The Becklands School

Inspection of The Becklands School Unit 18, Becklands Park Industrial Estate, York Road, Market Weighton, East Yorkshire YO43 3GA

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Inspection dates: 28 and 30 January 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?

The Becklands School provides a peaceful and structured atmosphere, where pupils feel safe. Teachers and pupils have strong working relationships, which pupils welcome. This helps staff support the pupils in realising the high aspirations they have for them. This includes gaining qualifications that help with their next steps in education and employment.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The pupils’ personal and academic development since joining the school is tangible. They are confident and engaged in learning. The pupils explore subjects in depth. The school ensures the curriculum encompasses bespoke areas matching pupils’ needs and interests. This includes land-based studies, working with animals and tailored industry placements, as well as English and mathematics. Pupils appreciate the diversity that the curriculum offers.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The school has well-established routines. Pupils understand what to expect and how teachers structure each day, which helps the school manage pupils’ behaviour. Calm and focused learning is part of each day. The staff know the pupils well. They spot when pupils need support and give them the space and time to remain calm.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The well-considered curriculum prepares pupils to be positive contributors to society. Pupils get guidance and career advice to help them make well-informed decisions about the future.

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better?

The school’s curriculum is enriching, and it fosters the development of every child. The range of diverse practical subjects, such as cooking, science and horse care, complement the classroom-based theory work the pupils undertake.

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better?

Every pupil has an education, health and care plan. The school uses these plans to design a tailored curriculum for each pupil. All pupils have access to a rich curriculum. The school has well-thought-out curriculums in all areas. However, at times, pupils move on to new content too quickly, preventing them from building on long term knowledge securely.

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better?

The school brings the curriculum to life, emphasising the ‘why’ behind the learning. For example, ‘mathematical walks’ in the local town. They calculate shopping costs and menu prices. These types of activities let pupils apply their knowledge to real- life situations.

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better?

Skilled staff deliver reading exceptionally well. They select texts to spark interest and improve pupils’ knowledge of the wider world. The pupils engage with the reading well. They enjoy fiction and non-fiction texts. Pupils can recall and explain the plotlines and essential facts from the books they read. The school helps pupils in early reading with dedicated phonics time. The support in these lessons and one-to- one sessions helps pupils to learn to read. 28 and 30 January 2025 The broader curriculum considers each pupil’s needs. The curriculum enables pupils to create projects that combine skills and collaboration with classmates through their work in subjects, such as art and drama. The pupils are proud of their artwork, which they display around the school.

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better?

The school’s personal development offers help pupils develop social and emotional skills. Trips to local industries and museums complement the taught curriculum. When they return to school, the pupils reflect on and write about each experience.

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better?

The school has strong links with local employers, which allows students to participate in work experience. Students enjoy the opportunity to work and develop their knowledge in a different environment. They also develop confidence and a clear understanding of workplace skills like teamwork.

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better?

The personal, social, and health education (PSHE) curriculum supports pupils’ understanding of themselves, positive values that are important to uphold and the protected characteristics. The school teaches this curriculum well, carefully considering pupil’s needs when learning about sensitive topics, such as healthy relationships.

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better?

The school’s behaviour policy is consistently followed. This ensures that pupils know the school’s routines and, as a result, they typically behave well. The school’s attendance has improved for pupils over time. However, some pupils miss too many school sessions. This creates gaps in pupils’ learning. Staff work hard to reduce lost time. They hold one-to-one sessions with pupils to help them catch up.

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better?

The proprietor and the governing body work in partnership with the school leaders and staff. They conduct regular checks on the school’s effectiveness and take action to address any relative weaknesses when they arise. The school meets the independent school standards in full and 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)

 Some pupils do not attend school as often as they should. This interrupts their learning journey and creates gaps in their knowledge. The school should continue to build on their positive improvements to attendance to ensure more pupils attend school more regularly.  Occasionally, checks on pupils’ understanding do not accurately inform the implementation of the curriculum. This means some pupils do not always have 28 and 30 January 2025 the support they require to address gaps in learning or misconceptions. The school should support staff in implementing the curriculum as intended and making adaptations that help pupils improve their subject knowledge over time.

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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. 28 and 30 January 2025

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School details

Unique reference number 148767 DfE registration number 811/6023

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School details

Local authority East Riding of Yorkshire

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School details

Inspection number 10342186 Type of school Other Independent Special School

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School details

Date of previous inspection 21 and 23 September 2022 28 and 30 January 2025

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Information about this school

 The school is situated on an industrial estate on the outskirts of Market Weighton. The school’s address is Unit 18, Becklands Park Industrial Estate, York Road, Market Weighton, East Yorkshire YO43 3GA.  The school caters for pupils with social, emotional and mental health needs and other associated special educational needs and/or disabilities.  The school’s most recent standard inspection was in September 2022, when it was judged to be requires improvement. Since then, Ofsted has carried out additional inspections in April 2023 and December 2023.  The school currently uses two registered and two unregistered alternate provisions.  There are a small number of students who attend the school’s sixth-form 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 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 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 spoke to the proprietor, chair of the governing body, the acting headteacher and leaders in the school.  Inspectors reviewed a range of documentation, including those relating to the standards and the curriculum.  Inspectors carried out deep dives in these subjects: English, including considering early reading, mathematics, physical education and PSHE. For each deep dive, inspectors held discussions about the curriculum, looked at curriculum plans, visited a sample of 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

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Information about this inspection

subjects.  To evaluate the effectiveness of safeguarding, inspectors: reviewed the single central record, took account of the views of leaders, staff and pupils; and 28 and 30 January 2025 considered the extent to which the school has created an open and positive culture around safeguarding that puts pupils’ interests first.  Inspectors considered the responses to Ofsted Parent View, including the free- text comments. They also considered the responses from the Ofsted survey for staff.  There were no responses from the Ofsted survey for pupils. However, inspectors spoke to all pupils during the inspection.  Inspectors observed pupils’ behaviour at breaktime, lunchtime, in lessons and around the school.

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Inspection team

Richard Jones, lead inspector His Majesty’s Inspector

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Inspection team

John Linkins His Majesty’s Inspector 28 and 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.

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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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