Gosberton House Academy

Inspection of a school judged outstanding for overall effectiveness before September 2024: Gosberton House Academy 11 Westhorpe Road, Gosberton, Spalding, Lincolnshire PE11 4EW

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Outcome

Gosberton House Academy has taken effective action to maintain the standards identified at the previous inspection.

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Outcome

The principal of this school is Katharine Saywell. The school is part of the University of Lincoln Academy Trust, which means other people in the trust also have responsibility for running the school. The trust is run by the acting chief executive officer (CEO), Andrew Malcolm Breckon, and overseen by a board of trustees chaired by Anita Mandy Backhouse.

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What is it like to attend this school?

This school fosters a highly nurturing environment where every pupil, whether joining in the early years or later in their educational journey, receives immediate and tailored support. This ensures a smooth transition, helping pupils to settle quickly and feel a strong sense of belonging. Pupils interact with one another in a considerate manner. They are kind to each other. Pupils know staff are there to help them whenever they need it. This helps pupils to feel safe in school.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils are excited to arrive at school to see their friends and find out what they will be learning. They thrive academically and personally due to the school’s high expectations and commitment to delivering a high-quality education. Pupils make strong progress towards their personal targets.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Provision is meticulously tailored to meet each pupil’s individual needs, implemented with expertise, sensitivity and a strong emphasis on learning. The school integrates personal development, particularly the essential skills for adulthood, into all aspects of its practice. From the early years onwards, pupils begin to develop an understanding of how to keep themselves safe, for example water safety and online safety. They are supported to develop the independence and confidence they will need for the future. 17 and 18 June 2025

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What does the school do well and what does it need to do better?

The curriculum has been revised since the last inspection. It closely aligns to pupils’ sensory needs. Pupils follow an appropriately tailored and ambitious curriculum. They learn a broad range of subjects. Staff have a deep understanding of their pupils’ needs. They adapt what they teach to help pupils to meet the short-term targets from their education, health and care (EHC) plan. These targets are typically very precise. Staff are patient. They understand that for many pupils much repetition is needed to help them remember what they are taught.

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What does the school do well and what does it need to do better?

Since the last inspection, the school has also further refined the checks it uses to establish what pupils know and can do. Staff carefully consider pupils’ next steps. However, on occasion, the work given to pupils is not as ambitious as it could be to deepen pupils’ knowledge and understanding.

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What does the school do well and what does it need to do better?

From the early years, the school has a relentless focus on developing pupils’ communication and reading skills. When appropriate, pupils engage with a structured phonics approach. Staff tailor phonics sessions well to meet pupils’ needs. They provide ample opportunities for pupils to rehearse the sounds they know. Many pupils develop into fluent readers and enjoy reading books for pleasure.

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What does the school do well and what does it need to do better?

Behaviour is exemplary. From the early years, children learn to play alongside others, and then to start collaborating in both work and play. Pupils are focused and settled in lessons. The consistent routines in place help them to access their learning successfully. Pupils who need help to manage their emotions receive highly effective support. They learn strategies to calm themselves and regain focus. This results in a positive and structured learning environment.

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What does the school do well and what does it need to do better?

Pupils’ attendance has improved over recent years. Most pupils attend school regularly. Leaders understand the reasons for some pupil’s absence. They continue to work with parents and carers to address this.

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What does the school do well and what does it need to do better?

Pupils are provided with opportunities to develop self-awareness and build healthy relationships with others. Staff take pupils’ additional vulnerabilities into careful consideration when addressing sensitive topics. They ensure a thoughtful and supportive approach, particularly in areas such as online safety education and relationships education.

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What does the school do well and what does it need to do better?

Pupils learn essential life skills, such going to the local shops to buy groceries with money they save in the school bank. They enjoy trips to the local leisure centre to learn to swim. Pupils value the trips they experience that enrich the curriculum, for example to the aquarium in Skegness.

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What does the school do well and what does it need to do better?

The academy council has been integral to decisions about the interior design of the new school building. The school also consults pupils on aspects of the curriculum and extra- curricular opportunities. Pupils feel their voices are truly heard in this school. 17 and 18 June 2025

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The school continues to make improvements to offer the highest standard of education. Governors and trustees perform their statutory duties well. They provide strategic oversight and hold the school to account with appropriate rigour. Staff have expertise in educating pupils with additional needs. This expertise is shared across the trust, regionally, and nationally. For example, the ‘Working Together Team’ provides autism outreach services to Lincolnshire schools.

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Staff are proud to work at Gosberton House. Leaders create a climate where staff feel respected and valued. Staff support each other in making positive changes to the school. Leaders prioritise staff well-being and thoughtfully consider staff workload.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 Occasionally, some activity choices that staff make do not help some pupils with higher levels of cognition to deepen their knowledge and skills over time. This means that, at times, the delivery of the curriculum does not ensure that these pupils learn as well as they could. The school should ensure that the curriculum is implemented consistently well, reflecting an ambition for all pupils, enabling them to achieve as well as they could.

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Background

Until September 2024, on a graded (section 5) inspection we gave schools an overall effectiveness grade, in addition to the key and provision judgements. Overall effectiveness grades given before September 2024 will continue to be visible on school inspection reports and on Ofsted’s website. From September 2024 graded inspections will not include an overall effectiveness grade. This school was, before September 2024, judged outstanding for its overall effectiveness.

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Background

We have now inspected the school to determine whether it has taken effective action to maintain the standards identified at that previous inspection. This is called an ungraded inspection, and it is carried out under section 8 of the Education Act 2005. We do not give graded judgements on an ungraded inspection. However, if we find evidence that a school’s work has improved significantly or that it may not be as strong as it was at the last inspection, then the next inspection will be a graded inspection. A graded inspection is carried out under section 5 of the Act. Usually this is within one to two years of the date of the ungraded inspection. If we have serious concerns about safeguarding, behaviour or the quality of education, we will deem the ungraded inspection a graded inspection immediately. 17 and 18 June 2025

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This is the second ungraded inspection since we judged the predecessor school, Gosberton House School, to be outstanding for overall effectiveness in March 2012.

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How can I feed back my views?

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.

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Further information

You can search for published performance information about the school.

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Further information

In the report, ‘disadvantaged pupils’ is used to mean pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND); pupils who meet the definition of children in need of help and protection ; pupils receiving statutory local authority support from a social worker; and pupils who otherwise meet the criteria used for deciding the school’s pupil premium funding (this includes pupils claiming free school meals at any point in the last six years, looked after children (children in local authority care) and/or children who left care through adoption or another formal route). 17 and 18 June 2025

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School details

School category Academy special converter

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School details

CEO of the trust Andrew Malcolm Breckon (Acting CEO) Principal Katharine Saywell

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School details

Website www.gosberton-house.lincs.sch.uk

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School details

Date of previous inspection 21 May 2019, under section 8 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 All pupils who attend this school have an EHC plan. Pupils have a range of complex special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). These include autism, moderate learning difficulty, and speech, language and communication needs. Some pupils have specific physical needs, and others may need support for their social, emotional and mental health.  The principal took up her role in October 2022. Additionally, a new senior leader joined the school’s leadership team in January 2025.  The school does not use any alternative education provision.

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Information about this inspection

 Inspections are a point-in-time evaluation about the quality of a school’s education provision. 17 and 18 June 2025

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 This was the first routine inspection the school received since the COVID-19 pandemic began. Inspectors discussed the impact of the pandemic with the school and have taken that into account in the evaluation of the school.  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.  Inspectors visited lessons, spoke to pupils about their learning and looked at samples of pupils’ work. They also listened to some pupils read to a familiar adult.  Inspectors met with trust leaders, the principal and other school leaders, as well as teachers and support staff. The lead inspector met with members of the academy strategic board, including the chair.  Inspectors reviewed a range of documents, including documents relating to school

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improvement.  Inspectors held meetings and informal discussions with various groups of pupils.  Inspectors observed pupils’ behaviour during playtime and as pupils moved around the school.  The inspectors considered the responses to Ofsted’s online surveys for staff and pupils. They considered the responses to Ofsted’s online survey, Ofsted Parent View, including parents’ free-text responses.

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Inspection team

Anne Maingay, lead inspector His Majesty’s Inspector

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Inspection team

Jo Ward Ofsted Inspector 17 and 18 June 2025

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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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