Fenton Grange School

Inspection of Fenton Grange School c/o Caretech Community Services, 5th Floor, Metropolitan House, 3 Darkes Lane, Potters Bar EN6 1AG

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Inspection dates: 28 to 30 November 2023

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Overall effectiveness Good

The quality of education Good Behaviour and attitudes Outstanding Personal development Outstanding 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?

Pupils at Fenton Grange School benefit from a range of superbly organised activities. During this inspection, pupils were excited to be doing gymnastic activities and cooking lessons. Leaders plan ‘50 things before you leave Fenton Grange School’. This provides essential experiences for pupils covering, for example, charity work and religious festivals. It is woven into the school’s curriculum so that extra- curricular and academic activities go together hand-in-hand.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils feel safe and happy. Bullying and discriminatory language are incredibly rare. Relationships between staff and pupils are extremely positive. Pupils have weekly opportunities to get involved in the running of the school through the school council. They know that teachers will listen to their suggestions. This helps pupils to feel ready to meet the high expectations that staff have of them.

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What is it like to attend this school?

All adults in the school share the goal of ensuring that pupils are ready to take advantage of the opportunities that await them once they leave Fenton Grange School. For example, the personal, social and health education (PSHE) curriculum is designed to help pupils understand their emotions and is delivered through a range of work across teaching and clinical staff.

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better?

Leaders have designed a broad, ambitious curriculum. They create individual plans and programmes for each pupil to ensure that they achieve the best possible outcomes from their starting points. Adults make good use of the information provided to them about pupils. For example, in mathematics, teachers use assessment information when planning specific activities for pupils. Reading is given a high priority. Pupils enjoy reading for pleasure every day at school. Leaders ensure that the books pupils read cover a range of themes, authors and topics.

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better?

The information collected about pupils during the induction process is used and shared well so that all teachers are confident in meeting the needs of pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). In lessons, teachers make regular checks on what pupils remember, and they adapt teaching plans, as necessary. Teachers have identified the specific vocabulary they want pupils to use and learn. Teachers use information about pupils to plan specific questions to ask. The circumstances of pupils at the school mean that learning and lessons can be frequently missed. Leaders are aware of this and have recently identified plans to help pupils catch up on missed learning.

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better?

Many pupils at the school have experienced past trauma. The curriculum provides extensive opportunities to support pupils to deal with this. Adults take time to understand pupils, so they are able to support and help them. This leads to incredibly strong relationships and a positive atmosphere at the school. Behaviour is exemplary. Pupils concentrate in lessons. Leaders take effective steps to help pupils attend school. Records show that pupils’ attendance improves significantly during 28 to 30 November 2023 their time at Fenton Grange School. The rewards system is designed to encourage punctual arrival at lessons. Pupils enjoy school and the calm, reassuring relationships that they enjoy with adults.

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better?

The range of activities for pupils at the school goes well beyond the classroom. Martial arts classes, visits to local museums and a highly personalised approach to the physical education curriculum mean that pupils experience a range of exciting and engaging activities.

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better?

There is a very strong focus in the curriculum on creating a positive self-image. Pupils are helped to build towards independence. For example, they receive information and help to apply to a range of colleges and courses in line with their interests. The work experience programme is designed so that pupils build towards independence and an understanding of the world of work. Activities are designed so that pupils encounter different perspectives on the world. This is ensuring that pupils are ready for life after Fenton Grange School.

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better?

Clear governance structures mean that the proprietor body has a clear understanding of the school. Detailed audits around safeguarding, for example, ensure that revisions are made when needed to important areas of the school’s work. Staff are proud to work at the school. They feel that their voices are heard. There is a strong sense of teamwork and support for each other. There is training in place and more is planned to strengthen subject leadership across the school.

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better?

Expertise from across the proprietor group is used to support the school, for example in terms of curriculum development. Leaders understand their responsibilities in relation to the independent school standards. All the independent school standards were met at the time of the inspection.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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(Information for the school and proprietor)

 Leaders’ plans to provide opportunities for pupils to fill gaps in learning due to pupils’ specific circumstances are not yet enacted. This means that some important knowledge that pupils need is missing. Leaders should embed the routines they have identified for pupils to cover and catch up with missed learning.

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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 28 to 30 November 2023 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. 28 to 30 November 2023

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School details

Unique reference number 145241 DfE registration number 815/6044

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School details

Local authority North Yorkshire Inspection number 10286455 Type of school Other independent special school

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School details

School category Independent special school

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School details

Email address Darryl.Fairfax-Price@cambiangroup.com

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School details

Dates of previous inspection 12 to 14 February 2019 28 to 30 November 2023

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Information about this school

 Fenton Grange School is part of the Cambian Group. The Cambian Group provides a range of different children’s services, including care, clinical and educational services.  The school caters for up to 20 pupils who have social, emotional and mental health needs.  The school is registered to provide education for boys and girls from the ages of 11 to 18. Currently, all pupils are girls and are in Years 9 and 11.  All pupils are identified as having SEND needs. The school works with the clinical and care services of the Cambian Group to support pupils who have specific needs.  This was the second standard education of the school. The first standard inspection was in February 2019, and the school was registered with the Department for Education in August 2018.  The school does not make any use of alternative providers of education.

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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.

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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 spoke with the headteacher as well as the executive lead and the regional lead for education of the Cambian Group.  Inspectors carried out deep dives in mathematics, art, PSHE and English. For most of these deep dives, 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. For art, there were no timetabled lessons that inspectors could visit during the inspection.  To evaluate the effectiveness of safeguarding, the inspectors: reviewed the single central record; took account of the views of leaders, staff and pupils; and

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Information about this inspection

considered the extent to which the school has created an open and positive culture around safeguarding that puts pupils’ interests first. 28 to 30 November 2023  Inspectors spoke with leaders with responsibility for behaviour and attendance and for the provision for pupils with SEND.  Inspectors spoke both formally and informally to pupils. They also took account of the views of staff and parental views through surveys, including Ofsted Parent View.  Inspectors looked at records of behaviour and attendance and observed social times.

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Inspection team

Matthew Vellensworth, lead inspector His Majesty’s Inspector

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Inspection team

David Mills His Majesty’s Inspector 28 to 30 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 looked after children, 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

T: 0300 123 1231 Textphone: 0161 618 8524 E: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk W: www.gov.uk/ofsted

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