Aurora Redehall School

Inspection of Aurora Redehall School Redehall Road, Smallfield, Surrey, RH6 9QA

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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?

There is a happy and positive atmosphere at both the primary and secondary sites of Aurora Redehall School. Pupils appreciate the small class sizes and the high levels of support they receive from staff. Pupils say this means they can always get help with their learning or wider concerns. Pupils feel safe. Relationships between staff and pupils are warm, supportive and respectful.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The school has consistent expectations for pupils to work hard and high ambitions for their achievement. Most pupils rise to these expectations. Pupils are proud of their learning and enjoy a range of subjects, including mathematics and art. Pupils’ workbooks show an extensive quantity of work and progress through the curriculum. Pupils gain qualifications and develop ambition for their adult lives. Younger pupils learn to read well. At the primary site, a culture for reading is established.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils learn about the school’s values, such as ambition and trust. Their learning about morals and the wonder of the world is extensive. Pupils are supported to develop and widen their interests, including through trips, visits and clubs.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Staff skilfully support pupils to manage and regulate their behaviour. Consequently, attitudes to learning are strong and little learning time is lost.

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better?

The school offers a broad curriculum that places a strong emphasis on pupils’ well- being alongside their academic learning. In the majority of subject areas, the school has developed well-sequenced curriculum plans. These plans identify what pupils will learn over time. In many subjects, including in personal, social and health education (PSHE), pupils work towards and achieve foundation stage, entry level and GCSE qualifications. However, the long-term plan in a small number of subjects, such as for English, at key stage 3, is less ambitious. Learning is not broken down into clear steps to build knowledge and skills, and pupils’ workbooks indicate slower progress.

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better?

All pupils who attend the school have an education, health and care (EHC) plan. Pupils’ individual special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) are known and understood. Many pupils have highly bespoke timetables, including access to therapies. Pupils’ progress towards their EHC plan targets is reviewed systematically. This information is used to adapt curriculum plans across the school.

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better?

There have been many changes to staffing at all levels since the previous inspection. Staff hold a range of expertise, including leadership, curriculum knowledge, behaviour management and the use of therapies. In most lessons, where subjects are established and embedded, staff are adept at reinforcing prior learning. They use questioning and quizzes, as well as reminders, to check what pupils understand and know. Misconceptions and gaps in learning are identified and learning tasks are adjusted to ensure that pupils learn well. However, some curriculum leaders are at 8 to 10 July 2025 an earlier stage of supporting staff to develop the subject-specific knowledge they require to teach their subjects. In these subjects, staff are less confident in designing learning that effectively helps pupils with SEND to overcome barriers to their learning.

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better?

Pupils play a strong part in reviewing their own learning. They identify whether they enjoyed the lesson and what skill or knowledge they have developed. Pupils know that staff will adjust the next steps in their learning to ensure that they are challenged and supported to progress well. Across the subjects and key stages, pupils typically learn well.

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better?

In the school’s primary provision, reading is prioritised effectively. Reading, visiting the library and hearing stories read aloud is routine. Staff are trained in the school’s selected phonics programme. Pupils joyfully acquire knowledge of letters and sounds. They read books matched to the sounds that they know. Pupils at the early stages of learning to read read aloud daily. A strong culture for reading is not yet established at key stage 3 and beyond.

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better?

Pupils generally behave well. They demonstrate polite behaviour. Behaviour and suspension records evidence a reduction in negative incidents. Behaviour transgressions are reviewed expertly, including by the therapeutic team. Pupils’ precise needs are identified and individual support plans adjusted. As a result, pupils focus well in lessons and act responsibly. Pupils’ attendance is high.

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better?

Pupils are prepared effectively for transitions in their education and towards adulthood. Pupils receive helpful guidance about careers. PSHE and relationships and sex education are carefully tailored to match pupils’ ages and learning needs. Pupils learn widely about leading healthy lives and about values. For example, pupils elect council representatives, experiencing democracy first hand. Trips and visits, as well as clubs at the school’s secondary site, support pupils’ interests well. Experiences on offer range from chess club to undertaking a residential trip as part of the Duke of Edinburgh’s Award scheme. Interactive assemblies cover topics such as mindfulness and world environment day. Therapy input, including sensory circuits and food groups, further promote pupils’ personal development.

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better?

The school engages extensively with staff, families and the local community. Staff report that systems for communication and support are strengthening. Pupils, parents and staff consistently agree that pupils are kept safe and are challenged to learn well.

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better?

The proprietor ensures rigorous oversight of the school. Governors add value, carrying out their roles knowledgeably. Statutory obligations are met, and the school is compliant with schedule 10 of the Equality Act 2010. The independent school standards (the standards) are met consistently. Collectively, leaders hold a precise view of the many strengths of the school and priorities for further improvement. 8 to 10 July 2025

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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(Information for the school and proprietor)

 In a minority of subjects and phases the school has not clearly identified the most important subject-specific concepts that pupils need to learn securely. As a result, in these subjects, including English at key stage 3 and in reading across the school’s secondary provision, some pupils do not remember important prior knowledge or extend their skills. The school should ensure that teachers understand and implement expectations for reading in the secondary phase, and know which key concepts to teach in each subject, and when to revisit them, so that pupils know and remember more over time.  Training and support for leaders of some subjects is at an early stage. As a result, some subject leaders lack the necessary skills and confidence to support staff to design learning that enables pupils with SEND to learn the intended curriculum successfully in their subjects. The school should provide these curriculum leaders

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(Information for the school and proprietor)

with the expertise and knowledge that they need so that they are equipped to lead their curriculum areas 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 144730 DfE registration number 936/6011

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School details

Inspection number 10375006 Type of school Other independent special school

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School details

Email address RedehallSchool@the-aurora-group.com

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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

 Aurora Redehall is an independent school in Surrey. The school admits pupils from surrounding local authorities.  All pupils at the school have an EHC plan. Most pupils have a diagnosis of autism. An increasing number of pupils have complex speech, language and communication needs  The school is split over two sites. The primary provision is located at Redehall Road, Smallfield RH6 9QA and the secondary site is located at Francis Road, Caterham CR3 5NR.  The school currently makes use of two alternative providers. These are not registered with Ofsted.  The school’s last standard inspection took place in October 2022 when its overall effectiveness was judged to be good.

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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 judgement about the quality of a school’s education provision.  Inspectors discussed the continued impact of the pandemic with the school and have taken that into account in their evaluation of the school.  Inspectors met with the principal and the head of school throughout the inspection. Inspectors also met with the school business manager, the safeguarding lead and curriculum leaders. In addition, inspectors met with the chair, and other members of the proprietor body and governors.  Inspectors met with a group of pupils and with a group of staff, including teachers and support staff.  Inspectors carried out deep dives in these subjects: reading, English, science, 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.

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Information about this inspection

 To evaluate the effectiveness of safeguarding, the inspectors: reviewed the single central record; took account of the views of the school, staff and pupils; and considered the extent to which the school has created an open and honest culture around safeguarding that puts pupils’ interests first. 8 to 10 July 2025  As part of the checks made on the school’s compliance with the standards, the lead inspector had a tour of the school premises at both sites with the principal and the head of school.  A wide range of school policies and documents were examined to provide inspection evidence and to check compliance with the standards. Documents included: the schools’ self-evaluation and next steps plan; evidence of staff training; headteacher reports to the governing body and minutes of governing body meetings; and the school’s checks on health and safety and compliance. Behaviour and attendance records and information relating to safeguarding were

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Information about this inspection

also scrutinised. Inspectors considered the responses to Ofsted Parent View, including the free-text responses and also information shared with Ofsted in a telephone call. There were no responses to Ofsted’s online surveys for staff and pupils.  Inspectors also spoke to a representative of Surrey local authority by telephone.

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Inspection team

Hilary Macdonald, lead inspector Ofsted Inspector

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Inspection team

Elaine Parkinson 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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