Open Air Education

Inspection of Open Air Education Oakerside Lodge, Castle Eden Dene, Stanhope Chase, Peterlee SR8 1NJ

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Overall effectiveness Good

The quality of education Good Behaviour and attitudes Outstanding Personal development Good Leadership and management Good Overall effectiveness at previous inspection Not previously inspected

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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?

Open Air Education is a happy and calm school. Staff and parents share the same vision and values of an education rooted in nature. Staff are quick to build positive relationships with every pupil. As a result, pupils feel valued, safe and that they have a voice. They thrive in the outdoor environment.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The school has high expectations for pupils’ achievement. Staff are aspirational for what pupils can achieve, both academically and socially. Staff have designed an ambitious curriculum around a broad range of subjects across key stages. Pupils develop literacy, communication and numeracy skills well through lessons and activities. Pupils are increasingly prepared for their next steps and make steady progress through the curriculum from their starting points.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils grow in confidence at the school. They are nurtured to be resilient. Pupils particularly enjoy an array of trips and visits to museums, city centres and the beach. Pupils enjoy coming to school. Their attendance is excellent. Pupils’ behaviour and attitudes to learning are extremely positive. They take great responsibility in navigating the outdoor areas and being safe. They know the routines and procedures very well. This helps them to be increasingly independent.

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better?

Staff understand the curriculum in each subject well. They use their curriculum knowledge and training to inform their practice. They introduce and revisit important knowledge and skills at the beginning and end of each day. Pupils say that this helps them to remember what they are learning.

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better?

Pupils have lots of opportunities to practise applying their learning. Staff use the outdoors setting to set up creative learning activities. For example, in mathematics, pupils enjoy creating their own artwork with sticks to reinforce their knowledge of different types of angles. Pupils also benefit from carefully managed discussions, for example, about how their actions affect others. This helps them to demonstrate and understand empathy. Staff regularly check pupils’ knowledge and spend time with pupils to ensure that they have understood concepts. Pupils participate fully and confidently in lessons.

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better?

The school prioritises the teaching of reading. This includes a systematic approach to teaching phonics. Pupils’ reading skills, including phonics knowledge, comprehension and inference, are checked regularly. Staff are trained to identify if pupils are falling behind or have gaps in their reading skills. Pupils are encouraged to love reading. A particular highlight for them is time to read in hammocks in the woods. The teaching of handwriting and early writing skills is not as well established. Pupils have too few opportunities to develop and improve their handwriting at an age-appropriate level. 8 to 10 July 2025 Although at the time of this inspection there were no pupils at the school with diagnosed special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), staff are able to identify pupils’ needs. The SEND coordinator is alert to any pupils who need additional support and works with the local authority to monitor and assess pupils.

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better?

As a result, staff make suitable adjustments to enable all pupils to fully access the curriculum.

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better?

Expectations for pupils’ behaviour are high and pupils take pride in meeting these. The school’s approach to managing pupils’ behaviour is founded in building strong relationships. Staff listen to pupils and teach them ways to help them manage their feelings. As a result, pupils behave exceptionally well. They show great respect for their learning environment and for each other.

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better?

Pupils’ personal development is an important part of the school’s provision. The school provides many opportunities for pupils’ wider development. The school’s personal, social, health and economic education (PSHE) curriculum is well thought through. Pupils learn about healthy lifestyles and relationships. They learn about risk and how to be safe both on and offline. They have opportunities to understand difference, equality and respect. Pupils benefit from opportunities to deepen their understanding of right and wrong. However, some pupils have an insecure understanding of some aspects of the PSHE curriculum. This is particularly the case regarding their knowledge about other faiths and cultures. This could reduce their understanding of the modern world.

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better?

The school and proprietor have ensured a happy and committed staff team. They show high levels of pride in their work and feel valued. Workload and well-being are prioritised. The proprietor and the governance advisory board have secure oversight of the school’s work. They ensure that the independent school standards (the standards) are met consistently and securely. This includes 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)

 Pupils’ understanding of some aspects of the PSHE curriculum, including their knowledge of other cultures and faiths, is inconsistent. This means that pupils lack detailed understanding of others in society with different experience to themselves. The school should ensure that pupils develop a secure understanding of the curriculum, including other faiths and cultures, to better prepare them for life in modern Britain.  At times, pupils who need more help to develop their handwriting skills do not receive effective support. This means that some pupils do not learn to write as 8 to 10 July 2025 well as they should. The school should support pupils to improve their handwriting skills 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.

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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 150768 DfE registration number 840/6022

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School details

Inspection number 10374868 Type of school Other Independent School

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School details

Date of previous inspection Not previously inspected 8 to 10 July 2025

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Information about this school

 The school was registered by the Department for Education in August 2024. This is the school’s first standard inspection.  Open Air Education is registered to provide full-time education for 30 pupils aged 4 to 11 years.  The school is located at Oakerside Lodge, Castle Eden Dene, County Durham SR8 1NJ.  The site the school operates from is owned by Natural England.  One of the proprietor’s other provisions, Playology Forest School, also uses the site for part of the week.  The school currently uses no alternative provision.

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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 the school and have taken that into account in their evaluation of the school.  To evaluate the effectiveness of safeguarding, the 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 lead inspector met with the advisory board and the proprietor.  Inspectors carried out deep dives in these subjects: early reading, mathematics, global citizenship (humanities) and PSHE. For each deep dive, inspectors held discussions about the curriculum, visited a sample of lessons, spoke to teachers, spoke to some pupils about their learning and looked at samples of pupils’ work.

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Information about this inspection

 Inspectors also discussed other areas of the curriculum and reviewed samples of pupils’ work in other subjects.  Inspectors scrutinised a range of documentation, including key policies as well as the school’s self-evaluation and improvement plans. 8 to 10 July 2025  Inspectors looked at a range of information regarding behaviour. They observed the behaviour of pupils in classrooms and at social times.  To check the school’s compliance against the standards, inspectors completed a tour of each of the school premises as well as reviewed a sample of risk assessment and maintenance documentation.  An inspector spoke to parents via telephone.  Inspectors considered the views of parents and carers through the responses to Ofsted’s online questionnaire for parents, Ofsted Parent View.  The views of staff and pupils were considered through discussion with them.

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The school’s proposed change to the age range 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 is likely to meet the relevant independent school standards if the DfE decides to ap- prove 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 age range of pupils

 The outcome of this part of the inspection is: the school is likely to meet the

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relevant independent school standards if the material change relating

to the school provision is implemented.  Part 1, paragraphs 2(1) to 2(1)(b)(ii), 2(2) to 2(2)(i), 2A(1) to 2A(1)(g), 3 to 3(j), 4 – - The school has established a curriculum that is supported by appropriate plans and schemes of work. These take into account the age of pupils. - The plans ensure that pupils acquire speaking, listening, literacy and numeracy skills. - The school has ensured that the personal, social, health and economic education reflects the school’s aims and ethos and that it encourages respect for all. - Leaders have a secure understanding of their responsibility in relation to careers advice and guidance.  Part 2, paragraphs 5 to 5(d)(iii) - Leaders have a secure understanding of the standards relating to the spiritual, moral, spiritual and cultural development of pupils.  Part 8, all paragraphs. - Leaders have a clear understanding of the standards. They have ensured that these were met at this inspection.

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Inspection team

Jessica McKay, lead inspector His Majesty’s Inspector

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Inspection team

Stephanie Innes-Taylor His Majesty’s 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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