Snowhill School

Inspection of Snowhill School 50-58 Snowhill, Shelton, Stoke on Trent ST1 4LY

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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 Good

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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?

Pupils at this school feel safe, secure and well supported by the adults around them. Many have had negative experiences of school and missed significant chunks of their education. Despite this, they settle into the school routines quickly. This allows them to forge positive relationships with school staff that help them to re-ignite their interest in learning. Consequently, they begin to enjoy school and recognise what it can offer them.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The school makes sure that it quickly identifies where pupils have gaps in their learning and what additional help they need to succeed. There are high expectations of what all pupils can do and achieve. Pupils receive strong support to build their self-esteem and resilience, which helps them believe they can achieve their goals. As a result, they progress well from their starting points.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Over time, pupils learn how to manage their emotions in more positive ways and to take the needs of others into account. They learn respect and tolerance for others with different beliefs and cultures. As a result, classrooms are usually calm and welcoming learning spaces, where pupils can thrive.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The school provides an extensive range of additional activities. These help pupils to broaden their experiences, learn how to work with others and to develop the confidence to face new challenges.

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better?

The school has developed an ambitious, well-organised curriculum. Pupils’ special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) are carefully considered and integrated through effective teaching strategies. There has been a focus on ensuring that the curriculum design for key stage 3 supports a smooth transition into key stage 4 learning, including preparing for relevant qualifications. The most important knowledge and skills are identified in each subject. Teachers use a variety of strategies to match individual needs. However, the high-level skills and knowledge identified for each subject are not broken down into their key components. This means that teachers are not always able to identify common gaps and misconceptions across groups of learners to help them adapt the curriculum, when needed.

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better?

Reading is a priority in the school. Some pupils are at an early stage of learning to read when they arrive. The school makes sure that barriers are quickly identified and that extra support is put in place to help them become fluent readers. The school has also invested time and effort into inspiring pupils to develop a love of reading. High-quality books are in every classroom and pupils are actively encouraged to choose reading as a positive leisure option. As a result, increasingly, pupils value the opportunities to read and to be read to. 11 to 13 March 2025 The school has clear assessment routines that ensure teachers know where each pupil is on their learning journey. However, sometimes support in place for pupils with SEND is not reviewed in a timely manner. When this is the case, teachers do not always have an accurate view of what is working well and what needs to change.

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better?

Staff know their pupils well and help them to understand their own behaviours and how to manage them. Records show that, over time, the behaviour of all pupils improves. Pupils are proud when they achieve rewards that recognise their efforts. They quickly begin to ‘buy into’ the school’s ethos of being the best they can be.

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better?

Attendance fluctuates in this school. Pupils arrive throughout the year, often with limited experience of regular school attendance. The school takes a very proactive approach to promoting the importance of regular attendance, which has a significant impact over time so that pupils’ attendance improves markedly.

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better?

Personal development is a high priority in the school. A well-organised and extensive programme provides pupils with many opportunities and experiences that broaden their understanding of the wider world, both inside and outside the school. Visits and visitors are carefully planned to enhance pupils’ ability to take their place in society as active citizens. They learn to recognise risk and to keep themselves safe. Careers education is threaded through the school’s curriculum. It is enhanced through specialist advice for all pupils, visits to colleges and training providers, and careers fairs. As a result, pupils are well prepared for their next steps.

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better?

Following a period of some turbulence as the leadership team was re-structured, staff are increasingly positive about how leaders demonstrate concern for their well- being and workload. They are now more confident that they are valued.

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better?

Leaders work hard to engage with parents and families to ensure that pupils get the best support possible.

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better?

The proprietor has made sure that all independent school standards are met in full. Governance arrangements ensure that the school has suitable support and challenge. Those responsible for governance understand their role and their statutory duties. They ensure and share the vision and strategy for the school and manage finances effectively.

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better?

The school complies with schedule 10 of the equality Act.

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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)

 The high-level skills and knowledge identified for each subject are not broken down into their key components. This means that common gaps and misconceptions across groups of learners can be lost and opportunities to adapt the way the curriculum is taught can be missed. The proprietor should ensure that curriculum information includes the key components of intended learning are identified.  The support in place for pupils with SEND is not always reviewed in a timely manner. This means that the school does not always have an accurate view of what is working well for some pupils and how to accurately identify their next steps in learning. The proprietor should make sure that timely opportunities for reviewing pupils’ support are put in place.

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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

Unique reference number 143653 DfE registration number 861/6013

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School details

Inspection number 10342120 Type of school Other Independent Special School

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School details

Gender of pupils in the sixth form Mixed

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School details

Annual fees (day pupils) £28,500 - £45,825

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School details

Website https://keyschildren.co.uk/schools/snow- hill-school/ Email address snowhillschool@keys-group.co.uk

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School details

Date of previous inspection 5 to 7 April 2022 11 to 13 March 2025

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Information about this school

 Since the last inspection, there have been significant changes to the school leadership team.  The headteacher has been in post since January 2025.  The school uses one registered and one unregistered alternative provision.  The school caters for pupils who have social, emotional and mental health difficulties. Nearly half the pupils have an education, health and care plan. Most have been excluded or were at high risk of being excluded from their previous school.  The school is registered to provide full- and part-time education of boys and girls aged 5 to 18. At present, there are no pupils in Year 1 to Year 7. Only a small number of pupils join the sixth form each year.  The school’s previous full standard inspection took place from 5 to 7 April 2022.  The school is registered to admit up to 100 pupils. Currently, there are 61 pupils on roll. This number fluctuates throughout the year.

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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.

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Information about this inspection

This was the second routine inspection following the COVID-19 pandemic. Inspectors discussed any continued impact of the pandemic with leaders and have taken that into account in their evaluation of the school.

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Information about this inspection

 Inspectors met with the proprietor, the proprietor’s representative, the headteacher, the executive headteacher and the deputy headteacher.  Inspectors also met with the designated safeguarding lead and the school’s special educational needs coordinator.  Inspectors carried out deep dives in these subjects: English and reading, mathematics, computing and personal, social and 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 teachers, spoke to some pupils about their learning and looked at samples of pupils’ work. 11 to 13 March 2025  Inspectors spoke informally and formally to groups of pupils and observed social times.  Inspectors reviewed policy documents, risk assessments and the school’s admissions and attendance records.  Inspectors also reviewed a range of other documentation including the school’s

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Information about this inspection

self-evaluation and improvement planning documents and those relating to curriculum and assessment.  To evaluate the effectiveness of safeguarding, inspectors reviewed the single 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.

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Inspection team

Mel Ford, lead inspector His Majesty’s Inspector

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Inspection team

Anna Vrahimi His Majesty’s 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

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