Inaura School

Inspection of Inaura School Moorview House, Riverside, Burrowbridge, Somerset TA7 0RB

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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

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Good

Does the school meet the independent school standards?

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils feel well supported by staff. Many pupils have had a disrupted experience of education prior to joining the school. Staff are patient and kind. They take time to get to know pupils. They help pupils develop their confidence.

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What is it like to attend this school?

If pupils become anxious, staff help them to develop strategies to cope. Staff are vigilant and supportive. They work with pupils one to one. They use their training to create a calm, gentle environment. Staff identify quickly when pupils need a change of activity. As a result, pupils feel safe and cared for.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils try new challenges. For example, the bean bag challenge and one-touch football support pupils in socialising and competing with their peers. Older pupils play triple chess. Pupils are proud of their tournament achievements as a school football team. Pupils learn to cook or create projects in the design and technology studio. These experiences build pupils’ self-esteem.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Staff are ambitious for pupils to take pride in their achievements. They celebrate and reward pupils when they work well. Pupils value and appreciate this. All pupils work towards and complete a range of qualifications including functional skills, GCSE and ASDAN awards.

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better?

Pupils join the school at different stages of their education. School leaders work with pupils and parents to ensure a careful transition to the school. They identify what gaps pupils have in their knowledge to plan a bespoke curriculum. The school is ambitious for pupils. It makes sure pupils experience success in their school life.

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better?

All pupils arrive with an education health and care plan (EHC plan). Staff keep a sharp focus on the needs of the pupil. They adapt the learning to match pupils’ needs in the moment. Pupils learn one to one or in small groups. During social times staff support pupils to spend time with one another.

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better?

Older pupils study for qualifications which prepare them well for their next steps. Curriculum planning in most subjects helps pupils learn well. For example, in the outdoor learning centre, the ‘Pathfinder’ curriculum builds sequentially on what pupils already know. However, in some subjects, staff have focused too much on the award specifications to plan the learning. As a result, they have not considered the order in which pupils need to gain new knowledge. This means pupils do not have some of the skills or knowledge they need before they learn about the next concept.

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better?

Leaders plan literacy lessons based on careful assessment of pupils’ learning. For pupils who are in the early stages of learning to read, the school follows a phonic reading programme to help improve their reading over time. Consequently, pupils’ reading skills develop well. 6 to 8 February 2024 The school aspires for pupils to read widely for pleasure. It promotes this ambition strongly across the different sites with a wealth of carefully chosen books, reading corners and activities. Each pupil displays what they have read on their ‘reading rivers.’ However, the focus on writing is less well embedded. Pupils do not often plan, draft and extend their writing over a series of lessons. As a result, their writing develops less quickly.

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better?

Leaders have recently introduced a new personal development curriculum. This focuses on the needs of pupils and develops different areas of growth. It is well sequenced and adapted to how each pupil learns. Leaders prepare pupils well for each transition and next stage in their learning. The school threads careers education throughout the curriculum. Pupils engage in work experience and visit external providers. They attend courses, such as mechanics or bricklaying. As a result, pupils are well supported and prepared when they move to college or further training.

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better?

Leaders ensure there is a priority on pupils learning to keep safe, both online and in the community. The personal social, health education (PSHE) curriculum revisits the important learning to help pupils learn about the impact of the choices they make. They know the importance of tolerance and being respectful.

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better?

A change in the pupil body and the transition between sites, has led to a slight increase in behaviour incidents. Leaders assess and review behaviours and attitudes frequently. As a result, they quickly identify issues and deal with them. A focus on enhancing a positive school culture across the different sites is starting to embed. Leaders track attendance with precision. They work effectively with the local authority and parents to support pupils in their transition to the school. This helps them to improve and maintain their attendance over time.

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better?

The proprietor body has long-standing members, including the co-founder. It has recruited widely to bring in a range of skill and expertise. The board is well-informed about the priorities of the school. As a result, it holds school leaders closely to account. Staff recognise the actions leaders take to manage everyone’s workload. The board places a priority on leaders’ wellbeing. It ensures all the independent school standards are met. The school meets the requirements of 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)

 In some subjects, staff are over-dependent on teaching the content of an exam specification. They have not carefully considered what pupils need to know and when in order to learn new knowledge and skills. This hinders pupils’ learning. 6 to 8 February 2024 The school and proprietor should ensure that the curriculum is carefully mapped out so pupils secure and build on their prior learning.  The school’s approach to writing is not as well developed as other parts of the curriculum. This means pupils do not progress in their writing skills in the same way they develop reading and oracy. The school should make sure pupils have greater exposure to planning, drafting and developing their writing.

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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. 6 to 8 February 2024

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School details

Type of school Other Independent Special School

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School details

Date of previous inspection 14 to 16 January 2020 6 to 8 February 2024

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Information about this school

 Inaura School is an independent special school. It caters for pupils with a range of special educational needs and/or disabilities, specifically social, emotional and behavioural difficulties. All pupils who attend the school have an EHC plan funded by three local authorities.  The headteacher commenced their role in May 2023.  The school is registered for 36 pupils between the ages of eight and 18 years. Currently, there are no students in key stage 5.  The school operates across four sites in Somerset. The main site is in Burrowbridge and there is a recently opened site in Street. These sites are primarily for older pupils. A site in Poolbridge, Wedmore accommodates pupils in key stage 2 and key stage 3. An outdoor learning centre is situated in Lower Godney, near Wells.  The proprietor is a registered charity. The governing body represents the proprietor.  The school uses no alternative providers.

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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 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, senior leaders and staff to discuss aspects of the school’s work. The lead inspector met with the chair of the proprietor body, members of the proprietor body and governors. The lead inspector also spoke with a representative from the local authority.  Inspectors carried out deep dives in English (including early reading), science and personal, social, emotional and health education. For each deep dive, 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

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Information about this inspection

and looked at samples of pupils’ work. 6 to 8 February 2024  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 conducted a range of activities to confirm whether the independent school standards were met in full. This included health and safety checks of the premises, risk assessments, record-keeping for behaviour management, attendance and curriculum documentation.  Inspectors considered responses to the online survey, Ofsted Parent View, and responses to the staff and pupil survey.

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Inspection team

Rachel Hesketh, lead inspector His Majesty's Inspector

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Inspection team

Marie Thomas His Majesty's Inspector 6 to 8 February 2024 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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