Springboard Education

Inspection of Springboard Education 55 South Street, Lancing, West Sussex BN15 8AN

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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 Inadequate

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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 are proud to be part of Springboard and look forward to coming to school each day. They care deeply about this school. For most, this is their last chance to be successful. Some have attended several schools before this. Here, they experience something different. They feel safe and can be themselves, and their needs are well understood. One pupil told inspectors, ‘I get what I need here.’ Another said, ‘This place has changed me for the better in every way.’ A third said, ‘I love it here. I do not want to leave.’ A small group of parents and carers are actively involved in the school. One described the family sports day as ‘the highlight’ of their year.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils’ attendance at school is good. When absence is a concern, staff support pupils and families well to improve things. Pupils behave well in lessons and at social times, with the support of skilled staff. Pupils’ relationships with each other are very positive. Bullying is rarely an issue. When it is, staff tackle it quickly. The working relationships between staff and pupils are strong. Staff provide a therapeutic and nurturing environment. This helps pupils feel ready to tackle their learning.

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better?

Leaders have rapidly improved this school since the previous standard inspection in July 2022. They have focused carefully on the curriculum and the behaviour and personal development of pupils and successfully so. There is also now a more rigorous approach to proprietors’ oversight. The school’s statutory duties, including compliance with schedule 10 of the Equality Act 2010, are carried out effectively. Staff training has helped to improve their understanding of their roles and has given them a sense of purpose and urgency. Staff work well together and feel well supported. This helps them to support pupils effectively. One parent said, ‘The staff are exceptional.’

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better?

The school’s motto, ‘learning and laughter for life’, underpins the vision that staff have for pupils to achieve success. A clear set of values, known as ‘The Springboard Way’, make clear the rights pupils have. These values are focused on happiness, belonging and unity, resilience, and determination and independence.

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better?

The curriculum focuses on English, mathematics, and personal, social and health education (PSHE) across the school from key stage 3 through to sixth form. The content of the wider curriculum, for example in physical education, art, science, music and life skills, is carefully linked to a book and focuses precisely on what pupils need to know and to be able to do in the future. Students in the sixth form receive a bespoke offer that is tailored to their individual needs.

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better?

In lessons, pupils are eager to discuss their learning. They are constantly developing concentration skills, asking and answering questions and reflecting what they know in their writing. Staff use several strategies to make learning successful. They 13 to 15 June 2023 carefully adapt teaching as lessons progress, responding well to the needs of pupils. For example, some pupils need regular movement breaks that help them to focus.

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better?

Reading is a priority. The many opportunities for pupils to read and be read to, including reading aloud in class, are helping to develop a love of reading. Most pupils read well but struggle with some aspects of reading, such as understanding longer texts. Staff follow pupils’ interests to make it more exciting. One pupil was reading about his favourite footballer.

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better?

Staff check on pupils’ progress in a variety of ways. They have to approach this very carefully so as to keep pupils engaged at the same time as developing their own understanding of each pupil. Staff tweak the curriculum so that it suits the learning needs of every pupil. They monitor and track how well pupils are progressing. Staff who are responsible for leading the curriculum monitor its quality effectively. However, the monitoring of the wider curriculum is not as effective as it could be. As a result, the wider curriculum is not as strong as it is in English, mathematics and PSHE.

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better?

Pupils enjoy trips out of school that are carefully aligned with the curriculum. The lead inspector accompanied pupils on a trip to the local leisure centre for one of their physical education sessions. Pupils demonstrated excellent behaviour. External speakers regularly visit to talk to pupils about a range of topics. Pupils receive suitable careers advice. However, the careers education programme is not as structured as it could be across the school. Through the PSHE curriculum, pupils learn about important topics such as healthy relationships, risks in the community and sexual health.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

Staff care well for pupils. They know each of them inside out and are able to spot subtle changes in their behaviour that could be a cause for concern. Staff training is suitably tailored to the school. Processes around recording concerns have significantly improved. Staff pass on concerns regularly, and safeguarding leaders take swift, appropriate actions. These concerns and the actions taken as a result are normally recorded well. However, a small number of incidents could be more precisely recorded to reflect leaders’ appropriate actions.

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Safeguarding

The curriculum teaches pupils how to stay safe. For example, during the inspection, staff were constantly reminding pupils of the importance of wearing sun cream and drinking plenty of water during the hot weather. 13 to 15 June 2023

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Information for the school and proprietor

 Curriculum leaders do not monitor the wider curriculum as effectively as they do in English, mathematics and PSHE. This means that the wider curriculum is not as strong. Leaders need to ensure that curriculum leaders have the expertise and capacity to check how well the wider curriculum is implemented and to use this information to support its development.  The careers education programme is not as well developed as it could be. This means that some pupils miss out on important careers education as they progress through the school. Leaders need to ensure that they take a more systematic approach to teaching careers to pupils across the school.  A very small number of records of the actions leaders have taken in response to safeguarding concerns are not as precisely recorded as others. Leaders should make sure that the swift, appropriate actions they always take are recorded with the precision seen in the majority of records.

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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. 13 to 15 June 2023

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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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form

Proprietors Judy Packham Jeremy Cross Headteacher Leanne Jarvis

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form

Annual fees (day pupils) £26,452 to £37,500

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form

Email address judy@springboardeducation.co.uk

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form

Date of previous inspection 14 March 2023 13 to 15 June 2023

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Information about this school

 The school caters for pupils with social, emotional and mental health needs. Many also have other specific learning needs. All pupils have an education, health and care plan. All pupils have been placed at the school by one of four local authorities. School places are funded by the respective local authority.  The school is registered for up to 27 pupils between the ages of five and 18. However, there are currently no pupils on roll below the age of 10.  The proprietors are also the company directors. There is currently no governing body.  The school’s previous standard inspection was in July 2022, when the school was judged to be inadequate. A progress monitoring inspection took place in March 2023. This inspection found that the independent school standards that were checked were all met.  The school does not currently use any alternative provision. However, some pupils attend registered local colleges on a part-time basis. Pupils are accompanied by a

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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

 Inspectors discussed any continued impact of the pandemic with leaders and have taken that into account in their evaluation of the school.  Inspectors held a wide range of meetings with the headteacher, other leaders, and teaching and support staff at the school. The lead inspector also met with one of the proprietors.  Inspectors visited lessons, reviewed samples of pupils’ work and spoke with pupils and staff during lesson visits. Inspectors also met with the headteacher to discuss the school’s curriculum and other aspects of the school’s work.  Inspectors considered responses to Ofsted Parent View and the free-text comments received during the inspection. The lead inspector met with three parents and carers. Inspectors also considered the responses to Ofsted’s staff survey.  Inspectors gathered evidence related to the independent school standards during meetings with leaders and a proprietor. Inspectors also considered other policies

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Information about this inspection

13 to 15 June 2023 and documents and toured the school’s buildings and grounds with the headteacher.  To inspect safeguarding, inspectors spoke with staff and pupils. They considered a wide range of documents, policies and records, including the pre-appointment checks on staff. The lead inspector also met with a proprietor, the headteacher and the designated safeguarding lead.

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Inspection team

Shaun Jarvis, lead inspector Ofsted Inspector

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Inspection team

Mark Cole Ofsted Inspector 13 to 15 June 2023 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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