Petherton Park School

Inspection of Petherton Park School Brook Farm, Newton Road, North Petherton, Somerset TA6 6NA

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Overall effectiveness Good

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

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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?

Petherton Park School is a place where pupils thrive. At the heart of the school’s success are the warm and trusting relationships between staff and pupils. Pupils often arrive from multiple unsuccessful placements elsewhere. They receive the care and support they need to help them overcome the challenges they face. Pupils rediscover the importance and joy of learning. The core values of ‘nurture, flourish and grow,’ shine through the school’s every action. The school has high expectations of pupils, and as a result, pupils progress well through the curriculum and achieve well.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils know who to share any worries or concerns with. This helps them to feel safe. Pupils’ attendance improves rapidly during their time at Petherton Park. Pupils’ behaviour is exemplary. They demonstrate high levels of respect and kindness towards one another. They are polite and well-mannered. Pupils accept each other’s differences and show tolerance and empathy to one another during challenging times.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils are proud of the responsibilities the school offers, such as school rangers and digital officers. These responsibilities develop pupils’ social and leadership skills well. Parents and carers are overwhelmingly positive. Comments include praise for the school as going ‘above and beyond’ and a place where pupils are ‘happy and eager to learn’.

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better?

The school has successfully addressed the areas for improvement identified at the last standard inspection. The curriculum has been developed to meet most pupils’ individual needs well based on their education, health and care (EHC) plans. The school ensures that there is a focus on the core subjects of mathematics, English and science. Pupils achieve success in a range of qualifications, including in English and mathematics. Academic studies intertwine seamlessly with pupils’ therapeutic provision. Pupils have access to a wide range of therapies including equine, horticulture and farming. This impacts positively on pupils’ behaviour, which is exceptional in lessons and during social times. However, leaders recognise that in some subjects, the curriculum does not consistently meet some pupils’ needs precisely. For example, pupils’ learning is not moved on quickly enough. Therefore, pupils do not build their knowledge as well as they could.

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better?

The school has significantly raised the culture of reading amongst pupils. It provides opportunities to develop pupils’ reading across the curriculum. For example, pupils talk with enthusiasm about their favourite authors or a particular genre. The new library is a firm favourite where pupils like to spend time browsing through the wide range of high-quality books and reading quietly. Pupils who arrive with significant gaps in their reading knowledge and skills receive the support and practice they need to help them catch up quickly. 1 to 3 July 2025 The school does not put a ceiling on pupils’ aspirations. Staff are passionate about ensuring that pupils receive personalised careers advice to help them take the next steps into education or training. Work placements are purposeful and enable pupils to make well-considered decisions with regards to their future education, training or employment.

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better?

Pupils experience a wide range of activities beyond the school, such as carp fishing, aerial hoops and silks, and climbing. In addition, visits to the theatre spark pupils’ interests and support learning well. Such experiences build pupils’ desire to learn, their independence, resilience and leadership skills. As a result, pupils leave the school well prepared for their next steps.

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better?

Those responsible for governance have a strong understanding of their roles and responsibilities. The school welcomes the support and challenge that governors provide. Staff are overwhelmingly positive about the school. They welcome the camaraderie that permeates across the ‘team members’. Staff talk about the ‘unconditional regard’ for every pupil and adult that permeates the school. This builds a sense of community.

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better?

The proprietor ensures that the school meets the independent school standards in full. The school complies 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)

 In some subjects, checks on what pupils can and cannot do to identify when they are ready to move on in their learning is not consistent. Therefore, these pupils do not build their knowledge as well as they could. The school should ensure that it implements its current plans to strengthen these subjects effectively.

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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. 1 to 3 July 2025 The Department for Education has further guidance on how to complain about a school. 1 to 3 July 2025

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School details

Unique reference number 135673 DfE registration number 933/6216

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School details

Inspection number 10391747 Type of school Other Independent Special School

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School details

Proprietor Phoenix Schools (South) Limited

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School details

Annual fees (day pupils) £55,714.44 to £100,441

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School details

Date of previous inspection 7 to 9 November 2023 1 to 3 July 2025

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Information about this school

 Petherton Park School is an independent co-educational therapeutic school in Somerset which provides a supportive learning environment for pupils with social, emotional and mental health difficulties, autism spectrum condition and/or specific learning difficulties.  Since the last inspection, a new executive headteacher and deputy headteacher have started in post.  All pupils who attend the school have an EHC plan. Pupils are placed at the school by their representative local authorities.  The school uses two unregistered alternative provisions.  At the time of the inspection there were no pupils in key stage 2.

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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.  This was the second routine inspection the school received since the COVID-19 pandemic began. 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 the executive headteacher, deputy headteacher, senior leaders and wider staff.  The lead inspector met with the operations director for education and regional educational lead for Phoenix Schools (South) Limited.  The lead inspector met with the chair of proprietors.  Inspectors carried out deep dives in these subjects: English, mathematics, and personal, social, health and economic education. For each deep dive, the inspectors discussed the curriculum with subject leaders, visited a sample of lessons, spoke to teachers, spoke to some pupils about their learning and looked

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Information about this inspection

at samples of pupils’ work.  Inspectors listened to some pupils from across the school read. 1 to 3 July 2025  Inspectors sampled the wider curriculum including pupils’ work in science, geography, history and culture and community.  To evaluate the effectiveness of safeguarding, the inspectors: reviewed the single central record; took account of the views of leaders, staff and pupils; considered the extent to which the school has created an open and positive culture around safeguarding that puts pupils’ interests first.  Inspectors considered key documentation, including the school’s self-evaluation, the school development plan and governance minutes.  Inspectors observed pupils’ behaviour in lessons and around the school sites. An inspector met with school leaders to discuss and review how they respond to behaviour incidents and pupils’ attendance.  The inspectors considered the responses to Ofsted’s online surveys for staff and

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Information about this inspection

pupils. They considered the responses to Ofsted Parent View, including the free- text comments. The lead inspector held phone calls with parents and considered additional correspondence sent in via email.

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Inspection team

Jen Southall, lead inspector His Majesty's Inspector

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Inspection team

James Gentile His Majesty's Inspector 1 to 3 July 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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