South Lakes Academy

Inspection of South Lakes Academy Riverside Centre, Yard 39, Highgate, Kendal, Cumbria LA9 4ED

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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 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 are happy at this friendly and welcoming school. They appreciate the warm and supportive relationships that they have with adults in the school. Staff help them to feel safe and accepted. This helps pupils to settle into the school day and to be ready for learning.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils behave in a considerate and empathetic manner. They are respectful and understanding of how people are different. Bullying and discrimination are not tolerated and are addressed quickly by the school should they occur.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The school has high expectations for pupils’ achievement. This is reflected in pupils’ positive attitudes to learning. Pupils, all of whom have special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) and an education, health and care (EHC) plan, achieve well. They are successful in gaining the qualifications that they need for the next stage of their education, training and employment.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils benefit greatly from a range of sporting experiences. For example, they enjoy playing golf, snooker, squash and chess. They also value the opportunity to go swimming, bowling and to the cinema. The school has acquired an allotment. Pupils participate in gardening and art and craft activities in this nurturing space. These experiences help pupils to develop new talents and interests.

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better?

The school has designed a curriculum that meets the individual needs and interests of pupils. Pupils’ additional needs are identified quickly and the school ensures that they get the further help that they require.

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better?

The school’s curriculum plans and schemes of work identify the important knowledge that pupils should learn and the order in which they should learn it. However, the curriculum is not broad enough for all pupils, particularly at key stage 3. For example, these pupils do not study geography, languages or music. Some pupils do not acquire knowledge across a sufficiently wide range of subjects or within some subjects.

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better?

Teachers have the knowledge and expertise that they need to deliver the curriculum well. They are skilled at choosing suitable teaching approaches, resources and learning activities that engage pupils. This helps pupils to develop confidence and a sense of achievement over time.

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better?

The school has a consistent approach to assessment to check what pupils know and can remember. Teachers are accomplished at identifying gaps in pupils’ knowledge and addressing these quickly. They use assessment information highly effectively to shape future lessons. This helps pupils to build knowledge securely over time. 2 to 4 July 2024 Many pupils are confident and fluent readers. However, the school has not ensured that pupils’ reading knowledge is routinely checked. Furthermore, there is not a systematic approach to help those pupils who are still in the early stages of reading, or those with gaps in their reading knowledge, to catch up quickly and effectively.

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better?

The school has ensured that it is a safe, calm and caring environment for pupils. Staff are adept at supporting pupils with a wide range of needs and vulnerabilities. They help pupils to recognise their feelings and to cope with their emotions. Pupils generally behave well in lessons and around the school.

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better?

Many pupils have had long periods of time out of education and have previously high levels of absence. The school has a strong focus on supporting positive attendance. It understands the barriers that some pupils face and takes effective action to secure improvements in pupils’ low prior attendance.

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better?

The school has developed a comprehensive personal, social and health education and relationships and sex education curriculum. For example, pupils learn about healthy lifestyle choices, drugs and alcohol, and knife crime. They also learn wider life skills such as budgeting, shopping and cooking. This helps pupils to develop independence and prepares them well for their future lives.

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better?

The school has designed an appropriate impartial careers information, education, advice and guidance programme. For example, pupils have the opportunity to complete a work placement during their time at the school. Pupils are keen to gain the qualifications that they need. They are successful in securing places in post-16 provision and employment.

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better?

The school has ensured that the education that it provides has a positive impact on pupils. The proprietor knows the school well and has clear oversight of the school’s strengths and weaknesses. It has a good understanding and knowledge of the independent school standards (‘the standards’) and has ensured that these are consistently met. It has also ensured that the school is compliant with schedule 10 of the Equality Act 2010. However, a lack of external governance has contributed to some weaknesses in the curriculum that have not been identified or addressed. The school is beginning to take action to develop governance, but this work is in its infancy.

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better?

The school meets the health and safety and premises requirements. The building is maintained to a high standard and teaching spaces are bright, clean and well- resourced.

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better?

Policies, including an effective safeguarding policy that meets the current statutory requirements, are made available to parents and carers on the school’s website and also on request.

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better?

The school has prioritised managing the workload of staff. Staff have the time and resources that they need to be able to focus on their teaching. The school also 2 to 4 July 2024 engages successfully with parents, local authorities, referring schools and other agencies to further support pupils’ education.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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(Information for the school and proprietor)

 The school’s systems to hold leaders to account are underdeveloped. This has contributed to some weaknesses in the curriculum that have not been addressed. The proprietor must ensure that there are clear lines of accountability to hold leaders to account. It should also ensure that it provides effective challenge and support to school leaders.  The school has not ensured that the curriculum is broad enough for all pupils. This means that some pupils do not acquire knowledge across a sufficiently wide range of subjects or within some subjects. The school must ensure that pupils learn a broad curriculum so that they can gain the knowledge that they need for their future lives.  The school has not implemented an effective strategy to identify pupils who are in the early stages of reading or have gaps in their reading knowledge. This means that reading support is not as effective as it could be. The school should ensure

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(Information for the school and proprietor)

that it identifies and supports weaker readers to help them to catch up quickly.

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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 147237 DfE registration number 943/6016

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School details

Inspection number 10322514 Type of school Other independent special school

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School details

Proprietor Brighter Futures Educational Limited

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School details

Annual fees (day pupils) £22,800 to £47,000

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School details

Email address tchristie@southlakesacademy.org

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School details

Date of previous inspection 21 to 23 January 2020 2 to 4 July 2024

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Information about this school

 The school is located at Riverside Centre, Yard 39, Highgate, Kendal, Cumbria LA9 4ED.  The proprietor is also the headteacher.  The school is registered to admit up to 12 pupils. Some pupils choose to stay in the post-16 provision to complete their qualifications. There is no formal curriculum in the post-16 provision.  All pupils who attend this school have an EHC plan, mostly for social, emotional and mental health needs.  The previous standard inspection was 21 to 23 January 2020.  The school does not use any alternative provision.

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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 the school and have taken that into account in their evaluation of the school.  Inspectors spoke with the proprietor, who is also the headteacher, the deputy headteacher, other school leaders and staff.  Inspectors reviewed a range of documentation, including those relating to the standards and the curriculum.  To evaluate the effectiveness of safeguarding, 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 considered the responses to Ofsted Parent View, including the free-

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Information about this inspection

text comments. They also considered the responses from the Ofsted survey for pupils. There were no responses from the Ofsted survey for staff. However, inspectors spoke with a range of staff during the inspection.  Inspectors observed pupils’ behaviour at breaktime, lunchtime, in lessons and around the school. 2 to 4 July 2024  Inspectors carried out deep dives in mathematics, art and design and design technology. They met leaders and teachers and visited a sample of lessons. Inspectors spoke with pupils about their learning in these subjects. They also considered the curriculum across some other subject areas and looked at examples of pupils’ work.  The lead inspector made a tour of the school premises to check the suitability of the premises and accommodation against the relevant standards.

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Inspection team

Sally Timmons, lead inspector His Majesty’s Inspector

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Inspection team

Phill Walmsley 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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