Progress Schools - Buckinghamshire

Inspection of Progress Schools - Buckinghamshire Unit 3, Spearmast Industrial Estate, Land End Road, High Wycombe, Buckinghamshire HP12 4JG

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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?

Typically, pupils arrive having struggled to remain in education. They quickly benefit from this calm and orderly school. Staff successfully build trusting relationships. They ensure that pupils get the support that they need. Consequently, pupils, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), settle in quickly.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Most pupils rise to the high expectations that the school has of them. Staff get to know their interests and aspirations well. They help pupils experience success and achieve well. Almost all go on to further education, apprenticeships or employment, indicating their preparedness for life beyond this school.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Staff help pupils to develop strategies to manage their own behaviour. They are calm and patient with pupils. Typically, pupils respond positively to high expectations of their learning and behaviour. Most pupils behave well.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The school has woven a wide range of learning experiences through its curriculum. For example, each day pupils prepare their own food. They learn a range of valuable skills to support independence, such as how to follow a recipe and how to use kitchen utensils safely.

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better?

The school’s curriculum ensures that pupils are equipped with the knowledge and skills needed to acquire nationally accredited qualifications, such as GCSEs and vocational skills. All pupils have an education, health and care (EHC) plan for their SEND. Typically, they arrive at this school with gaps in their learning. The school checks carefully to identify pupils’ academic and pastoral needs. This allows staff to provide support which matches these needs closely. This focus on individual need helps most pupils to gain the essential academic and social skills they need to succeed.

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better?

The proprietor has ensured that the school organises learning carefully and that staff are clear about what to teach and when. It provides staff with effective training and support to enhance their expertise. In most cases, staff have a secure knowledge of the subjects they teach. However, on occasion, staff lack the necessary confidence to teach the curriculum as intended. This sometimes leads to teachers not addressing misconceptions or planning activities that do not account for pupils’ individual learning needs. When this happens, pupils’ learning is slowed.

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better?

Across the curriculum, pupils learn from high-quality, diverse texts. These are chosen carefully to challenge pupils’ views and encourage debate. Leaders rightly focus on developing pupils’ spoken language and use of vocabulary. Careful thought is given to the support for those still learning to read and a suitable phonics programme is in place for these pupils. Pupils learn to read with fluency. 23 to 25 April 2025 The school has a purposeful learning atmosphere. Pupils benefit from skilled staff who provide timely support when pupils are anxious or stressed. This guidance helps pupils to regulate their behaviour and return to learning promptly, so that any potential disruption is minimised. As a result of these effective relationships, pupils increasingly manage their own behaviour effectively.

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better?

Some pupils do not attend school often enough. The school works closely with pupils, their parents and external agencies where attendance is a concern. Consequently, there have been considerable improvements in some pupils’ attendance since they joined the school. Nevertheless, the school is rightly focused on ensuring pupils attend frequently to maximise the benefit of the school’s provision.

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better?

Pupils are well prepared for life in modern Britain. For example, they learn how to keep safe in different settings. Pupils also discuss important themes such as consent in relationships and sex education. Staff use daily discussion to encourage pupils to be tolerant and respectful when debating topical issues in the news. The school provides pupils with effective opportunities to learn the importance of keeping physically and mentally fit. During pupils’ time at the school, they play an increasingly active role in the community. For example, they support local wildlife conservation groups by re-wilding rivers and deploying bird boxes.

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better?

The school’s careers programme provides impartial advice about career routes and employment opportunities. This helps pupils to prepare for their next steps in life. The school provides pupils with valued opportunities to take part in work experience and to visit local colleges. These both raise pupils’ aspirations and help them develop their confidence in unfamiliar environments.

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better?

The school’s premises are safe and maintained to an acceptable standard. Safety procedures are clear and well-established. This includes fire safety arrangements and risk assessment procedures. Classrooms are resourced appropriately with the equipment that pupils need in order to learn.

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better?

The school is well led and managed. Its policies reflect the latest statutory guidance. School leaders have a secure understanding of the independent school standards. The proprietor provides effective challenge and support and has strong oversight of both safeguarding and the wider work of the school. It ensures that the school is compliant 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)

23 to 25 April 2025  In a few subjects, some staff lack the subject knowledge to teach the curriculum as the school intends. This means that occasionally pupils do not learn as much as they could. The school should ensure that staff are equipped to implement the curriculum effectively and confidently in all subjects.  Some pupils do not attend school regularly enough. This limits the impact of the curriculum on these pupils and widens the gaps in their learning. The school should continue its work to improve pupils’ attendance so that they can benefit from all the school has to offer.

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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. 23 to 25 April 2025

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School details

Unique reference number 135604 DfE registration number 825/6040

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School details

Inspection number 10342064 Type of school Other independent special school

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School details

Annual fees (day pupils) £12,730 to £32,000

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School details

Email address highwycombe@progress-schools.co.uk

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School details

Dates of previous inspection 17 to 19 May 2022 23 to 25 April 2025

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Information about this school

 The school has places for pupils between the ages of 13 and 16 years who have severe social, emotional and mental health needs. All pupils have an EHC plan.  The school now operates solely from Unit 3, Spearmast Industrial Estate, Land End Road, High Wycombe, Buckinghamshire HP12 4JG. The school’s former premises at Station Road, Chesham has closed. The school intends to only admit up to 20 pupils at its current site.  At the time of this inspection the school was using two unregistered alternative provisions.

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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 leaders and have taken that into account in their evaluation of the school.  Inspectors held a range of meetings with the headteacher and staff in the school. They met with representatives of the proprietor body, including the managing director.  Inspectors carried out deep dives in these subjects: mathematics; English, including early reading; science 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 with teachers, spoke with some pupils about their learning and looked at samples of pupils’ work.  The lead inspector toured the premises to check the school’s compliance with the independent school standards.

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Information about this inspection

 Inspectors observed pupils’ behaviour throughout the inspection.  To evaluate the effectiveness of safeguarding, the 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.  Inspectors reviewed the responses to Ofsted Parent View, including any free-text comments. 23 to 25 April 2025

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Inspection team

Laura James, lead inspector His Majesty's Inspector

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Inspection team

Alan Johnson Ofsted Inspector 23 to 25 April 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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