Bescot Hall

Inspection of Bescot Hall Scarborough Road, Walsall, West Midlands WS2 9TY

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Overall effectiveness Good

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

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What is it like to attend this school?

When pupils join Bescot Hall, they often get a new start in life, not just education. Many pupils arrive with a lack of trust in school. This is often due to previous negative experiences. Very quickly, many pupils’ attitudes to school and learning transform. This is because they feel safe. Pupils know that staff care about them and will always listen to what they have to say.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The school has clear expectations and routines that help most new pupils to settle from the start. There are highly positive relationships between the staff and pupils. This stems from the detailed understanding staff have of each individual pupil and their specific needs. Staff show great skill in engaging pupils back to learning. In lessons, pupils work hard and are often excited to succeed. This leads to significant improvements in some pupils’ learning. Pupils talk with enthusiasm about the books they are reading and appreciate the inviting library spaces.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils develop their character and resilience as a result of an intelligently designed wider curriculum. Pupils enjoy opportunities to work as a team and develop their independence. Weekly sessions in the woods teach pupils a range of life skills and broaden their knowledge of the world around them.

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better?

In a short space of time, the school has had a positive impact. Leaders, staff and the proprietor are passionate about improving the lives of the pupils. They prioritise understanding each pupil as an individual and getting the relationships right from the start. Parents recognise this as a real strength of the school.

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better?

Before pupils join, the school gathers as much information about a pupil’s needs, likes and dislikes. The voice of the pupil and the family are a vital part of this process. Once they have joined, all pupils have an extended induction period. This involves assessments by the clinical team and school staff. Staff accurately identify pupils’ specific special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). They use this to plan an appropriate curriculum for each pupil, which they review regularly.

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better?

Reading is a high priority at the school. Staff are all trained to support reading, and they emphasise widening pupils’ vocabulary at every opportunity. For those pupils at the early stages of learning to read, appropriate support is helping them to catch up.

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better?

The school’s work to re-engage pupils in their learning is successful. Pupils benefit from useful adaptations that allow them to develop their reading abilities without being inhibited by the challenges of writing. However, this can mean that the opportunities for pupils to develop their writing skills are limited. As a result, they do not make the same gains in their writing as they do in other areas of the curriculum. Some pupils have yet to secure some of the basic foundations of writing. This includes accurate letter formation, spelling and use of punctuation. 11 to 13 March 2025 In mathematics, pupils are developing their understanding of basic number and arithmetic. Teachers have good subject knowledge and give clear explanations. The curriculum provides some opportunities for pupils to use their knowledge to solve problems. This happens more often in the primary curriculum than in the secondary

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better?

curriculum. As a result, pupils do not develop their ability to apply their knowledge to solving problems as well as they could.

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better?

In other areas of the curriculum, such as physical education, pupils show great enthusiasm and are developing a wide range of knowledge and skills. Pupils are proud of their work in art and design, which shows a high level of creativity. However, the quality of pupils’ work in books varies between subjects and some year groups. The school carries out regular checks on standards across the school. It has introduced changes to expectations, and, in some areas of the curriculum, this has led to an improvement in standards. However, there remains some inconsistency in the quality of work produced across parts of the curriculum.

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better?

The programme to support pupils’ personal development is exemplary. There are a broad range of opportunities, which includes education outside the classroom. This harnesses pupils’ knowledge and skills across a wide range of subjects, as well as developing pupils’ character and cultural understanding. For instance, activities such as making pancakes outdoors teach pupils about religious traditions, cooking skills and how to make fires safely.

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better?

The school plans for pupils’ future from the beginning of their time there. Careers is high profile for all pupils. The ‘Futures’ curriculum raises aspirations and develops pupils’ skills and confidence. This prepares them for their next stage and adulthood.

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better?

The school’s work to support pupils’ behaviour and attitudes is highly successful. Strong relationships, based on respect, help pupils manage their own behaviours. Pupils recognise when they need to use an agreed strategy to help them regulate. Staff interactions with pupils are always caring and supportive.

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better?

The proprietor has an excellent understanding of its responsibilities. Its commitment to providing the best opportunities for pupils starts with securing high-quality accommodation and resources. There are high ratios of staff to pupils with a wealth of expertise to support pupils with SEND. The school meets the independent school standards securely and consistently, including the statutory requirements of the Equality Act 2010.

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better?

Staff are proud to work at the school. They appreciate the support of leaders.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective. 11 to 13 March 2025

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(Information for the school and proprietor)

 Some aspects of the curriculum such as writing in English and applying knowledge in mathematics are not as well developed as others. As a result, pupils’ progress through the curriculum in these areas is not as good as it could be. The school should ensure it continues to develop these areas of the curriculum so pupils are as well prepared for their next stage as they need to be.  The school’s checks on the impact of the curriculum are not as effective as its checks on other aspects of its work. As a result, there are some inconsistencies in the quality of pupils’ work. The proprietor should ensure that the checks on the curriculum establish the consistency it expects.

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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 March 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

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

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School details

Website www.witherslackgroup.co.uk/our- locations/our-schools/bescot-hall-school/ Email address bescot-hall@witherslackgroup.co.uk 11 to 13 March 2025

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Information about this school

 Bescot Hall School is part of the Witherslack Group, which runs special schools and residential care across the UK.  It is located on Scarborough Road, Walsall, in the West Midlands. It is registered to admit 72 pupils.  The school caters for pupils with a range of needs, including autism and social, emotional and mental health needs.  All pupils have an education, health and care plan.  The school does not use alternative provision.  This is the school’s first standard inspection.

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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

 This was the first routine inspection the school received since the COVID-19 pandemic began. Inspectors discussed the impact of the pandemic with leaders and have taken that into account in their evaluation of the school.  The lead inspector met with representatives of the proprietor body, including the regional director, the chair of the proprietor body, the chair of the local board and the head of school development.  Inspectors also met with the headteacher, the deputy headteacher, the assistant headteacher, the pastoral manager, the ‘Futures’ programme lead, pastoral staff and staff from the clinical team.  Inspectors carried out deep dives in these subjects: English, including early reading, mathematics, physical education and personal, social, health and economic education. For each deep dive, inspectors held discussions about the curriculum, looked at curriculum plans, visited a sample of lessons, spoke to

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Information about this inspection

teachers, spoke to some pupils about their learning and looked at samples of pupils’ work. The lead inspector also observed pupils reading in lessons.  To evaluate the effectiveness of safeguarding, the inspectors reviewed the single central record; took account of the views of leaders, staff and pupils; and 11 to 13 March 2025 considered the extent to which the school has created an open and positive culture around safeguarding that puts pupils’ interests first.  The lead inspector toured the premises to check for compliance with the independent school standards. A number of key documents were also reviewed, including policies relating to admissions, behaviour, curriculum, complaints, health and safety and safeguarding.  Inspectors took account of the responses to Ofsted’s online surveys for pupils and staff. Inspectors also considered responses to Ofsted’s online survey for parents, Ofsted Parent View, including free-text comments. Inspectors also held

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Information about this inspection

discussions with parents via telephone calls.

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Inspection team

Helen Forrest, lead inspector His Majesty’s Inspector

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Inspection team

Russell Hinton Ofsted Inspector 11 to 13 March 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

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

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