Rutherford School

Inspection of Rutherford School 1a Melville Avenue, South Croydon, Surrey CR2 7HZ

p.1

Inspection dates: 23 to 25 September 2025

p.1

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

p.1

Overall effectiveness Good

Does the school meet the independent school standards?

p.1

What is it like to attend this school?

The school creates an environment where learners’ abilities are encouraged to shine. Staff provide learners with the support that they need and ‘space to thrive’. Learners are encouraged and motivated to try their best. Learners engage well with staff. Relationships are positive and respectful. Staff know how to keep learners safe. They use individual risk assessments to accurately identify and address risks to learners.

p.2

What is it like to attend this school?

The school has high ambitions for learners. Staff, including highly skilled specialists and therapists, have developed a purposeful curriculum. They ensure that long- and short-term targets are appropriately aligned to learners’ individual education, health and care (EHC) plans. Learners achieve well from their starting points.

p.2

What is it like to attend this school?

Learners benefit greatly from staff, who know them extremely well. Staff act upon the nuances of learners’ non-verbal communication to skilfully redirect their interest. This enables learners to develop strategies to remain focused on their learning experiences. As a result, learners maintain good behaviour in and around the school.

p.2

What is it like to attend this school?

Preparation for adulthood is threaded well through the curriculum. Staff provide meaningful work experience opportunities that are tailored to students’ abilities. For instance, working at local pubs, foodbanks and within the school setting. Learners make a positive contribution to the community.

p.2

better?

Leaders have carefully selected a curriculum that prepares learners for opportunities beyond the school. They have organised the curriculum content to build learners’ skills and experiences over time. School leaders have developed systems to ensure that the curriculum is delivered consistently. Teachers plan a range of sensory activities that revisits and builds learners’ skills. Where possible, these sensory experiences link to real-world examples to support learning. For example, in cookery, learners develop their mathematical skills through measuring ingredients. Learners develop their understanding of number recognition and counting when purchasing treats for the school tuck shop. However, some of the checks that the school makes on how well the curriculum is implemented are not fully embedded. These prevent pupils from learning all that they could.

p.2

better?

Staff set useful and specific personalised targets for learners across their programmes, including for their physical and personal development. They break these targets down into sensible, manageable steps. Staff systematically review targets, adjusting and adapting them, so that learners make continual progress at a pace appropriate to them.

p.2

better?

Skilled specialists, therapists and staff work together to support learners’ health, care and well-being. Learners benefit greatly from the range of therapeutic services and specialist facilities offered. These include physiotherapy, medical care and music therapy. Staff draw upon a range of activities that help to improve learners’ physical 23 to 25 September 2025 health and stamina. For example, teachers ensure that learners spend targeted time using the hydrotherapy pool and trampoline for rebound therapy. Where applicable, staff create targeted opportunities for learners to use their standing frames in classrooms. The school provides specialist equipment, such as ear-defenders to assist learners in managing their individual sensory needs. As a result, learners are calm and can focus on their work. Learners become more resilient, confident and ready to engage in learning opportunities.

p.2

better?

Learners hear a range of quality stories woven through the curriculum. They show familiarity and enjoyment of the texts that staff read to them. Staff develop learners’ phonetic awareness through a focus on rhymes and environmental sounds. The school makes effective use of speech and language therapists. Staff learn how to use a range of resources and approaches to support communication. This includes the use of signing, symbols, objects and various forms of technology.

p.3

better?

The school maintains a thoughtful balance between high expectations for attendance and learners’ medical needs, which can cause absence from school. Staff greet learners at the school entrance. Learners respond favourably to familiar staff. The nursing team swiftly check on learners’ medical needs, ensuring that they are comfortable and ready for learning. This creates a calm and orderly atmosphere.

p.3

better?

Learners enjoy the range of enrichment opportunities provided by the school, such as football and basketball. They build their confidence and social skills, meet new peers and try new things. When learning about the body, learners can express consent if they are unhappy about how they are being touched. Learners receive useful and individualised careers education, advice and guidance. They gain valuable employability skills through work experiences. Staff establish proactive ways to strengthen transition arrangements beyond the school. The recently developed post- 25 provision complements the destinations and services learners go on to.

p.3

better?

The proprietor and those responsible for governance are ambitious for the school and its learners. They have created a culture of reflection and continuous improvement among staff. The school’s commitment to and compliance with schedule 10 of the Equality Act 2010 forms a strong foundation to leaders’ decisions and actions. The proprietor maintains close oversight of the school’s compliance with the independent school standards (‘the standards’).

p.3

better?

The school ensures that management of staff’s workload and well-being is well considered. School leaders provide staff with the training that they need to meet learners’ care and health needs effectively. Morale is high. Staff are passionate about the school’s drive for excellence for its learners.

p.3

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

p.3

(Information for the school and proprietor)

 Some aspects of the school’s work to improve the quality of teaching and learning is at an early stage of implementation. This means that there are some pockets of inconsistency in the school’s approach. This hinders the depth to which some learners learn. The school should support staff to build consistency in the delivery of these curriculums so that learners’ learning is maximised.

p.4

How can I feed back my views?

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.

p.4

How can I feed back my views?

The Department for Education has further guidance on how to complain about a school. 23 to 25 September 2025

p.4

School details

Unique reference number 101843 DfE registration number 306/6078

p.5

School details

Inspection number 10391699 Type of school Other Independent Special School

p.5

School details

Annual fees (day pupils) £60,000 to £86,000

p.5

School details

Email address rutherford@rutherfordschool.org.uk

p.5

School details

Dates of previous inspection 17 to 20 October 2022 23 to 25 September 2025

p.5

Information about this school

 Rutherford School is an independent special school situated in 1A Melville Avenue, South Croydon CR2 7HZ in the London Borough of Croydon.  The school’s previous inspection took place in October 2022, when the school was judged to be good.  The proprietor body is The Garwood Foundation, which consists of a board of trustees. The trustees delegate governance to the governing body.  The school is registered to admit up to 34 learners.  All pupils have EHC plans for their profound and multiple learning difficulties.  Since the last inspection, the school has only accommodated learners from 16 to 25-years old.  The deputy headteacher was appointed to post in September 2024.  The school does not operate a separate sixth-form provision.  Parents and carers have been consulted in relation to the school’s sex and relationships education. The school has an opt-out arrangement for those who do not wish to have their children study sex education.

p.6

Information about this school

 The school does not use any alternative provision.  During the time of the inspection, the school was undergoing major buildings work, including the construction of a hydro pool, an additional classroom and office spaces.

p.6

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.

p.6

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. Inspections are a point-in time evaluation about the quality of a school’s education provision.  The inspectors discussed any continued impact of the pandemic with the school and have taken that into account in their evaluation of the school.  The inspectors met with the chief executive officer, a member of the governing body, the headteacher, senior leaders and a range of staff.  The inspectors carried out deep dives in communication and language, physical development and mathematics. For each deep dive, inspectors met with leaders, visited a sample of lessons, met with leaders, spoke to staff and considered learners’ work and experiences. 23 to 25 September 2025  The inspectors met with trustees and senior leaders and looked at a range of

p.6

Information about this inspection

documentation to identify how the school maintains oversight and management of the independent school standards.  The inspectors considered the curriculum in other subjects. They also considered how the school met the standards across a range of areas, including health and safety.  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 learns’ interests first.  The inspectors considered the views of staff and parents through discussions and responses in the Ofsted’s survey for staff and parents. There were no responses to Ofsted’s surveys for pupils.

p.7

Inspection team

Lascelles Haughton, lead inspector His Majesty’s Inspector

p.7

Inspection team

Rebecca Iles-Smith His Majesty’s Inspector 23 to 25 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.

p.7

Inspection team

If you would like a copy of this document in a different format, such as large print or Braille, please telephone 0300 123 1231, or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk .

p.8

Inspection team

You may reuse this information (not including logos) free of charge in any format or medium, under the terms of the Open Government Licence. To view this licence, visit www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence/ , write to the Information Policy Team, The National Archives, Kew, London TW9 4DU, or email: psi@nationalarchives.gsi.gov.uk .

p.8

Inspection team

Interested in our work? You can subscribe to our monthly newsletter for more information and updates: http://eepurl.com/iTrDn .

p.8

Inspection team

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

p.8