Spring Valley School

Inspection of Spring Valley School Spring Valley, The Old Rectory, Risley Lane, Breaston DE72 3AU

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Inspection dates: 19 to 21 September 2023

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Overall effectiveness Requires improvement

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

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Overall effectiveness Requires improvement

Does the school meet the independent school standards?

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What is it like to attend this school?

This is a happy school. Pupils are welcoming, polite and respectful. Staff know and care for pupils very well. Relationships are calm, nurturing and reassuring. Pupils enjoy school and get on well with each other. They want to be at school. Pupils are proud of Spring Valley School.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Staff have high expectations of pupils’ learning. Pupils learn well. They value the experiences that support their personal development. Pupils grow in self-esteem and confidence. They develop talents and interests through a range of activities. For example, they enjoy swimming, horse-riding, shopping and playing the drums. They care for Peter, the pet rabbit.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Staff help pupils manage their feelings. Pupils learn to recognise when they are unsettled. They are confident to share any worries they may have. They know that adults will listen to them. Staff support pupils to manage their emotions and behaviour. Pupils’ behaviour improves during their time at school. Staff provide strong pastoral care.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Parents and carers are positive about the school. One parent, whose comments were typical of several, wrote, ‘My child has thrived while at this school and feels valued.’ Another parent commented, ‘This school has changed my son’s life for the better.’

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better?

All staff are committed to the school’s values and mission. They focus on putting pupils first. The school sets high expectations and aspirations for pupils. Staff provide support that enables pupils to re-engage with education. Pupils have gaps in their learning because of interruptions or poor attendance at their previous schools. However, when at this school, pupils are rarely absent. They become successful learners.

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better?

An ambitious curriculum is in place across a range of subjects. Staff develop pupils’ speaking, reading, writing and mathematics. Most subjects’ individual curriculums are suitably demanding. They identify the key knowledge and skills that pupils should learn and when. Pupils’ learning builds over time with opportunities to revisit previous learning. For example, in mathematics, pupils gain knowledge of number and apply this knowledge in different situations. In history, pupils are challenged to develop their understanding of chronology and understand how the past influences people today. However, not all subject curriculums are equally ambitious. The school has not identified all of the key knowledge that pupils need to learn over time in all subjects.

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better?

Teachers deliver the planned curriculum well. They explain new learning well. They make sure that pupils embed what they have already learned before introducing new knowledge and concepts. Staff skilfully adapt their teaching, for example by 19 to 21 September 2023 changing resources and re-sequencing tasks. They ask questions to check, and deepen, pupils’ learning. Staff use assessment to help identify pupils’ strengths and additional learning needs.

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better?

Staff know the additional needs of pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities. The targets in pupils’ education, health and care plans (EHC plan) are taken into account. Staff receive clear guidance that breaks down these targets into manageable steps for each pupil. Staff recognise and celebrate the smallest steps of learning.

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better?

The school has prioritised reading. There is a culture that nurtures pupils’ love of reading. Staff are trained to use phonics resources well. They teach phonics well to pupils who are at an early stage of reading. Pupils become fluent in their reading. Adults develop pupils’ reading comprehension skills. Pupils read a range of books and texts. They confidently share their reading with adults. Pupils read for enjoyment.

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better?

The personal, social, health and economic (PSHE) education curriculum is well thought through. The school has given PSHE prominence to support pupils’ personal development needs. Adults give pupils structured opportunities to learn about healthy choices and living. Leaders make sure that the relationships and sex education curriculum is adapted to meet pupils’ age and maturity. Pupils learn to debate and learn right from wrong. They learn to respect differences, including cultural and religious diversity. For example, they learn about religions and visit places of worship. They develop a mature understanding of life in modern Britain. Pupils are actively involved in the local community. Older pupils learn about the world of work and different jobs. Pupils are being well prepared for their next stages of learning.

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better?

Staff are proud to be part of this school. There is a strong team culture. Staff feel valued and appreciate a range of training opportunities. They recognise that leaders are mindful of their workload and well-being. Staff morale is positive.

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better?

The school does not meet all the independent school standards (the standards). Several standards were unmet at the start of the inspection. Leaders rectified these during the inspection. Arrangements for first aid are appropriate. The website includes the required information to meet related standards, including the safeguarding policy. The complaints procedure is appropriate. The school complies with schedule 10 of the Equality Act 2010. Policies are available to parents on request. The school is inclusive.

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better?

The school does not meet the standards in relation to health and safety and the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005. The school has not undertaken regular health and safety, and fire safety, checks. The school’s risk assessment policy is not implemented consistently. Leaders demonstrate capacity to rectify these issues to meet the unmet standards. 19 to 21 September 2023

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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(Information for the school and proprietor)

 The school does not meet all the standards securely and consistently. The school’s practices in relation to health and safety, fire safety and risk assessment are not effective. The school must ensure that all of the standards are met securely and consistently.  Some subject curriculums are not as ambitious as others. As a result, pupils do not always have the opportunity to learn as well as they could. The school should ensure that all subject curriculums are suitably ambitious, reflecting high learning expectations, thus enabling pupils to know more and remember more across the full breadth of the curriculum.

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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. 19 to 21 September 2023

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School details

Email address mattw@caretodayparallelparents.net

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School details

Date of previous inspection 15 to 17 February 2022 19 to 21 September 2023

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Information about this school

 The school is situated in the village of Breaston, Derbyshire, DE72 3AU.  The school is part of Roaches School Network, a group of schools operating as part of Parallel Parents Ltd.  The school has appointed a new deputy headteacher since the previous inspection. The proprietor has established a governing body since the previous inspection.  The school provides full-time education for pupils with social, emotional and mental health needs. All pupils have an EHC plan.  There are 11 pupils currently on the school’s roll. There are no key stage 4 pupils at the school.  The school does not use the services of any alternative provider.  The school’s previous standard inspection took place in February 2022.

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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

Inspections are a point-in-time judgement about the quality of a school’s provision.

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Information about this inspection

The school has failed to meet the independent school standards. These are the requirements of 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.

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Information about this inspection

 Inspectors met with the headteacher and the deputy headteacher, who is the special educational needs coordinator. Inspectors met with a range of staff.  The lead inspector held remote meetings with the chair of directors and the chair of governors.  Inspectors carried out deep dives in these subjects: reading; mathematics; humanities (history, geography and religious education); and PSHE. For each deep dive, inspectors held discussions about the curriculum, looked at curriculum plans, visited sample lessons, spoke to teachers, spoke with some pupils about their learning and looked at samples of pupils’ work. They listened to pupils read.  Inspectors also looked at curriculum plans, spoke to leaders, visited lessons and looked at pupils’ work in other subjects.  To evaluate the effectiveness of safeguarding, inspectors: reviewed the single central record; took account of the views of leaders, staff and pupils; reviewed

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Information about this inspection

19 to 21 September 2023 safeguarding records; and considered the extent to which the school has created an open and positive culture of safeguarding that puts pupils’ interests first.  Inspectors spoke with pupils about various aspects of school life.  Inspectors scrutinised a range of documents, including policies related to curriculum, teaching, health and safety and complaints.  The lead inspector toured the premises to review the suitability of the accommodation.  Inspectors considered parents’ views as shared in the text messages through the free-text comments entered on Ofsted Parent View.

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Inspection team

Chris Davies, lead inspector His Majesty’s Inspector

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Inspection team

Kirsty Norbury His Majesty’s Inspector 19 to 21 September 2023

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Part 3. Welfare, health and safety of pupils

 11 The standard in this paragraph is met if the proprietor ensures that relevant health and safety laws are complied with by the drawing up and effective implementation of a written health and safety policy.

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Part 3. Welfare, health and safety of pupils

 12 The standard in this paragraph is met if the proprietor ensures compliance with the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005[12].

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Part 3. Welfare, health and safety of pupils

 16 The standard in this paragraph is met if the proprietor ensures that-

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Part 3. Welfare, health and safety of pupils

– 16(a) the welfare of pupils at the school is safeguarded and promoted by the drawing up and effective implementation of a written risk assessment policy; and

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Part 3. Welfare, health and safety of pupils

– 16(b) appropriate action is taken to reduce risks that are identified.

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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. 19 to 21 September 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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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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Part 8. Quality of leadership in and management of schools

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