Heritage House School

Inspection of a school judged good for overall effectiveness before September 2024: Heritage House School Cameron Road, Chesham, Buckinghamshire HP5 3BP

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Inspection dates: 22 and 23 October 2024

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Outcome

Evidence gathered during this ungraded (section 8) inspection suggests that the school’s work may have improved significantly across all areas since the previous inspection. The school’s next inspection will be a graded inspection.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils flourish and achieve exceptionally well from the early years through to the sixth form. This is because adults place the individual needs of each pupil at the heart of all they do. Everyday learning activities are deliberately meaningful to the pupils.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Expectations for pupils are high. There is no ceiling on what they can achieve. Staff treat pupils respectfully and with kindness. They know each pupil extremely well. Pupils form trusting relationships with staff and have positive connections with their peers. Pupils accept each other’s differences and are supportive of each other during lessons and social times. Everyone contributes to the calm and purposeful atmosphere which permeates the school. As a result, pupils are happy and safe.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils take delight in the rich and varied opportunities afforded to them. The school is determined to include all pupils on trips out such as sailing or sporting tournaments. As pupils progress through the school, they have opportunities to discover new interests and learn about future options for work and volunteering. They are well supported to develop their skills in the specialist rooms, such as the realistic flat, or hair salon. In the workshop pupils learn about construction and are valuable collaborators in a charity initiative renovating tools.

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What does the school do well and what does it need to do better?

The school’s work since the previous inspection has led to significant improvements in the standard of education that pupils receive. For example, to ensure the varied needs of the pupils are well met, they now follow one of three curriculum pathways. This ensures the education they receive is ambitious, precisely tailored and without any limit on 22 and 23 October 2024

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achievement. Therapists, teachers and support staff collaborate as a team to co-produce individualised targets for pupils to work towards. They develop a strong understanding of each pupil’s needs. The curriculum is carefully tailored to each pupil and incorporates their education, health and care plan outcomes as well as therapy targets and academic goals. This approach creates a genuinely holistic curriculum. Pupils achieve well across all curriculum areas not only because their small steps of learning are clearly mapped out and well sequenced, but because staff have the highly specialist expertise to meet their needs.

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The support for pupils with sensory needs is exceptionally strong. The school effectively integrates physio, health and sensory needs into pupils’ learning. The therapy team supports class teams to develop their specialist expertise and seamlessly weaves this into classroom activities, such as ensuring pupils’ positional changes promote engagement in an activity.

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The school has established a consistently low arousal learning environment from early years to the sixth form. Staff make highly effective use of the available sensory equipment and sensory rooms. This means pupils are calm and regulated and ready to engage with learning activities in class. As necessary, staff help pupils use strategies identified by both home and school in their own ‘stress reduction plans’. This means pupils learn what works best for them, to regulate their behaviour. For those pupils who require additional help to manage their own regulation, staff follow consistently calm and positive approaches to support them.

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Staff are adept at promoting pupils’ communication. Children in the early years get off to a strong start. Adults model how to use communication aids and support children to recognise key objects, words and symbols. Staff across the school successfully help pupils to read at a level that is appropriate for them, allowing them to access the world around them. Alongside this, reading and enjoying stories is highly valued. Pupils who are ready to be authors of their own stories act them out with enthusiasm. Others appreciate creative multi-sensory story-telling sessions.

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The school has placed the personal development of each pupil at the centre of the curriculum. Pupils appreciate the ‘travel training’ programme that helps them develop their leisure skills and their confidence to be out and about. Pupils learn about keeping themselves safe when they are out in the community.

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The school prepares pupils well for their futures. The Potting Shed Café is a thriving business run by the school. The school has made strong community links, for example residents of a local care home enjoy visiting for coffee and cakes. The happy customers include members of the public as well as school staff. As part of the curriculum, the café is used to provide pupils with a safe opportunity to practise their social skills of ‘being a customer’. Older pupils gain useful employment skills in catering or front of house, and they develop enthusiasm for the world of work.

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Leaders and those responsible for governance are committed to doing everything possible to help pupils attend school. Some pupils are unable to attend school for extended 22 and 23 October 2024

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periods of time due to their medical needs. Staff provide for these pupils exceptionally well. The outreach specialist team visits pupils at home and ensure that they continue learning and retain their sense of belonging to the school community.

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Leaders and governors share the same sense of moral purpose to ensure pupils achieve all they are capable of. Staff are proud of the distinctive collaborative ethos they have created. They reflect that leaders ensure their work focuses on what makes a difference to pupils.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Background

Until September 2024, on a graded (section 5) inspection we gave schools an overall effectiveness grade, in addition to the key and provision judgements. Overall effectiveness grades given before September 2024 will continue to be visible on school inspection reports and on Ofsted’s website. From September 2024 graded inspections will not include an overall effectiveness grade. This school was, before September 2024, judged to be good for its overall effectiveness.

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Background

We have now inspected the school to determine whether it has taken effective action to maintain the standards identified at that previous inspection. This is called an ungraded inspection, and it is carried out under section 8 of the Education Act 2005. We do not give graded judgements on an ungraded inspection. However, if we find evidence that a school’s work has improved significantly or that it may not be as strong as it was at the last inspection, then the next inspection will be a graded inspection. A graded inspection is carried out under section 5 of the Act. Usually this is within one to two years of the date of the ungraded inspection. If we have serious concerns about safeguarding, behaviour or the quality of education, we will deem the ungraded inspection a graded inspection immediately.

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Background

This is the first ungraded inspection since we judged the school to be good for overall effectiveness in May 2019.

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How can I feed back my views?

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. 22 and 23 October 2024

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Further information

You can search for published performance information about the school.

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Further information

In the report, ‘disadvantaged pupils’ is used to mean pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND); pupils who meet the definition of children in need of help and protection ; pupils receiving statutory local authority support from a social worker; and pupils who otherwise meet the criteria used for deciding the school’s pupil premium funding (this includes pupils claiming free school meals at any point in the last six years, looked after children (children in local authority care) and/or children who left care through adoption or another formal route). 22 and 23 October 2024

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form

Appropriate authority The governing body

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form

Dates of previous inspection 15 and 16 May 2019, under section 5 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 Heritage House School caters for pupils with severe learning difficulties. All pupils have education, health and care plans.  There has been a significant increase in pupil numbers since the previous inspection.  The school does not make use of any alternative 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. 22 and 23 October 2024

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Information about this inspection

 Inspections are a point-in-time evaluation 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 consideration in their evaluation of the school.  Inspectors met with the headteacher and other members of the leadership team. Inspectors also met with members of the governing body, including the chair of governors. The lead inspector spoke to a representative of the local authority.  The inspectors visited a sample of lessons, spoke to some pupils about their learning and looked at samples of pupils’ work. The inspectors also reviewed a range of documents and spoke to some staff about the curriculum, attendance, safeguarding, personal development and behaviour.  The inspectors observed pupils’ behaviour around the school and in lessons. They also

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Information about this inspection

spoke to pupils in lessons and during play and lunchtimes.  The inspectors considered a range of documents including leaders’ evaluations of the school, their school improvement plan, and minutes from governors’ meetings.  The inspectors considered parents’ and carers’ responses to Ofsted Parent View.  The inspectors took account of the views of staff through conversations and the responses to the online staff survey.  To evaluate the effectiveness of safeguarding, the 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.

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Inspection team

Jo Petch, lead inspector His Majesty’s Inspector

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Inspection team

Jason Philipsz Ofsted Inspector 22 and 23 October 2024

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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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