The Goldhill Learning Foundation

Inspection of The Goldhill Learning Foundation Goldhill Adventure Playground, Windley Road, Leicester, Leicestershire LE2 6TL

p.1

Overall effectiveness Good

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

p.1

What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils are rightly proud of the school. They are known, understood and cared for as individuals. Pupils’ successes are celebrated. They particularly value the outdoor space and adventure playground. Pupils play joyfully. They are happy and love being part of this school. Staff and pupils live the school’s values daily, demonstrating the values of belonging, responsibility, community and achievement.

p.2

What is it like to attend this school?

The school sets appropriately high expectations of pupils’ learning, behaviour and attendance. These expectations are consistently met. Pupils are inspired to learn. The school strives to overcome barriers and challenges that pupils face. It enables pupils to learn well. Pupils’ attendance and behaviour improve significantly during their time at school. Pupils want to be at school. Relationships are calm and respectful. Pupils feel safe. They know that staff will listen to their worries.

p.2

What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils grow in self-awareness and confidence. They are nurtured to be resilient. Pupils recall many memorable experiences. For example, they fondly recall visits to a farm and museums.

p.2

What is it like to attend this school?

Parents and carers are very positive about their children’s experiences. A parent, echoing the views of others, commented, ‘My son has been excited to go to school, has had no problems with his behaviour and is improving his learning.’

p.2

better?

The school has developed a curriculum that reflects the ambition of the national curriculum. Leaders ensure that subject curriculums clearly identify the key knowledge and skills pupils will learn and when. The school personalises the curriculum to take into account pupils’ special educational needs and/or disabilities. It checks pupils’ previous learning and identifies gaps in learning caused by low attendance in their previous schools. Staff adapt teaching thoughtfully to enable pupils to access appropriately challenging learning. For example, in science, pupils gain key knowledge about electrical circuits, learn to think and act as scientists and learn and use vocabulary accurately. Pupils achieve well.

p.2

better?

Staff identify, understand and support pupils’ social, emotional and learning needs well. The school helps pupils to focus on their learning. For example, staff use a range of approaches to support pupils’ sensory needs. These help pupils to engage well with their learning. The smallest steps in pupils’ personal development and learning are celebrated.

p.2

better?

The school prioritises pupils’ speaking, listening and reading. Staff enable pupils to develop their communication skills. Pupils who need extra support with their reading fluency and comprehension receive effective support. Pupils learn to read well. The school nurtures a love of stories, rhymes, books and reading. 3 to 5 June 2025 Pupils’ attitudes to learning and their conduct improve significantly during their time at school. The school effectively helps pupils to understand their feelings. It supports pupils to manage their emotions and behaviour. Pupils recognise the positive improvements in their own conduct.

p.2

better?

Pupils’ personal development is a key part of the school’s provision. The school provides many opportunities for pupils’ wider development. The school’s personal, social, health and economic education curriculum is well thought through. Pupils learn about healthy lifestyles and relationships. They learn about risk and how to be safe. They have opportunities to understand difference, equality and respect. Pupils benefit from opportunities to deepen their understanding of right and wrong. They are supported in their cultural development. Links with the community support pupils’ social development. The school enables pupils to understand key values, including respecting different faiths and religions and the importance of rules.

p.3

better?

Overwhelmingly, staff are proud to be part of the school. They value the team ethos and the school’s community links. The school is considerate of staff well-being and workload.

p.3

better?

Leaders, including the proprietor, have a sound understanding of the independent school standards (the standards). These standards are met securely and consistently. The premises are well maintained. Risk assessments reflect the school’s policy. Pre-employment checks are completed before adults start working with pupils. Policies and key information are readily available on the school’s website, including the school’s relationships and sex education policy, the complaints procedure and safeguarding policy. The school complies with schedule 10 of the Equality Act 2010.

p.3

better?

The school is focused on a shared common goal that puts pupils’ interests first. Leaders, including the proprietor, lead with a strong moral purpose. They engage positively with parents. They have a clear vision for the school and its future. However, the school’s quality assurance work to identify its strengths and some of its improvement priorities is not consistently effective. Consequently, the school has not identified and focused on some aspects that need improving.

p.3

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

p.3

(Information for the school and proprietor)

 Some aspects of the school’s quality assurance processes are not as securely embedded as they should be. These quality assurance processes are not as precise and informative as they need to be. As a result, the school has not identified some aspects of the provision that need improving to then be able to 3 to 5 June 2025 bring about that improvement. The school should ensure that quality assurance systems effectively enable it to plan strategically for future improvements.

p.3

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. 3 to 5 June 2025

p.4

School details

Type of school Other independent special school

p.5

School details

Website www.thegoldhilllearningfoundation.com

p.5

School details

Email address office@thegoldhilllearningfoundation.com 3 to 5 June 2025

p.5

Information about this school

 The school was registered by the Department for Education in July 2024. This is the school’s first standard inspection.  The school is located at Goldhill Adventure Playground, Windley Road, Leicester, LE2 6TL.  The school caters for pupils with social, emotional and mental health needs. Many pupils have autism. All pupils have an education, health and care plan.  The school is registered to admit up to 30 pupils aged between seven and 11 years. There are currently 17 pupils on roll.  The school does not use the services of any alternative provision.

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

Inspections are a point-in-time judgement about the quality of a school’s education provision.

p.6

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.

p.6

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.  Inspectors met with the headteacher and senior leaders. They met with a range of staff.  The lead inspector met with governors and the chair of the proprietor body.  Inspectors carried out deep dives in reading, mathematics and music. For each deep dive, inspectors held discussions about the curriculum, looked at curriculum plans, visited sample lessons, spoke to teachers, spoke to pupils about their learning and looked at samples of pupils’ work. They listened to pupils read.  Inspectors visited lessons in other subjects, including design and technology, art and design and science.  To evaluate the effectiveness of safeguarding, inspectors met with leaders; reviewed the single central record; took account of the views of leaders, staff and

p.6

Information about this inspection

pupils; reviewed safeguarding records; and considered the extent to which the school has created a positive culture around safeguarding that puts pupils’ interests first.  Inspectors spoke with pupils about various aspects of school life. 3 to 5 June 2025  Inspectors scrutinised a range of documentation. They reviewed a range of policies, including those related to health and safety, risk assessments, curriculum and complaints.  The lead inspector toured the premises to review the suitability of the accommodation.  Inspectors considered the views expressed by parents who they met with and the free-text comments submitted on Ofsted Parent View. They reviewed responses to Ofsted’s survey of school staff.

p.6

The school’s proposed changes to the age range of pupils

The school has applied to the Department for Education (DfE) to make a ‘material change’ to its registration. At the DfE’s request, we checked whether the school is likely to meet the relevant independent school standards if the DfE decides to approve the changes. This part of the inspection was carried out under 162(4) of the Education Act 2002.  The outcome of this part of the inspection is: the school is likely to meet the

p.7

relevant independent school standards if the material changes relating

to the school provision are implemented.  The school has clear plans in place to increase the number of teaching and welfare staff to deliver the key stage 3 curriculum, subject to approval of the material change. It intends to increase the number of teachers from two to six and staff in the welfare provision from 18 to 23. The necessary recruitment checks will be undertaken before these new staff start working at the school.  The school has a secure understanding of the curriculum that would be provided for pupils in these additional year groups and how best this curriculum will be taught so that pupils make good progress.  There will be appropriate opportunities to promote pupils’ personal development and to secure their spiritual, moral, social and cultural understanding.  The school has clear plans to deliver appropriate relationships and sex education and provide careers guidance that meets the needs of older pupils should the

p.7

relevant independent school standards if the material changes relating

material change be approved.  The school has an appropriate understanding of its responsibilities in relation to safeguarding. Leaders are aware of any additional safeguarding concerns that may come with the addition to the school’s roll of pupils aged 14.  Leaders have given careful thought to the proposed changes. They are mindful that any changes should not impact adversely on the pupils currently at the school. They plan to extend the key stage 3 provision gradually. Initially, only pupils already on the school’s roll would remain at the school to the age of 14.  The proprietor’s work to ensure that the standards are consistently met is suitable to maintain compliance should the DfE approve the material changes.

p.7

Information about the material change inspection

 The proprietor has requested a material change to extend the age range to include students aged up to 14 years. This is the school’s first material change 3 to 5 June 2025 inspection.  The lead inspector met with school leaders to discuss the material change application. He considered curriculum plans and other documentation relating to leaders’ plans to extend the age range up to 14-year-old pupils.

p.7

Inspection team

Chris Davies, lead inspector His Majesty’s Inspector

p.8

Inspection team

Julie Sheppard Ofsted Inspector 3 to 5 June 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.

p.8

Inspection team

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

Inspection team

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

Inspection team

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

p.9

Inspection team

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

p.9