Hatton Special School

Inspection of Hatton Special School Roding Lane South, Woodford Green, Essex IG8 8EU

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The quality of education Good Behaviour and attitudes Good Personal development Good Leadership and management Good Early years provision Good Previous inspection grade Outstanding 8 and 9 July 2025

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What is it like to attend this school?

Hatton Special School is a nurturing and thoughtful community. Pupils’ complex needs are known well. The school has a clear vision for its pupils. It wants every pupil to learn as much as they can, in a way that meets their needs. Staff understand pupils’ complex needs and are determined to provide the best possible education. This helps to build trusting relationships and means that pupils learn well and feel safe and understood.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Routines are clear and well established, helping pupils to understand the school day. Staff work patiently and calmly to support pupils when they are anxious. Staff offer reassurance, structure and space so that pupils can re-engage when they are ready. While some pupils find it more difficult to regulate their behaviour, staff respond in ways that are sensitive and attuned to each pupil’s needs.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The school environment is calm. Pupils learn to take turns, share their likes and dislikes and build their independence over time. Pupils’ achievements are celebrated through shared assemblies, displays of work or simple day-to-day interactions. Many pupils show delight when praised, or when joining in with familiar songs and stories.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils enjoy experiences that help them to understand the wider world. They take part in charity events, performances and cultural activities. The school ensures that all pupils, regardless of need, are included in these joyful moments.

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

The curriculum is carefully organised. The school has clearly set out what it wants pupils to learn. Typically, this results in well-designed learning that follows a logical order. For example, the curriculum is divided into different learning pathways that reflect pupils’ ages, stages of development and individual needs. Within these pathways, learning is broken down so that pupils are supported to be successful in a way that is manageable for them. This helps pupils to build their knowledge gradually over time.

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

Children in the early years benefit from a safe and purposeful environment. The classrooms and resources are set up to encourage independence and exploration. Staff support children’s early development by helping them take turns, communicate and manage their emotions. Stories, songs and familiar routines help children to make sense of the world and prepare for their next stage of learning.

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

Across the school, staff adapt teaching activities so that pupils can join in and make progress through their curriculum pathways. For example, teaching uses visuals, repetition and modelling to support pupils’ understanding. Pupils are given time to respond, and staff watch closely to check how well pupils engage. In a few instances, however, teaching activities do not build carefully enough on what pupils already know or can do. For some pupils, this can lead to frustration and reduces their progress through the curriculum. 8 and 9 July 2025

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Supporting communication underpins the approach to early reading. Many pupils find it hard to express themselves or understand others, so staff use a consistent range of approaches, including, for example, symbols, gesture and language, to support different types of communication. Before starting phonics, pupils develop essential pre-reading skills by listening to sounds, singing songs and using sensory materials. Reading is adapted so that all pupils can access and enjoy it in a way that makes sense to them.

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The school has put approaches in place to oversee pupils’ progression through the curriculum. Staff use these approaches to check how well pupils are learning and to plan what to teach next. In most cases, this works well. However, in a few subjects, there is not a strong enough link between what the checks show and what is taught next. This means that a small number of pupils are not helped to move on in their learning as effectively as they could be.

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Staff understand the range of communication, sensory and emotional needs that affect pupils’ behaviour. They usually respond calmly and consistently. However, when activities do not match pupils’ developmental stages, there are occasions where behaviour is not managed as effectively. To address this, the school is refining the curriculum and training staff to adjust their approaches.

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The school promotes pupils’ personal development thoughtfully. Staff prioritise pupils’ independence, self-expression and emotional development. Pupils take part in events that broaden their experiences, including educational visits, themed weeks and celebrations. Through routines, modelling and direct teaching, pupils learn how to behave kindly and safely.

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Governors understand the school’s strengths and challenges. They ask thoughtful questions and help to keep pupils’ needs at the heart of decisions. School leaders, including governors, support staff well. For instance, staff receive weekly training on behaviour, communication and teaching methods. The school takes action to support staff well-being and reduce workload. Staff feel valued.

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Most parents and carers are positive about the school. They feel their children are well cared for and kept safe. A small number of parents feel that their concerns are not always fully understood. The school is taking steps to improve communication, including, for example, sharing information on routines and providing classroom updates through its online platforms.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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 Occasionally, the design and delivery of teaching are not closely aligned to pupils’ developmental stages. As a result, some activities do not support pupils’ next steps in learning which can cause some to become frustrated or disengaged. The school should ensure that teaching approaches and tasks are carefully matched to pupils’ individual needs and stages of development.  Assessment information is not consistently used to inform teaching across the curriculum. This means that, in some subjects, there are instances where activities do not build securely on what pupils already know or can do. As a result, pupils’ progress through the curriculum is not as strong as it could be. The school should ensure that assessment is used more precisely to shape teaching and support pupils to build their knowledge over time.

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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). 8 and 9 July 2025

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School details

Appropriate authority The governing body

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School details

Chair of trust Hema Patel and Helen Essex (co-chairs)

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School details

Dates of previous inspection 7 and 8 March 2024, under section 8 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 The headteacher has been in post since September 2023.  The school caters for pupils with a range of special educational needs and/or disabilities. All pupils have an education, health and care plan.  The school does not currently use any alternative provision.  The school has two satellite classes. One at Manford Primary School, Manford Way, Chigwell IG7 4BX and the other at South Park Primary School, Water Lane, Seven Kings, Ilford IG3 9HF.

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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. 8 and 9 July 2025

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 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 carried out deep dives in these subjects: communication, literacy and language (including early reading), mathematics and science (including knowledge and understanding of the world). For each deep dive, inspectors met with subject leaders to discuss the curriculum, had discussions with staff and pupils, visited lessons and looked at samples of pupils’ work. Inspectors also considered the curriculum in other subjects as part of this inspection.  Inspectors scrutinised a range of documents, including leaders’ evaluation of the school and priorities for improvement.  To evaluate the effectiveness of safeguarding, the inspectors reviewed the single central record of pre-employment checks; took account of the views of leaders, staff

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and parents; and considered the extent to which the school has created an open and positive culture around safeguarding that puts pupils’ interests first.  Inspectors met with senior leaders, teachers and the wider school team.  Inspectors met with one of the co-chairs of the governing body and another governor.  Inspectors considered responses to Ofsted’s online surveys for parents, staff and pupils.

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Inspection team

Adam Vincent, lead inspector His Majesty's Inspector

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Inspection team

Emma Watford Ofsted Inspector 8 and 9 July 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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