Amberleigh Therapeutic School

Inspection of Amberleigh Therapeutic School The Oaks, Redhill, Telford, Shropshire TF2 9NZ

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Overall effectiveness Good

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

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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 thrive here. Throughout the school, there is a calm, nurturing environment. Before joining the school, pupils experienced difficulties in their social lives and struggled to build healthy relationships. However, the care from the school’s therapeutic community helps pupils to overcome these challenges quickly. As a result, pupils build strong positive relationships with their peers and staff. Interactions with staff are warm and positive. Pupils value this. They know who to turn to if they have a concern. Pupils are confident any concerns will be resolved quickly.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Leaders are ambitious for pupils. They know that many pupils have, in the past, struggled to manage their own behaviours. Leaders do not use this as an excuse. They set clear expectations for pupils’ behaviour as well as their academic success. Pupils strive to meet leaders’ high expectations. If pupils misbehave, staff and their peers challenge this in a calm, caring way. Pupils’ behaviour rapidly improves during their time at the school.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils benefit from an extensive range of opportunities to enhance their wider personal development. The sense of community here is palpable. For example, each day, pupils cook lunch for the entire school community. Pupils take full responsibility for this work and approach this with pride.

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better?

Leaders have created a culture here where both academic achievement and personal growth are celebrated. Leaders have the highest expectations for pupils. Their resolve to ensure that pupils receive both an education and the therapeutic care that supports them to contribute positively to society is clear to see.

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better?

Across most subjects, leaders have planned the curriculum carefully. They make sure that the things pupils learn build upon the things they already know. This helps pupils to make strong progress. For example, in food technology, pupils have a secure knowledge of the processes involved in safe food preparation. They frequently cook complex meals and rapidly develop a passion for cooking. However, the small steps that pupils need to take to be successful have not been outlined in all subjects. Because of this, the things pupils learn do not always build upon the things they have been taught before, and teachers are at times unclear about precisely what to teach. Consequently, the activities chosen by teachers do not always support pupils to learn the intended curriculum. At times, this holds pupils back.

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better?

When pupils join the school, leaders work with a range of external agencies to build a clear and comprehensive picture of pupils’ therapeutic needs, including the needs of pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). Through this work, leaders often identify a range of previously undiagnosed needs. Leaders adapt their curriculum skilfully to support these pupils, developing bespoke curriculum 24 to 26 October 2023 pathways if needed. As a result, pupils with SEND do very well here. The school also uses a range of subject-specific assessments to understand pupils’ starting points. However, these assessments do little to build a clear picture of the gaps in pupils’ previous learning. Because of this, some pupils have gaps in knowledge and they harbour misconceptions for too long, which hinders their progress.

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better?

Reading takes a central role in pupils’ lives. Pupils frequently use the school library and read a range of engaging and appropriate texts. During their time here, pupils become avid readers.

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better?

The school’s work to enhance pupils’ social interactions and their wider personal development is profound. It is part of the fabric of the school. This, as well as the bespoke therapeutic care pupils receive, supports pupils to build appropriate and positive relationships with others. Consequently, despite having previously struggled to manage their own behaviours, pupils frequently model the positive behaviours expected of them.

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better?

The school makes sure that pupils benefit from a wide range of high-quality, meaningful encounters with the world of work. The qualifications that pupils study are well matched to their future career ambitions. The school is relentless in its drive to provide all pupils with the most interesting and varied opportunities to support their personal growth. Nothing is left to chance.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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(Information for the school and proprietor)

 In a small number of subjects, the school has not defined the precise knowledge that pupils will learn. Where this happens, teachers are not clear about the knowledge pupils are expected to learn, and do not always design lessons that support the aims of the curriculum. This holds pupils back. Leaders should ensure that the curriculum is equally well planned across all subjects so that the knowledge to be taught is clearly defined.  Teachers’ use of assessment is not always as precise as it ought to be. They do not always identify gaps in pupils’ knowledge when they join the school or identify gaps in knowledge as pupils progress through the curriculum. This is a barrier to learning. Leaders should ensure that teachers use assessment skilfully to accurately identify pupils’ starting points and carefully monitor their progress through the curriculum. 24 to 26 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. 24 to 26 October 2023

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School details

Type of school Other independent special school

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School details

Annual fees (day pupils) £47,906 to £64,240

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School details

Email address Enquiries@amberleighcare.co.uk

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School details

Date of previous inspection 8 to 10 October 2019 24 to 26 October 2023

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Information about this school

 Many pupils at the school have SEND, including social, emotional and mental health needs, related conditions and attachment disorders. Some pupils have an education, health and care plan.  The school does not make use of alternative provision.  Due to the very small numbers of post-16 pupils, a separate judgment about this provision has not been made.  There are currently 11 pupils on roll at the school. However, the school is registered to admit 14 pupils.  The school meets the requirements of the provider access legislation, which requires schools to provide pupils in Years 8 to 13 with information and engagement about approved technical education qualifications and apprenticeships.

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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.  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 held discussions with the headteacher and other senior and middle leaders.  Inspectors spoke with the proprietor.  Inspectors carried out deep dives in these subjects: English, science, design technology and personal, social, health and economic education. For each deep dive, inspectors held discussions about the curriculum, visited a sample of lessons, spoke to teachers, spoke to some pupils about their learning and looked

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Information about this inspection

at samples of pupils’ work. 24 to 26 October 2023  Inspectors met with members of staff and spoke to pupils formally and informally at various points in the inspection. The inspectors considered responses to Ofsted Parent View, including parent free-text responses.  Inspectors looked at records and spoke to staff in relation to attendance and behaviour.

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Inspection team

Alexander Laney, lead inspector His Majesty’s Inspector

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Inspection team

Russell Hinton 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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