Educate U

School progress monitoring inspection report

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Educate U Unit 2, 58c Chapel Road, Worthing, West Sussex BN12 6JT

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Main inspection findings

Part 1. Quality of education provided Paragraphs 2(1), 2(1)(b), 2(1)(b)(i) , 3, 3(a), 3(c), 3(d), 3(g)  The school has a carefully designed curriculum with appropriate schemes of work. These inform each pupil’s bespoke learning programme. This programme is linked to the pupil’s academic and pastoral needs as identified on their education and health care (EHC) plan.  Staff understand pupils’ EHC plans well. Staff are adept at identifying the knowledge and skills pupils need to learn to meet their targets on their EHC plans.  Pupils benefit from knowledgeable staff and well-informed teaching. Pupils’ work demonstrates that they are learning well. Pupils explain their ideas clearly and thoughtfully when discussing their understanding.  Teachers and other support staff show a strong understanding of pupils’ individual needs. They use assessment well to identify what pupils know and can do and what they

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Main inspection findings

need to learn next. Staff review pupils’ individual learning plans formally every term. Furthermore, staff use their knowledge of pupils’ progress on a daily basis to ensure that pupils have a secure understanding of concepts before they move on to learn something new.  The school meets these aspects of the independent school standards (the standards).

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Main inspection findings

Part 3. Welfare, health and safety of pupils Paragraphs 7, 7(a), 7(b), 32(1)(c)  At the previous inspection in March 2025, inspectors judged safeguarding to be effective and all relevant standards relating to the welfare, health and safety of pupils and staff were met.  The safeguarding policy meets current statutory requirements. It is also published on the school’s website in accordance with part 6 of the standards.  The school has a comprehensive programme of regular training and briefings to update staff about safeguarding matters. In part, this programme is tailored to staff’s individual training needs. This ensures that staff have the requisite knowledge to keep pupils safe.  Pupils benefit from a positive culture of vigilance. The school maintains comprehensive records of any safeguarding concerns, using an online system to record them. This system enables staff to track and monitor safeguarding concerns rigorously. The school

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Main inspection findings

works closely with external agencies to ensure that pupils and their families get the help they need to keep safe. Leaders do not hesitate to report safeguarding concerns to the local authority when necessary. The school is tenacious about taking swift action to protect pupils from harm.  The school understands the additional vulnerabilities of pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities. Staff have a secure understanding of the potential safeguarding risks for the pupils, including when they are out and about in the community. Pupils learn how to keep themselves safe both on and offline.  Strong, secure relationships between staff and pupils permeate the school. Pupils state that they feel valued and safe in school. The school prides itself on its ability to form positive and constructive relationships with families. However, this does not prevent leaders from consistently acting in the best interests of the pupils.

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Main inspection findings

 These aspects of the standards continue to be met.

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Main inspection findings

Part 4. Suitability of staff, supply staff, and proprietors Paragraphs 18(2), 18(2)(a) to 18(2)(e), 18(3), 19(2) to 19(2)(d)(ii), 20(6)to 20(6)(b)(ii), 20(6)(c), 21(1) to 21(3)(b), 21(5) to 21(6),  The school ensures that it carries out all required checks on the adults that it employs.  The school’s single central record of pre-appointment checks on adults working in the school contains the statutory information required.  Key leaders and members of the proprietor body have completed safer recruitment training. They have a secure understanding of the importance of ensuring that the adults they employ are safe to work with children and young people.  These aspects of the standards continue to be met.

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Main inspection findings

Part 7. Manner in which complaints are handled Paragraphs 33, 33(a) to 33(k)  The school has a comprehensive and up-to-date complaints policy. This contains all the information required to meet the standard.  The school’s procedures for handling complaints are set out clearly within the policy. Written records show that the school follows its policy rigorously when handling complaints. Leaders ensure that when the school receives a concern or a complaint, they appoint a suitable member of staff to carry out the investigation. Records seen during this inspection show that the school resolves most concerns informally.  The standard in this part continues to be met. Part 8. Quality of leadership in and management of schools Paragraphs 34, 34(1)(a), 34(1)(b), 34(1)(c)  At the last inspection, leaders had not ensured that all the standards were met consistently and securely. The inspectors identified weaknesses in how effectively the

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Main inspection findings

school carried out and logged premises and statutory health and safety checks.  The school has successfully implemented the action plan that the Department for Education (DfE) requested following the previous inspection. All identified actions are now complete.  The school has taken swift and appropriate actions to strengthen leadership following the previous inspection. They are resolute in their determination to ensure that the standards are met consistently well. This includes improvement of the school’s administration systems so that staff can carry out premises and health and safety checks systematically.  Leaders and the proprietor ensure that the school’s premises are maintained to a high standard. This is checked regularly. Staff responsible for health and safety checks make effective use of the school’s electronic premises management system. This enables them to carry out all routine statutory checks in a timely manner and log them appropriately.

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Main inspection findings

The school’s health and safety logs are comprehensive and complete.  The proprietor has established effective systems to ensure the standards continue to be met. It receives monthly reports about how the school complies with the standards. Advice from external consultants is used by the school, where necessary, to inform and strengthen its improvement work.  Leaders make sure that staff have access to relevant external accredited training. This has enhanced staff’s knowledge of the standards. It also contributes to the development of their leadership skills.  The school actively promotes the well-being of pupils. The school has comprehensive policies and procedures to keep pupils safe. These comply with statutory requirements. Through the curriculum, pupils learn how to keep themselves safe both online and when out in the community. The school also provides comprehensive social, emotional and mental health support for pupils. This is delivered by suitably trained, expert staff.

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Main inspection findings

 The standards in this part 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 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

Date of previous standard inspection 11 to 13 March 2025

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Information about this school

 The school was registered by the DfE on 2 December 2019.  The headteacher has been in post since September 2023 having been employed at the school since September 2021.  The school’s most recent standard inspection was carried out from 11 to 13 March 2025.  The school has three additional premises: Station House, 2 Railway Approach, Worthing Central, BN11 1UR; 19 Liverpool Gardens, Worthing, BN11 1RY; and outdoor provision at Reef Wood, Binstead Lane, Arundel, Sussex, BN18 0UX.  All pupils attending the school have EHC plans. Pupils have social, emotional and mental health needs. Many pupils have missed a significant amount of time in school previously.  The school currently uses six unregistered alternative provisions.

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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 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.  This was the first progress monitoring inspection since the last standard inspection. It was carried out with no notice.  The DfE required the school to prepare an action plan as a result of non-compliance with the standards identified during the last standard inspection in March 2025. This was evaluated and accepted by the DfE in July 2025.  A range of documents and policies linked to the DfE’s request were scrutinised before and during the inspection. This included the school’s curriculum policy, schemes of work, safeguarding policies and complaints information, including the complaints policy. The

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Information about this inspection

inspector also checked the single central record.  The inspectors visited lessons and met with pupils to gather their views of the school and discuss their work. An inspector met with leaders to review the school’s approach to curriculum design and planning.  The inspectors held a range of meetings, including with the headteacher and other senior leaders. A meeting was held with the designated safeguarding lead and other safeguarding leaders.  The inspector met with the two directors of the proprietor body, including the chair.

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Inspection team

Sue Keeling, lead inspector His Majesty’s Inspector

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Inspection team

Chris Parker 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

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