The Mile House Therapeutic School

Inspection of The Mile House Therapeutic School Bath Road, Sulhamstead, Reading RG7 5HJ

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Overall effectiveness Requires improvement

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

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Overall effectiveness Requires improvement

Does the school meet the independent school standards?

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What is it like to attend this school?

The school knows its pupils well. All pupils have complex social, emotional and mental health (SEMH) needs. Many arrive having missed significant time in education. School staff take the time to understand what interests and matters to pupils. They use this information to provide activities that help pupils to feel part of and engage in the school community. Most of the time, pupils are calm and have positive, trusting relationships with the staff around them. During break and lunchtimes, a family atmosphere is evident, with pupils and staff eating and playing games together.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils develop the capacity to manage their emotions through the school’s extensive offer of therapies and support for their SEMH needs. Staff are skilful and sensitive in managing pupils on occasions when pupils find this difficult. This is underpinned by detailed information about each pupil, which is used well to meet pupils’ needs and keep them safe.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The school has high expectations for pupils, which are reflected in the positive conduct and engagement seen through the school. However, expectations around pupils’ learning are limited by the current, underdeveloped curriculum. Pupils do not consistently access an ambitious curriculum offer. At times, learning activities do not effectively support pupils to build knowledge over time.

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better?

In most subject areas, the school has set out what pupils should know by the end of each year. In some subjects, this has been further broken down to identify the ambitious key knowledge that pupils need to learn and the sequence in which they will learn it. However, this approach is not consistent across the curriculum. Some subjects are still in the initial stages of development. In these areas, the curriculum is not as well matched to pupils’ needs, and knowledge is not as well sequenced. As a result, staff are not always clear about what to teach and when.

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better?

The school has worked extensively to develop its curriculum. Improvements have been made, and robust, well-informed plans are in place to continue this work. However, these actions are relatively new and the school has not yet completed work to develop the capacity of leadership at all levels. As a result, the school’s work is not yet having the intended impact.

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better?

Teachers demonstrate a secure understanding of SEMH needs, which informs their responsive practice when supporting pupils. They are well trained and provide expert support when pupils become dysregulated. Detailed support plans are in place and are reviewed regularly to ensure pupils’ SEMH needs continue to be met effectively. Appropriate therapeutic support is provided through the school’s occupational, play and expressive arts therapists. However, because the curriculum is not yet fully developed, pupils are not learning as well as they could. 1 to 3 July 2025 When pupils arrive, checks are in place to identify gaps in English and mathematics knowledge. Information from these checks determines which pupils require additional support with their learning. Pupils at the earliest stages of reading receive effective support from well-trained staff. Staff regularly monitor and assess how well pupils are progressing in their reading skills The pupils who need the most help are

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better?

In some areas of the curriculum, checks on pupils’ learning are in place but they lack consistency and precision. Assessment approaches do not align closely with curriculum content, specifically in less developed subjects. Consequently, these checks do not reliably spot how well pupils have learned intended knowledge.

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better?

Throughout the school, pupils are often calm and engaged. They have mutually respectful relationships with staff and other pupils. Most of the time, pupils take part in lessons well and do not disrupt the learning of others. There are times when pupils find it hard to be in the classroom. Staff are quick to recognise this and they respond to pupils’ needs well. Most staff consistently implement the school’s therapeutic approach to behaviour management. This is effective and leads to a generally positive and purposeful school environment.

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better?

The school has made attendance a high priority. Through expert support from outreach and home-school link workers, important relationships have been established with pupils and their families. A parent reflected the view of many about the school’s support stating that it has ‘helped to bridge the gap between home and school’. Consequently, there has been a demonstrable improvement in the attendance of many pupils. However, some of the most vulnerable pupils are still not attending well enough.

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better?

Activities to support pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development are embedded thoughtfully across the curriculum and wider school life. Initiatives such as cultural events and voting activities promote respect and pupil voice. Pupils learn to articulate their views while listening to others with respect. Preparation for adulthood is a clear priority. Pupils are provided with a well-designed personal, social, health and economics education and careers programme, starting in Year 7. In key stage 4, tailored work experience and life skills work build employability and independence. Careers support is highly individualised. External careers guidance ensures pupils are clear about their future pathways. The school prepares its pupils well to maintain successful post-16 destinations in education, training or employment.

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better?

The school’s education committee, led by the chair of the proprietor body, makes effective use of its detailed knowledge of the school to provide appropriate challenge and support. The proprietor ensures that the school meets all of the independent school standards, including schedule 10 of the Equality Act 2010. Most staff are proud to work at the school and value the positive work–life balance it offers them. Although staff have experienced significant change, many recognise it as both necessary and beneficial to improve the offer for pupils. Leaders have a clear understanding of the school’s priorities. While some changes are not fully 1 to 3 July 2025 embedded, leaders demonstrate the knowledge and capacity to secure sustained improvement across the school.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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(Information for the school and proprietor)

 In some subject areas, the curriculum remains underdeveloped and does not consistently outline the sequence of ambitious knowledge that pupils are expected to learn. Staff are sometimes unclear about what to teach and when, and some lack the subject-specific expertise needed to deliver effective learning activities. As a result, pupils do not acquire the depth of knowledge required to build on prior learning. The school should prioritise the design and sequencing of these subject areas and ensure that staff are equipped with the training and subject knowledge needed to implement the curriculum consistently and effectively.  The school has not ensured that all staff have the knowledge and expertise needed to fulfil their roles. This leads to variability in the implementation of the curriculum and the development of staff. The school should continue to build leadership capacity so that the ambition and vision leaders have for the school

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(Information for the school and proprietor)

are fully realised and evident in common practice through the whole school.  The school’s work on attendance has not yet had the intended impact for the most vulnerable pupils. This means that these pupils do not fully benefit from all that school has to offer. The school should now carefully consider what additional strategies and support that the most vulnerable families need to further improve attendance.  The school’s assessment approach does not consistently reflect the knowledge that pupils are learning. As a result, teachers are not always equipped with accurate information about what pupils understand and where gaps remain. Consequently, they are unable to help pupils to build knowledge over time. The school should ensure that teachers know how to precisely identify pupils’ knowledge gaps so they can provide accurate support to close them.

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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 148960 DfE registration number 869/6021

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School details

Inspection number 10375012 Type of school Other Independent Special School

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School details

Proprietor Calcot Services for Children (Education) Ltd Chair Harvinder and Sukhbir Singh

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School details

Website www.themilehousetherapeuticschool.co.u k Email address themilehouseschool@csfc.co.uk

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School details

Dates of previous inspection 3 to 5 July 2023 1 to 3 July 2025

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Information about this school

 The Mile House Therapeutic School caters for pupils who have social, emotional and mental health needs and/or a diagnosis of autism. All pupils have an education, health and care plan.  The proprietor is Calcot Services for Children Limited which runs children’s homes in the South East region, as well as three therapeutic schools. The schools are based in Berkshire, Buckinghamshire and Oxfordshire.  The Mile House Therapeutic School was first judged to have unmet standards in an emergency inspection in June 2022. Subsequently, a progress monitoring inspection in January 2023 concluded that weaknesses remained with the same standards not met. In July 2023, a standard independent school inspection took place, and all standards were met.  The school is using two unregistered alternative provisions.  This is the school’s second standard inspection.

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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 the impact of the pandemic with leaders and have taken that into account in their evaluation of the school.  The inspectors met with the headteacher, the executive headteacher and other members of the leadership team.  The lead inspector met with the chairs of the proprietor body and one other member of the education committee.  The inspectors carried out deep dives in the following subjects: English, mathematics, art and humanities. For each deep dive, inspectors held discussions about the curriculum, spoke to teachers, spoke to some pupils about their learning and looked at samples of pupils’ work.  Inspectors observed pupils’ behaviour around the school and in lessons. They also spoke to pupils in lessons and during play and lunchtimes. 1 to 3 July 2025  The lead inspector considered a range of documents, including leaders’

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Information about this inspection

evaluations of the school, their school improvement plan and minutes from education committee meetings.  Inspectors considered parents’ and carers’ responses to Ofsted Parent View.  Inspectors took account of the views of staff through conversations and the responses to the online staff survey.  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.

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Inspection team

Nina Marabese, lead inspector His Majesty’s Inspector

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Inspection team

Mike Serridge 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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