Acorns School

Inspection of Acorns School 19b Hibbert Lane, Marple, Stockport, Cheshire SK6 7NN

p.1

Inspection dates: 29 April to 1 May 2025

p.1

Overall effectiveness Requires improvement

The quality of education Requires improvement Behaviour and attitudes Good Personal development Good Leadership and management Requires improvement Overall effectiveness at previous inspection Good

p.1

Overall effectiveness Requires improvement

Does the school meet the independent school standards?

p.1

What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils have many positive things to say about their school. Most have experienced significant barriers to learning in the past. A number join the school having disengaged altogether with education. Once here, pupils settle in well. They value the warm welcome that they receive from staff each day. They see the school as a safe place.

p.2

What is it like to attend this school?

The school wants pupils to do well. However, the quality of education that they receive is variable. The teaching that pupils receive in some subjects does not help pupils to learn as well as they should. Some pupils find this frustrating. They worry that they will not be prepared for the next stage in their education, unless things improve.

p.2

What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils usually behave appropriately. The school has improved the way that it supports pupils to manage their own behaviour. For example, it helps pupils to recognise their feelings and to respond to these in appropriate ways. Lessons are typically calm and orderly.

p.2

What is it like to attend this school?

There is an interesting programme of activities for pupils’ development beyond the academic curriculum. For instance, pupils learn about their environment when they engage in woodland learning. Pupils have opportunities to learn to swim, play golf and ride bikes. They receive useful information about careers, further education and work experience.

p.2

better?

Since the last inspection, the school has suffered a period of turbulence in its leadership and staffing. Some more experienced staff have left, while other staff are new. During this period, the school has not managed to prevent some weaknesses from developing in the teaching of the curriculum in several subjects. These weaknesses hamper pupils’ learning, preventing them from achieving as they should. As a consequence, some of the independent school standards (the standards) are not met.

p.2

better?

The turbulence is now settling and things are beginning to improve. For example, the school has ensured that in each subject, the curriculum has been reviewed. This has led to greater clarity for staff about the knowledge that pupils should learn in each subject, and the order in which they should learn it.

p.2

better?

In some subjects, such as English and physical education, staff use their expertise to deliver well-designed learning for pupils. This supports pupils to achieve well. However, many staff do not have expertise in the subjects that they are expected to teach. As a result, there is variability in the quality of teaching that pupils receive in some subjects. When this happens, some pupils do not achieve as they should. 29 April to 1 May 2025 Reading is a high priority at the school. Pupils at the early stages of learning to read are identified quickly. They receive prompt and effective help to make up for any knowledge of phonics that they may have missed in the past. This enables these pupils to move forward rapidly in their ability to read texts. Over time, pupils develop strong reading knowledge and fluency that enables them to achieve success in examinations, including GCSEs where appropriate.

p.2

better?

Typically, staff are adept at making sure that pupils understand new learning. They provide help for pupils who need it. However, the school’s work to make effective use of assessments of pupils’ learning is at an early stage in some subjects. This makes it difficult for the school to address weaknesses where they exist, for example, by making improvements to teaching.

p.3

better?

All pupils at the school have special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). Staff are skilled at identifying any additional SEND that pupils may have. Effective communication with a range of professionals ensures that pupils receive expert support if this is needed. Nonetheless, all pupils are subject to the weaknesses in the school’s quality of education, regardless of their individual needs.

p.3

better?

The school sets high expectations for pupils’ behaviour. Pupils understand the rules and routines in school and try to follow them. Where they find this difficult, staff provide sensitive support to help them to manage their emotions so that learning can continue. Pupils’ attendance improves significantly once they join the school.

p.3

better?

Through the curriculum, pupils learn about difference and diversity in the wider world. For example, pupils learn about a range of world faiths and cultures. Pupils learn how to keep themselves safe when working online. The proprietor has ensured that pupils receive relationships, health and sex education that is appropriate for their age and stage of development.

p.3

better?

The proprietor has ensured that there is a suitable accessibility plan that meets the requirements of paragraph 3 of schedule 10 of the Equality Act 2010. Leaders, including the proprietor, consider the impact of their decisions on staff’s workload and well-being. The majority of staff feel supported well by leaders and enjoy working at the school.

p.3

better?

The proprietor has ensured that the school is well maintained and adequately resourced. For example, classrooms at both school sites are bright and welcoming. Pupils have ample space in which to exercise and play outdoors, including in the school’s multi-use games areas. Staff are deployed effectively, for example, in classrooms and at breaktimes. This has a positive impact on pupils’ welfare and safety. Nonetheless, the proprietor has not ensured that all of the standards are consistently and securely met. There are a number of unmet standards relating to the quality of education and to leadership and management.

p.3

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective. 29 April to 1 May 2025

p.3

(Information for the school and proprietor)

 In some subjects, the school has not sufficiently identified or addressed the inconsistencies in the delivery of the curriculum. This means that some pupils do not learn as well as they could. The school should ensure that the curriculum is delivered consistently well to reduce variability in pupils’ experiences.  Some staff lack sufficient subject knowledge in some of the subjects that they are expected to teach. This hampers staff’s ability to teach all aspects of the intended curriculum effectively. The school should ensure that all staff are supported to develop strong subject knowledge in the full range of subjects that they teach.  In some subjects, the school’s use of information from assessments is under- developed. This limits the information available to staff and to the school to assure them that pupils are making the progress that they should in these subjects. The school should ensure that in all subjects, effective use is made of

p.4

(Information for the school and proprietor)

information from assessments to ensure that pupils are achieving well.  In some subjects, the school is not clear about the impact that the curriculum has on pupils’ learning. This limits how well the school identifies improvements that are needed to further improve the curriculum and its implementation. The school should further develop its systems to assure itself that pupils are learning the intended curriculum consistently well.

p.4

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.

p.4

How can I feed back my views?

The Department for Education has further guidance on how to complain about a school. 29 April to 1 May 2025

p.4

School details

Unique reference number 131551 DfE registration number 356/6027

p.5

School details

Inspection number 10375129 Type of school Other independent special school

p.5

School details

Website www.education.keyschildren.co.uk/school/ acorns Email address admin.acornsschool@keyseducation.ac.uk

p.5

School details

Date of previous inspection 1 to 3 March 2022 29 April to 1 May 2025

p.5

Information about this school

 The school’s previous standard inspection was 1 to 3 March 2022. A material change inspection was carried out on 4 June 2024.  Since the last inspection, an interim headteacher and an executive headteacher have been appointed, pending the appointment of a substantive headteacher. The school has also recently appointed a new deputy headteacher at each site, as well as a new special needs coordinator and a new associate headteacher for its Acorns Ashley School site.  The school’s main site is located at 19b Hibbert Lane, Marple, Stockport, Cheshire SK6 7NN. The school has an additional premises located at Acorns Ashley School, Back Lane, Ashley, Altrincham, Cheshire WA15 0QH.  All pupils at the school have SEND and have an education, health and care plan. All pupils have social, emotional and mental health needs. Some pupils also have diagnoses of autism and/or attention deficit hyperactivity disorder.

p.6

Information about this school

 Leaders make use of a number of unregistered alternative provisions.  The school is registered to admit up to 56 pupils aged from 5 to 17. However, at the time of the inspection, there were no pupils in key stage 1 and a very small number in Year 12.

p.6

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.

p.6

Information about this inspection

The school has failed to meet the independent school standards. These are the requirements of the schedule to the Education (Independent School Standards) Regulations 2014.

p.6

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.  The inspectors met with the interim headteacher, the executive headteacher and with other members of the leadership team.  The lead inspector met with the proprietor’s director of education and spoke remotely with the chair of the proprietor body.  Inspectors carried out deep dives in these subjects: English with a focus on reading, mathematics, history and personal, social, health and economic education. For each deep dive, inspectors discussed the curriculum with subject leaders, looked at curriculum plans, visited a sample of lessons, spoke to 29 April to 1 May 2025 teachers, spoke to pupils and looked at samples of pupils’ work. The lead inspector also listened to some pupils reading to a familiar adult.

p.6

Information about this inspection

 Inspectors also spoke to leaders about the curriculum in some other subjects and looked at a range of pupils’ books.  The inspectors considered the views expressed by parents and carers in their responses to Ofsted Parent View. This included free-text comments.  The inspectors considered the responses to Ofsted’s online surveys for staff and for pupils.  The inspectors spoke to some pupils about their experiences of school life.  The inspectors spoke with staff to discuss the school’s support for their workload and well-being.  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.

p.7

Inspection team

Mavis Smith, lead inspector His Majesty’s Inspector

p.7

Inspection team

Sanjay Patel Ofsted Inspector 29 April to 1 May 2025

p.7

Part 1. Quality of education provided

 3 The standard in this paragraph is met if the proprietor ensures that the teaching at the school- – 3(a) enables pupils to acquire new knowledge and make good progress according to their ability so that they increase their understanding and develop their skills in the subjects taught; – 3(c) involves well planned lessons and effective teaching methods, activities and management of class time; – 3(d) shows a good understanding of the aptitudes, needs and prior attainments of the pupils, and ensures that these are taken into account in the planning of lessons; – 3(e) demonstrates good knowledge and understanding of the subject matter being taught; – 3(g) demonstrates that a framework is in place to assess pupils’ work regularly and thoroughly and use information from that assessment to plan teaching so that pupils can progress.

p.8

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. 29 April to 1 May 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

p.8

Part 8. Quality of leadership in and management of schools

for children looked after, safeguarding and child protection.

p.9

Part 8. Quality of leadership in and management of schools

If you would like a copy of this document in a different format, such as large print or Braille, please telephone 0300 123 1231, or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk .

p.9

Part 8. Quality of leadership in and management of schools

You may reuse this information (not including logos) free of charge in any format or medium, under the terms of the Open Government Licence. To view this licence, visit www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence/ , write to the Information Policy Team, The National Archives, Kew, London TW9 4DU, or email: psi@nationalarchives.gsi.gov.uk .

p.9

Part 8. Quality of leadership in and management of schools

Interested in our work? You can subscribe to our monthly newsletter for more information and updates: http://eepurl.com/iTrDn .

p.9

Part 8. Quality of leadership in and management of schools

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

p.9