The Cedars

Inspection of The Cedars 33 Ashby Road, Stapleton, Leicestershire LE9 8JF

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Inspection dates: 12 and 13 November 2024

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Overall effectiveness Outstanding

The quality of education Outstanding Behaviour and attitudes Outstanding Personal development Outstanding Leadership and management Outstanding Overall effectiveness at previous inspection Good

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Overall effectiveness Outstanding

Does the school meet the independent school standards?

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What is it like to attend this school?

From the moment that pupils join this school, their needs, self-esteem and confidence are carefully nurtured and nourished. For many pupils, this is a fresh opportunity after their previous experiences of schooling. They develop a renewed sense of hope and optimism. The impact of the school’s work on pupils’ social and academic outcomes is remarkable.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Staff expertly build strong, caring and trusting relationships with pupils in their care. With increasing independence, pupils learn to express their wants, needs and opinions effectively. Staff are relentless in their ambition to ensure that every pupil is safe, understood and well prepared for their next stage in education, training and employment.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils’ behaviour improves dramatically over time because they feel listened to and valued. They show increasing levels of maturity and take on more responsibility for their actions. They are excited to learn, and they work with determination in lessons.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The school’s work to develop a broad range of experiences outside of the classroom is exemplary. It carefully considers the needs of the pupils, particularly in relation to staying safe and healthy. For example, pupils complete first-aid qualifications and participate in community events. They learn to understand emotions linked to friendships, including how to resolve conflict with others.

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better?

Everything that happens at The Cedars is planned meticulously to ensure that pupils can reach their potential. The school and the proprietor body have a strong moral imperative. They are passionate about making a difference to the lives of disadvantaged pupils. Every decision they make has the pupils’ best interests at heart.

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better?

The school’s ambition for its pupils begins with an accurate understanding of their starting points. Staff work tirelessly to develop highly effective relationships and routines. Advice is sought from other professionals to ensure that the school has an accurate understanding of each pupil’s stage of development. From this, a bespoke curriculum offer is developed. Pupils’ education, health care (EHC) plans and their personal education plans are aligned closely to their individual curriculum. Across every subject and along each learning pathway, there is clarity about the exact knowledge that pupils will learn and how each subject connects to others. As a result, the curriculum for each pupil links seamlessly to their next stage in education, employment or training.

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better?

Staff have strong knowledge of the subjects they teach. This helps them to adapt lessons to meet the varied needs of each pupil. Through skilful questioning and modelling, staff break down the learning into clear steps. When pupils need more 12 and 13 November 2024 support, staff quickly set additional tasks so that pupils can reflect, revisit and rehearse the key knowledge in readiness for the next lesson.

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better?

High importance is given to reading. Pupils read aloud to their peers with enthusiasm and confidence. The reading curriculum prioritises pupils’ ability to infer meaning from the texts they read. There is also a strong emphasis on speaking and listening. No conversations are out of bounds. Pupils’ understanding of key vocabulary is checked carefully. Effortlessly, pupils can recall and use words such as honour, subservience and evolution. Staff use books skilfully to help pupils challenge their own understanding of modern society. For example, when reading ‘Frankenstein’, pupils debate and challenge modern-day perceptions and stereotypes of gender, alongside the ones portrayed in the book. There is an appropriate programme in place for pupils who are at the early stages of learning to read and need support. Staff are well trained to use this programme should the need arise.

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better?

Pupils want to come to school every day. Every moment and every space in school is used as an opportunity to encourage pupils to learn. Pupils’ engagement with learning, and their attitudes towards attending school are impressive.

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better?

The school’s offer for pupils’ personal development is praiseworthy. It places a strong emphasis on preparing pupils for life beyond the school. Every pupil has a highly personalised offer that reflects their uniqueness and interests. Character development is prioritised. Pupils develop strategies to maintain their resilience and determination, despite difficulties. For example, they learn how to travel safely, to respond appropriately to unpredictable situations and to develop positive workplace behaviours. The wider curriculum offers numerous opportunities for pupils to develop their talents. Some pupils compose music and perform at events. Others fundraise and donate sensory toys to local special schools. The careers programme helps pupils make informed decisions about their next stages. With guidance from staff, they work diligently to make these aspirations a reality.

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better?

Staff are extremely positive about working at this school. They feel valued and supported. They recognise how the training they receive helps them to meet the needs of the pupils.

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better?

The proprietor body has a clear oversight of the work of the school. Robust systems of quality assurance ensure that the independent school standards are met consistently and securely, including the statutory requirements of the Equality Act 2010.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective. 12 and 13 November 2024

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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. 12 and 13 November 2024

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School details

Inspection number 10342167 Type of school Other independent special school

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School details

Annual fees (day pupils) £75,600 to £104,400

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School details

Email address cedars.headteacher@hexagoncare.com

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School details

Dates of previous inspection 21 to 23 September 2021 12 and 13 November 2024

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Information about this school

 The school provides specialist provision for pupils with autism.  All pupils at The Cedars have an EHC plan. They are all in the care of the local authority.  The school does not use 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 evaluation about the quality of a school’s education provision.  Inspectors discussed any continued impact of the pandemic with leaders and have taken that into account in their evaluation of the school.  Inspectors carried out deep dives in these subjects: English, mathematics, science and personal, social and health education. For each deep dive, inspectors held discussions about the curriculum, visited a sample of lessons, spoke to teachers, spoke to some pupils about their learning and looked at samples of pupils’ work.  Inspectors also considered the quality of education across other subject areas, including art and design, history and computing.  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.  The lead inspector met with representatives of the proprietor body.  To check compliance with the independent school standards, inspectors reviewed records linked to the school’s personal development programme, the welfare, health and safety of pupils and considered the school’s complaints and reporting processes. The lead inspector also completed a tour of the school site.  Inspectors considered the responses to Ofsted’s staff survey. The views of pupils and staff were also gathered on site.

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Inspection team

Shaheen Hussain, lead inspector His Majesty’s Inspector Janis Warren Ofsted Inspector 12 and 13 November 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

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