Rhodes Wood Hospital School

Inspection of Rhodes Wood Hospital School Shepherds Way, Brookmans Park, Hatfield AL9 6NN

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Overall effectiveness Outstanding

The quality of education Outstanding Behaviour and attitudes Outstanding Personal development Outstanding Leadership and management Outstanding Sixth-form provision Outstanding Overall effectiveness at previous inspection Good

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Overall effectiveness Outstanding

Does the school meet the independent school standards?

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What is it like to attend this school?

Rhodes Wood Hospital School is in every sense an incredible place. When pupils join, they are facing a tough time. Some are seriously unwell. Joining the school though is life changing for pupils. They receive a first-class education. Coupled with the stunning array of personal development opportunities, they are skilfully guided to piece things back together. Their lives are gradually filled with happiness and hope as they achieve more and more. Of course, there are bumps in the road, but staff are highly proficient in helping pupils navigate these along the way.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils learn extremely well. Staff expect great things from pupils, and during their time in school, pupils live up to these expectations. Pupils develop highly positive attitudes towards their learning.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Relationships are warm and harmonious. Pupils and staff have high levels of respect for one another. This is borne out in the positive interactions that happen throughout the course of each day. If a pupil struggles to manage their feelings and emotions, staff support them exceptionally well.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils are guided superbly well to build their self-esteem, confidence and resilience. Rich and varied wider opportunities provide meaningful experiences for pupils to make a real difference to their lives and lives of others.

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better?

Pupils go on to the school’s roll at the point they are admitted to the adjoining hospital, which cares for young people who have an eating disorder. They remain on roll at their ‘home’ school. The work staff undertake when a pupil joins the school is meticulous. No stone is left unturned. Staff find out all about each pupil and how the school can best meet their learning and emotional needs. Highly personalised individual support plans set out with exacting precision the provision each pupil will receive. Consequently, pupils learn exceptionally well during their time in school.

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better?

Almost all pupils continue to study the curriculum from their ‘home’ school. This includes students in the sixth form. The exceptionally high-quality work the school carries out to understand the ‘home’ school’s curriculum means the transition is seamless. While pupils learn their ‘home’ school curriculum, teachers here are highly adept at making the precise adaptations needed to best support pupils. This is carried out with skill and ensures that pupils continue to learn extremely well during a challenging time in their young lives. Where a pupil does not have a ‘home’ school, they learn the school’s own highly ambitious, and skilfully designed curriculum.

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better?

Teachers are experts in their subjects. By virtue of this, their subject knowledge is strong. Teachers use their subject knowledge to explain concepts and ideas with clarity. Ongoing assessment ensures that teachers identify and address any misconceptions or errors highly effectively. For example, if pupils’ writing contains grammatical errors, these are swiftly followed up to help close any gaps. Similarly, 1 to 3 July 2025 ongoing feedback is provided to pupils studying GCSE and A level. This includes supporting students in constructing longer pieces of writing and critical responses to text, or to further improve the high-quality artwork pupils readily produce. Alongside the therapy and medical provision from the hospital, the highly bespoke curriculum ensures that pupils learn what they need to help them successfully transition back into their ‘home’ school when they leave the hospital school.

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better?

All pupils have special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). The individualised nature of the curriculum means that pupils’ additional needs are meticulously considered through the curriculum planning stages. There are no pupils currently in school at the early stages of reading. However, the school’s curriculum makes provision for any pupils who need help with reading.

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better?

Pupils benefit from an exceptional personal development programme. The personal, social and health education (PSHE) curriculum is carefully constructed. As a result, pupils learn and consider important concepts, such as healthy relationships and celebrate the difference in one another. Pupils’ talents and interests are fostered. Through provision such as visits to farms, animation studios or guiding pupils to set up their own business to sell jewellery and mugs they have made, the school supports pupils’ entrepreneurial skills. These rich and meaningful opportunities help pupils transition back to life beyond the hospital when the time is right for them.

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better?

Pupils, and students in the sixth form, receive high-quality careers advice. This ranges from supporting pupils to apply, for example, to universities or colleges or in preparing them for potential future careers. Based on pupils’ ability, interest and ambitions, the school puts in place high-quality support to help realise these. Integration back to the pupils’ ‘home’ school is, again, meticulously managed. This helps ensure that pupils move back to their ‘home’ school in a smooth and successful way.

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better?

Pupils behave extremely well. Strategies are highly personalised, so all staff know the approach to use to help pupils succeed and behave in a positive manner. The impact of this is seen clearly in lessons, where teachers use, with great success, approaches that have been identified. Students in the sixth form show maturity and ever-growing independent learning skills.

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better?

The proprietor body work in a highly effective and strategic way. It keeps a close eye on the provision, ensuring that school leaders are challenged to make it even better. It balances this work with the right levels of support. The robust checks also ensure that the school meets all the independent school standards. The buildings and extensive school grounds are well kept and safe. They provide pupils with a rich environment in which to thrive. The proprietor ensures that the school complies with the Equality Act 2010.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective. 1 to 3 July 2025

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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.

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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. 1 to 3 July 2025

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School details

Unique reference number 144726 DfE registration number 919/6008

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School details

Inspection number 10342127 Type of school Other Independent Special School

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School details

Gender of pupils in the sixth form Mixed

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form

Annual fees (day pupils) £31,200 to £34,125

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form

Website www.elysiumhealthcare.co.uk/education/s chools/rhodes-wood-school Email address rwhs@elysiumeducation.co.uk

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form

Date of previous inspection 21 to 23 June 2022 1 to 3 July 2025

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Information about this school

 Rhodes Wood Hospital School is an independent special school. It is part of Elysium Healthcare Limited.  The school caters for pupils with SEND, relating to their medical conditions regarding eating disorders. This includes pupils with social, emotional and mental health needs. Some pupils have an education, health and care plan.  Pupil placement to the school is through admission to the hospital. They are admitted as inpatients at the hospital for different lengths of time. The typical length of stay is around 30 weeks  Pupils’ places are funded by their local authority.  Pupils are dual registered. They remain on the admission roll of their ‘home’ school while being educated at the hospital school. Some pupils have missed considerable periods of education.  Pupils are taught in mixed-age classes within their key stage.  While the school is registered to admit pupils in key stage 2, currently the school

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Information about this school

do not have pupils of this age in school.  The school does not use any alternative provision.  The proprietor for this school is also the registered proprietor body for five other specialist schools: Potters Bar Clinic School, Brighton and Hove Clinic School, Cotswold Spa Hospital School, Bere Clinic School and Emerald Place Clinic School.

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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.  Inspectors discussed any continued impact of the pandemic with leaders and have taken that into account in their evaluation of the school.  Inspectors carried out deep dives in these subjects: English, mathematics and PSHE. For each deep dive, inspectors held discussions about the curriculum, looked at curriculum plans, visited a sample of lessons, spoke to teachers, spoke to some pupils about their learning and looked at samples of pupils’ work.  Inspectors also looked at curriculum plans, pupils work and spoke to leaders and pupils about art, geography, science, French and music. 1 to 3 July 2025  Inspectors met with the headteacher, the deputy headteacher, the assistant headteacher and staff. They met with a representative of the chair of the proprietor board and the head of education. Inspectors also spoke on the

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Information about this inspection

telephone with representatives of two local authorities and leaders from some pupils’ ‘home’ schools.  Inspectors toured the premises to review the suitability of school buildings. Inspectors reviewed a wide range of documents to check compliance with the independent school standards.  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.  The inspection team considered the views of parents through responses to Ofsted Parent View. Inspectors gathered the views of staff and through surveys, as well as interviews and discussions conducted throughout the inspection.

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Inspection team

Nathan Lowe, lead inspector His Majesty’s Inspector

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Inspection team

Sue Pryor Ofsted 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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