Jasmine House School

Inspection of Jasmine House School Jasmine House School, 34 Ilkeston Road, Heanor, Derbyshire DE75 7DT

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Overall effectiveness Good

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

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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 very happy to attend their school. They say that they feel safe because the staff that look after them are very caring and supportive. Relationships between staff and pupils are very positive. Staff know the pupils well. They ensure that they understand and meet the pupils’ complex needs.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Parents and carers appreciate the help staff give them and their children. One parent reflected the views of others when they stated: ‘The school has shown unwavering care, support and encouragement to our child and us as a family. The school has literally given her her life back.’

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What is it like to attend this school?

There are high ambitions for all pupils. All staff are committed to providing pupils with high-quality educational experiences. Pupils thrive as a result.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils learn in a very calm and inclusive environment. Staff support all pupils to understand each other’s feelings and to engage with other pupils and adults in a positive way. Staff know the causes of distress for each pupil so they can intervene early to help reduce pupils’ anxiety. As a result, many pupils make significant improvements in their behaviour. They show a positive attitude to their learning and make a tangible contribution to the life of the school.

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better?

The school’s curriculum is ambitious and designed to meet pupils’ individual special educational needs and/or disabilities. The three learning ‘pathways’ ensure that pupils have a broad and enriching experience. Some pupils with the most complex needs benefit from a carefully designed bespoke curriculum. Most pupils access subjects from the national curriculum in a way that is appropriate for them. Pupils who are above the age of compulsory education study a similar curriculum. Some also access work experience placements and college courses. There is a broad overview and structure for the curriculum. However, the key knowledge that pupils need to learn in a few subjects has not been identified precisely enough. This has led to teachers being uncertain about exactly what knowledge and skills should be taught and assessed in these subjects.

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better?

Pupils benefit from individual teaching and support in lessons. This helps them develop good knowledge and skills in most subjects as they progress through the curriculum. Staff recap on previous learning. They help pupils to recall what they know to help them understand their current learning. For example, in a design and technology lesson, a pupil used their learning from science to talk about how they would test the strength of their bridge structure. Staff ask questions in lessons to check pupils’ understanding. They check that pupils understand any new vocabulary they encounter. The feedback pupils receive shows them what they have done well and helps them know how to further improve their work. 24 to 26 October 2023 Staff have recently introduced ‘social communication’ lessons. These help pupils understand more about themselves, their emotions and social interactions. As a result, pupils are comfortable with their peers and are more secure in who they are

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better?

as individuals. They are willing to give new things a go and show resilience when faced with challenges. Pupils engage well with their learning. They work hard to complete their tasks. They take pride in their work and are keen to please their teachers.

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better?

Teachers use a variety of ways to encourage pupils to read. Some pupils who are at an early stage of learning to read receive effective support through phonics-based sessions. Some pupils have made remarkable progress in becoming more fluent and confident readers since joining the school.

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better?

All staff, including the external therapists, know the individual, additional needs of pupils well. The targets pupils are set to achieve in their learning are accurate and precise. Pupils review these targets weekly with staff. This allows them to reach the outcomes set in their education, health and care plans (EHC plan).

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better?

The school provides pupils with opportunities to engage with the local community. Pupils have supported a range of charities through fundraising events and visits. Visitors such as the police have helped enrich the delivery of the personal, social, health and economic (PSHE) programme. Pupils benefit from a structured careers education programme and independent advice and guidance. Staff provide a range of experiences to develop pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural education. However, the spiritual aspects of this programme are not fully developed, and the school has not defined how all activities and experiences are building towards preparing pupils for their next steps. Staff are in the very early stages of setting out the important opportunities that all pupils must experience before they leave the school to prepare them for adult life.

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better?

Staff are proud to work at the school. They appreciate the training they receive and leaders’ commitment to ensuring staff’s well-being.

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better?

The proprietor is uncompromising in its commitment to the pupils and to improving the school. It fulfils its statutory responsibilities and provides school leaders with appropriate support and challenge. The proprietor has ensured that the school meets all the independent school standards. Regular health and safety checks help keep the premises maintained to an excellent standard. The school complies with schedule 10 of the Equality Act 2010. The safeguarding and relationships and sex education policies are available on the school’s website.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective. 24 to 26 October 2023

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(Information for the school and proprietor)

 The knowledge and skills pupils should learn and when are not precisely identified in a few subjects. As a result, teachers do not always know exactly what knowledge to teach and how best to teach it to help pupils develop their understanding securely. The school should ensure that there is clarification as to what pupils should learn and be able to do in these subjects so that pupils are supported to build their learning over time.  The different activities and experiences the school provides for pupils are not yet part of a coherent personal development programme that builds towards clearly defined, ambitious end points. Consequently, pupils may not understand why they are undertaking these activities or how these activities are preparing them for their next steps and for adult life. The school should ensure that all aspects of the personal development programme are clear and aspirational for all pupils and

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(Information for the school and proprietor)

prepare them fully for their adult life in modern Britain.

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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. 24 to 26 October 2023

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School details

Type of school Other independent special school

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School details

School category Independent special school

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School details

Proprietor Smoothstone Care and Education Limited

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School details

Annual fees (day pupils) £76,000 to £80,000

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School details

Email address nathan.slater@smoothstonecare.co.uk

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School details

Date of previous inspection 22 to 24 January 2019 24 to 26 October 2023

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Information about this school

 Jasmine House School is an independent special school. It is part of the Smoothstone care and education group.  The school provides education for pupils aged between 11 and 18 years.  All pupils have an EHC plan. Pupils have a range of special educational needs, including autism; speech, language and communication needs; attention deficit hyperactivity disorder; and social, emotional and mental health needs. Some pupils demonstrate challenging behaviour, resulting from their complex needs.  Most of the pupils are children looked after.  The school does not use any alternative provision.  Pupils who are above the compulsory age for education pursue a curriculum that is appropriate to their needs, including preparing them for adulthood.  The school’s previous standard inspection took place from 22 to 24 January 2019.

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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 education provision.

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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. Inspectors discussed the impact of the pandemic with leaders and have taken that into account in their evaluation of the school.  Inspectors held various meetings with the headteacher and the deputy headteacher. The lead inspector also met with the chair and directors of the proprietor body.  Inspectors carried out deep dives into English (including reading), mathematics, science and PSHE. Inspectors discussed the curriculum with leaders, visited lessons, spoke to teachers and instructors, spoke to some pupils about their learning and looked at a sample of pupils’ work.  Inspectors also considered the religious education and social communication curriculums, as well as visiting lessons and looking at work in other subjects such as design technology, music and careers education.  Inspectors also looked at individual pupils’ EHC plans and associated learning

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Information about this inspection

plans, as well as individual pupil risk assessments. 24 to 26 October 2023  Inspectors considered a wide variety of school documents, including the school development plan.  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  Inspectors took note of the responses received to Ofsted’s online survey, Ofsted Parent View, and considered the results of the staff and pupil surveys. Inspectors met with pupils to gather their views.  Inspectors considered relevant documentation and reviewed the school facilities to check the school’s compliance with the independent school standards.

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Inspection team

Dave Gilkerson, lead inspector His Majesty’s Inspector

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Inspection team

Janis Warren Ofsted Inspector 24 to 26 October 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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