The Lighthouse

Inspection of The Lighthouse Easton House, 107 Dereham Road, Easton, Norwich, Norfolk NR9 5ES

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Inspection dates: 12, 20 and 21 November 2024

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Overall effectiveness Good

The quality of education Good Behaviour and attitudes Outstanding Personal development Outstanding Leadership and management Good Overall effectiveness at previous inspection Not previously inspected

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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?

Pupils’ life chances are significantly improved by this school. All pupils have had a very disrupted education prior to arriving here. However, due to staff’s high-quality care and expert knowledge, pupils soon re-engage with learning and attend regularly. Pupils’ self-esteem and resilience also improves exceptionally well. This transformation in a short period of time is remarkable. All pupils achieve well from their starting points. They are successfully prepared for the next stage of their education or employment.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The school leaves no stone unturned to support its pupils. Pupils value the tailored pastoral care, which precisely meets their needs. Pupils who have previously been socially isolated form friendships, learn to manage their emotions independently and re-gain trust in adults. The school is, therefore, a calm, safe and positive place to learn.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils thrive in situations they would have historically found difficult to cope with. This includes navigating busy environments, such as tube trains and theatres. They learn to cooperate with peers in team activities, such as sailing and climbing. Pupils volunteer in the community, for example, at a dementia café.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils are incredibly positive about their experiences here. They are motivated to succeed and have hope for their future.

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better?

The school is driven by its deep moral purpose to turnaround the lives of the pupils it serves. It is particularly successful in forging strong and respectful relationships between pupils and adults. All staff take the time to get to know pupils’ social and emotional needs. They use this to successfully overcome pupils’ barriers to learning. As a result, pupils want to come to school. Their attendance is high or significantly improving due to leaders’ actions.

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better?

Pupils know they are expected to learn. They are proud to share their work. The school has established a curriculum that supports pupils to acquire the knowledge and core skills they need for their future aspirations. Pupils enjoy this breadth of learning and can demonstrate in-depth understanding. For example, their knowledge about the British Empire is detailed. The curriculum is designed to build on prior learning. However, there are some instances where it is less clear how the knowledge in some subjects links to what pupils have learned already. This restricts how well some pupils make connections within and between subjects to deepen their knowledge even further.

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better?

Teachers identify gaps in pupils’ knowledge. Pupils are catching up on missed learning. This is especially the case in reading, writing and mathematics. Pupils respond to the advice they receive. As a result, most pupils gain qualifications needed to access college or work. However, some pupils are capable of achieving 12, 20 and 21 November 2024 higher qualifications. While gaps are being filled, sometimes the work set does not maximise learning opportunities. This can limit the speed at which pupils move on in their learning.

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better?

Reading is a priority. Pupils are no longer reluctant readers. They enjoy the choice of books in the common room library and can talk about books they like and dislike. Staff choose ambitious texts for pupils to read in lessons, which broadens pupils’ vocabulary.

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better?

The school has clear boundaries and high behaviour expectations. Staff provide compassionate care. They teach pupils how to self-regulate. Pupils respond very positively to this and apply these strategies well. There is regular access to a school counsellor. If needed, there are safe places for pupil to re-set. Pupils quickly return to their learning and do not affect the learning of others. On the rare occasions when unkindness happens, staff deal with this quickly and fairly. Older pupils now act as positive role models and support each other to make good behaviour choices. This is a marked difference to how these pupils previously presented.

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better?

The way in which the school develops pupils’ character, self-worth and resilience is exemplary. Through a well-planned personal development programme, pupils can cope socially and emotionally in ways that did not seem possible on their arrival. The experiences offered explicitly address the diverse needs of these pupils and the risks they are vulnerable to. Pupils can articulate very well their understanding of equality and discrimination, including towards gender and race. The school is not afraid to discuss sensitive issues with pupils in order to protect them from harm. Pupils know how to stay safe online, where to seek help if needed and how to form healthy relationships. They receive appropriate careers guidance and advice.

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better?

Staff also appreciate the training and support they receive to do their job well. They know leaders and governors are mindful of their well-being. Staff also work well with parents/carers and use the advice of external agencies to successfully provide emotional support.

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better?

Governors have recently increased their membership and are getting used to their new roles. They are developing their systems to hold leaders to account. The proprietor and chair of governors have the required knowledge and skills to ensure that all the independent school standards are met, including the requirements under schedule 10 of the Equalities Act 2010. The proprietor and governors make regular checks on health and safety and safeguarding. The building is well maintained and secure. The proprietor and governors ensure that resources are directed at what is in the best interests of the pupils.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective. 12, 20 and 21 November 2024

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(Information for the school and proprietor)

 In parts of the curriculum, connections to prior knowledge are not always explicitly signposted. This limits how securely pupils make links and build on prior learning across subjects when learning something new. The school needs to ensure that in these subjects, staff know when and how to make these links and detail clearer to pupils so that learning is always in the depth intended.  Sometimes, the work set for pupils does not fully maximise their learning opportunities. This means some pupils are not able to access higher qualification pathways sooner. The school needs to ensure that staff have the required pedagogical knowledge to move on pupils’ learning as quickly as possible so that they achieve as highly as they are capable of.

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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, 20 and 21 November 2024

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School details

Unique reference number 149909 DfE registration number 926/6035

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School details

Inspection number 10321491 Type of school Other Independent Special School

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School details

Proprietor Trinity Solutions (East Anglia) Ltd

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Email address

Date of previous inspection Not previously inspected 12, 20 and 21 November 2024

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Information about this school

 This is the first standard inspection since the school opened in July 2023.  The school is owned by Trinity Solutions (East Anglia) Ltd.  The headteacher is the proprietor.  There is a separate governing body to the proprietor who oversee the school.  All pupils who attend the school have an education health care plan, primarily for social, emotional and mental health needs.  The school specialises in supporting pupils with complex trauma and/or attachment difficulties.  The school does not use any 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.  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.  The inspection started on 12 November 2024. It was paused in line with Ofsted inspections and visits: Deferring, pausing and gathering additional evidence policy. Inspectors returned on 20 and 21 November 2024 to complete the inspection.  The inspectors held meetings with the headteacher/proprietor, the special educational needs and disabilities coordinator, senior leaders, teaching staff and support staff.  The lead inspector also spoke to a representative from Norwich local authority virtual school team about the support offered to looked-after pupils at the school.  The inspectors carried out deep dives in these subjects: English, mathematics,

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Information about this inspection

history and personal, health, social and economic education. For each deep dive, the inspectors spoke to leaders, visited lessons, spoke with pupils, looked at pupils’ workbooks and spoke with staff. 12, 20 and 21 November 2024  The lead inspector held meetings with the proprietor (who is also the headteacher), the chair of governors and one other member of the governing body.  To check compliance with the independent school standards, inspectors spoke to the headteacher/ proprietor, members of the governing board, staff and pupils. Inspectors visited lessons, observed social times and toured the school site.  The lead inspector scrutinised a range of documentation including the school’s own self-evaluation, school improvement plan and governance minutes.  To evaluate the effectiveness of safeguarding, the inspectors reviewed the single central record, took account of the views of leaders, staff and pupils and

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Information about this inspection

considered the extent to which the school has created an open and positive culture around safeguarding that puts pupils’ interests first.  The inspectors considered the responses gathered through Ofsted’s online survey for parents, Ofsted Parent View and spoke to a selection of parent/carers by phone. They also reviewed responses to Ofsted’s survey for school staff and pupils. The inspectors also spoke to several pupils from different year groups during the inspection, as well as a range of staff.

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Inspection team

Sara Boyce, lead inspector His Majesty’s Inspector

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Inspection team

Dave Gibson His Majesty’s Inspector 12, 20 and 21 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 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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