Refocus

Inspection of Refocus 6 Knox Road, Wellingborough, Northamptonshire NN8 1HW

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Overall effectiveness Good

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

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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?

The school has created a culture of respect, support and collaboration. Pupils feel safe, comfortable and confident in the warm and nurturing environment that staff have cultivated. Pupils accurately describe the school as ‘calm and sociable’. They state that they feel calmer themselves, thanks to the help that they receive from staff.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Every action that staff take is based on the aim that all pupils will be ‘employable, sociable and ready’ by the time that they leave school. Staff have high expectations of pupils, who have not had positive experiences of education before joining the school. Pupils develop an appreciation of the importance of education. They achieve qualifications and develop knowledge that prepares them well for their next steps. Pupils know that their achievements are recognised and celebrated by the school. They appreciate this.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The school helps pupils to develop their talents and interests. Pupils enjoy building their confidence and leadership skills through sports leadership courses. They use these skills when working in the community. For example, pupils organise sports days for their peers in other schools and run events at the local care home. These experiences also help pupils to develop their social skills and sense of community responsibility.

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better?

The school has designed, with care and intelligence, a curriculum that is ambitious and meets the needs of pupils. The qualifications that pupils study have been selected to provide them with the best chance of being successful and ready for life beyond school. Staff know exactly what pupils need to learn and when. They have strong subject knowledge and check pupils’ understanding thoroughly. Pupils’ work demonstrates their understanding of the subjects they study, and their ability to use subject-specific vocabulary accurately. For example, in a science lesson, pupils recorded their knowledge about the relationship between the skeletal and muscular systems in the human body.

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better?

Pupils take pride in their work. The more time that pupils spend at the school, the greater the quality and quantity of work they produce. Pupils develop an understanding of public speaking in their English lessons. They apply their learning in construction lessons to plaster and tile the walls of the school kitchens. However, on occasion, the work teachers provide for pupils does not help them to learn the most important knowledge that the curriculum identifies. This can result in pupils feeling overwhelmed. At these times, pupils are not as successful in building their knowledge.

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better?

The school identifies pupils’ starting points and provides the support that they need to be successful. The needs of pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities are identified promptly. Staff know pupils well and offer tailored support, 8 to 10 July 2025 so that pupils achieve positive outcomes, socially and academically. Pupils receive personalised support in relation to their reading, particularly those who need the most help. Pupils become more accurate and fluent readers.

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better?

Pupils appreciate the way in which staff communicate with them and help them to make good choices. All staff play their part in ensuring that pupils attend well. Leaders are analytical. They ensure that any trends in pupils’ behaviour or attendance are identified and action is taken to help pupils overcome any barriers to success.

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better?

The school caters well for pupils’ personal development. Its work to develop pupils’ resilience and independence is excellent. Staff provide deliberately designed opportunities for pupils to experience success and failure in safe environments. As a result, pupils develop their ability to respond to challenges. Pupils learn about the importance of respecting diversity. They are adamant that any trace of disrespect would be identified and addressed immediately. Pupils learn about how to keep themselves safe and healthy through the school’s good work around healthy lifestyles and relationships.

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better?

The school provides a range of support, so that pupils feel confident about their next steps. For example, the school has developed its own careers fair that takes place on the school site. Pupils experience different workplace environments, advice about apprenticeships and support with college applications. Pupils feel ready for the opportunities of life beyond school.

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better?

Leaders are proactive and dedicated. They identify priorities to improve the school and bring about positive change, for example the work done in relation to pupils’ behaviour and attendance. Staff and pupils benefit from working at, and attending, the school. Staff are overwhelmingly positive about the support they receive in relation to their workload and well-being. They access training that helps them to develop their knowledge and practice. Sometimes, in relation to teaching, the school does not identify areas for further development. This means that there are occasions when staff do not receive the advice and guidance they need to help pupils to learn the curriculum even more successfully.

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better?

The proprietor has the necessary knowledge to ensure that pupils are provided with a high-quality education and that the school meets the requirements of the independent school standards. Those responsible for governance share leaders’ vision of putting pupils’ interests first and helping them to build the foundations they need for positive futures. They support and challenge the school to achieve this vision. The school complies with schedule 10 of the Equality Act 2010.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective. 8 to 10 July 2025

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(Information for the school and proprietor)

 On occasion, the work teachers provide pupils with does not focus well enough on the most important knowledge that the curriculum identifies. When this is the case, some pupils become confused and do not learn as well as they could. The school should ensure that pupils consistently benefit from work that enables them to learn the intended curriculum without becoming overwhelmed.  In relation to some aspects of the quality of the teaching of the curriculum, the school does not consistently identify areas for improvement. As a result, staff do not receive the support that they need to be able to improve those aspects of their teaching. The school should ensure that it has the information that it needs to identify areas for improvement in the quality of teaching, and provide staff with the relevant advice and guidance.

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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. 8 to 10 July 2025

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School details

Unique reference number 148756 DfE registration number 940/6000

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School details

Inspection number 10374828 Type of school Other Independent School

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School details

Dates of previous inspection 4 to 6 October 2022 8 to 10 July 2025

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Information about this school

 Since the last standard inspection, there have been two material change inspections. On 30 October 2023, the school successfully applied to change its admission number from 20 to 40 pupils. On 7 November 2024, the school successfully applied to change its admission number from 40 to 60 pupils.  The school is currently exceeding the maximum number of pupils on roll that it is registered to admit. The school is registered to admit up to 60 pupils. There are currently 62 pupils on the school’s roll.  The school provides full-time or part-time education for pupils aged 14 to 16 years. Pupils who attend on a part-time basis are dual registered with a partner school.  The school receives referrals from local authorities and secondary schools. The school offers qualifications in a variety of subjects, including English, mathematics, science and vocational subjects.  The school operates from three sites at: 6 Knox Road, Wellingborough,

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Information about this school

Northamptonshire NN8 1HW; Rose Cottage, 17 Sheep Street, Wellingborough, Northamptonshire NN8 1BL; and 18 Sheep Street, Wellingborough, Northamptonshire NN8 1BL.  The school does not use the services of any alternative provisions.

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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 met with members of the proprietor body and members of the school’s governing body, including the chair. They met with senior leaders, including the leaders responsible for behaviour and attendance, the special educational needs coordinator and the designated safeguarding lead.  Inspectors carried out deep dives in these subjects: English, employability, construction and personal, social development. For each deep dive, inspectors held discussions about the curriculum, looked at curriculum plans, visited a 8 to 10 July 2025 sample of lessons, spoke to teachers, spoke to some pupils about their learning and looked at samples of pupils’ work.  Inspectors also visited lessons, spoke with pupils and reviewed documentation

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Information about this inspection

and samples of pupils’ work in relation to a number of other subjects.  Inspectors scrutinised a range of documents. These included policies related to curriculum, health and safety and complaints.  Inspectors toured the premises to review the suitability of the site.  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 considered the responses to Ofsted Parent View and Ofsted’s surveys for school staff and pupils.

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The school’s proposed change to the maximum number of pupils

The school has applied to the Department for Education (DfE) to make a ‘material change’ to its registration. At the DfE’s request, we checked whether the school meets the relevant independent school standards if the DfE decides to approve the change. This part of the inspection was carried out under section 162(4) of the Education Act 2002.

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The school’s proposed change to the maximum number of pupils

 The outcome of this part of the inspection: the school meets the independent

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school standards relevant to the material change. The material change

has already been implemented.  The school has accepted two additional pupils at the request of the local authority. Due consideration has been given by the proprietor to the school’s capacity to cater for these pupils in terms of the physical space, the educational offer and the personal development of all pupils on the school’s roll.  Leaders have ensured that there are never more than 60 pupils on site at any one time, as per the registration agreement with the DfE, prior to accepting additional pupils. These pupils attend on a part-time basis outside the hours of the usual school day.  The school has an appropriate understanding of safeguarding and the considerations around the increased number of pupils in relation to this.  Leaders have given due consideration to the welfare of pupils. They have ensured that the increased number of pupils on roll does not have any adverse impact on existing or incoming pupils.

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school standards relevant to the material change. The material change

 The proprietor’s work to ensure that the standards are consistently met is suitable to maintain compliance, should the DfE approve the material change. 8 to 10 July 2025

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Information about the material change inspection

 The proprietor has requested a material change to increase the maximum number of pupils for which it is registered to have on roll from 60 to 62.  The lead inspector reviewed the school’s likely compliance with standards relating to pupils’ welfare, health and safety, the school’s premises and leadership and management.

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Inspection team

Matthew Fearns-Davies, lead inspector His Majesty’s Inspector

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Inspection team

Deirdre Duignan Ofsted Inspector 8 to 10 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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