The Grange School

Inspection of The Grange School 2 Milner Way, Ossett, Wakefield, West Yorkshire WF5 9JE

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Inspection dates: 30 January to 1 February 2024

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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?

The Grange School provides a happy, safe and exciting place for pupils to develop both academically and socially. Pupils feel that it is like a home from home. Staff are welcoming and caring. They help pupils to build a positive self-image and to develop respect for themselves and for others.

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What is it like to attend this school?

All pupils who attend this setting have special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). Many arrive here having had a significantly disrupted educational journey. Staff take the time to help them settle into the school. They focus on getting to know pupils well in order to understand their specific starting points and needs.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The school has done much to develop the curriculum to ensure that all pupils enjoy learning and can achieve well. They are now refining it further to ensure that learning builds more progressively across the key stages.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Behaviour for learning is superb. Staff have high expectations: they look for opportunities to respond positively to all pupils. Pupils trust them. Pupils thrive on the care they are given. If pupils are anxious or struggling to manage their emotions, they are given the time, support and space they need to become calm. This ensures that pupils can rejoin learning quickly.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The opportunities pupils are given to develop life skills are exemplary. Regular sporting activities, such as swimming or canoeing, support pupils to develop independence and self-confidence. Individual pupil passports include information about hopes and dreams for the future. These are used to plan activities that are meaningful, such as going to the shops or travelling on a train. Several parents and carers say that the opportunities and responsibilities pupils are given have been life- changing for their children.

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better?

Leaders across the school ensure that all activities are planned with kindness and understanding. Pupils’ well-being is at the centre of the decisions that are made. Staff are experienced and knowledgeable about the pupils’ needs. They show passion about making a difference to the lives of pupils with SEND.

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better?

The school is ambitious for pupils. Staff recognise the importance of re-engaging pupils with education. They ensure that pupils are given opportunities that interest and inspire them. There is a desire to help pupils begin to enjoy learning again.

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better?

The school has developed a broad and balanced curriculum offer. Pupils experience a range of academic and nurturing activities throughout each day. They enjoy the opportunities they are given to study in groups to discuss learning, individually and with support from well-trained staff. The school’s curriculum is currently being developed further. Leaders have identified what they want pupils to learn in all subjects. However, the precise knowledge the school wants pupils to know and 30 January to 1 February 2024 remember is not as clear. This means that, in some subjects, learning does not build coherently or progressively as pupils move through the school.

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better?

The importance of learning to read is highly valued in the school. The school chooses texts that inspire pupils to read widely and often. The school is now identifying how it can use these books more effectively to improve reading fluency and understanding. Pupils who need further support with reading have daily, individual phonics lessons. Staff use their training in the school’s chosen approach to support pupils effectively.

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better?

The school ensures that there are robust processes in place to help staff identify and understand pupils’ needs when they join the school. Pupil passports include detailed information to support staff to adapt learning and help pupils to succeed. Education, health and care (EHC) plans are well managed and supportive. They are reviewed regularly, and progress is monitored across all aspects of learning. Referrals to external agencies are swift and supportive. The proprietor group provides clinical support and guidance if needed. The school leaves no stone unturned to help pupils overcome any barriers to learning that they may face.

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better?

Preparing pupils for future life is front and centre to all that happens in the school The personal, social, health and economic education (PSHE) curriculum teaches pupils about important subjects, such as healthy relationships, different cultures and respect for faiths and beliefs. Every pupil in the school has a voice through being a member of the school council. Pupils are given opportunities to discuss ideas and learn to listen to other opinions. This helps pupils to see themselves as important citizens of the world. They make decisions about how to raise money for charities or identify improvements they would like to see in the school. The proprietor body supports this work further through the ‘making memories’ project. During their time in the school, all pupils are given funding to plan a bespoke trip to support their future aspirations or overcome personal fears. Past trips have been to a virtual

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better?

reality gaming studio and to Borough Market and Covent Garden in London. These opportunities help pupils to build self-confidence and pride in themselves.

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better?

The proprietor body ensures that the school meets all the independent school standards, including the requirements under schedule 10 of the Equality Act 2010. It has clear oversight of the work of the school. It holds leaders to account through shared systems. These enable the proprietor to monitor attendance, which is positive, and safeguarding and behaviour. It is supportive of leaders and staff. Staff, parents and pupils are proud to be part of this school. They recognise it is a special place where strong foundations for pupils’ future successes in life are being built.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective. 30 January to 1 February 2024

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(Information for the school and proprietor)

 In some subjects, the important knowledge that the school wants pupils to know and remember is not precise enough. This means that teachers are not clear about how to plan lessons that enable pupils to make connections between what they already know and what they will learn next. Therefore, learning does not always build over time. The school must ensure that the curriculum is carefully planned so that it builds knowledge progressively across all key stages.

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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. 30 January to 1 February 2024

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School details

Type of school Other independent special school

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School details

Website https://education.keyschildren.co.uk/scho ol/the-grange-school/ Email address admin.thegrange@keys-group.co.uk

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School details

Date of previous inspection 26 to 28 November 2019 30 January to 1 February 2024

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Information about this school

 The Grange School is a small, independent special day school that opened in 2009. The school is registered to admit up to 16 boys and girls aged between five and 14 years who are identified as having social, emotional and mental health needs. There are currently 12 pupils on roll.  The school is part of Keys Care Limited. The Keys Group owns several other children’s homes and schools throughout the United Kingdom.  The Grange School shares a headteacher with Denby Grange School and Park House.  Pupils are placed at the school by a number of local authorities. Most pupils have been excluded from previous schools or have experienced significant disruption in their previous education. Many have had long periods without any education.  All pupils have an EHC plan. The school aims to ‘re-engage pupils in learning and provide a quality education for even the most challenging pupils’.  The school does not make use of any alternative education provision.

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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.  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.  During the inspection, the inspectors met with the headteacher, the associate headteacher, the designated safeguarding lead and other leaders and staff from this school, as well as leaders of one other school in the group.  Meetings were held with the chair of the proprietary body and the chair of governors, who is also a regional director of the proprietary group. Inspectors also held telephone conversations with a number of local authorities that place pupils in the school.  Inspectors carried out deep dives in English and early reading, science and physical education. For each deep dive, inspectors held discussions about the

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Information about this inspection

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.  Inspectors looked at the PSHE curriculum and discussed how pupils’ personal development was supported through this. 30 January to 1 February 2024  Inspectors viewed a range of other documentation, including a range of policies, information provided to governors, and information about pupils’ progress, behaviour and attendance.  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 looked at a range of different documents during the inspection, including records relating to behaviour, bullying and attendance. They observed

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Information about this inspection

behaviour at less formal times of the school day, such as playtimes and lunchtimes.  Inspectors met with members of staff and spoke to pupils at various points during the inspection.  The lead inspector reviewed the responses to Ofsted Parent View, including the free-text comments. The lead inspector also considered responses to Ofsted’s staff survey. There were no responses to Ofsted’s pupil survey.  The lead inspector made a tour of the school premises to check leaders’ compliance with the independent school standards.

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Inspection team

Andrea Batley, lead inspector His Majesty’s Inspector

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Inspection team

Patricia Head Ofsted Inspector 30 January to 1 February 2024 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

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

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