Social Arts for Education

Inspection of Social Arts for Education 253 Eltham High Street, London SE9 1TY

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Overall effectiveness Good

The quality of education Good Behaviour and attitudes Good Personal development Good Leadership and management Good Sixth-form provision 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?

Staff understand the needs of pupils who attend the school. They build positive working relationships with pupils. The school provides a warm and welcoming environment. This helps pupils to feel valued, safe and ready to learn. Staff check on pupils’ welfare and emotions. The school prioritises knowing pupils and their individual needs well. Staff can therefore make any appropriate adjustments to meet pupils’ individual needs.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Leaders have high ambitions for the pupils who attend. All pupils have special educational needs and/or disability. The school’s curriculum is designed to ensure that pupils are well prepared for further study or the world of work. Pupils do well here. They learn effectively when in classrooms or working independently. Many go on to secure university placements or sustained training and/or employment.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The school has high expectations for pupils’ conduct and behaviour. The school helps pupils to regulate their behaviour well. Pupils know that they can share any concerns and that adults will resolve them. A wide range of further experiences and opportunities help pupils prepare for their next steps in learning. Visits to local facilities, parks, theatre and use of the climbing wall help pupils develop a wide range of skills. Pupils talk with confidence and enthusiasm about these opportunities.

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better?

The school has carefully considered the design of the curriculum. It prioritises securing positive futures and academic success for its pupils. Learning plans are bespoke to meet pupils’ academic and personal needs. They support pupils to fulfil their potential. Many pupils have previous negative experiences of education and have been absent for significant periods. The school ensures that pupils receive an appropriate balance of support to help them build key knowledge and skills over time and enjoy learning again. Smaller classes and targeted therapies contribute to building pupils’ confidence over time.

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better?

Pupils study a range of subjects. Teachers show a depth of appropriate subject knowledge linked to the subjects they teach. Leaders have prioritised the key skills and knowledge pupils need to be successful in their chosen subjects. Staff’s regular checking of pupils’ understanding helps pupils catch up on missed learning. For older pupils, including students in the sixth form, it often leads to gaining qualifications and national awards. This helps prepare them well for their next stages in education. Most subjects include detailed steps that help pupils build their knowledge over time. A few subjects do not apply the same precision. This means pupils do not deepen their understanding enough in those subjects. Some pupils have limited access to a broad range of subjects such as music and the arts. This limits their future study opportunities. 10 to 12 July 2024 Reading is central to the overall curriculum. Many pupils receive personalised

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better?

support and dedicated reading and English lessons. They have access to a wealth of reading material in school and online. This ensures that pupils can access the curriculum successfully. There is a positive approach to instilling a love for books and reading in general. This includes visits to the library, which have inspired some pupils to read texts beyond those identified by their teachers.

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better?

The school places a high importance on pupils’ preparation for life beyond school. In personal, social and health education pupils learn about healthy relationships. Older pupils have opportunities to consider how social media can affect their lives. Pupils have a wide range of opportunities to promote the building of their character. Adventurous activities, such as canoeing and climbing, develop pupils’ confidence and resilience. Pupils enjoy sessions that allow them to express opinions about local and national issues. Pupils benefit from careers advice within a structured programme of lessons. However, there are few opportunities to meet different external providers or participate in work experience to help broaden their understanding of a different careers.

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better?

Pupils behave well across the school. They are skilfully supported by staff to manage their anxieties. Pupils rediscover their willingness to learn here. They are attentive in class. Staff help pupils to make the right choices for their behaviour. The school is taking action about different ways to promote regular attendance and move pupils as quickly as possible to full-time timetables. The impact of their actions is evident in rising attendance rates. However, there are still too many pupils who do not attend school regularly.

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better?

The school has been through a period of staffing and board member changes. New board members are strongly focused on the success and work of the school. Their monitoring helps to check the actions of school leaders. Staff, mostly, value the support they receive for their well-being and professional development. Leaders are working to further strengthen relationships between staff and leaders. The proprietor body ensures that the independent school standards are met in full. The school complies with schedule 10 of the Equality Act 2010.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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(Information for the school and proprietor)

 In some subjects, the school’s curricular thinking does not identify the precise knowledge pupils need to build deep subject knowledge. Some pupils have little access to the aesthetic subjects, such as art, music and drama. The school should ensure that all subjects identify clearly how pupils’ subject-specific knowledge and 10 to 12 July 2024 skills will build over time, so that pupils develop knowledge and skills effectively over time.  Some pupils do not attend school regularly. This means that they are missing important learning and crucial personal development support. The school should continue to work with pupils and their families to address any barriers that are preventing pupils spending more time in school.  Careers guidance and support is not as coherent and ambitious as it could be across the school. This means that pupils are not as well prepared for the pathways to employment and possible career choices as they could be. The

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(Information for the school and proprietor)

school should ensure that pupils receive comprehensive careers support and guidance throughout the school curriculum.

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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. 10 to 12 July 2024

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School details

Unique reference number 147199 DfE registration number 203/6006

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School details

Inspection number 10299402 Type of school Other independent special school

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School details

School category Independent special school

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School details

Gender of pupils in the sixth form Mixed

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form

Annual fees (day pupils) £28,000 to £43,155

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form

Email address info@safeschoolbexley.co.uk

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form

Dates of previous inspection 22 to 24 June 2021 10 to 12 July 2024

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Information about this school

 The school is part of the Social Arts for Education Trust and is also a limited company.  The current headteacher was made the substantive headteacher in September 2021. The chair of the proprietor body has recently changed.  All pupils who attend the school have an education, health and care plan.  The school makes use of no alternative education provision.  The school meets the requirements of the provider access 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

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

 Inspectors met with the headteacher and the chair of the proprietor body and one board member.  The inspectors carried out deep dives in English, mathematics, and personal, social and health education. For each deep dive, inspectors met with subject leaders, visited a sample of lessons, spoke to teachers, and looked at samples of pupils’ work.  Inspectors also looked at pupils’ books and work for science and history.  To evaluate the effectiveness of safeguarding, inspectors: 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 an open and positive culture around safeguarding that puts pupils’ interests first.  Inspectors observed pupils’ behaviour in lessons and around the school site and at lunchtime.

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Inspection team

Phil Garnham, lead inspector His Majesty’s Inspector

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Inspection team

Teresa Neary Ofsted Inspector 10 to 12 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 looked after children, 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

T: 0300 123 1231 Textphone: 0161 618 8524 E: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk W: www.gov.uk/ofsted

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