Inclusion School

Inspection of Inclusion School Jays Close, Viables, Basingstoke RG22 4BS

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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 Good Personal development Good Leadership and management Good Overall effectiveness at previous inspection Not previously inspected

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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?

Inclusion School’s vision and core values underpin all aspects of the provision on offer. For many pupils, this school is their sanctuary. They feel at home and free to express and be themselves. Inspiring staff provide care and guidance to support pupils with any mental health challenges they may have. Many pupils value this as they have often been too anxious to access a school education previously.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The school sets high expectations in providing pupils with an education that focuses on achieving success and securing post-16 education placements or employment. Staff instil in pupils a self-belief in a future where pupils can play their part in society. Incrementally, staff build up pupils’ academic learning over time, which culminates in them taking relevant qualifications.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils behave well and treat each other respectfully. Around the school, pupils move around calmly, and the school is an orderly environment. If any pupil needs urgent support, staff scoop them up and provide strong pastoral care to settle and calm worries. Wonderful relationships exist between staff and pupils.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Much thought goes into developing pupils’ character. Older pupils enjoy their work experience, which motivates them to think about career options. Staff go out of their way to unlock pupils’ talents, for example in art and music.

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better?

A highly dedicated team at Inclusion has re-engaged pupils back into learning. Many parents and carers are elated about the impact the school has had on their children. Excellent transition work, including utilising the information in pupils’ education, health and care (EHC) plans, has helped pupils to settle and restart their learning. The school adopts a holistic approach that is child-centred. Staff actively involve parents in their child’s development and in exploring options for pupils’ next destinations.

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better?

Since the school has opened, the highly skilled proprietor body has provided clear strategic direction with ambitious plans for the school. Trustees and governors expertly challenge the school to provide the best education for pupils. There is attention to detail in assuring themselves of impact. Furthermore, trustees have established appropriate quality assurances mechanisms to check that the school meets the independent school standards (the standards) and complies with schedule 10 of the Equality Act 2010.

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better?

The school’s premises have been meticulously designed to best support pupils’ mental health and well-being. Classrooms and community spaces are inviting and set a tone that enables pupils to feel safe and calm. Pupils take real pride in their surroundings and ensure that these remain tidy for everyone. Specialist facilities enhance pupils’ curriculum experience, for example in science and cooking. Regular 28 to 30 November 2023 health and safety checks ensure that the building is consistently of an excellent standard.

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better?

The curriculum is newly designed, and staff are developing their expertise in how it is taught. The school has thought carefully about the most appropriate curriculum pathways to help pupils achieve. Each subject identifies pupils’ starting points and the learning journey to the end of Year 11. However, the knowledge that pupils need to learn is not fully identified. Some units of work focus on skills development without first considering the necessary knowledge. This limits how much pupils know and remember.

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better?

There is a continuing focus on developing staff’s teaching knowledge. The school’s training sessions facilitate staff discussions about the craft of teaching. Staff welcome the professional development training and its impact on how well pupils learn. Across lessons, staff positively explore how much pupils understand. They address any confusion pupils may have and explain things clearly with helpful examples. Teachers revisit key ideas from the primary national curriculum to ensure that pupils can then make better sense of new learning. Despite this, there remain some inconsistences in how well pupils are taught. Sometimes, staff give pupils easier work, which results in the lowering of expectations. Consequently, pupils do not always gain the knowledge they need.

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better?

Helping pupils to read fluently is an ongoing priority, and staff engage with all pupils to support their reading confidence and stamina. The well-stocked library caters for pupils’ different interests, and books contain themes that educate pupils about equality and diversity. Staff recognise the importance of encouraging opportunities for pupils to read aloud across the curriculum. Currently, there are some pupils who need more support to learn and use phonics. The school is transitioning to a new phonics programme to better support these pupils in learning to read quickly. However, staff have not had up-to-date training as yet in how best to teach pupils to read.

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better?

On-site mental health support enables pupils to stay regulated and to access their learning. The well-trained pastoral team works closely with teachers to keep pupils on track and focused. There are some pupils who find it more difficult to attend lessons, but staff listen and work proactively to help pupils see the importance of an academic education.

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better?

Careers advice and guidance centre on pupils’ hopes and longer term goals. The school prioritises pupils’ readiness for adulthood. There are different trips and experiences to whet pupils’ appetite. The personal development programme supports pupils in playing a part in a community through partnerships with other schools, organisations and charity fundraising.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective. 28 to 30 November 2023

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(Information for the school and proprietor)

 The school’s curriculum does not consistently identify all of the precise knowledge pupils should learn. This impacts the teaching of the curriculum and how much knowledge pupils are gaining over time. The school needs to ensure that across all subjects and pathways, knowledge builds in small steps to help pupils achieve well.  Some staff are not clear enough about how best to teach the school’s curriculum. The work that pupils are asked to produce can sometimes lack ambition and not meet the identified curricular goals. The school needs to continue with developing staff’s knowledge and expertise so that work set consistently helps pupils learn and securely remember the planned curriculum.

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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. 28 to 30 November 2023

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School details

Email address ask@inclusionschool.org.uk

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School details

Date of previous inspection Not previously inspected 28 to 30 November 2023

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Information about this school

 Inclusion School opened in September 2022. It provides for pupils experiencing chronic and severe mental health difficulties and who have been identified with emotionally based school avoidance. All pupils have an EHC plan. As well as social, emotional and mental health difficulties, pupils may also have autism, specific learning difficulty, speech, language and communication needs, and/or selective mutism. Currently, there are no pupils in Year 7.  The proprietor body, Inclusion Hampshire, is a charity that provides mental health and well-being support to young people. It uses ‘Inclusion Education’ as its working, operational name. It also runs another specialist education setting, Inclusion College, which is for post-16 provision.  This is the school’s first standard inspection.  The school currently 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 leaders and have taken that into account in their evaluation of the school.  Inspectors met with the headteacher, the chief executive officer and other leaders and staff. The lead inspector held meetings with the chair of the proprietor body and the chair of the local governing body. He held a telephone call with an alternative provider.  The inspection team carried out deep dives in English, mathematics, work skills, and health and well-being. To do this, they met with subject leaders, looked at curriculum planning, had discussions with staff and pupils, visited lessons and looked at pupils’ work.  To evaluate the effectiveness of safeguarding, inspectors: reviewed the single

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Information about this inspection

central record; took account of the views of leaders, staff and children; and considered the extent to which the school has created an open and positive culture around safeguarding that puts children’s interests first.  Inspectors talked to pupils about their learning and experiences at school. 28 to 30 November 2023  The views of staff and parents were gathered through discussions, Ofsted’s online surveys and the school’s internal processes for gathering feedback.  The lead inspector toured the school site to gather evidence about compliance with the standards. Inspectors also reviewed a range of other documents and policies, including on the school’s website.

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The school’s proposed change to the maximum number of pupils

The school has applied to the Department for Education (DfE) to make a ‘material change’ to its registration. At the DfE’s request, we checked whether the school is likely to meet the relevant independent school standards if the DfE decides to approve the change. This part of the inspection was carried out under section 162(4) of the Education Act 2002.

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The school’s proposed change to the maximum number of pupils

 The outcome of this part of the inspection is: the school is likely to meet the

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relevant independent school standards if the material change relating

to the school provision is implemented.  The inspector’s recommendation for the maximum number of pupils of compulsory school age is 41.  The proprietor body has clear strategic plan for admitting extra pupils. This will enable more pupils with an EHC plan to attend.  The school’s building is well equipped and ready to admit additional pupils. Planned staffing numbers are appropriate to accommodate the material change.

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Inspection team

James Broadbridge, lead inspector His Majesty’s Inspector

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Inspection team

Jo Brinkley 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 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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