Poplar Adolescent Unit

Inspection of Poplar Adolescent Unit Rochford Hospital, Union Lane, Rochford, Essex SS4 1RB

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The quality of education Good Behaviour and attitudes Outstanding Personal development Good Leadership and management Good Sixth-form provision Good Previous inspection grade Good 24 and 25 June 2025

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What is it like to attend this school?

This is a school where kindness shapes daily life. Pupils learn in a homely setting where they feel safe and valued. Even with the challenges they face, pupils find reasons to smile again. They enjoy calm, sociable moments. They chat over a cup of tea, play cards with friends and win or lose at board games with good grace. Each week, they also look forward to playing ‘The One’, a school-devised game at the local badminton court. It brings fun, connection and a shared sense of joy.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Warm, trusting relationships are at the heart of this school’s community. When pupils struggle with their feelings, staff respond with calm confidence. They speak gently and offer steady reassurance. Staff know each pupil well. They spot even small signs of distress and help pupils return to a calm, safe place.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The school has high expectations for every pupil. It acts quickly to establish the right pathway for each one. As a new exam centre, it offers the opportunity for pupils to earn relevant qualifications. This helps pupils as they return to their home school or college, or move to a new one. Pupils engage well in their education. They make positive strides towards fulfilling their potential during their time here.

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

Pupils benefit from a calm and respectful learning environment. They express creativity in writing and artwork and engage positively with challenging ideas. The school’s curriculum, including in the sixth form, is carefully designed to build on pupils’ varied starting points. Staff adapt teaching to support progress towards qualifications and build on pupils’ interests. However, when pupils misunderstand a concept or make repeated errors, staff do not always adapt their teaching or adjust how they explain the learning. As a result, some pupils continue to struggle with key ideas or do not deepen their understanding as fully as they could.

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

Some pupils join the school without a love of reading, often due to a previously disrupted education. They engage well with texts in English lessons and complete comprehension tasks. However, the school’s approach to fostering a love of reading is not well developed. Pupils then miss out on its wider benefits for learning and well-being. While the school checks pupils’ reading skills on entry, ongoing checks are less effective. This limits how well staff address gaps in pupils’ reading abilities and guide them to suitable books.

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

Staff identify pupils’ special educational needs and/or disabilities accurately and quickly. They consider information from any home school or college, as well as from pupils and their families. The school works collaboratively with external agencies and the clinical team to identify and meets pupils’ specific needs. For example, they may ask the clinical team to swiftly carry out assessments that lead to a diagnosis of a previously unmet need. Before pupils leave the school, staff work productively with the local authority to make sure pupils continue to get the help they need to succeed. 24 and 25 June 2025

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The school manages behaviour with quiet authority and deep expertise. Staff build strong, trusting relationships. Pupils feel seen and understood. Because of this, pupils act respectfully. They follow instructions, speak politely and join in easily. Disruptive behaviour is rare. When it happens, staff act skilfully and carefully to manage it. Over time, this steady and confident approach helps pupils rebuild trust and take part more fully in their learning.

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The school supports pupils’ personal development through a growing careers programme. This includes access to career advisers and visits from professionals, for example, in banking and healthcare. Wider opportunities include collaboration with an artist in residence and contributing to the school newspaper, ‘The Poplar Press’. Staff are growing in confidence to guide sensitive discussions. These encourage pupils to reflect thoughtfully and consider different viewpoints in a balanced and informed way.

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Governance provides steady, practical oversight. They ensure strong and stable leadership. Using their expertise, they challenge and support the school effectively. In all their work, governors focus on helping vulnerable pupils access timely support. It reflects a genuine commitment to pupils’ progress and well-being.

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Communication at the school is a clear strength. Parents, carers, and external partners, such as the virtual school, value its openness and responsiveness. This strong communication ensures that everyone stays well informed about pupils’ academic and personal progress. It gives them confidence in the support pupils receive.

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Staff enjoy working here. Many have been here a long time and are deeply committed to providing a safe haven for the pupils. Staff value the strong support from leaders, who provide efficient, easy-to-use systems. For example, staff can quickly gather important information before meetings to review pupils’ progress. This support helps staff focus on what matters most: the pupils’ well-being and education.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 Staff do not always adapt their teaching or change their explanations when pupils make repeated errors or have misconceptions. This means that some gaps in knowledge are not filled quickly enough, and chances to stretch pupils’ thinking are missed. The school should ensure that teachers adapt their lessons and explanations effectively, so all pupils receive the right support and challenge to help them learn more and remember more. 24 and 25 June 2025

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 Although the school monitors pupils’ reading skills, this information is not yet used consistently to guide a clear, responsive reading programme. Also, some pupils do not enjoy reading, which limits their access to the wider benefits reading brings for learning, well-being and future success. The school should strengthen its reading programme to support reading progress and foster a lasting love of reading.

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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). 24 and 25 June 2025

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Appropriate authority The local authority

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Headteacher Simon Turnnidge (Executive Headteacher)

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Website www.poplaradolescentunit.essex.sch.uk

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Dates of previous inspection 11 and 12 July 2023, under section 8 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 The school is located within Rochford Hospital and is funded by Essex Local Education Authority.  It was established to provide education for pupils during a typical 12-week stay while receiving hospital care. However, some pupils remain on roll for longer periods due to extended hospital stays.  Most pupils are dual registered with a home school or college. Some join the school after a period of elective home education or absence from formal education.  Since the last inspection, there has been a change in leadership. The headteacher now works in an executive role overseeing this and another school. He was not present during the inspection. In his absence, the school is currently being led by an acting headteacher and acting deputy headteacher.  A management committee, acting as governors, oversees the work of school leaders.  The school does not use alternative provision. 24 and 25 June 2025

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Information about this inspection

The inspectors carried out this graded inspection under section 5 of the Education Act 2005. During a graded inspection, we grade the school for each of our key judgements (quality of education; behaviour and attitudes; personal development; and leadership and management) and for any relevant provision judgement (early years and/or sixth form provision). Schools receiving a graded inspection from September 2024, will not be given an overall effectiveness grade.

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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 the school and have taken that into account in their evaluation of the school.  Inspectors met with school leaders, including the acting headteacher and acting deputy headteacher, members of the management committee, two representatives from Essex Local Authority’s School Effectiveness Team, and a representative from the Southend- on-Sea Virtual School.  Inspectors carried out deep dives in these subjects: English, mathematics, art and design, and personal, social and health education. For each deep dive, inspectors held discussions about the curriculum, visited a sample of lessons, spoke to teachers, spoke to some pupils about their learning and looked at samples of pupils’ work. Staff were present during inspectors’ discussions with pupils to support effective communication

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Information about this inspection

and ensure pupils felt comfortable and secure.  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 responses to Ofsted’s surveys for pupils, parents and staff. They also considered documentation provided by the school, including the school improvement plan, the school’s self-evaluation and minutes from management committee meetings.

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Inspection team

Daniel Short, lead inspector His Majesty's Inspector

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Inspection team

Susan Sutton Ofsted Inspector 24 and 25 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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