Chapel Green School

Inspection of Chapel Green School Attleborough Road, Old Buckenham, Norfolk NR17 1RF

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Inspection dates: 10 and 11 December 2024

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The quality of education Good Behaviour and attitudes Outstanding Personal development Outstanding Leadership and management Outstanding Sixth-form provision Good Previous inspection grade Good 10 and 11 December 2024

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils receive an exceptional standard of education and support at Chapel Green. They develop extremely positive relationships with staff, who look after them. Staff know the pupils and their needs very well. They are skilled and confident in supporting pupils in their different stages of development. The warmth and positivity staff show the pupils help to create an environment where pupils ‘grow and become the best they can be’.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The school supports pupils with a wide range of needs and provides a curriculum that is ambitious for all. Adults set high expectations and help pupils achieve these standards. They ensure pupils are equipped with the skills and confidence they need to succeed academically and socially. As a result, pupils fulfil the school’s vision and take pride in ‘shining in the light of their achievements’.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils learn how to communicate their wants and needs, whether verbally or through other methods. Adults are skilled in supporting pupils to manage their behaviour, which ensures that pupils are generally calm and happy. When pupils do become unsettled, adults take effective action to help them. This prompt support helps pupils settle down quickly without causing undue upset to themselves or their peers.

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

Since the previous inspection, the school has successfully embedded an ambitious, new curriculum that clearly outlines the skills and knowledge pupils should acquire. All pupils have an education, health and care (EHC) plan, and the curriculum is designed thoughtfully to meet their wide-ranging needs. Younger children and pupils follow an early years and key stage one pathway, while older pupils follow one of four tailored learning routes based on their stage of development. Each pathway is designed carefully to ensure pupils are well prepared for their next steps.

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

In the main, staff are highly skilled in delivering lessons that align with the curriculum’s aims. They deliver learning activities that are precisely matched to pupils’ starting points. The staff’s passion and enthusiasm ignite pupils’ interest and encourages their engagement. For example, during a physical development session, pupils loved walking on tiptoes and using balance equipment, delighted by the high levels of praise and support from staff.

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

The school has implemented effective strategies for monitoring pupils’ progress through the curriculum. Staff confidently assess whether pupils are meeting their ambitious targets. They maintain detailed records to keep others informed of pupils’ achievements and areas for development. Most staff use this information well to adapt lessons, ensuring pupils achieve highly. Occasionally, adults are less confident in adapting activities precisely to pupils’ needs, which can hamper pupils’ progress.

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

The school places a strong emphasis on reading, alongside its wider communication curriculum. Pupils receive effective phonics instruction when appropriate to their needs. They enjoy learning phonics songs and sounds, while others engage with sensory books, 10 and 11 December 2024

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delighting in shiny paper and lights. A diverse selection of books supports pupils at various stages of fluency. Adults engage pupils in reading skilfully, helping them develop their vocabulary and comprehension. Many pupils express significant enjoyment in reading and feel confident in their ability to read and communicate at a level suited to them.

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The school’s focus on positive reinforcement and personalised support enables pupils to develop excellent behavioural habits. The school has established clear, consistent expectations for behaviour. These are personalised to each pupil’s needs. Pupils engage in their learning activities extremely well. They show respect and patience during transitions, such as arriving at school and leaving. At lunchtime, they are calm and happy. This positive culture significantly enhances pupils’ emotional well-being and allows them to thrive.

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The school’s outstanding support for pupils’ personal development is woven throughout its provision. There is a strong emphasis on building independence to help pupils succeed beyond school. Pupils receive high-quality careers advice and meaningful work experience, such as volunteering in shops and cafés. Many learn essential skills, such as greeting others, communicating, and interacting with peers. Others learn to use public transport independently. Regular trips to towns, libraries, theme parks and the Norfolk Broads help prepare pupils for life in modern Britain.

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The weekly ‘flourish Friday’ activities allow pupils to explore their interests or develop new ones. They enjoy a range of options, including boxing, dancing, crafts, gaming, coding, hairdressing and car maintenance. These activities help pupils build healthy habits, independence and confidence.

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Leaders’ and governors’ relentless drive for improvement ensures exceptional provision for pupils in many areas across the school. Their effective leadership ensures that pupils thrive in a highly supportive learning environment that nurtures both their academic progress and emotional well-being. Staff rightly feel positive and well supported.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 Occasionally, staff do not adapt their teaching as precisely as they could to meet all pupils’ needs. As a result, some pupils do not access work that is as closely matched to their starting points as it could be. The school should ensure that staff adapt learning activities more consistently to meet pupils’ individual needs, enabling pupils to achieve the highest possible outcomes. 10 and 11 December 2024

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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.

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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). 10 and 11 December 2024

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form

Appropriate authority The governing body

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form

Chair of governing body Jack Eves and Roger Legate

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form

Dates of previous inspection 18 and 19 July 2023, under section 8 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 Several governors have been appointed recently.  At the time of the previous graded inspection, under section 5 of the Education Act 2005, the school was registered to provide education for 60 pupils. The school now educates 178 pupils.  All pupils have an EHC plan.  Pupils have a range of needs. Most notably, these include moderate learning difficulty, profound and multiple learning disability, severe learning difficulty and autism.  The school uses two unregistered alternative provisions. 10 and 11 December 2024

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Information about this inspection

The inspectors carried out this graded inspection under section 5 of the Education Act 2005. During a graded inspection, we grade the school for each of our key judgements (quality of education; behaviour and attitudes; personal development; and leadership and management) and for any relevant provision judgement (early years and/or sixth-form provision). Schools receiving a graded inspection from September 2024 will not be given an overall effectiveness grade.

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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 the school and have taken that into account in their evaluation of the school.  Inspectors met with the headteacher, the deputy headteachers and senior staff.  The inspectors met with governors, including the chair of governors. They also spoke to a representative from the local authority.  Inspectors scrutinised documents relating to school improvement and governance, behaviour and attendance, alternative provision, the PSHE curriculum, pupils with SEND and the school’s reading strategy. They also held meetings with staff with responsibilities in these areas.  Inspectors reviewed samples of pupils’ education, health and care plans as well as samples of the school’s child-centred plans.  Inspectors reviewed evidence of assessment and pupils’ work on the school’s

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Information about this inspection

assessment monitoring platform.  Inspectors reviewed the responses to the Ofsted Parent View survey. They also spoke to groups of pupils.  Inspectors carried out deep dives in these subjects: personal, social and health education, mathematics, physical development, and English, including communication and early reading. 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.  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

Bessie Owen, lead inspector His Majesty’s Inspector

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Inspection team

Jonathan Rockey His Majesty’s Inspector 10 and 11 December 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 looked-after children, safeguarding and child protection.

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