Hilden Park

Inspection of Hilden Park Noble Tree Road, Hildenborough, Tonbridge, Kent TN11 8ND

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Inspection dates: 25 to 27 February 2025

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Overall effectiveness Outstanding

The quality of education Outstanding Behaviour and attitudes Outstanding Personal development Outstanding Leadership and management Outstanding Does the school meet the independent school standards?

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils flourish at Hilden Park school. Many pupils join the school after missing a lot of education. The school’s nurturing approach helps pupils to feel safe and welcome right from the start. Warm, trusting and professional relationships develop between staff and pupils. Pupils quickly build up their attendance so that they enthusiastically come to school every day. Several pupils said they like the school because ‘everyone here celebrates neurodiversity’.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Leaders’ vision for the school is about ‘positive relationships, high expectations, securing success’. Staff, including teachers, assistants and clinical therapists, quickly get to know pupils’ needs, aspirations and abilities. They use this knowledge to set high expectations for pupils’ academic learning. Pupils appreciate how well adults adapt learning to meet their individual needs. As a result, pupils achieve exceptionally well.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The school’s approach to developing pupils’ social, emotional and communication skills is excellent. Staff expertly help pupils to understand themselves and to express themselves calmly. Pupils gain in confidence and are able to join in activities in school and in the local community.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Parents and carers praise the school for the positive difference it is making. As one said, ‘My child is happy, gaining social skills, learning new hobbies and doing well with his studies. I cannot recommend the school enough.’

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better?

Pupils learn an ambitious curriculum, based on the national curriculum. It is well organised in all subjects. Expert staff, including clinical, pastoral and teaching staff, work together to skilfully adapt learning to meet pupils’ individual needs and the requirements of their education, health and care (EHC) plans. Staff carefully break down learning into manageable chunks. They ensure that learning activities are extremely well matched to each pupil’s interests and aspirations. This helps pupils who have previously struggled to engage in their education feel comfortable enough to attempt work. Leaders and staff make sure that small gains in learning are celebrated. This gives pupils confidence that they can achieve even more. For example, pupils in key stage 4 are preparing for GCSEs and functional skills qualifications.

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better?

The school prioritises reading for all. Staff are well trained in phonics. They are alert to the need to fill any phonics gaps, no matter how old a pupil is. Consequently, pupils who have fallen behind in reading quickly become confident, fluent readers.

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better?

Staff encourage a love of reading. Pupils choose high-quality books from the well- stocked library. Many of these stories complement what is being taught in lessons. Others aid pupils’ understanding of themselves as young people in modern, multicultural British society. 25 to 27 February 2025 Personal development is outstanding and central to the school’s work. The school takes every opportunity to help pupils to improve their communication skills, develop friendships and interact socially with others. The school’s motto of ‘responsibility, resilience, respect and relationships’ is woven through the curriculum extremely well. Adults use their expert knowledge to tailor what each pupil needs to learn to be able to be safe in the community and to succeed in life. Personal, social and health education (PSHE) and life skills lessons broaden pupils’ horizons and promote independence. For example, pupils help to plan visits to outdoor activities where

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better?

they can access the local community, promote their physical and mental health and learn about different cultures. Pupils are encouraged to reflect on their achievements, which builds up their confidence.

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better?

The school aims for all pupils to achieve life-changing outcomes. Pupils are helped to think about their future lives and careers in all the activities they do. Independent careers advice is provided by professionals who are specialists in special educational needs and/or disabilities. Visitors to the school talk to pupils about the jobs they do. Older pupils are being well prepared for their next stages of work or employment, for example by visiting local colleges, undertaking work experience and learning about supported apprenticeships.

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better?

Pupils quickly learn how to manage their behaviour needs effectively. There are well- practised routines that help pupils to communicate their needs in a calm and respectful way. Pupils feel that they do not need to be defensive here and can just be themselves because everyone knows what neurodivergence is. Consequently, pupils rarely become overwhelmed or feel misunderstood. When a pupil does become unsettled, staff de-escalate behaviour effectively and help pupils to refocus on their learning.

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better?

The proprietor has put robust procedures in place to ensure that the independent school standards (the standards) are met consistently over time. The school site is very well maintained. Throughout the year the school has been open, the proprietor has provided excellent support, challenge and training for leaders and staff, creating a very well-run school. Leaders constantly analyse how well the school and its pupils are doing. Leaders have thought carefully about how to ensure the school continues to perform highly and meet the standards as it grows.

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better?

Leaders communicate extremely well with staff, parents and other stakeholders. Staff are extremely happy working at this school. They described an open and positive culture of support and challenge at all levels. Leaders are sensitive to staff’s needs, and look out for their workload and well-being extremely well. Parents are full of praise for the school. Several noted the transformational change they have seen in their child since joining. One parent summed up the views of many: ‘As a parent of a child who has struggled in education, I now have hope that he will find his path in life and be happy, thanks to this school.’

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective. 25 to 27 February 2025

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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. 25 to 27 February 2025

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School details

Type of school Other independent special school

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School details

Annual fees (day pupils) £90,000 to £104,614

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School details

Website www.witherslackgroup.co.uk/our- locations/our-schools/hilden-park-school Email address Hilden-park@witherslackgroup.co.uk 25 to 27 February 2025

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Information about this school

 Hilden Park school is a special school for pupils aged eight to 16 years who have a diagnosis of autism and/or social, emotional and mental health needs. All pupils have an EHC plan.  The school is part of Witherslack Group, which runs special school and residential care across the UK. The chief operating officer is the chair of the proprietor body for all the schools. A regional director is allocated to a group of schools geographically and takes the role of chair of governors.  The school was registered by the Department for Education (DfE) on 20 March 2024. This is the school’s first standard inspection.  The school uses no 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 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 judgement about the quality of a school’s education provision.  This school opened after the COVID-19 pandemic. Inspectors discussed with leaders any continued impact of the pandemic on pupils, and have taken that into account in their evaluation of the school.  Inspectors met with the headteacher and other senior leaders, along with the school development lead and the regional director from the Witherslack Group. They also met with a range of other staff and members of the school’s clinical team.  The lead inspector held a video call with three leaders from the Witherslack Group, including the chair of the proprietor body.  Inspectors carried out deep dives in these subjects: English (including reading), art and PSHE. 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

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Information about this inspection

spoke to leaders about some other subjects and looked at samples of pupils’ work from across the curriculum.  To evaluate the effectiveness of safeguarding, inspectors: reviewed the single central record; took account of the views of leaders, staff, pupils and the local 25 to 27 February 2025 authority designated officer; and considered the extent to which the school has created an open and positive culture around safeguarding that puts pupils’ interests first.  Inspectors undertook a tour of the school and visited the classrooms, social areas and other facilities. They checked the school buildings and grounds against the independent school standards.  Inspectors observed pupils’ behaviour around the school throughout the day, including at breaktimes and in lessons. Inspectors spoke with pupils about their experience of the school.  Inspectors considered the responses to Ofsted Parent View and the confidential

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Inspection team

Catherine Old, lead inspector His Majesty’s Inspector

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Inspection team

Chris Ellison His Majesty’s Inspector 25 to 27 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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