Olympus

Inspection of Olympus 112 Orchard Road, South Croydon CR2 9LQ

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Overall effectiveness Requires improvement

The quality of education Requires improvement Behaviour and attitudes Good Personal development Good Leadership and management Requires improvement Sixth-form provision Good Does the school meet the independent school standards?

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils enjoy coming to school. They appreciate being part of a small community. Pupils build strong professional relationships with staff and their peers. They prefer learning in small-group and one-to-one sessions. Pupils feel safe at school. They behave well in class and around the building. There have been recent incidents of bullying on social media. Staff have dealt with these effectively.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Staff expect pupils to achieve well. They equip pupils with the skills and knowledge that they need to lead happy and independent lives. In the main school, pupils take a bespoke range of qualifications including GCSEs. In the sixth form ‘pathways’ provision, pupils access college courses to supplement the core curriculum. This helps to prepare them for the next stage of their education or employment. Leaders prioritise reading for all pupils. They ensure that appropriate help with reading is in place if needed. Despite this high ambition, the quality of education is variable. The implementation of the school’s curriculum is not consistent. This limits pupils’ knowledge and understanding of important subject content.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils enjoy being involved in decision-making about their school. For example, they decided to raise money for a charity that helps grieving families.

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better?

The school offers a broad and ambitious curriculum. In English, for example, pupils study whole texts, including by Shakespeare and William Blake. The curriculum is tailored to meet the needs of individual pupils. It prepares them well for adulthood. Pupils in Year 9 select option subjects such as design and technology and media studies. In the sixth form, students access a core curriculum. This is supplemented by college courses in art and design, mechanics and animal care.

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better?

Staff prioritise pupils’ ability to read and therefore to access the curriculum. They assess pupils on arrival at the school and at the start and end of each academic year. This helps staff to measure the impact of the school’s work on phonics and comprehension. Typically, pupils read well with confidence and expression. Leaders are developing a culture of reading for pleasure in the school.

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better?

Curricular thinking is more developed in some subjects than in others. In personal, social and health education (PSHE), leaders have planned the curriculum to revisit key content. For instance, pupils repeatedly encounter relationships education in an age-appropriate way. Younger pupils learn about respectful relationships and gender identity. Sixth-form students learn about how to interact with others in a professional workplace. However, in a number of subjects, staff have not identified the precise sequence of knowledge that pupils should learn and remember. They have not identified the important subject-specific vocabulary that pupils should know. 2 to 4 July 2024 The school has had difficulties in recruiting teaching staff. There is variability in how well staff deliver the curriculum. Typically, staff do not select the most appropriate methods and resources to ensure that all pupils are able to learn the information

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better?

they need. Staff do not routinely check pupils’ understanding in a systematic way. This results in pupils’ misconceptions going unchallenged. Pupils fail to develop a deep understanding of the topics they are learning in some subjects.

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better?

Leaders, staff and therapists collaborate well to support pupils’ academic, emotional and behavioural needs. They review pupils’ education, health and care plan (EHC plan) targets often. Staff make sure that individual targets for pupils are helpfully broken down. There is regular training for staff about strategies that can support the learning of individual pupils. This work is complemented by interventions such as occupational and movement therapy. Teaching staff consolidate this therapeutic work with pupils well.

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better?

The school is a calm environment where pupils can concentrate on their learning. When pupils dysregulate, staff are adept at getting them back on track. Low-level disruption is rare. The school uses a ‘token’ system to reward pupils for positive work and behaviour. Pupils are motivated to save up and spend their tokens. Leaders use a range of strategies to praise pupils for positive attendance. They work closely with families to remove barriers to attendance. This work is beginning to have an impact.

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better?

Pupils are well prepared to take their next steps. Younger pupils start to think about areas of interest that could inform their career choices. In the sixth form, pupils take part in quality work experience placements. Leaders have designed a personal development offer which draws on individual pupils’ talents and interests such as singing and playing guitar. These opportunities have a positive impact on pupils’ behaviour and social development. Pupils grow their own food on the school site. They go on outings in the local area and further afield to develop their confidence in using public transport.

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better?

The proprietor body has put systems of accountability in place which support school leaders. This includes meeting all the independent school standards. Leaders have an accurate picture of the school’s strengths and weaknesses. They have increased the training offer for all staff. Leaders have appointed teaching staff in key subject areas to start in September. This will give leaders capacity to make improvements to the quality of education. Parents and carers are largely positive about the work of the school.

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better?

The school complies with schedule 10 of the Equality Act 2010.

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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)

 In some subjects, the school has not identified the precise sequence of knowledge that pupils should learn and remember. Consequently, pupils are not building on previous knowledge that will enable them to know more and remember more over time. The school needs to make sure that the essential knowledge that pupils need to know and remember in each subject is progressively set out.  Staff do not typically present information clearly enough or select the most appropriate methods and resources to ensure that all pupils are able to learn subject content deeply. This means that misconceptions occur and are not addressed, or that gaps in pupils’ knowledge prevent them from being able to develop a strong understanding of the subjects they are learning. The school should continue its work to support all staff in implementing the curriculum consistently well across all subjects.  Work to develop pupils’ vocabulary across the school is in its infancy. Typically, the

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(Information for the school and proprietor)

subject-specific vocabulary that pupils need to learn and when is not made clear. The school should ensure that the curriculum makes clear the vocabulary that pupils must know and are supported to use vocabulary accurately across the 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. 2 to 4 July 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

Gender of pupils in the sixth form Mixed

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form

Proprietor Horizon Care and Education Group Ltd

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form

Annual fees (day pupils) £72,050 to £102,000

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form

Email address christina.russell@horizoncare.co.uk 2 to 4 July 2024

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Information about this school

 Olympus provides education for pupils with a range of special educational needs and/or disabilities including autism, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder and social, emotional and mental health needs. All pupils have an EHC plan.  The secondary provision of Olympus is located at 112 Orchard Road, Croydon, CR2 9LQ. The post-19 ‘pathways’ provision is located at Friends’ Meeting House, 60 Park Lane, Croydon, CR0 1JE.  The school does not use any alternative provision.  The school opened in April 2023.

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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.  Inspectors met with the headteacher, deputy headteacher and assistant headteachers. They also met with the special educational needs coordinator, the chair of the proprietor body and other directors of Horizon Care and Education Group Ltd. Inspectors reviewed a range of documentation provided by the school to check compliance with the independent school standards. They also toured the school’s premises at both sites.  Inspectors carried out deep dives in these subjects: English, computing, mathematics and PSHE. Inspectors visited lessons, reviewed pupils’ work, met with pupils to discuss their learning and met with subject leaders and teachers. Inspectors also considered pupils’ learning in other subjects such as history and

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Information about this inspection

physical education.  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 met with groups of pupils. Pupils’ behaviour in lessons and around the school was observed. 2 to 4 July 2024  Inspectors spoke to a range of staff about safeguarding, pupils’ behaviour and staff workload. They looked at parents’ comments in response to Ofsted’s survey.

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Inspection team

Lisa Strong, lead inspector His Majesty’s Inspector

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Inspection team

Jonathan Newby 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

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

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