Compass Community School Hampshire

Inspection of Compass Community School Hampshire Tull Park, Coley Avenue, Woking GU22 7BT

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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 Outstanding

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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?

This school has high ambitions to significantly change pupils’ and families’ lives for the better. It achieves this by quickly getting to know pupils’ personalities, backgrounds and interests. The proprietor body has established a pleasant school environment which is well suited to the needs of the pupils. While ‘Hop Pickers’ and ‘Tull Park’ are very different sites in structure, the ethos and values remain consistent across both sites.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Many pupils have spent long periods out of education prior to joining this school. However, staff nurture pupils’ skills and interests to re-engage them in learning. As a result, pupils arrive at school with smiles on their faces in the morning. Therefore, pupils want to attend this school and do so with increasing regularity.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Staff want the very best for all pupils. The school has an ambitious curriculum in place. Staff have high expectations for what pupils can achieve. Pupils learn in small classes. They have extra adult support when needed. This helps many pupils achieve the high expectations staff have for them. Generally, they behave very well. Pupils are polite and respectful. However, if things do slip, staff have good strategies at hand to resolve problems and calm anxieties.

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better?

The school has carefully designed the curriculum from Years 3 to 11. It meets the individual needs and interests of pupils. All pupils who attend the school have special educational needs and/or disabilities associated with their social, emotional and mental health. Pupils’ additional needs are identified quickly, and the school ensures that they get the further help that they need. The support pupils receive is carefully aligned with their education, health and care plans (EHC plan). Staff ensure that learning environments take account of pupils’ needs. They provide visual aids and physical resources to support pupils’ understanding.

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better?

Though a very small school, there is the ambition to provide a curriculum that matches the breadth of much larger schools. This is achieved by engaging with external agencies and settings, including local sports centres. Mathematics teaching is clear and precise to the individual needs of older pupils. Food technology is delivered with rigour as part of the design and technology curriculum. This also gives pupils strong development in a key life skill.

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better?

Staff subject knowledge and understanding of the best ways to implement the curriculum are not as secure as they should be in some areas. As a result, staff do not always address misconceptions or gaps in pupils’ knowledge and skills as well as they should. For example, while some older pupils are confident readers, younger pupils who are at the early stages of reading lack the consistent, specific support they need. 1 to 3 October 2024 Due to the rapid growth and significant pace of change throughout the past year, the school has recruited a large number of new staff. The training staff receive for safeguarding and behaviour processes is strong. This enables most pupils to focus on their learning and engage well in lessons. Pupils have a good understanding of right and wrong. They know what bullying and discrimination is. They understand how appropriate their actions and comments are. Staff support pupils effectively if

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better?

they need extra support to manage their behaviour. They demonstrate patience and care to turn a pupil’s day around. Staff work well with families and external agencies to provide the help pupils need.

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better?

Pupils joining the school often have very low attendance. Because the school knows its pupils so well, nearly all pupils soon begin to attend often. When problems with attendance persist, school staff work effectively with pupils and their families to identify and address the reasons for continuing low attendance.

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better?

The school’s work to promote pupils’ wider personal development is a growing strength. Pupils benefit from well-considered opportunities to broaden their range of experiences. These help to develop pupils’ confidence and independence within their peer group and the wider community. Pupils learn in appropriate ways about a range of beliefs and faiths. They learn to appreciate difference and diversity, in readiness for life in modern Britain.

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better?

The proprietor is fully committed to ensuring that pupils experience a high-quality education. A tier of governance, which includes external expertise, adds another level of scrutiny and accountability. The proprietor ensures that the school consistently meets the independent school standards (the standards). For example, there is a health and safety policy and a range of risk assessments to ensure that the premises are safe for pupils, staff and visitors. The school complies with schedule 10 of the Equality Act 2010. Safeguarding guidance is well understood.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Information for the school and proprietor

 Some staff do not have sufficient subject knowledge or teaching expertise to teach the curriculum as intended. This means that sometimes pupils do not get the support they need to learn as well as they should. The school should ensure all staff have the subject knowledge and teaching expertise that supports pupils to securely build learning over time.

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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 1 to 3 October 2024 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. 1 to 3 October 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

Headteacher Andrew Cooper Lee Wright (Acting Headteacher) Annual fees (day pupils) £71,709

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School details

Email address education.compliance@compass- schools.org Date of previous inspection 3 to 5 November 2021 1 to 3 October 2024

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Information about this school

 Compass Community School Hampshire caters for up to 36 pupils aged from seven to 17 years. Pupils are referred to the school by their local authority, which funds their place. All pupils have complex social, emotional and mental health needs often linked to adverse childhood experiences and trauma. All pupils have an EHC plan, and some have a medical diagnosis such as autism or attention deficit hyperactivity disorder.  Since the previous inspection, the school has moved premises. In addition to the school’s registered address shown at the top of this report, the school operates from the Hop Pickers campus in Bentley, Hampshire. This is approximately 20 miles away from the Tull Park campus. Pupils are enrolled to attend at one of the campuses and only travel between sites for special events.  Hop Pickers campus caters for up to six pupils who require therapeutic, emotional and pastoral support. Tull Park campus is co-educational and caters for up to 30

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Information about this school

pupils aged seven to 17.  The two deputy headteachers started their roles during the 2023/2024 academic year, one in September and one in April. The headteacher took up their role in April 2024 but was absent at the time of the inspection. An acting head is currently in post. Almost all staff are new to the school since the previous inspection.  The school uses two registered and two unregistered alternative provisions for a small number of pupils.  Since the school’s first full standard inspection in November 2021, a material change inspection took place in July 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

 Inspectors discussed any continued impact of the pandemic with leaders and have taken that into account in their evaluation of the school.  Inspectors met with senior leaders and staff, including the school’s therapy team. The lead inspector met with one member of the proprietor body. He also met with representatives from the school’s governing body and one local authority who 1 to 3 October 2024 commission places at the school.  The inspection team carried out deep dives into these subjects: reading, mathematics, personal, social and health education and design and technology. To do this, they met with subject leaders, looked at curriculum planning, had discussions with staff and pupils, visited lessons and looked at pupils’ work.  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

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Information about this inspection

culture around safeguarding that puts pupils’ interests first.  Inspectors talked to pupils about their learning and experiences at school. They observed pupils’ behaviour and attitudes throughout the school day.  The views of staff and parents were gathered through discussions and Ofsted’s online surveys.  The lead inspector toured the school site to gather evidence about compliance with the standards. Inspectors also reviewed a range of other documents and policies, including on the school’s website. They scrutinised school records, including attendance and behaviour records.

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Inspection team

Chris Parker, lead inspector His Majesty’s Inspector

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Inspection team

Jason Philipsz Ofsted Inspector 1 to 3 October 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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