Brookthorpe Hall School

School progress monitoring inspection report

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Brookthorpe Hall School Stroud Road, Gloucester, Gloucestershire GL4 0UN

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Main inspection findings

Part 3. Welfare, health and safety of pupils Paragraphs 7 to 7(b), 9(b)  The proprietor continues to ensure that safeguarding is a priority. There is an up-to-date safeguarding policy on the school’s website, which covers all aspects of the latest statutory guidance. The school implements the safeguarding policy effectively. For example, it works closely with safeguarding partners to help protect children when required.  At the progress monitoring inspection in November 2024, the school had not ensured that the behaviour policy was implemented effectively. A new behaviour system had been introduced in September 2024, but some staff and pupils did not understand how it worked. A minority of pupils exhibited challenging behaviour. They disrupted other pupils, particularly during social times of the day.  Since that inspection, the school has significantly strengthened staff’s and pupils’ understanding of the behaviour system. Staff and pupils are now clear about how pupils

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Main inspection findings

earn rewards and about the positive consequences of doing this. Staff now follow the school’s agreed approaches such as awarding points for positive behaviours linked to pupils’ individual targets. These are displayed clearly in classrooms for each pupil, alongside other approaches to help them understand their emotions. Most pupils are motivated to achieve their targets and speak positively of the changes to behaviour in the school.  The school is calm, and incidents of disruptive behaviour are now rare. The proprietor has ensured that the school follows its policy for applying serious sanctions. Staff are confident that leaders will support them in the event of challenging behaviour.  The relevant requirement from the previously unmet independent school standards (the standards) is now met.

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Main inspection findings

Part 8. Quality of leadership in and management of schools Paragraphs 34(1) to 34(1)(b)  At the progress monitoring inspection in November 2024, the proprietor had successfully appointed permanent senior staff with suitable expertise and experience. Staff turnover had begun to stabilise. The proprietor continued to support and challenge new leaders. However, the new behaviour policy was in the early stages of implementation and the school’s strategic plan was not precise enough. The proprietor had not taken sufficient action to ensure that all the standards were met consistently.  Since that inspection, there have been further changes to strengthen senior leadership. Staffing is stable, and leaders have ensured staff understand how to manage pupils’ behaviour. They provide support to staff and have a clear vision for further improvements.  The proprietor has ensured that there are systems for leaders to maintain oversight of

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Main inspection findings

behaviour. For example, leaders regularly check that staff record rewards for pupils, and they check the quality of communications between staff and parents. Staff appreciate the frequent opportunities to reflect on how to best meet pupils’ needs.  Although some of these systems are new and highlight the need for ongoing staff training, leaders have demonstrated they have the skills and knowledge required to ensure the standards are met consistently. They have a precise understanding of where further refinements are needed. The proprietor continues to provide suitable support and challenge.  The relevant requirements from the previously unmet standards are now met.

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Compliance with regulatory requirements

The school meets the requirements of the schedule to the Education (Independent School Standards) Regulations 2014 (‘the independent school standards’) and associated requirements that were checked during this inspection. This included the standards and requirements that the school was judged to not comply with at the previous inspection. Not all of the standards and associated requirements were checked during this inspection.

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Part 3. Welfare, health and safety of pupils

 9 The standard in this paragraph is met if the proprietor promotes good behaviour amongst pupils by ensuring that-  9(b) the policy is implemented effectively.

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Part 8. Quality of leadership in and management of schools

 34(1) The standard about the quality of leadership and management is met if the proprietor ensures that persons with leadership and management responsibilities at the school-  34(1)(a) demonstrate good skills and knowledge appropriate to their role so that the independent school standards are met consistently;  34(1)(b) fulfil their responsibilities effectively so that the independent school standards are met consistently.

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School details

This inspection was carried out under section 109(1) and (2) of the Education and Skills Act 2008, the purpose of which 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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School details

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) £50,901 to £88,955

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School details

Email address jacqui.ingram@brookthorpehallschool.co.uk

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School details

Date of previous standard inspection 11 to 13 July 2023

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Information about this school

 The school is part of Options Autism, a national provider of independent specialist education.  The school provides education for pupils with autism. All pupils who attend the school have an education, health and care plan.  The school currently uses two unregistered alternative provisions.  The school received its most recent standard inspection in July 2023. It received an emergency inspection in January 2024 and a progress monitoring inspection in November 2024.  The school operates from one address at Stroud Road, Gloucester, Gloucestershire, GL4 0UN

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Information about this inspection

 This inspection was carried out at the request of the registration authority for independent schools. The purpose of the inspection was to monitor the progress the school has made in meeting the independent school standards and other requirements that it was judged to not comply with at its previous inspection.  This inspection was the second progress monitoring inspection since the emergency inspection in January 2024.  The Department for Education (DfE) requested that the inspector consider whether particular standards contained in parts 3 and 8 are met. These remained unmet in the first progress monitoring inspection in November 2024.  The inspection was carried out without notice.  The DfE required the school to prepare an action plan because of non-compliance with the standards identified at the time of the emergency inspection. Ofsted evaluated this action plan in January 2025. The DfE rejected this action plan.

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Information about this inspection

 The inspector met with the headteacher, senior leaders, staff and the regional director, who is also chair of the governing body.  The inspector visited lessons and spoke to some pupils about their experiences at the school. He observed pupils’ behaviour at breaktime, lunchtime and at the end of the school day.  The inspection also considered the school’s safeguarding arrangements, including the single central record of pre-employment checks and whether the school’s safeguarding policy is available to parents and carers. These requirements of the independent school standards are met.  The inspector reviewed a range of other school documents, including school policies, safeguarding records, the school development plan, quality assurance visit notes and records of pupils’ behaviour.

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Inspection team

James Oldham, lead inspector His Majesty’s Inspector guidance ‘Raising concerns and making a complaint about Ofsted’, which is available from Ofsted’s website: www.gov.uk/government/publications/complaints-about-ofsted . If you would like Ofsted to send you a copy of the guidance, please telephone 0300 123 1231, or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk .

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Inspection team

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Inspection team

You can also use Parent View to find out what other parents and carers think about schools in England. You can visit www.parentview.ofsted.gov.uk , or look for the link on the main Ofsted website: www.gov.uk/ofsted .

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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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