Saxon Mount School

Inspection of Saxon Mount School Edinburgh Road, St Leonards-on-Sea, East Sussex TN38 8HH

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Inspection dates: 28 and 29 January 2025

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The quality of education Outstanding Behaviour and attitudes Outstanding Personal development Outstanding Leadership and management Outstanding Previous inspection grade Good

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The headteacher of this school is Amanda Jagot. This school is part of the Torfield and Saxon Mount Academy Trust, which means other people in the trust also have responsibility for running the school. The trust is run by the chief executive officer, Richard Preece, and overseen by a board of trustees, chaired by Sarah Fitzjohn Scott. 28 and 29 January 2025

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What is it like to attend this school?

This school is a welcoming, joyful place where pupils flourish. All pupils here have special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). Staff get to know pupils well and respond to their needs with expertise. They care for pupils and make them feel safe. Relationships across the school are highly respectful.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The school has exceptionally high expectations for all pupils. Pupils are eager learners who rise to meet these expectations. Pupils benefit from skilful support to independently regulate their emotions, enabling them to learn in a calm environment. Pupils achieve remarkably well from their different starting points.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Personal development is a strength. Preparation for adulthood is a golden thread woven through all aspects of school life. A carefully constructed curriculum teaches pupils the skills and knowledge they will need to be independent, which prepares pupils for their next steps. This includes effective career guidance and thoughtful opportunities to explore the world of work. Furthermore, a thoughtfully constructed personal, social, health and economic (PSHE) program ensures pupils learn about how to keep themselves safe, including important issues such as healthy relationships and consent. Pupils value opportunities to learn about different faiths, democracy and the rule of law. This helps them to develop highly inclusive attitudes.

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

The curriculum is highly aspirational. It has been carefully designed so pupils experience a broad range of subjects, including an interesting and engaging range of options. Content is organised and sequenced carefully to ensure knowledge and skills are built in a logical order. The curriculum is frequently adapted in order to meet the differing needs and starting points of pupils. Pupils achieve highly, often leaving the school with a range of ambitious qualifications and accreditations. This ensures they leave school able to access further education, employment or training.

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

Teachers have superb subject knowledge and are experts in supporting pupils with SEND. They clearly and confidently explain new learning, using well-chosen resources to help pupils understand. All staff understand pupils' needs and use routines and strategies to support pupils' engagement with their learning. Teachers effectively check pupils' understanding and ensure the work pupils are given builds on what they already know.

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

Reading, writing and mathematics are given high priority. Pupils benefit from daily opportunities to develop knowledge and skills in each of these areas. A progressively ambitious curriculum of texts encourages pupils to develop a love of reading. The school has effective systems in place to support pupils who are at the early stages of reading. Staff identify pupils’ needs accurately and deliver well-structured phonics sessions. As a result, pupils get better at reading. 28 and 29 January 2025

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The school ensures the highest possible attendance. Through a positive approach that supports pupils and families, issues regarding attendance are swiftly addressed, leading to improved attendance over recent years.

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Personal development is woven through everything the school does. Life skills are taught across the curriculum. For example, lessons on using public transport give them the skills and confidence they need to travel safely to and from college or the workplace. The school offers a range of purposeful cultural opportunities to increase pupils’ awareness and enjoyment of the world around them. This includes visits to the theatre, a local gallery and museums. Pupils enjoy outdoor learning, which is deliberately enriched through visits to workplaces, such as a local farm and forestry. Pupil leadership roles allow pupils to tangibly contribute to the school. For example, older pupils help younger pupils with their writing.

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Parents and carers hold the school in high regard and speak positively about Saxon Mount's life-changing impact on their children. Much of the school's outstanding provision can be attributed to the relentlessly high ambitions and a determined aspiration for all pupils to succeed, a vision shared by all staff. All staff benefit from high-quality, targeted training that gives them the skills and confidence they need to fulfil their roles. They feel valued and well-supported. As a result, staff are happy and take pride in being part of an inclusive team.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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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). 28 and 29 January 2025

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School details

School category Academy special converter

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School details

Dates of previous inspection 17 and 18 October 2023, under section 8 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 The school is part of the Torfield and Saxon Mount Academy Trust, a multi-academy trust that consists of two special schools.  The school caters for pupils with autism, speech, language and communication difficulties and moderate learning difficulties. A smaller proportion have social, emotional and mental health needs, physical difficulties and other types of need. All pupils have an education, health and care plan.  The school meets the requirements of the provider access legislation, which requires schools to provide pupils in Years 8 to 13 with information and engagement about approved technical education qualifications and apprenticeships.  The school uses one unregistered provider of alternative provision.

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Information about this inspection

The inspectors carried out this graded inspection under section 5 of the Education Act 28 and 29 January 2025

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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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 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 and spoke with school leaders, trust leaders, staff, pupils, parents, governors and representatives from the local authority.  The inspection team carried out deep dives in these subjects: English, mathematics, personal, social, health, economic education, and vocational courses. For each deep dive, inspectors discussed the curriculum, visited a sample of lessons, spoke to teachers, spoke to some pupils about their learning, and looked at samples of pupils’ work.  An inspector met with staff to look at the schools early reading provision.  Inspectors considered the responses to the Ofsted Parent View questionnaire, the confidential Ofsted staff survey, and the views of pupils gathered throughout the

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inspection.  To evaluate the effectiveness of safeguarding, the inspectors: reviewed the single central record; considered 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 considered information about pupils’ attendance, behaviour and wider learning. They also met with the school’s special educational needs and disabilities coordinator.

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Inspection team

James Stuart, lead inspector His Majesty's Inspector

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Inspection team

Emma Law Ofsted Inspector 28 and 29 January 2025

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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 children looked after, safeguarding and child protection.

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