Robert Holme Academy

Inspection of Robert Holme Academy Fircroft, 3, Wrawby Road, Brigg, North Lincolnshire DN20 8DL

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Inspection dates: 16 to 18 September 2025

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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 Inadequate

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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?

This is a small, rapidly improved school. Pupils enjoy learning in a welcoming and nurturing environment. Staff are skilled and dedicated. They ensure pupils are valued as individuals and included as part of the Robert Holme ‘family’. The school provides high-quality care and support for pupils and parents and carers. All are aspirational for pupils to achieve their potential.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils respond well to the way in which staff encourage them to persevere and achieve their best. The school’s determined approach is embodied by the positive and sensitive way it meets pupils’ special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). The curriculum is ambitious and thoughtfully designed and adapted to meet the needs of individual pupils well. Pupils thrive because leaders take time to identify personalised learning and support that is in line with pupils’ individual education, health and care (EHC) plan.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Staff develop trusting relationships with pupils. Pupils quickly understand what the school expects of them. They learn to follow established routines, develop their communication skills and create friendships. They are kept safe and learn ways to regulate their emotions and behave well. When pupils find things challenging, staff respond with empathy and kindness. They provide very effective support ,which helps pupils to attend well, develop their resilience and achieve success.

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better?

Since the last standard inspection, the school has taken decisive and effective action to improve the quality of education. Leaders have revised and redesigned the curriculum to meet the needs of pupils well. It is clear what pupils need to know and when, in different curriculum subjects. Pupils build on their learning and skills in a sequential way. Staff receive suitable training and support to teach the curriculum. They have a thorough understanding of successful ways to meet pupils’ academic, social, emotional and mental health needs.

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better?

Leaders maintain careful and in-depth oversight of the school’s provision to meet pupils’ personal SEND requirements. Staff check regularly that pupils receive the right support and can achieve success. They create precise targets for pupils to achieve. These targets link securely to the outcomes stated in pupils’ EHC plans. Staff have the necessary expertise to help pupils to access learning. For example, pupils with sensory needs learn in manageable steps and in a way that is comfortable and engaging for them. The school uses guidance from external professionals to support the development of pupils’ speech, language and communication skills effectively.

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better?

The school checks closely what pupils learn and how well they learn it. Staff identify any gaps in pupils’ knowledge. They act quickly to intervene and provide extra teaching and support for pupils when necessary. In most subjects, pupils revisit and practise learning, which helps them to remember content. However, in some 16 to 18 September 2025 subjects such as art and music, pupils do not have sufficient opportunity to master and practise new knowledge and skills. Pupils do not learn as well as they should in these subjects.

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better?

Reading is high priority. Staff teach phonics with skill and precision. The school makes sure that pupils learn to read as quickly as possible. Pupils practise reading every day. When they need more help, staff provide skilled and effective support. The school promotes the joy of reading well. Pupils enjoy sharing books with staff. Staff bring stories to life, such as through role play, songs and rhymes.

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better?

Pupils attend well and display positive attitudes to learning. The school is adept in meeting pupils’ emotional and behavioural needs. It works successfully with parents and pupils to follow up reasons for absences and remove barriers to pupils’ attendance.

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better?

The school promotes pupils’ personal development well. Staff provide high-quality pastoral care for pupils, most of who have previously had negative experiences of mainstream schools. Pupils can explore their interests. They enjoy participating in sports, gardening, science and technology enrichment activities. Pupils develop their understanding of the importance of equality, healthy relationships and protected characteristics. They learn how to stay safe, including when online. Visitors to school inspire pupils to consider potential career choices. Trips and activities to places of worship, parks and local amenities enhance pupils’ learning and extend their knowledge of life beyond school. Despite this, the school does not offer pupils sufficiently diverse experiences beyond their local community. This limits pupils’ experience of life in modern Britain.

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better?

Staff are a close-knit team, who feel valued and appreciated by leaders. Parents are supportive and typically praise the way their children have ‘come on in leaps and bounds’ since joining the school.

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better?

The proprietor has a secure understanding of the school and works purposefully with school leaders and staff in the best interests of pupils. The school meets the independent school standards. Its unwavering focus on improving the quality of education has been successful. The school maintains frequent and thorough checks on the education, health, safety and welfare of pupils. Necessary procedures and policies for dealing with behaviour, health and safety are appropriate. The school’s safeguarding policy, which reflects the latest guidance, is available on the school’s website. The school complies with schedule 10 of the Equality Act 2010.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective. 16 to 18 September 2025

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(Information for the school and proprietor)

 The school offers a limited range of experiences for pupils to learn about life beyond their local community. As a result, pupils are not as well prepared for life in modern Britain as they could be. The school should ensure that pupils have suitable enrichment opportunities to broaden their understanding of the wider world.  In a small number of subjects, pupils do not have sufficient opportunities to practise and develop their knowledge and skills. This means that pupils do not learn as well as they could. The school should ensure that the curriculum in all subjects identifies opportunities for pupils to master and practise new skills to deepen and secure their understanding.

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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. 16 to 18 September 2025

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School details

Unique reference number 149400 DfE registration number 813/6014

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School details

Inspection number 10391817 Type of school Other Independent Special School

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School details

Email address info@robertholmeacademy.co.uk

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School details

Date of previous inspection 3 December 2024 16 to 18 September 2025

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Information about this school

 The school is an independent special school for pupils with autism and social, emotional and mental health needs. It is located at Fircroft, 3, Wrawby Road, Brigg, North Lincolnshire DN20 8DL.  The school is registered to admit up to 10 pupils.  All pupils have EHC plans.  At the time of the inspection, there were no pupils below the age of six years.  The school does not currently use alternative provision.  An additional inspection of the school took place in December 2024.

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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

 Inspectors discussed any continued impact of the pandemic with leaders and have taken that into account in their evaluation of the school.  Inspections are a point-in-time evaluation about the quality of a school’s education provision.  Inspectors met with the headteacher, the assistant headteacher, who is also the special educational needs coordinator and the designated safeguarding lead, the proprietor, some subject leaders and staff.  An inspector spoke to a parent at the end of the school day and spoke on the telephone with some other parents.  Inspectors carried out deep dives into these subjects: reading, mathematics and history. For each deep dive, inspectors held discussions about the curriculum, looked at curriculum plans, visited a sample of lessons, spoke to staff, spoke with some pupils and looked at samples of pupils’ work.  Inspectors spoke to leaders about the school’s approach to teaching in some

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Information about this inspection

other subjects.  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’ interest first. 16 to 18 September 2025  Inspectors toured the premises, scrutinised a range of school documents and met with leaders to discuss the school’s procedures and ensure its compliance with the independent school standards.  Inspectors met with some pupils with adults present to support pupils’ emotionally and aid their communication with inspectors.  Inspectors considered the responses to Ofsted’s online survey, Ofsted Parent View, and the school’s own surveys for parents and staff.

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Inspection team

Stephanie Innes-Taylor, lead inspector His Majesty’s Inspector

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Inspection team

Kathryn McDonald His Majesty’s Inspector 16 to 18 September 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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