Spring Valley School

Inspection of Spring Valley School Spring Valley, The Old Rectory, Risley Lane, Breaston DE72 3AU

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Inspection dates: 11 to 13 February 2025

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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 Requires improvement

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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?

This school exudes positivity. It is a warm, happy place. Its nurturing environment helps new pupils settle quickly. Pupils feel safe, welcome and valued. With the encouragement and support of highly skilled and patient staff, pupils develop their self-esteem, confidence and resilience.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Many pupils have had a disrupted experience of education prior to joining the school. All pupils have an education, health and care plan (EHC plan) for social, emotional and mental health (SEMH) needs. The school has high aspirations for what pupils can achieve. Staff know pupils’ needs well. They make sure that pupils receive highly personalised learning and support. This individual approach ensures that pupils make good progress from their starting points.

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What is it like to attend this school?

There are strong relationships between staff and pupils. Staff model the values that they want pupils to take on board. They treat pupils with respect, compassion and care.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Staff help pupils recognise how they are feeling and how to deal with their emotions in a calm way. Most of the time, pupils have positive attitudes to learning and treat each other kindly. Staff help pupils to reflect on any negative behaviour and make amends. Pupils’ behaviour improves while they are at the school.

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better?

Pupils benefit from ambitious curriculums in all subjects. Learning is designed in a clear order so pupils can build their knowledge and skills step by step.

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better?

Staff take account of gaps in pupils’ learning caused by interruptions to their education before they joined the school. They ensure that pupils access the school’s curriculum at a suitable point for them so pupils work on the right next steps. Consequently, over time, pupils are able to do things that they used to find hard. In mathematics, for example, pupils develop a secure knowledge of number bonds and can recall times tables facts accurately. Pupils are proud of these successes.

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better?

Reading is prioritised and promoted at the school. Pupils experience a range of exciting and diverse stories. The school has chosen these texts to celebrate the differences between people. Staff read to pupils throughout the day, sharing their love of books. They help pupils see the value and enjoyment in reading. Many pupils’ attitudes to reading have been transformed. Where it was once something they found difficult and did not want to do, pupils are now keen to read and show how much their reading has improved. Staff have the expertise needed to deliver the school’s phonics programme. The school ensures that pupils in the early stages of learning to read get the support they need to catch up as quickly as possible.

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better?

The school ensures the support it provides aligns with the targets in pupils’ EHC plans. Staff understand the special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) of 11 to 13 February 2025 the pupils they teach. When required, staff use visual communication systems and sign language so that pupils can access lessons. They ensure that learning environments support pupils’ sensory and emotional needs. Staff explain new concepts clearly, making them relatable for pupils. They adapt and personalise learning so that pupils can be successful. However, occasionally, staff do not correct pupils’ misconceptions. At times, staff do not pick up on errors in pupils’ work. This means that pupils repeat the same mistakes.

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better?

Pupils engage well in lessons most of the time. Staff teach pupils to realise when they are becoming unsettled. Pupils have a range of strategies to use when they are feeling anxious or frustrated. Staff are calm and empathetic when pupils are distressed. They help pupils regulate their behaviour.

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better?

The school monitors pupils’ attendance closely. Most pupils attend well. Many are rarely absent. However, the school does not identify the reasons for some pupils’ low attendance swiftly enough. This means that some of these pupils continue to have too much time off school.

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better?

The school’s personal development provision is a considerable strength. Pupils learn a comprehensive personal, social and health education (PSHE) curriculum. Many trips and visitors enrich pupils’ learning and broaden their horizons. Pupils visit different places of worship to develop their understanding and appreciation of other’s beliefs. The school prepares pupils well for their futures, helping them find out about the world of work. Pupils learn about a variety of careers by meeting with representatives of different professions, such as police officers, firefighters and the local member of parliament. There are numerous enrichment activities to develop pupils’ talents and interests, including opportunities for pupils to play a variety of musical instruments and even record their own songs.

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better?

The school is well led. Staff enjoy working at the school. They feel valued and well supported. Parents and carers praise the school. They recognise and appreciate the positive impact that Spring Valley has on their children’s lives.

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better?

The proprietor ensures that the school meets all the independent school standards (the standards) consistently and securely over time. Following the previous inspection, the proprietor has made sure that all the standards relating to health and safety, risk assessment and the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 are met. The school complies with schedule 10 of the Equality Act 2010.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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(Information for the school and proprietor)

 At times, staff do not identify and correct pupils’ mistakes well enough. As a 11 to 13 February 2025 result, pupils sometimes repeat the same errors which hinders their progress through the curriculum in some subjects. The school should ensure that staff check closely on pupils’ learning so that misconceptions are resolved swiftly, and pupils achieve as well as they can in all areas of the curriculum.  The school sometimes waits too long to find out why some pupils are repeatedly absent. This means that improvements to some pupils’ poor attendance do not happen as rapidly as they could. The school should review its systems for securing high attendance so that the root causes of some pupils’ recurring absence are identified and resolved quickly.

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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.

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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. 11 to 13 February 2025

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School details

Type of school Other independent special school

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School details

School category Independent special school

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School details

Date of previous inspection 19 to 21 September 2023 11 to 13 February 2025

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Information about this school

 The school is situated in the village of Breaston, Derbyshire DE72 3AU.  The school is part of Roaches School Network, a group of schools that operates as part of Parallel Parents Ltd.  The headteacher took up their role in June 2024.  The school provides full-time education for pupils with SEMH. All pupils have an EHC plan.  The school has capacity for 24 pupils. There are 10 pupils currently on the school’s roll.  The school is registered to admit pupils aged between five and 16 years old. There are currently no pupils in key stage 4 at the school.  The school’s previous standard inspection took place in September 2023.  Ofsted carried out a progress monitoring visit at the school in March 2024.  The school does not use the services of any 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

Inspections are a point-in-time judgement about the quality of a school’s education provision.

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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

 Inspectors discussed any continued impact of the pandemic with leaders and have taken that into account in their evaluation of the school.  Inspectors carried out deep dives in early reading, mathematics and art and design. For each deep dive, inspectors discussed the curriculum with subject leaders, visited lessons, spoke with teachers, spoke with pupils and looked at samples of pupils’ work.  Inspectors also considered pupils’ learning in English, history, geography, religious education and PSHE.  Inspectors met with the headteacher, subject leaders and teachers. Inspectors met with the leaders with responsibility for pupils with SEND, safeguarding, behaviour, attendance and personal development.  The lead inspector listened to a sample of pupils read. Inspectors met with a range of other pupils. 11 to 13 February 2025  To evaluate the effectiveness of safeguarding, inspectors reviewed the single

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Information about this inspection

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 examined a range of school documents, including a wide range of curriculum plans and a variety of policies and risk assessments, as well as documents relating to school improvement, safeguarding, behaviour, attendance and governance.  To check the school’s compliance with the standards, inspectors considered relevant documents and reviewed facilities at the school’s site.  The lead inspector met with the chair of governors.  Inspectors considered the responses to Ofsted’s online survey, Ofsted Parent View, and considered the results of Ofsted’s staff and pupil surveys.

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Inspection team

Shaun Carter, lead inspector His Majesty’s Inspector

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Inspection team

Julie Sheppard Ofsted Inspector 11 to 13 February 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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