Eastwood Grange School

Inspection of Eastwood Grange School Eastwood Grange, Milken Lane, Ashover, Chesterfield, Derbyshire S45 0BA

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Overall effectiveness Good

The quality of education Good Behaviour and attitudes Outstanding 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 appreciate the care and support that they receive. Their individuality is known and celebrated. Pupils are nurtured and grow in self-confidence and resilience. They are rightly proud of the school. They value the respectful relationships that they have with staff and each other.

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What is it like to attend this school?

High expectations of behaviour are set and are consistently met. Pupils are excellently supported to manage their emotions and conduct. Pupils’ attitudes and behaviours improve significantly during their time at school. Staff continually supervise pupils and help them get along. Relationships are calm and purposeful.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils are supported to be ready to engage with learning. Therapy is integral to pupils’ learning. The school provides therapy sessions that are carefully tailored to meet pupils’ needs. Pupils are appropriately challenged in their learning. They learn well.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The school develops pupils’ interests and talents, including for example, through creative arts and musical performances. Pupils contribute positively to school life and support one another.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Parents and carers have very positive views about the school. A parent, echoing the views of many, commented: ‘The staff care about their pupils and give them support to achieve their potential. My child was struggling in mainstream education. She is now doing well and making progress.’

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better?

The school provides a curriculum that is suitable, broad and ambitious. Subject curriculums set out precisely what pupils will learn and when. Younger pupils learn across a range of subjects, with a strong focus on gaining literacy, numeracy and scientific knowledge and skills. For older pupils, including students in the sixth form, the curriculum builds on learning in key subjects and is carefully tailored to pupils’ interests and aspirations. Leaders ensure that pupils have access to a range of appropriate vocational and technical learning opportunities. These are largely provided through the use of alternative provision. The school systematically checks on the quality of these provisions to ensure that all pupils learn and gain a range of appropriate qualifications.

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better?

The school strives to overcome the barriers and challenges that pupils face in their learning. Provision for pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities is a significant strength. Leaders use precise assessment information to set targets that are shared with staff through pupils’ individual educational plans. Staff successfully tailor their teaching. They have good subject knowledge and present subject matter clearly. They adapt their approaches to teaching to meet pupils’ additional needs. Learning is well structured. Pupils revisit and deepen knowledge and skills over time. 2 to 4 July 2024 Staff continually check pupils’ learning. They use resources well. As a result, pupils are able to take small steps in learning, meet their targets and learn well over time.

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better?

Leaders have prioritised reading. The school supports pupils who struggle to read. Staff are trained well to teach the school’s chosen phonics programmes for younger and older pupils. Pupils learn to read fluently and with understanding. They develop an appreciation of books and use their reading skills to access learning in other subjects.

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better?

Pupils behave well and show strong determination when faced with personal difficulties. Given pupils’ additional needs, behaviour is exceptional. Staff skilfully pre-empt and support pupils to manage their emotions. The school uses physical interventions and suspensions appropriately and as last resorts. The school reviews behaviour incidents thoroughly. It uses these reviews to inform pupils’ support plans and risk assessments. Pupils’ attitudes mature during their time at the school. Many pupils’ attendance improves over time and is significantly better when compared to attendance at previous schools.

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better?

Pupils’ personal development is good. The school provides many opportunities for pupils’ wider development. These experiences enhance pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural education well. For example, pupils learn to deepen their understanding of right and wrong. They learn social skills and recognise each other’s strengths. They learn about healthy lifestyles and respectful relationships. They are taught age- appropriate sex education. Pupils learn to understand how to be safe, for example, when learning about knife crime and drugs awareness. They have opportunities to understand equality, difference and respect. However, pupils do not have sufficient opportunities to learn about different faiths and beliefs. Overall, pupils are prepared well for life in modern Britain. For example, pupils engage in healthy discussion about the General Election and the part democracy plays in how the country is

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better?

governed. All pupils gain an understanding of the world of work. Older pupils receive appropriate careers guidance. Pupils are very well prepared for their next steps.

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better?

Leaders have a clear vision for the school. This vision is commonly understood and is realised. Leaders lead with a strong moral purpose. Staff are proud to be part of the school. There is a strong team ethos focused on pupils’ learning and welfare. Leaders are considerate of staff well-being and workload.

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better?

Leaders, including the proprietor, have a strong understanding of the independent school standards (the standards). The school meets the standards securely and consistently. Leaders comply with schedule 10 of the Equality Act 2010. Policies and key information are readily available on the school’s website, including the school’s relationships and sex education policy, the complaints procedures and the safeguarding policy. Risk assessments reflect the school’s policy. The premises are well maintained.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective. 2 to 4 July 2024

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(Information for the school and proprietor)

 Pupils do not have ample opportunities to learn about different faiths and beliefs. As a result, they do not gain the knowledge and understanding that they should about different beliefs. The school should ensure that pupils have sufficient opportunities to learn about different faiths and beliefs, thus broadening their knowledge, deepening their understanding and nurturing tolerance of and respect for those who hold beliefs that may be different to their own.

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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 113026 DfE registration number 830/6013

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School details

Inspection number 10299156 Type of school Other Independent Special School

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form

Proprietor Aspris Children’s Services Ltd.

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form

Annual fees (day pupils) £79,718 to £121,785

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form

Website www.aspriscs.co.uk/find-a- location/eastwood-grange-school- derbyshire Email address eastwoodgrange@aspriscs.co.uk

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form

Date of previous inspection 7 to 9 June 2022 2 to 4 July 2024

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Information about this school

 The school is located in Ashover, Chesterfield, Derbyshire S45 0BA.  The school caters for pupils with social, emotional and mental health difficulties and autism. All pupils have an education, health and care plan.  The school is registered to admit 50 pupils aged between 5 and 18 years. There are currently 46 full-time pupils on roll.  The school uses the services of five unregistered alternative provisions.  The school’s previous standard inspection took place in June 2022.

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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 educational provision.

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Information about this inspection

 Inspectors discussed any continued impact of the pandemic with the school and have taken that into account in their evaluation of the school.  Inspectors met with the headteacher and other leaders. They met with a range of staff.  The lead inspector met remotely with the chair of the company that is the school’s proprietor. He met with company officers.  Inspectors carried out deep dives in personal, social, health and economic education, reading and science. For each deep dive, inspectors held discussions about the curriculum, looked at curriculum plans, visited sample lessons, spoke to teachers, spoke with pupils about their learning and looked at samples of pupils’ work. They listened to pupils read.  They also visited lessons and reviewed samples of pupils’ work in other subjects, including art, physical education, design technology and mathematics.  To evaluate the effectiveness of safeguarding, inspectors: met with leaders;

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Information about this inspection

reviewed the single central record; took account of the views of leaders, staff and pupils; reviewed safeguarding records; and considered the extent to which the school has created a positive culture around safeguarding that puts pupils’ interest first.  Inspectors spoke with pupils about various aspects of school life. The met with a range of staff. 2 to 4 July 2024  Inspectors scrutinised a range of documentation. They reviewed a range of policies, including those related to health and safety, risk assessments, curriculum and complaints.  The lead inspector toured the premises to review the suitability of the accommodation.  Inspectors considered the views of parents who completed Ofsted Parent View, including free-text comments.

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maximum number of pupils

The school has applied to the Department for Education (DfE) to make a ‘material change’ to its registration. At the DfE’s request, we checked whether the school is likely to meet the relevant independent school standards if the DfE decides to approve the changes. This part of the inspection was carried out under 162(4) of the Education Act 2002.  The outcome of this part of the inspection is: the school is likely to meet the

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relevant independent school standards if the material changes relating

to the school provision are implemented.  The school has reconfigured and refurbished some of the existing and previously unused premises. There is sufficient and suitable accommodation available to accommodate the additional pupils proposed in this material change request.  Leaders have clear plans in place to increase teaching and welfare staff as numbers of pupils increase, subject to approval of the material change. Leaders intend to increase the number of teachers from 12 to 15, and staff in the welfare provision from 38 to 42. The necessary recruitment checks will be undertaken before these new staff start working at the school.  Leaders have a good understanding of the curriculum that would be provided for pupils in this additional year group, and how best this curriculum will be taught so that pupils make good progress.  There will be appropriate opportunities to promote pupils’ personal development

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relevant independent school standards if the material changes relating

and to secure their spiritual, moral, social and cultural understanding.  Leaders have an appropriate understanding of their responsibilities in relation to safeguarding and risk assessment. Leaders will ensure that the current procedures to keep pupils safe and assess and mitigate risk will be adopted for those additional pupils who join the school. Leaders are aware of any additional safeguarding concerns that may come with the addition to the school roll of pupils aged 19.  The school’s current health and safety and fire safety policies and procedures are suitable to accommodate for the proposed increase in the number of pupils.  Leaders have given careful thought to the proposed changes. They are mindful that any changes should not impact adversely on the pupils currently at the school. They plan to increase the number of pupils on roll gradually. Only students already on the school’s roll would be permitted to remain at the school

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relevant independent school standards if the material changes relating

to the age of 19. 2 to 4 July 2024  The proprietor and leaders’ work to ensure that the standards are consistently met is suitable to maintain compliance should the DfE approve the material changes.

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Information about the material change inspection

 The proprietor has requested a material change to extend the age range to include students aged 19 years. They have also requested to increase to 60 the maximum number of pupils that the school is registered to have on roll.  The inspector met with school leaders to discuss the material change application. The lead inspector considered curriculum plans and other documentation relating to leaders’ plans to extend the age range to include 19-year-old pupils.  The lead inspector considered the capacity of the school site to cater for an increase in the number of pupils on roll when undertaking a tour of the premises.

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Inspection team

Chris Davies, lead inspector His Majesty’s Inspector

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Inspection team

Emma Tayler Ofsted 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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