, which provides the education provision for in-patients at Priory Hospital North London.  Pupils usually attend the school for around three months, but this depends on the length of their recovery.  Some pupils remain on the roll of their mainstream school while being educated at the hospital school.  There is no separate sixth form. There is a very small number of students of sixth-form age.  The school is owned and managed by Aspris Children’s Services (previously Priory Education Services). The school is one of five hospital schools overseen by an ex- ecutive headteacher, who also fulfils the role of chair of governors.  The school makes no use of alternative provision.  The school’s previous inspection was its last standard inspection in December 2018. Since this time, the school’s maximum capacity has reduced from 22 to 8 in line with a decrease in the hospital’s in-patient capacity.

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Information about this inspection

The inspector 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. The inspector discussed the impact of the pandemic with leaders and has taken that into account in their evaluation of the school.

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Information about this inspection

 The inspection was conducted with one day’s notice.  The inspector carried out deep dives in these areas: English, science, and health and well-being (personal, social, health and economic education). For each deep dive, the inspector discussed the curriculum with leaders and staff, visited lessons, observed and talked to pupils, and considered evidence of pupils’ learning.  The inspector met with the interim headteacher and executive headteacher throughout the inspection. He met remotely with the substantive headteacher. He had a discussion by telephone with the chair of the proprietor body. The inspector met with all staff, most pupils, and spoke by telephone with two parents. 21 to 23 March 2023  The inspector considered responses to the online staff survey. There were no responses to Ofsted’s Parent View or to the pupil survey.  The inspector considered a wide range of evidence to check the school’s compli-

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Information about this inspection

ance with the independent school standards and Equality Act 2010.  Due to the very small number of students of sixth-form age, the inspector did not make a separate judgement for sixth-form provision.

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Inspection team

James Waite, lead inspector Ofsted Inspector 21 to 23 March 2023 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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