Bow Street School

Inspection of Bow Street School Bow Street, Bilston, West Midlands WV14 7NB

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Overall effectiveness Good

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

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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 are well cared for in this inclusive school environment. A key feature of the school is its calm, purposeful learning environment. Pupils feel safe in school. Positive relationships are a hallmark of the school. Pupils are well prepared for their next steps.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Prior to joining the school, many pupils have faced significant challenges. Staff work with each pupil to help them quickly settle in at Bow Street. They focus on getting pupils back on track. The school motto is ‘building young people’s confidence in education and the future’. Staff work sensitively to engage pupils, helping them to be aspirational for their futures.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The school’s ambition for pupils is evident in every aspect of its work. Expectations for behaviour are high. Pupils are respectful towards one another. They show care and consideration in lessons and at social times.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils know who to go to if they have a concern. They are confident that they will be listened to and any worries they may have taken seriously. Staff are patient and calm with pupils, giving them time to think and express themselves. Consequently, pupils behave well and are ready to learn.

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better?

The school has created a culture of celebrating talents, interests, and academic achievements. There is a drive and ambition to ensure the pupils gain the social and emotional skills alongside qualifications to prepare them for the next steps in their education.

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better?

All pupils attending Bow Street School have special educational needs and/or disabilities connected to their social, emotional and mental health. Induction of new pupils is gradual. This helps the school to build a picture of pupils’ entry points and their individual needs. Pupils quickly get to know Winston, the school’s therapy dog. There is a warm welcome from staff and Winston each morning.

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better?

Each pupil in school has an education, health and care (EHC) plan. These plans are reviewed regularly, which means that pupils’ needs and targets are kept up to date. Staff use the plans to create personalised programmes of support and adapt lessons to support each pupil to access learning. Some pupils access reduced timetables at times to support them. The school works closely with parents, carers and pupils to build pupils’ time in school up to full time.

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better?

The school prioritises the teaching of reading. Staff with specialist knowledge teach the school’s phonics programme. Consequently, pupils gain confidence as readers and learn to read with increasing fluency. The English curriculum is well designed and structured. Because teachers’ subject knowledge is strong, teachers adapt the curriculum to enable pupils to make progress. 14 to 16 January 2025 More recently, the technology curriculum has developed to include wider aspects of knowledge. The teaching of these new aspects is at an early stage. The impact of these new curriculum programmes is yet to be evaluated by the school.

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better?

There is a well-structured personal, social, health and economic (PSHE) curriculum. Pupils learn about healthy relationships, staying safe online, and their mental health and well-being. The school’s work to develop pupils’ social interactions is a strength. Pupils respond well to the school’s reward systems such as three stars a day. These build up to an eagerly anticipated end-of-week reward on ‘takeaway Friday’. Pupils take pride in their achievements.

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better?

As part of the school’s careers programme and qualifications they study, pupils access work experience with a local environmental charity. This positively engages pupils in hands-on regeneration work at a local nature reserve. The life skills pupils develop through these experiences help prepare them for their futures.

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better?

Since the last inspection, the proprietors have taken active steps to strengthen the school. New quality assurance systems are in place, supporting the proprietors’ self- review and identifying the priorities for the school’s next steps. The proprietors ensure that the school is compliant with the schedule 10 of the Equality Act 2010.

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better?

Staff are overwhelmingly positive about the school and how well it is led. They are proud to work at Bow Street School. Staff recognise the difference the school is making to the lives of individual pupils.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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(Information for the school and proprietor)

 The school is in the process of further developing its curriculum beyond English and mathematics. Pupils do not develop their knowledge and skills sufficiently well across the breadth of the curriculum areas. The curriculum’s intent is in place, but some aspects of the curriculum are not yet consistently embedded. The school should further embed the curriculum and evaluate the impact so pupils can develop their knowledge and skills.

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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. 14 to 16 January 2025 The Department for Education has further guidance on how to complain about a school. 14 to 16 January 2025

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School details

Unique reference number 142603 DfE registration number 336/6001

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School details

Inspection number 10342105 Type of school Other independent special school

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School details

Proprietor Cherri Felton Amelia Clare Harper Headteacher Amelia Clare Harper

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School details

Annual fees (day pupils) £34,866 to £86,736

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School details

Dates of previous inspection 22 to 24 March 2022 14 to 16 January 2025

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Information about this school

 Bow Street school is a small independent school located in Bilston, near Wolverhampton. The school offers places to pupils who have social, emotional and mental health difficulties.  Pupil places are commissioned from Sandwell, Walsall and Wolverhampton local authorities.  All pupils on roll have an EHC plan.  A small number of pupils are currently accessing reduced timetables, and all pupils have full-time places at the school.  The school’s most recent standard inspection was in March 2022. The school met all the independent school standards and was judged good for overall effectiveness.  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 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 judgment 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 meetings with the proprietors, the headteacher, the deputy headteacher and other staff.  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 carried out deep dives in these subjects: English, mathematics, technology and PSHE. For the deep dives, inspectors held discussions about the curriculum, visited a sample of lessons, spoke to teachers, spoke to pupils about their learning and looked at samples of pupils’ work. Inspectors observed pupils

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Information about this inspection

reading with staff.  Inspectors spoke informally with pupils at breaktime and lunchtime.  Inspectors reviewed a range of documentation, including school policies, attendance information and minutes of governors meetings. 14 to 16 January 2025

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Inspection team

Pamela Matty, lead inspector Ofsted Inspector

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Inspection team

Russell Hinton Ofsted Inspector 14 to 16 January 2025 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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