Cotswold Spa Hospital School

Inspection of Cotswold Spa Hospital School Station Road, Broadway, Worcestershire WR12 7DE

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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?

Pupils’ health, well-being and success are at the heart of everything the school does. All staff are united in their work to help pupils settle in quickly. Staff are highly skilled at supporting pupils in their new environment. Consequently, pupils feel welcomed and know that staff care about them.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Staff have the highest expectations for how pupils behave and what pupils can achieve. Staff provide an appropriate balance of challenge and support to pupils, while being sensitive to their specific healthcare needs. Pupils respond well to the high expectations. They show maturity and high levels of respect towards each other and staff. Furthermore, they understand the reasons behind the rules and routines that staff have put in place to keep them safe.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils have extremely positive attitudes towards their education. They work hard, take pride in their success and show great resilience in the classroom. As a result, pupils learn and achieve well.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils’ personal development is of the highest quality. Staff support pupils to work collaboratively. Pupils benefit from a specific curriculum to develop character and their study skills. Pupils appreciate the range of activities on offer that broaden their experiences. For example, they can learn to cook, play the guitar or drums, or read Braille.

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better?

The school’s ambition for all pupils to reach their full potential stands out. This includes pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities. Leaders ensure that pupils’ specific needs are not barriers to reaching the best possible outcomes.

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better?

The school gathers information from a range of sources to accurately identify the needs of pupils. Staff use personalised curriculum plans for each pupil which closely matches with pupils’ needs and interests. For most pupils, this curriculum mirrors what they would be studying at their home school. However, staff know that pupils may have gaps in their knowledge due to having missed time at school. Staff skilfully identify where these gaps are, through formal and informal assessments. Staff use this information well. They successfully adapt curriculum plans and activities so that they closely match each pupils’ stage of learning and their specific needs. All of this ensures that there are no limits to what pupils can achieve.

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better?

Teachers demonstrate strong subject knowledge, which they use to break down learning into clear steps. Through questioning, modelling and scaffolding, they support pupils to build their knowledge and understanding over time. In English, for example, pupils develop a range of literary devices. They learn to present arguments with supporting evidence and produce work of impressive quality. Teachers often work with pupils on a one-to-one basis. Teachers regularly talk with pupils about their work and help them to see where they can improve even further. This 17 to 19 October 2023 approach, which is delivered by expert teachers, enables pupils to make rapid progress during their time at the school. Not only do pupils catch up on lost learning, but many forge ahead and achieve exceptional outcomes.

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better?

There is a strong emphasis on reading for all pupils. Staff persistently encourage a love of reading and deliberately expose pupils to a wealth of high-quality texts across the curriculum.

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better?

The school has high expectations for behaviour, underpinned by an understanding of the risks associated with pupils’ healthcare needs. Pupils understand the expectations and consistently demonstrate high levels of respect and positive attitudes.

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better?

The promotion of pupils’ personal development is exemplary. Leaders have thought about every detail in this area of the curriculum. The content of the curriculum in personal, social, health and economic (PSHE) education deliberately focuses on what leaders know is most important for the pupils’ well-being. This includes a specific focus on social media use and growing a positive mindset. It also covers the statutory guidance on relationships and sex education. There is an extensive enrichment programme that includes a daily focus on the wider world. In these sessions, pupils learn about world religions, faiths and cultures. Theme days and virtual tours further enhance this aspect of the wider curriculum.

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better?

The school goes over and above to give pupils every possible opportunity to explore their interests and talents. In addition to taking up opportunities to learn to play various musical instruments, some pupils complete courses such as in equine studies or animal care. These courses are often offered because pupils have expressed an interest in a career in this area. The school sees the careers programme as a high priority. Specialist external services provide impartial advice. This supports pupils to understand the range of options available. The school provides work experience where possible, both in the school and through links to specific workplaces close by.

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better?

The proprietor body has clear oversight of the work of the school. This is particularly strong in relation to safeguarding. The management committee has a range of systems for quality assuring the work of the school. This includes regular, on-site visits from the head of education. The head of maintenance makes frequent checks on the school’s premises and standards of health and safety. The school meets the independent school standards securely and consistently, including the statutory requirements of the Equality Act 2010.

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better?

Staff and parents and carers speak very positively about the provision. Parents feel well informed and appreciate the level of communication between home and school. Staff are proud to work at the school and know that they are valued. The sense of teamwork in the school is palpable.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective. 17 to 19 October 2023

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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. 17 to 19 October 2023

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School details

Type of school Other independent special school

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School details

Website www.elysiumheathcare.co.uk/education/c otswoldspa Email address Cotswold-Staff@elysiumeducation.co.uk

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School details

Date of previous inspection 3 to 5 July 2019 17 to 19 October 2023

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Information about this school

 Cotswold Spa Hospital School is a mixed independent school in Cotswold Spa Hospital, which occupies the same site. The hospital provides treatment for children and young adults with eating disorders. Patients reside at the hospital for the duration of their treatment. Pupils are usually dual registered with their home school.  Elysium Healthcare is the proprietor body. It operates a number of other specialist education and healthcare settings.  The school’s previous standard inspection was from 3 to 5 July 2019.  The school does not use alternative provision.  The school is registered for up to 12 pupils.

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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

 Inspections are a point-in-time judgement about the quality of a school’s education provision.  This was the first routine inspection the school had received since the COVID-19 pandemic began. Inspectors discussed the impact of the pandemic with the school and have taken that into account in their evaluation of the school.  Inspectors met with members of the proprietor body, including the head of education. Inspectors also met with the headteacher, the deputy headteacher, teachers, teaching assistants and pupils.  Inspectors carried out deep dives in English, mathematics, modern foreign languages and PSHE education. For each deep dive, inspectors held discussions about the curriculum, 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 also looked at curriculum plans and samples of pupils’ work and spoke

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Information about this inspection

to leaders about some other subjects.  To evaluate the effectiveness of safeguarding, the inspectors: reviewed the single central record; took account of the views of leaders, staff and pupils; and considered the extent to which the school has created an open and positive culture around safeguarding that puts pupils’ interests first. 17 to 19 October 2023  The lead inspector toured the premises to check compliance with the independent school standards. A number of key documents were also reviewed, including policies relating to admissions, behaviour, curriculum, complaints, health and safety, and safeguarding.  The views of staff, parents and pupils, including through responses to Ofsted’s online staff survey, were considered.

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Inspection team

Helen Forrest, lead inspector His Majesty’s Inspector

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Inspection team

Ant Edkins Ofsted Inspector 17 to 19 October 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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