Waterloo Lodge

Inspection of Waterloo Lodge 173 Preston Road, Whittle-Le-Woods, Chorley PR6 7AX

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Inspection dates: 20 to 22 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?

Pupils thrive at Waterloo Lodge School. They are exceptionally well cared for. Pupils trust staff. They know that if they ever find difficulty in managing their emotions and feelings, they can talk to any member of staff, including mentors, teaching assistants and therapists. This helps pupils to feel happy at school.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils have a deep sense of social justice. They are highly attuned to equality issues. Pupils respect each other’s differences. They have a remarkable understanding and appreciation of fundamental British values, including the rule of law and democratic principles.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils are excellent ambassadors for the school. Their behaviour is highly commendable. Pupils care about the environment. They regularly organise fundraising events. For example, pupils set up a community car wash and sold homemade candles, baskets and cakes. Pupils gifted the proceeds from these activities to a local hospice.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Staff aim high for each pupil. Pupils respond exceptionally well to staff’s high expectations. This supports pupils’ academic achievement and personal development especially well.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils benefit from a comprehensive range of extra-curricular activities. Pupils relish visits to different places of interest, such as a sea-life centre, the beach and museums. They develop their artistic, angling and sporting skills exceptionally well.

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better?

The school has developed a broad and rich curriculum. Staff are determined to help pupils acquire the calculation, communication, literacy and social skills that they need to become valued and productive members of society.

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better?

Teachers have strong subject knowledge. They benefit from a wide range of training and development opportunities. Typically, teachers check what pupils know and understand carefully. This enables teachers to establish how well pupils are learning and to identify pupils who may require additional help. However, occasionally, staff do not ensure that lesson activities are sufficiently well matched to some pupils’ learning needs. Consequently, a small number of pupils do not achieve as well as they could.

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better?

The school is reaping the benefits from its recently revised reading curriculum. Staff have the skills that they need to deliver the school’s new reading programme well. This ensures that the small number of pupils at the early stages of learning to read develop their reading accuracy, fluency and comprehension skills quickly.

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better?

Reading is central to the school’s curriculum. Pupils regularly practise and develop their reading skills in different subjects. Pupils learn to read confidently and with 20 to 22 February 2024 expression. Pupils enjoy reading comedy books, plays and adventure stories. Some enjoy the work of mystery writers as well as gothic novelists. Pupils appreciate poetry. They have had their work published in a number of anthologies.

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better?

All pupils have an education, health and care plan (EHC plan). Staff ensure that they have a detailed understanding of each pupil’s individual educational needs when they join the school. The school works with a range of specialists and parents and carers to make certain that pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) get the help that they need promptly. This means that most pupils successfully access all areas of the curriculum and learn well.

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better?

Pupils’ excellent behaviour and conscientious attitude to their learning help to maintain the calm and purposeful atmosphere that permeates the school. Pupils adhere to the school’s behaviour policy which is implemented consistently and fairly by staff. This means that disruption in lessons is rare.

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better?

The school’s extensive enrichment programme enhances pupils’ experiences especially well. Pupils have an in-depth understanding of cultural and religious diversity. They sample French, Spanish and Indian culture, including food, music and art, through a series of themed days. Pupils excel at hockey, rugby and basketball. School council members canvas their peers for their views on the school. These council members share their findings with leaders to help them to improve the school. Pupils learn about the risks associated with smoking, alcohol, drugs and gang affiliation. Pupils understand how to conduct appropriate and safe personal relationships. They exercise regularly and eat healthily.

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better?

The provision for careers education is a strength of the school. Pupils know what their education, training and employment options are. They learn how to present themselves in interview situations and how to prepare personal statements for college applications. Pupils achieve GCSE qualifications in many subjects. They also achieve success in functional skills and BTEC National Diploma qualifications. This prepares them well for their next steps.

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better?

Staff are highly positive about working at the school. They feel that leaders are mindful of their well-being, mental health and workload. Staff feel fully involved in decisions made about teaching and learning. Typically, parents are very pleased with their children’s academic progress and social development. Parents are welcomed into the school. For example, they attend the various fundraising events.

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better?

The proprietor and governors know the school well. They are aware of the school’s strengths and areas for development. They challenge and support leaders to further improve the quality of provision. The proprietor ensures that all the independent school standards (the standards) are met consistently.

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better?

The proprietor, governors and leaders ensure that the school complies with schedule 10 of the Equality Act 2010. A range of policies, including health and safety, anti- bullying and complaints policies, are available on the school’s website. 20 to 22 February 2024

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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(information for the school and proprietor)

 Occasionally, in a few subjects, lesson activities are not adapted effectively to enable some pupils to deepen their understanding. As a result, these pupils do not build their knowledge and skills as well as they should over time. The school should ensure that teachers devise activities which are closely tailored to pupils’ individual learning needs to help them to progress consistently well throughout the school.

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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. 20 to 22 February 2024

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School details

Type of school Other independent special school

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School details

School category Independent special school

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School details

Annual fees (day pupils) £50,792 to £80,000

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School details

Date of previous inspection 12 to 14 November 2019 20 to 22 February 2024

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Information about this school

 The previous standard inspection was 12 to 14 November 2019.  Waterloo Lodge School is located at 173 Preston Road, Chorley, PR6 7AX .  The headteacher is the executive headteacher of this school and another school operated by the same proprietor.  All pupils have an EHC plan. Most pupils have a diagnosis of autism. A small number of pupils have social, emotional and mental health difficulties.  Pupils are placed at the school by local authorities from across the north-west region.  Pupils join the school at any time from the start of Year 7 onwards. They have usually attended a number of other schools previously.  The school uses five unregistered and one registered alternative provision.  The school is registered for up to 55 pupils.

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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.

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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

 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.  The lead inspector held meetings with the executive headteacher, the deputy headteacher and the two assistant headteachers. He also held meetings with other staff, including those responsible for attendance and pupils’ behaviour, welfare and personal development.  The lead inspector met with the staff responsible for pupils with SEND.  Inspectors reviewed a range of documentation, including that relating to the standards and the curriculum. The lead inspector met with members of the proprietor body and governors.  Inspectors carried out deep dives into these subjects: English, mathematics and art and design. For each deep dive, inspectors discussed the curriculum with subject leaders, visited a sample of lessons, spoke with teachers, spoke to some

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Information about this inspection

20 to 22 February 2024 pupils about their learning and looked at samples of pupils’ work.  The lead inspector discussed reading with a group of pupils. He also spoke with pupils about their learning in other subjects.  Inspectors met with staff to discuss their workload and well-being.  The lead inspector met with parents and reviewed the responses to Ofsted Parent View, including the free-text comments. He also reviewed responses to Ofsted’s staff and pupil surveys.  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.  The lead inspector visited one of the school’s alternative provisions, accompanied by staff from the school.  The lead inspector made a tour of the school premises with the deputy

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Inspection team

Lenford White, lead inspector Ofsted Inspector

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Inspection team

Kevin Sexton Ofsted Inspector 20 to 22 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

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