Haywards Farm School

Inspection of Haywards Farm School Station Road, Theale, Reading RG7 4AS

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Inspection dates: 10 to 12 December 2024

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Overall effectiveness Outstanding

The quality of education Outstanding Behaviour and attitudes Outstanding Personal development Outstanding Leadership and management Outstanding Does the school meet the independent school standards?

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils thrive at Haywards Farm. For many pupils, the school provides a fresh start and a vital route back into full-time education. Pupils’ self-esteem and confidence are carefully nurtured by dedicated staff. 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?

The school’s high expectations are known by everyone. From the moment pupils arrive, staff build strong, caring and trusting relationships with pupils. This helps pupils to flourish. Over time, they learn to express their needs and opinions confidently. Staff are relentless in their determination to ensure that pupils have the knowledge they need to be well prepared for their next stage of education.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The school has highly effective, established procedures that ensure that pupils’ attendance and behaviour dramatically improve over time. Pupils enjoy their lessons and show genuine excitement about the topics covered. Pupils demonstrate increased levels of maturity and awareness of the consequences of their actions.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The school’s work to develop a broad range of experiences outside the classroom is exemplary. Curriculum enrichment activities, including trips to historical landmarks such as Stonehenge, are meticulously planned to bring the curriculum to life and enable pupils to develop important social skills.

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better?

The school and proprietor body put pupils’ well-being, interests and needs at the heart of all they do. The school’s curriculum is designed purposely to match the scope of the national curriculum. The school has identified and ordered precisely the knowledge that pupils should learn in every subject. Leaders and the proprietor body work together effectively. They use their passion for providing pupils with the social and academic skills to support them back into full-time education.

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better?

The school is ambitious for all pupils to achieve highly and be successful in their academic and personal development. Pupils study a broad range of subjects, with a strong emphasis on addressing their individual needs and targets. The school’s procedures are highly effective for checking pupils’ learning, including their individual starting points. Staff precisely identify and then address any gaps in pupils’ knowledge. For example, the school’s ‘drop-in sessions’ are used very effectively to give individual pupils the help they need.

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better?

The school puts reading at the centre of the curriculum. Pupils benefit from well- planned opportunities to develop and practise their reading and writing skills. Those who are at the earliest stages of learning to read get the help they need from expert teachers. This helps them to catch up quickly. Staff select texts skilfully to broaden pupils’ ideas and vocabulary and to deepen their thinking. The ‘reading for joy’ sessions are a great example of the many ways in which the school promotes pupils’ 10 to 12 December 2024 enjoyment for reading. Pupils engage well in these sessions, where they participate in independent and group reading.

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better?

Staff use their strong subject knowledge to help each pupil to achieve highly. They adapt learning skilfully to help individual pupils to be successful. Pupils achieve exceptionally well across the curriculum.

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better?

The school is expert in helping pupils to develop positive attitudes and behaviours. Whole-school activities, such as celebration assemblies and the ‘Proud Cloud’, celebrate pupils’ accomplishments and increase their sense of belonging. The school analyses intelligently and responds to pupils’ behaviour patterns, attendance and engagement. The school’s well-considered approach leads to significant improvements in pupils’ behaviour and promotes a love of learning that is compelling.

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better?

The school’s offer for pupils’ personal development is exceptional. It provides a highly personalised offer that reflects pupils’ identified needs. The school prioritises character development by supporting pupils to develop strategies to maintain their resilience and determination in highly effective ways. For example, pupils learn how to travel safely, to respond appropriately to unpredictable situations and to develop positive workplace behaviours at a local stable. Careers guidance is a central part of the curriculum. Pupils access tailored careers information and guidance. Through planned opportunities, such as class discussions and debates, pupils explore various important life topics and learn about different perspectives. This helps pupils to develop respect and understanding for others.

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better?

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

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better?

The proprietor makes sure the school fully meets the independent school standards (the standards). Routine fire safety, electrical and first-aid checks are in place. The school complies with the Equality Act 2010, ensuring equal access to learning for all pupils. Consequently, the school environment is productive, inclusive and safe because of the exceptional work to meet these standards.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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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. 10 to 12 December 2024 The Department for Education has further guidance on how to complain about a school. 10 to 12 December 2024

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School details

Unique reference number 149918 DfE registration number 869/6024

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School details

Inspection number 10342211 Type of school Other Independent special school

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School details

Email address headteacher@amegreened.co.uk 10 to 12 December 2024

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Information about this school

 The school is part of Amegreen Education Limited group. It is a small independent special school that is registered for up to 32 pupils aged between six and 14 years of age. The school caters for pupils with autism and associated needs, such as speech, language and communication difficulties.  All pupils have an education, health and care plan. Most pupils’ places are funded by their local authorities.  The school does not make use of alternative provision.  The school operates from one address in Station Road, Theale, Reading RG7 4AS.

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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 judgement 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 held a wide range of meetings with the headteacher and teaching staff in the school. The lead inspector met with trustees.  Inspectors carried out deep dives in these subjects: mathematics; English, including early reading; and personal, social, health and economic education. For each deep dive, inspectors held discussions about the curriculum, looked at curriculum plans, visited a sample of lessons, spoke with teachers, spoke with some pupils about their learning and looked at samples of pupils’ work.  The lead inspector toured the premises to check the school’s compliance with the independent school standards.  Inspectors observed pupils’ behaviour throughout the inspection, including during

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Information about this inspection

breaks. An adult was present when the inspectors spoke with pupils. This helped the pupils to feel more confident when speaking with a visitor.  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.  Inspectors reviewed the responses to Ofsted Parent View. 10 to 12 December 2024

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Inspection team

Laura James, lead inspector His Majesty’s Inspector

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Inspection team

Andrew Foster Ofsted Inspector 10 to 12 December 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

T: 0300 123 1231 Textphone: 0161 618 8524 E: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk W: www.gov.uk/ofsted

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