Great Oaks Small School

Inspection of Great Oaks Small School Jutes Lane, Minster, Ramsgate, Kent CT12 5FH

p.1

Overall effectiveness Good

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

p.1

Overall effectiveness Good

Does the school meet the independent school standards?

p.1

What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils learn to be comfortable being themselves at Great Oaks Small School. Together, staff and pupils ensure that every pupil is welcomed into the school community. When pupils start at the school, they often have low confidence. Staff support pupils sensitively to reengage with school and rediscover a love of learning.

p.2

What is it like to attend this school?

The school has high expectations of every pupil. Staff are guided by the school’s vision of achieving excellence. Pupils are expected to work hard at their academic studies, but also to learn how to be good citizens so that they earn a valued place in society. Pupils have worked with staff to redevelop the school values of ‘Be Kind – Be Curious – Be You!’. These values guide the way that staff work with pupils, as well as how pupils learn and interact with each other.

p.2

What is it like to attend this school?

Staff are attentive to pupils’ interests and talents. Pupils are taught that they can contribute meaningfully, both within and beyond the school. Pupils appreciate the way the school day is designed to enable them to make choices about how to spend their free time. For example, a range of clubs run at lunchtime. Staff are available to support positive social interactions, but pupils might also choose to use their breaktimes to have quiet time.

p.2

better?

The school has developed a broad and enriching curriculum. Teachers have strong subject knowledge and think carefully about how to engage pupils in their learning. Staff work carefully with pupils, including students in the sixth form, to build a personalised study programme that encompasses academic study, the arts, physical education, outdoor learning and therapeutic support. Older pupils, and students in the sixth form, work towards ambitious and appropriate qualifications.

p.2

better?

Staff have a strong understanding of how to support the needs and learning of pupils with autism. The sensitive and flexible approach taken by staff enables pupils to engage fully in lessons, and wider school life. The school ensures that teaching staff understand pupils’ education, health and care (EHC) plan targets and design learning to enable pupils to achieve these targets.

p.2

better?

In most subjects, the school has identified the important knowledge that pupils need to learn to make progress through the school’s planned curriculum. However, in some subjects, it is less clear what pupils need to learn at each stage to achieve well. In these subjects, teachers’ checks on pupils’ learning are less precise. Consequently, gaps in pupils’ knowledge and understanding are not always identified and addressed and pupils do not achieve as well as they might.

p.2

better?

The school identifies pupils who need extra help with learning to read. The school provides these pupils with extra support. However, sometimes this support is not as effective as it could be. Consequently, not all pupils catch up as quickly as they 28 to 30 January 2025 could. This is because some staff lack the knowledge and expertise needed to enable pupils to learn to read fluently.

p.2

better?

The school’s offer to support pupils’ personal development is extensive. When pupils arrive at the school, they have often been out of education for an extended period. The school ensures that pupils receive expert support for their mental health and well-being. Pupils take part in regular outdoor learning within the school’s grounds, caring for the school’s garden and growing a range of vegetables that they learn to cook with. As pupils become more confident, they take part in an increasing number of off-site trips and experiences.

p.3

better?

There are a range of leadership roles on offer for pupils. These are closely aligned with pupils’ readiness as well as their interests. For example, some pupils lead lunchtime clubs to share their talents or interests with others. As their confidence grows, pupils take on more formal leadership roles. They organise school-wide events which require significant organisation and communication. Pupils become active citizens in their local area, for example, through organising local beach cleans.

p.3

better?

The school’s art and music programmes make a key contribution to pupils’ personal development. All pupils, for example, learn to play an instrument within their music lessons. In addition, all pupils are offered individual music lessons to develop their proficiency in a particular instrument. The school has an active choir. Pupils have regular opportunities to perform at school and beyond. Recently, for example, the choir performed for local businesses at the school’s sixth-form site.

p.3

better?

The school has a coherent curriculum for pupils’ personal, social and health education. This programme is adapted carefully in response to pupils’ individual needs and starting points. The school provides effective careers education to pupils, including in the sixth form. Staff work carefully with local employers so that they can offer all pupils meaningful work experience opportunities.

p.3

better?

Pupils’ behaviour and attitudes to learning are exemplary. Pupils learn to value themselves and what they can offer to society. They recognise the importance of education to their own lives. Pupils know that if they work hard and achieve well, this will support them with their future plans and enable them to make a valuable contribution now and in the future. Consequently, pupils are consistently attentive in their lessons and highly motivated to learn. Pupils treat staff, and each other, with kindness and respect. The school’s work to improve pupils’ attendance is strong and effective.

p.3

better?

Leaders, and the proprietor body, have a clear vision for the school. Staff feel very well supported by leaders to carry out their roles. Together, school leaders and the proprietor ensure that the independent school standards are consistently and securely met. The school is compliant with schedule 10 of the Equality Act 2010.

p.3

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective. 28 to 30 January 2025

p.3

(Information for the school and proprietor)

 Some staff, who teach pupils at earlier stage of learning to read, do not have sufficient expertise in the teaching of early reading. They do not explain key concepts clearly to pupils. This affects how well and how quickly these pupils catch up. The school should ensure that staff who support pupils at an early stage of learning to read have the requisite expertise to do so effectively.  In some subjects, there is a lack of clarity about what pupils need to learn and when in order to get better at that subject. This leads to some inconsistencies in how well the curriculum is implemented. Where this is the case, this affects how well some pupils achieve. The school should ensure that, in these subjects, staff are clear about the important subject knowledge that pupils need to learn in order to achieve highly.  The lack of clarity in some subjects affects how well the school checks what pupils know and remember. Where this is the case, the school does not identify

p.4

(Information for the school and proprietor)

and address gaps in their knowledge and understanding as well as it should. The school should ensure that, in all subjects, teachers check that pupils have learned and remembered the intended curriculum content.

p.4

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.

p.4

How can I feed back my views?

The Department for Education has further guidance on how to complain about a school. 28 to 30 January 2025

p.4

School details

Unique reference number 133539 DfE registration number 886/6093

p.5

School details

Inspection number 10342038 Type of school Other Independent Special School

p.5

School details

Gender of pupils in the sixth form Mixed

p.5

sixth form

Email address office@greatoakssmallschool.co.uk

p.5

sixth form

Date of previous inspection 8 to 10 March 2022 28 to 30 January 2025

p.5

Information about this school

 Great Oaks Small School provides education for pupils who have a diagnosis of autism. All pupils currently attending the school have an education, health and care plan. Most pupils are placed and funded at the school by a local authority.  The school’s last standard inspection was in March 2022. In October 2022, a material change inspection was undertaken in response to the school’s request to increase the number of pupils on roll from 40 to 60. This inspection found the school would be likely to meet the relevant independent school standards if the material change was implemented.  The school is registered to admit 60 pupils. There are currently 43 pupils on roll.  The main school site is located at Jutes Lane, Minster, Ramsgate, Kent CT12 5FH. The school rents a suite of rooms at Discovery Park Business Centre, The Gateway, Sandwich, CT13 9FF, where sixth-form students study.  The school uses no alternative provision.

p.6

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.

p.6

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.

p.6

Information about this inspection

 Inspections are a point-in-time judgement about the quality of a school’s education provision.  This was the second routine inspection the school received since the COVID-19 pandemic began. Inspectors discussed any continued impact of the pandemic with leaders and have taken that into account in their evaluation of the school.  The inspectors met with the headteacher, the assistant headteachers and the school’s special educational needs and/or disabilities coordinator. The lead inspector met with the representatives of the proprietor body, including the chair of trustees.  The inspectors carried out deep dives in these subjects: English, mathematics, science and geography. For each deep dive, inspectors held discussions about the curriculum, visited lessons, spoke to teachers, spoke to some pupils about their learning and looked at samples of pupils’ work. Inspectors also looked at curriculum plans and spoke to leaders about some other subjects.

p.6

Information about this inspection

 The inspectors considered pupils’ behaviour and attitudes throughout the inspection and discussed the school’s analysis of pupils’ behaviour and attendance with leaders. 28 to 30 January 2025  The inspectors considered personal development through all deep dives. They met with leaders to discuss the school’s personal development programme. The inspectors talked to pupils about the school’s personal development programme.  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 culture around safeguarding that puts pupils’ interests first.  Inspectors checked the school’s ongoing compliance with the independent school standards throughout the inspection.

p.6

Inspection team

Alice Roberts, lead inspector Ofsted Inspector

p.7

Inspection team

Alan Johnson Ofsted Inspector 28 to 30 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.

p.7

Inspection team

If you would like a copy of this document in a different format, such as large print or Braille, please telephone 0300 123 1231, or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk .

p.8

Inspection team

You may reuse this information (not including logos) free of charge in any format or medium, under the terms of the Open Government Licence. To view this licence, visit www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence/ , write to the Information Policy Team, The National Archives, Kew, London TW9 4DU, or email: psi@nationalarchives.gsi.gov.uk .

p.8

Inspection team

Interested in our work? You can subscribe to our monthly newsletter for more information and updates: http://eepurl.com/iTrDn .

p.8

Inspection team

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

p.8