Broadstones School

Inspection of Broadstones School Room 413, Broadstone Mill, Broadstone Road, Reddish SK4 5HS

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Inspection dates: 31 October to 2 November 2023

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Overall effectiveness Good

The quality of education Good Behaviour and attitudes Good Personal development Good Leadership and management Good 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?

Broadstones is a nurturing and happy school. Pupils arrive, sometimes having had a significantly disrupted education. All pupils have special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). They develop positive relationships with staff. Staff are approachable, and this helps pupils to feel safe and well cared for. This helps pupils to feel at ease so they can engage with their learning.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The school has high expectations for pupils’ behaviour. Leaders and staff support pupils to manage their behaviour. There is a rewards system in place, which pupils value. Consequently, pupils behave well.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The school also has high expectations for pupils’ achievement. Pupils benefit from a wide range of vocational courses, such as in construction, bicycle maintenance, and hair and beauty. This helps to motivate pupils to develop their practical skills so they are well prepared for their next steps when they leave Broadstones.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils develop their wider talents and interests through a range of activities. For example, they enjoy sports, bowling and playing musical instruments. Pupils appreciate the trips and visits they can go on, such as to museums and the theatre. They enjoy raising money for charity and volunteering in the local community. Pupils are well supported to develop resilience and independence. Activities, such as travel training, are carefully planned to help pupils to become more confident and ready for adult life.

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better?

The school has designed an ambitious curriculum that combines academic and vocational experiences for pupils. These experiences meet the individual needs of pupils. The school has thought carefully about what it wants pupils to learn. Topics are taught in a logical order to build effectively on pupils’ learning as they move through the school.

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better?

Many pupils have been out of education for long periods of time before they join the school. The school therefore completes careful checks when pupils join. This helps to identify any emotional, social and academic needs. Staff meet the needs of pupils with SEND well. Education, health and care (EHC) plans are used to help design pupils’ learning. Staff adapt learning and break it down into manageable steps. They use assessment strategies well to check what pupils know and can do. Staff address pupils’ misconceptions and errors, which helps pupils to enjoy their learning. Pupils achieve well in a wide range of subjects.

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better?

The school has identified that some pupils have gaps in their reading knowledge. This hinders their access to the curriculum. In many subjects, staff focus on developing pupils’ vocabulary. Staff are also beginning to provide extra support to help weaker readers to catch up. However, the school’s plans to improve reading are still in the early stages of development. 31 October to 2 November 2023 The school is a calm and orderly place. Alongside clear routines, staff ensure that they support pupils to de-escalate challenging behaviour. As a result, the number of behavioural incidents has declined over time. Pupils behave well in lessons and focus on their work. They are polite and pleasant with visitors.

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better?

Many pupils had poor attendance in their previous schooling. The school’s close work with families and external agencies, alongside an engaging curriculum, has helped pupils’ attendance to improve over time.

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better?

Pupils’ personal development is at the heart of the school’s work. The personal, social, health and economic (PSHE) education curriculum enables pupils to learn about healthy living. Pupils receive age-appropriate relationships and sex education. They develop respect and tolerance for differences in people. Pupils learn about democracy and deepen their understanding of what is right and wrong. The school makes sure that pupils learn how to keep themselves safe when online and in the community.

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better?

Pupils benefit from helpful careers advice and guidance. They visit local colleges, as well as carrying out work placements. This enables pupils to be well prepared for their next steps. All pupils move on to education, employment or training when they leave the school.

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better?

The school engages well with parents and carers by providing them with information about how to help their children’s learning at home. This enables parents to work in partnership with the school.

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better?

Staff are proud to work at the school. They are consulted closely when new policies and procedures are introduced. This helps to ensure that their workload is manageable. Members of the advisory committee are committed to the school and use their expertise to support improvements for the benefit of pupils.

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better?

The proprietor monitors the work of the school closely. He ensures that the school is held to account for the quality of education provided. The proprietor has ensured that all of the independent school standards (the standards) are met. The school also complies with schedule 10 of the Equality Act 2010.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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(Information for the school and proprietor)

 The school’s procedures to develop pupils’ reading knowledge are not fully developed. Some pupils struggle with reading, which means that they are not able to access the curriculum as well as they could. The school should ensure that 31 October to 2 November 2023 it provides the support that pupils need in order to read with fluency and understanding.

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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. 31 October to 2 November 2023

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School details

Type of school Other independent special school

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School details

Email address headteacher@broadstonesschool.co.uk

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School details

Date of previous inspection 26 to 28 March 2019 31 October to 2 November 2023

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Information about this school

 The previous standard inspection took place from 26 to 28 March 2019.  The school operates from premises at four separate sites. The Bungalow site is located at Broadstone Mill, Broadstone Road, Reddish, Manchester SK4 5HS. The Salon Academy site is located at 580A Gorton Road, Stockport, Manchester SK5 6RE. The Vale site is located at Lambeth Road, Reddish, Manchester SK5 6TL. The Community Centre site is located at Dalkeith Road, Reddish, Manchester SK5 7EY. All the sites were part of the school prior to the previous inspection.  The school caters for pupils who find traditional school settings problematic and for those who find learning through vocational activities beneficial. Many pupils have social, emotional and mental health needs.  Most pupils join the school after a history of exclusion and long-term absence from mainstream schools or other special school provision.  The school is registered for 20 pupils aged from 13 to 16 years. All pupils have an

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Information about this school

EHC plan.  A new headteacher and deputy headteacher were appointed in September 2019.  The school uses one unregistered alternative provider.

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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 spoke with the headteacher, other leaders, staff, members of the advisory committee and the proprietor. An inspector spoke with a representative of the local authority and the alternative provider.  Inspectors conducted visits to all four of the school’s sites, including The Bungalow, The Salon, The Vale and The Community Centre.  Inspectors checked all the sites for the school’s compliance with the standards. As part of these checks, inspectors toured the school premises, accompanied by a school leader. 31 October to 2 November 2023  Inspectors carried out deep dives in English, science and PSHE education. For

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Information about this inspection

each deep dive, they held discussions about the curriculum, visited a sample of lessons, spoke to teachers, spoke to some pupils about their learning and looked at samples of pupils’ work.  Inspectors also discussed the curriculum in some other subjects with leaders.  To evaluate the effectiveness of safeguarding, 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 spoke to pupils about their experience of school and their views on behaviour and bullying. They also observed pupils’ behaviour during lessons and at breaktimes.  Inspectors reviewed a wide range of evidence, including the school’s improvement plans.  Inspectors considered the responses to Ofsted Parent View and to the staff survey.

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Information about this inspection

No responses were received to Ofsted’s pupil surveys.

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Inspection team

Ahmed Marikar, lead inspector His Majesty’s Inspector

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Inspection team

Kevin Sexton Ofsted Inspector 31 October to 2 November 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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