Include Suffolk

Inspection of Include Suffolk House 1, the Ashley School, Ashley Downs, Lowestoft NR32 4EX

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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 Requires improvement

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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 have a second chance at Include Suffolk. Most have faced difficult challenges in the past. Each morning they receive a warm welcome as they arrive. This is important to help pupils settle and prepare for the day ahead. Pupils’ individual needs are well understood. They know that adults will support and help them. Pupils are safe and well cared for.

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What is it like to attend this school?

All pupils have special educational needs and/or disabilities. The school is ambitious for every pupil. Staff’s patient approach helps to build nurturing and trusting relationships. They provide opportunities for pupils to develop their confidence and self-worth. This helps pupils to enjoy positive experiences. Many leave able to re- engage with learning at their next stages of education.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils attend this school because they have challenges managing their emotions. Adults set clear expectations for their behaviour. School rules are simple: ‘Be safe, Be kind, Be ready’. When pupils become upset or anxious, staff deal with their concerns calmly and sensitively. Pupils quickly return to class so that there is minimal disruption to their learning. Pupils are confident that if they had any worries, staff would deal with their concerns.

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better?

Since the previous inspection, the school has made positive changes to the curriculum. There is now a well-structured curriculum designed to meet the needs of all pupils. This is because some pupils spend longer at the provision than intended. Pupils study a range of subjects organised in two yearly cycles. The school has identified the important knowledge that builds pupils’ understanding. However, where a few subject plans have been recently introduced these steps are less precise. On these occasions, pupils do not achieve as well as they are capable of.

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better?

Generally, staff have secure subject knowledge. They use this well when checking pupils’ understanding to address misconceptions. Staff use effective strategies to engage pupils. They provide opportunities for pupils to work practically. However, not all tasks are well matched to meet the needs of all pupils. This links to those few subjects where there is less detail in the plan. Sometimes when teaching these subjects, teachers do not take enough account of pupils’ starting points. This means that new learning does not build on what pupils already know.

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better?

The school has ensured a sharp focus on reading across the school. This starts from the very beginning when pupils join the school. Staff quickly identify how well pupils read. Pupils receive targeted teaching to build their knowledge of sounds. Well- matched books provide opportunities for pupils to practise their phonics to develop fluency. The school libraries provide pupils with a wide range of books. They enjoy opportunities to select their own books and taking them home to read. Regular story time promotes pupils’ love of reading. 2 to 4 July 2024 Some pupils arrive with undiagnosed needs. Early assessments support the creation of pupil support plans. Advocate and pastoral staff use a variety of therapies and activities to meet pupils’ social and emotional needs. Regular reviews check pupils’ progress. This information contributes to planning pupils’ next steps, meeting their needs well.

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better?

The school take careful note of patterns of pupils’ behaviour. This information informs adults when things are going well, or when changes are needed to their approaches. Staff look to ‘spot’ pupils’ good behaviour. Pupils work hard to achieve points to spend in the school shop. This recognises the improvements they are making in their attitudes to learning. Pupils enjoy coming to school and attendance is good. The school is quick to respond where concerns arise. Their swift actions are helping attendance to improve over time.

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better?

Re-igniting pupils’ love of learning is central to the school’s work. A sense of belonging and acceptance is key to how the school achieves this aim. Links to pupils’ personal development thread through each subject. Life skills lessons provide practical living experiences. Pupils are readily accepting of difference. They take active roles in improving the school through school and eco-councils. Extra-curricular clubs are part of the school day and promotes their interests. Gradually they develop their confidence and resilience in preparation for their next steps.

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better?

The proprietor body provides a range of services that offer expertise in different fields. An education team works with school leaders to check and ensure that the school meets the independent school standards. The school site is safe because health and safety policies and procedures are rigorously followed. The school complies with the 2010 Equality Act. Staff use phrases such as ‘family’ and ‘team’ to describe how they work at the school. They appreciate the efforts made for their well-being and management of workload.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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(Information for the school and proprietor)

 In a few subjects, the key knowledge is not sufficiently broken into precise steps that builds pupils’ learning in small increments. This means pupils do not recall their learning clearly as leaders intend. Leaders should continue with their work to refine these plans so that pupils progress well in every subject.  Not all staff make effective checks of pupils’ prior knowledge before implementing leaders’ plans. This means that they do not successfully match activities that build 2 to 4 July 2024 on what pupils already know. The school should ensure that staff understand how to check pupils’ starting points so that pupils learn successfully.

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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. 2 to 4 July 2024

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School details

Unique reference number 138877 DfE registration number 935/6002

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School details

Inspection number 10321511 Type of school Other Independent School

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School details

Email address daryl.bates@catch-22.org.uk

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School details

Date of previous inspection 21 to 23 February 2023 2 to 4 July 2024

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Information about this school

 The school is split over three sites. These are the registered Lowestoft site, Springvale Court, Hadleigh Road, Ipswich, Suffolk IP8 3AS, and the Old Kingdom Hall, Short Bracklands, Bury St Edmunds, Suffolk IP33 1EL.  The school has a contract with Suffolk local authority to provide 66 alternative provision places for pupils in key stages 1 and 2. Some pupils are on dual roll with their home school. Others have been permanently excluded from their last school.  Most pupils have an education health and care plan. Pupils have a diagnosis of social and emotional mental health needs.  The school makes use of one unregistered alternative provider for supporting well-being and emotional needs.  There is currently no local governing body although there are plans to establish one from September 2024  To date, Ofsted has conducted a pre-registration visit, four standard inspections, a material change inspection, three action plan evaluations and two progress

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Information about this school

monitoring inspections. The details of these are: – 25 July 2012, a pre-registration visit recommended registration – 15 October 2015, a standard inspection where the overall effectiveness was judged to be good – 14 July 2014, a material change inspection that recommended the material change when unmet standards were improved – 8 December 2014, an action plan evaluation which was judged to be acceptable – 14 March 2017, a standard inspection where the overall effectiveness was judged to require improvement – 7 August 2017, an action plan evaluation which was judged to be acceptable with modifications – 3 October 2017, a progress monitoring inspection, where the independent school inspection standards were met – 15 January 2019, a standard inspection where the overall effectiveness was judged to be good – 21 February 2023 a standard inspection where the overall effectiveness was judged to require improvement

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Information about this school

– 30 June 2023, an action plan evaluation which was judged to be acceptable with modifications – 20 October 2023, a progress monitoring inspection, where the independent school inspection standards were met 2 to 4 July 2024

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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.

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Information about this inspection

 This was the second routine inspection the school received since the COVID-19 pandemic began. Inspectors discussed any continued impact of the pandemic with the school and have taken that into account in their evaluation of the school.  The lead inspector met with the director of education, who acted as a representative of the proprietor body, the headteacher and senior leaders. The lead inspector also held a telephone conversation with the commissioning officer for placement of pupils not in education from the local authority and the local authority designated officer for safeguarding.  The inspectors carried out deep dives in these subjects: early reading, mathematics, history and physical education. For each deep dive, inspectors discussed the curriculum with subject leaders, visited a sample of lessons, met with teachers, met with some pupils about their learning and looked at samples of pupils’ work.

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Information about this inspection

 Inspectors also reviewed work in another curriculum area: science.  As part of evaluating the effectiveness of safeguarding, inspectors met with leaders, governors, staff and pupils. Inspectors scrutinised the school’s single central record of recruitment and vetting checks. They considered the extent to which the school has created an open and positive culture around safeguarding that puts pupils’ interests first.  Inspectors reviewed a wide range of documents, including curriculum plans, policies and documentation for behaviour and attendance.  Inspectors considered the responses to the online survey, Ofsted Parent View, including free-text comments submitted by parents during the inspection. There were no responses to the staff and pupil survey. Inspectors met with staff and spoke to pupils about their experiences of school. 2 to 4 July 2024

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Inspection team

Steve Mellors, lead inspector His Majesty’s Inspector

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Inspection team

Nathan Lowe His Majesty’s Inspector 2 to 4 July 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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