Acorns School

School progress monitoring inspection report

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Acorns School 19b Hibbert Lane, Marple, Stockport, Cheshire SK6 7NN

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Main inspection findings

Part 1. Quality of education provided Paragraph 3(a), 3(c), 3(d), 3(e) and 3(g)  At the school’s previous inspection in April and May 2025, these independent school standards (the standards) were found to be unmet. Inspectors found that the education that pupils received was variable. In some subjects, pupils did not learn as well as they should. This was because many staff did not have the expertise necessary in the subjects that they were required to teach. The inspection also found that the school did not make effective use of assessment, especially when pupils were at an early stage of learning within a subject. The school was not clear about the impact of the curriculum on pupils. As a result, improvements that needed to be made had not been identified.  The proprietor’s and leaders’ work to address the weaknesses in the curriculum have had a positive impact. Leaders have ensured that staff now have the subject knowledge in

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Main inspection findings

the subjects that they are required to teach. Staff use their expertise to teach the curriculum consistently well. When staff are required to teach a subject outside their expertise, the proprietor has ensured that expert staff are available to support them. This support is having a positive impact. Overall, pupils are achieving well.  Assessment is now being used effectively. For example, in mathematics, careful knowledge checks are used by teachers to adapt teaching so that any misconceptions that pupils have are addressed quickly. In other subjects, daily checks on what pupils know and remember are used consistently. Teachers are beginning to use this information to adapt lesson content to ensure that pupils secure the important knowledge that they need.  Leaders at all levels carefully check the impact of the curriculum on pupils. Where weaknesses are identified these are remedied quickly.  These standards are now met.

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Main inspection findings

Part 3. Welfare, health and safety of pupils Part 6. Provision of information Paragraphs 7 to 7(b), 32(1) and 32(1)(c)  The proprietor has continued to put in place a safeguarding policy that follows current statutory guidance. The policy outlines the school’s procedures. Staff enact the policy effectively. This policy is published on the school’s website and explains the school’s arrangements for promoting pupils’ welfare and keeping them safe.  The school’s designated safeguarding leads are trained to an appropriate level. They are well supported by regional leaders and proprietors. Leaders check that the safeguarding policy is understood and implemented well.  Staff receive regular safeguarding training and updates. They understand that safeguarding is everyone’s responsibility. Any concerns are reported in detail and acted on swiftly.  These standards remain met.

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Main inspection findings

Part 8. Quality of leadership in and management of schools Paragraph 34(1) to 34(1)(b)  At the school’s inspection in April and May 2025, inspectors found that following a period of turbulence, weaknesses in the quality of the curriculum had been allowed to develop. The proprietor had not ensured that leaders had the expertise to address these weaknesses effectively. As a result, some of the standards were unmet.  The proprietor has established a new leadership team and appointed some new teachers with the expertise to improve the curriculum. This work has had a swift and positive impact on pupils’ achievement. Pupils experience a curriculum that is mostly right for them. Teachers know their pupils well and adapt teaching to meet their needs. For example, teachers provide additional resources to guide pupils learning. This helps to remove barriers that pupils might have so that they can focus on the important

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Main inspection findings

knowledge that they need to acquire.  The school has taken steps to check the impact of the curriculum on pupils. Information from these regular checks is used to further improve the curriculum content and the way that it is taught. As a result of this work, the school has established a consistent approach to the way that subjects are taught. For example, staff check carefully what pupils have understood and remembered. This is helping to improve the progress that pupils make.  The proprietor has taken sufficient and effective action to ensure that all of the previously unmet standards are now met securely and consistently. The proprietor has ensured that members of the proprietor body and leaders have the expertise to consistently meet the standards.  These standards are 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 1: Quality of education provided

 3 The standard in this paragraph is met if the proprietor ensures that the teaching at the school - – (a) enables pupils to acquire new knowledge and make good progress according to their ability so that they increase their understanding and develop their skills in the subjects taught; – (c) involves well planned lessons and effective teaching methods, activities and management of class time; – (d) shows a good understanding of the aptitudes, needs and prior attainments of the pupils, and ensures that these are taken into account in the planning of lessons; – (e) demonstrates good knowledge and understanding of the subject matter being taught; and – (g) demonstrates that a framework is in place to assess pupils’ work regularly and thoroughly and use information from that assessment to plan teaching so that pupils can progress.

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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 - – (a) demonstrate good skills and knowledge appropriate to their role so that the independent school standards are met consistently; and – (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

Gender of pupils in the sixth form Mixed

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School details

Of which, number on roll in sixth form 0

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School details

Website www.keyschildren.co.uk/schools/acorns- school/ Email address admin.acorns@keyseducation.ac.uk

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School details

Date of previous standard inspection 29 April to 1 May 2025

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Information about this school

 The school’s previous standard inspection took place from 29 April to 1 May 2025.  The school operates from premises at 19b Hibbert Lane, Marple, Stockport, Cheshire SK6 7NN.  The school operates from one additional site at Back Lane, Ashley, Altrincham, Cheshire WA15 0QH.  The school is registered to admit up to 56 pupils.  All pupils at the school have special educational needs and/or disabilities and have an education, health and care plan. All pupils have social, emotional and mental health needs. Some pupils also have diagnoses of autism and/or attention deficit hyperactivity disorder.  The school does make use of alternative provision.

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Information about this inspection

 This inspection was carried out at the request of the Department for Education (DfE). The purpose of the inspection was to monitor the progress the school has made in meeting the independent school standards and other requirements that it was judged to not comply with at its previous inspection.  The school was judged not to comply with the independent school standards at the previous inspection, which took place on 29 April to 1 May 2025.  This was the school’s first progress monitoring inspection.  Following the last standard inspection, the DfE required the school to prepare a statutory action plan. The action plan was evaluated by Ofsted on 3 September 2025 and accepted.  This inspection was conducted without notice.  The inspector met with representatives of the proprietor body and regional leaders. The inspector also met with the headteacher and deputy headteacher.  The inspector met with some teachers and some pupils.

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Information about this inspection

 The inspector reviewed a range of policies and documentation relating to the curriculum.  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 and carers. These requirements of the independent school standards are met.

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Inspection team

Jen Sloan, 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

Parent View You can use Parent View to give Ofsted your opinion on your child’s school. Ofsted will use the information parents and carers provide when deciding which schools to inspect and when and as part of the inspection.

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Inspection team

You can also use Parent View to find out what other parents and carers think about schools in England. You can visit www.parentview.ofsted.gov.uk , or look for the link on the main Ofsted website: www.gov.uk/ofsted .

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Inspection team

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

T: 0300 123 1231 Textphone: 0161 618 8524 E: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk W: www.gov.uk/ofsted

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