Springhallow School

Inspection of Springhallow School Compton Close, Cavendish Avenue, Ealing, London, Middlesex W13 0JG

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Inspection dates: 30 and 31 January 2024

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Overall effectiveness Good

The quality of education Good Behaviour and attitudes Outstanding Personal development Good Leadership and management Good Early years provision Good Sixth-form provision Good Previous inspection grade Good 30 and 31 January 2024

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils feel happy and safe and love being a part of this school. Staff have high aspirations for all pupils. They know them well and understand their needs. Staff support pupils to become increasingly confident and active members of the school community. As a result, the school is a calm and purposeful place to learn. Pupils know that staff will support them with any concerns that they may have.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils follow the school’s well-established routines and behave extremely well. Around the school and in lessons, pupils learn to make positive choices about how to learn and behave. When needed, staff skilfully support pupils to regulate their own behaviour.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The school has high expectations for pupils’ achievement across a range of subjects. Pupils respond well to these expectations. In many subjects, pupils achieve highly. The imaginative sixth-form curriculum is tailored to meet students’ needs and as a result they flourish.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The school plans carefully to provide opportunities to develop pupils’ character. For example, pupils learn life skills, gain awards and complete work experience in the sixth form. This work contributes to developing pupils’ confidence and communication skills.

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better?

Leaders have given much thought to the planning of the curriculum. It is ambitious and identifies the knowledge pupils need in each subject. The school understands pupils’ individual needs. Leaders ensure that in early years children focus on building their communication and reading skills. Staff enable children to establish strong social routines and skills. The early years curriculum is personalised and broken down into small steps to support children to know more and remember more.

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better?

Typically, the school’s curricular thinking helps to develop pupils’ understanding of important content. This prepares most pupils to be fully ready for the next stages of their education. Staff help to develop pupils’ independence. For instance, in the sixth form, students benefit from a well-structured careers programme. There is a wide range of work experience opportunities offered to students. Students successfully transition into a range of placements. Leaders are committed to pupils’ wider development. Staff ensure that this happens through skilful use of resources and technology adapted to meet pupils’ complex needs well.

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better?

Staff have strong subject knowledge so that they match learning to pupils’ wide- ranging needs. They use pupils’ assessment information regularly and effectively. This helps pupils to develop their knowledge and understanding well. For example, pupils could talk with confidence about key scientific facts. However, on occasion, the school’s precision to support some pupils’ learning is not clearly built on prior knowledge and skills. This limits what pupils know and remember. 30 and 31 January 2024

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Leaders have developed effective strategies to ensure pupils learn to read and communicate effectively. These include a well-structured phonics programme. Story time takes place daily. Staff use rhymes and songs that develop pupils’ language successfully. There is an expectation that every pupil will become a functional reader. Staff receive training in the teaching of phonics and early reading. Pupils increasingly develop a love of books and stories.

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Pupils behave exceptionally well. From the moment they start in school, adults focus on pupils being able to manage their own behaviour. Staff are skilful in supporting pupils and spot any changes in pupils with great care. They respond to pupils’ needs and emotions with sensitivity and care. Pupils attend regularly. This is because leaders monitor pupils’ attendance carefully. The school uses bespoke strategies to support pupils who have absences.

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Pupils experience a range of social and cultural activities that support their development. Staff prepare pupils well for adulthood. The school council meets regularly and its members learn to share ideas about how to improve the school. Personal, social and health education (PSHE) is threaded throughout the curriculum. Staff focus on the development of pupils’ understanding about relationships, personal safety, and physical and mental well-being. Older pupils know how to keep their bodies safe. Staff encourage pupils to have confidence in their personalities and to celebrate differences.

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Leaders are supportive of staff workload and their well-being. Staff comment on the ‘family feel’ of the school. They are proud to work at the school. Governors have a clear vision for the school. They take their responsibilities seriously. They hold leaders to account and consider ways to improve the effectiveness of their own work. Many parents and carers were extremely happy with the quality of education and care the school provides for their children.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 On occasions, the school’s precision to develop and build on pupils’ prior learning is not secure. This limits what pupils know and remember over time. The school should ensure that staff continue to develop their expertise so that they adapt and build on all pupils’ knowledge and understanding deeply. 30 and 31 January 2024

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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.

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Further information

You can search for published performance information about the school.

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Further information

In the report, ‘disadvantaged pupils’ is used to mean pupils with SEND; pupils who meet the definition of children in need of help and protection ; pupils receiving statutory local authority support from a social worker; and pupils who otherwise meet the criteria used for deciding the school’s pupil premium funding (this includes pupils claiming free school meals at any point in the last six years, looked after children (children in local authority care) and/or children who left care through adoption or another formal route). 30 and 31 January 2024

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sixth form

Appropriate authority The governing body

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sixth form

Date of previous inspection 9 January 2018, under section 8 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 All pupils have an education, health and care plan. The school caters for pupils with autism.  Leaders make no use of alternative provision.  The school has introduced a sixth form since the previous inspection.  The school meets the requirements of the provider legislation, which requires schools to provide pupils in Years 8 to 13 with information and engagement about approved technical education qualifications and apprenticeships.

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Information about this inspection

The inspectors carried out this graded inspection under section 5 of the Education Act 2005. 30 and 31 January 2024

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Inspections are a point-in-time judgement about the quality of a school’s education provision.

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 This was the first routine inspection that the school 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 carried out deep dives in these subjects: reading and communication, physical education, science and mathematics. For each deep dive, inspectors met with subject leaders, visited lessons, talked with pupils and staff, and looked at examples of pupils’ work.  Inspectors scrutinised pupils’ education, health and care plans. They reviewed documentation relating to pupils with SEND, including the PSHE programme.  Inspectors met with the headteacher and other senior leaders to discuss pupils’ rates of attendance and pupils’ behaviour.  The lead inspector met with a group of governors, including the chair of governors. He also held a telephone conversation with a representative of the

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local authority.  Inspectors observed pupils’ behaviour at lunchtimes and breaktimes. They scrutinised leaders’ records of behaviour.  Inspectors reviewed a wide range of documentation, including the school development plan and the school’s self-evaluation document.  To evaluate the effectiveness of safeguarding, inspectors reviewed the single central record; took account of the views of leaders 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 with staff about their workload and well-being.  Inspectors took account of the responses to Ofsted Parent View, including the free-text responses.  Inspectors took account of the responses to Ofsted’s online surveys for staff and pupils.

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Inspection team

Phil Garnham, lead inspector His Majesty’s Inspector

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Inspection team

Jeremy Loukes Ofsted Inspector 30 and 31 January 2024

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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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