Elderbrook School

School progress monitoring inspection report

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Arc School Old Arley Ansley Lane, Old Arley, Nuneaton, Warwickshire, CV7 8NU

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Main inspection findings

Part 3. Welfare, health and safety of pupils Part 6. Provision of information Paragraph 7, 7(a) and 7(b) and 32(1)(c)  Safeguarding continues to be effective. The school’s safeguarding policy aligns with statutory guidelines, ensuring compliance with legal requirements. The school has implemented robust safeguarding measures, including compliance with safer recruitment practices, regular audits of the single central record, and comprehensive staff training. This reflects a strong commitment to ensuring the safety of pupils and staff.  The school has also taken proactive steps to address local contextual risks, such as radicalisation and extremism, by commissioning additional ‘Prevent’ duty staff training. This training has informed restorative practices and helped pupils understand the impact of racial slurs and inappropriate terminology. Initiatives like ‘Spill the Tea’ sessions provide safe spaces for pupils, particularly girls, to discuss issues related to sexuality,

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Main inspection findings

misogyny and teenage concerns. These efforts reflect a commitment to fostering an open and supportive environment where pupils feel safe and confident to express themselves.  Staff training logs demonstrate high levels of engagement and successful completion of safeguarding and health and safety training. The school has mechanisms in place to ensure training is regularly updated, and gaps are addressed logically, such as when staff are away from school and miss essential training. This highlights the school’s commitment to maintaining a well-trained workforce capable of effectively safeguarding pupils.  This standard continues to be met. Paragraph 32(1)(c)  The school continues to publish its arrangements for safeguarding pupils on its website. This document aligns with statutory guidance.  This standard continues to be met. Part 4. Suitability of staff, supply staff, and proprietors Paragraph 18(2) to 19(3), 21(1) to 21(76)(b)

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Main inspection findings

 Since the last progress monitoring inspection in April, additional staff members have been appointed to the class teams. A well-structured and thoughtfully designed recruitment process ensures that only individuals who align with the school’s commitment to pupil safety are selected. This involves securing references ahead of the interview stage. All essential pre-employment screenings are completed before any job offer is extended.  The school’s single central record meets the requirements set out in ‘Keeping Children Safe in Education’, 2025. It is regularly updated and checked by both the business manager and the proprietor. All required checks for staff, including new starters, are clearly recorded in line with current Department for Education guidance.  These standards continue to be met. Part 8. Quality of leadership in and management of schools Paragraph 34(1) to 34(1)(b)  At the time of the last standard inspection in February 2024, the school was not

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Main inspection findings

consistently meeting the independent school standards (the standards). Leaders and managers did not yet have the necessary knowledge and skills to ensure the standards were met reliably. By the time of the progress monitoring inspection in April 2025, the leadership team had continued to drive improvement. All previously unmet standards from parts 1 and 2 were now met. However, given that these improvements had only recently been secured, the proprietor had not yet demonstrated that the standards were being met consistently over time.  Since that last progress monitoring inspection, leaders, supported by the proprietor, have sustained the improvements made and maintained the standards that were previously met. As a result, all standards have now consistently been met.  Leadership at the school is strong and capable, with a clear vision for safeguarding and whole-school improvement. The senior leadership team is actively involved in monitoring

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Main inspection findings

and evaluating safeguarding practices, curriculum quality, and staff development.  The proprietor plays a significant role in governance and oversight, ensuring compliance with the standards through robust audit processes and reflective practice. They help make sure that the school meets required standards by carrying out regular audits and reviewing practice. For example, a new tiered school improvement model has been introduced, which includes ‘team around the school’ meetings. These meetings help track progress and make sure agreed actions are followed up. This joined-up approach has helped improve the quality of education and support for pupils.  This standard is now met.

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Compliance with regulatory requirements

The school meets the requirements of the schedule to the Education (Independent School Standards) Regulations 2014 (‘the independent school standards’) and associated requirements that were checked during this inspection. This included the standards and requirements that the school was judged to not comply with at the previous inspection. Not all of the standards and associated requirements were checked during this inspection.

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Part 8. Quality of leadership in and management of schools

 34(1) The standard about the quality of leadership and management is met if the proprietor ensures that persons with leadership and management responsibilities at the school– – 34(1)(a) demonstrate good skills and knowledge appropriate to their role so that the independent school standards are met consistently; – 34(1)(b) fulfil their responsibilities effectively so that the independent school standards are met consistently.

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School details

This inspection was carried out under section 109(1) and (2) of the Education and Skills Act 2008, the purpose of which 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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School details

Type of school Other independent special school

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School details

Email address arcoldarley@kedlestongroup.com

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School details

Dates of previous standard inspection 20 to 22 February 2024

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Information about this school

 Arc School Old Arley is an independent day school that provides education for pupils aged seven to 16. The Department for Education (DfE) registered the school on 3 October 1989.  The school is registered to admit up to 70 pupils. There are currently 42 on roll.  The school operates from: Ansley Lane, Old Arley, Nuneaton, Warwickshire CV7 8NU.  Pupils attending the school have a range of social, emotional, and mental health needs. Most have an education, health, and care (EHC) plan. Most have been permanently excluded from or were at high risk of being permanently excluded from their previous school.

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Information about this inspection

 This inspection was carried out at the request of the registration authority for independent schools. The purpose of the inspection was to monitor the school’s progress in meeting the standards and other requirements that it was judged not to comply with at its previous inspection.  At the school’s last standard inspection, which was carried out in February 2024, the school did not comply with all the standards.  The DfE required the school to prepare an action plan.  Ofsted evaluated this action plan on 23 July 2025.  This was the third progress monitoring inspection since the school was found not to comply with the standards at its last standard inspection in February 2024. The first progress monitoring inspection took place on 12 November 2024, and the second on 29 April 2025.  The school was not given any prior notice of this progress monitoring inspection. The inspector arrived at the start of the school day.

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Information about this inspection

 The inspector met with the headteacher, the proprietor’s national quality director, regional director, two school quality assurance leads, and other senior leadership team members. He also met remotely with a representative of the proprietor.  The inspector examined several policies, schemes of work and plans, visited classrooms, spoke to pupils, and looked at work in pupils’ books.  The inspector spoke with two groups of pupils to understand their experiences of school and their understanding of different cultures in the local and wider communities.  The inspection also considered the school’s safeguarding arrangements, including the single central record of pre-employment checks and whether the school’s safeguarding policy is available to parents. The inspector reviewed the school’s most recent action plan and assessed progress against planned actions. The inspector discussed the progress against the previously unmet standards with the headteacher, assistant

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Inspection team

Chris Pollitt, lead inspector His Majesty’s Inspector guidance ‘Raising concerns and making a complaint about Ofsted’, which is available from Ofsted’s website: www.gov.uk/government/publications/complaints-about-ofsted . If you would like Ofsted to send you a copy of the guidance, please telephone 0300 123 1231, or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk .

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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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Inspection team

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Inspection team

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