The Mews

The Mews

Address: C/O Cambian Education, Metropolitan House, 3 Darkes Lane, Potters Bar, EN6 1AG Unique reference number (URN): 145468

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Safeguarding standards met

The safeguarding standards are met. This means that leaders and/or those responsible for governance and oversight fulfil their specific responsibilities and have established an open culture in which safeguarding is everyone's responsibility and concerns are actively identified, acted upon and managed. As a result, pupils are made safer and feel safe.

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How we evaluate safeguarding

When we inspect schools for safeguarding, they can have the following outcomes:

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How we evaluate safeguarding

Met: The school has an open and positive culture of safeguarding. All legal requirements are met. Not met: The school has not created an open and positive culture of safeguarding. Not all legal requirements are met. Insufficient evidence: Inspectors were unable to gather sufficient evidence to judge whether safeguarding standards are met.

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Attendance and behaviour Strong standard

As a result of the highly positive environment the school offers, pupils attend very well. The school makes many careful adaptations to improve pupils' attendance. Where individual pupils find attendance more difficult, the school's work to re-engage them is consistently effective in improving attendance.

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Attendance and behaviour Strong standard

Pupils all have special educational needs and/or disabilities related to significant trauma. The school makes reasonable adjustments for them while maintaining high expectations. Staff are expert in spotting behaviour problems before they become too serious. They use any opportunity they can to help pupils reflect and learn about themselves so that they can rebuild relationships and make better decisions in the future. As a result, the school is consistently calm and orderly. Pupils behave very well without needing to be reminded. Pupils are very respectful towards staff.

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Attendance and behaviour Strong standard

Over their time in the school, pupils develop their ambition and apply themselves with more and more energy to their studies and wider school life. Those pupils who have benefited from significant time in school develop excellent attitudes to their studies and contribute very effectively to school life. For example, some pupils plan activities for their peers on important topics, such as equalities. Other pupils value these pupil-led activities.

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Inclusion Strong standard

All pupils in the school have special educational needs and/or disabilities. Leaders have developed a comprehensive and precise approach to identifying pupils' needs, when they join the school. They do this through a range of academic and other assessments linked to trauma and mental health. Staff are well trained in this approach and implement it consistently well. This means that, by the time a pupil begins to attend the school following the transition programme, staff have a clear picture of their academic, educational and personal needs, and the curriculum for each pupil meets their needs effectively.

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Inclusion Strong standard

Staff regularly and expertly adapt the provision, approach or support, based on ongoing pupil assessment. This works well and consistently breaks down the barriers to pupils' success.

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Inclusion Strong standard

The school engages with other partners in a regular and well-organised way. School staff work with families, social care, clinical staff and the virtual school to make sure that there is a joined-up approach to meeting pupils' needs.

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Personal development and wellbeing Strong standard

The school's focus on social development as preparation for life beyond school is highly effective. Staff take every opportunity they can to develop pupils in this way. This includes teaching pupils to make positive decisions, keep themselves physically and mentally healthy and develop healthy relationships with those around them. It also includes work to develop pupils' understanding of positive family life, eating together, playing together and being kind

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Expected standard

and respectful. As a result of this work, pupils begin to make bold decisions about their future. The school's work to enable pupils to be ready for the world of work contributes strongly to this. Pupils have access to independent careers advice and have bespoke careers days to develop their knowledge of the pathways that are available to them. Pupils value these opportunities.

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Expected standard

Pupils have a deep understanding of the personal development curriculum. It is their favourite part of the academic curriculum because they enjoy debating together, learning about others' views and developing their opinions. They are knowledgeable about how to keep themselves safe online and offline. They demonstrate what they have been taught about building strong friendships in the way they interact with one another. They have a well-developed understanding of fundamental British values and protected characteristics.

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Expected standard

The school has a carefully planned, weekly focus of activities to develop pupils socially, morally, spiritually and culturally. For example, pupils learn about equalities, different religions, animal welfare and charities. Over a year, these weekly activities build on one another so that pupils' knowledge develops well.

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Achievement Expected standard

Leaders choose appropriate courses for pupils to undertake at entry foundation and GCSE level, based on pupils' starting points and the time that pupils have available in their placements at the school. Pupils in The Mews achieve well from these starting points. They generally develop their essential skills well, particularly in writing extended and detailed responses. This means that they are well prepared for studying at the next level.

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Curriculum and teaching Expected standard

Leaders strive to ensure that all pupils are taught a bespoke suitable curriculum effectively. Teachers establish pupils' starting points during an extended transition programme. This programme helps staff build a clear picture of what pupils need to be successful. Pupils have a bespoke curriculum according to their needs and how much they have learned in the past. Given pupils' relatively short time in the school, teachers prioritise filling gaps in their essential knowledge, including in English and mathematics. Pupils study a wide range of other subjects too, including art, science, physical education, food technology, computing and languages. This prepares them well for movement to a mainstream setting or another provider.

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Curriculum and teaching Expected standard

Generally, teachers plan the curriculum well so that pupils' knowledge builds over time. However, sometimes, teachers do not sequence content as well as they might. This occasionally leads to pupils completing a range of tasks that do not link together well enough for pupils to learn as well as they might. Leaders know this and it is a part of their development plan to make improvements in this area. Teaching is typically responsive to pupils' needs and prior attainment. Pupils confidently ask questions if they do not understand their learning. Generally, teachers' subject knowledge is secure so that they can explain concepts to pupils effectively.

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Leadership and governance Expected standard

The proprietor has ensured that the school's leaders have the skills and knowledge they need to improve it. Leaders have implemented a range of intelligent systems that help the school run well. These systems also give enough information to the proprietor so that they can maintain oversight of the school, make sure it improves and consistently meets the independent school standards.

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Leadership and governance Expected standard

Leaders make sure that staff have the training they need to meet pupils' needs consistently. Through the professional learning programme, staff have developed a deep understanding of how trauma affects young people. They use this training to meet pupils' individual needs precisely and consistently.

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Leadership and governance Expected standard

Staff feel well supported in managing their workload. They get the supervision and support they need to confidently meet pupils' needs while maintaining their own wellbeing. Staff say that they love working at the school because leaders have developed a positive and supportive culture, where everyone can make a difference to pupils' lives.

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What it's like to be a pupil at this school

The Mews school is a close-knit community that pupils describe as 'like a family'. Pupils at this school have had significant gaps in their education. During their time in the school, pupils overcome their barriers to learning and wellbeing. They build their social skills and resilience. Many begin to enjoy school more and achieve more academically as they develop personally.

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What it's like to be a pupil at this school

Pupils' voices are important in school. The school involves pupils in making decisions about, for example, what uniform they would like and which charities they should support. The school's effective work to develop pupils' resilience, character and maturity, enables pupils who struggle, to gain confidence and to take part in the rich array of activities and experiences on offer.

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What it's like to be a pupil at this school

Pupils are kind to one another, behave well, attend well and support one another positively. Older pupils are very positive role models for newer entrants to the school. Where there are occasional problems in relationships between pupils, leaders take a positive approach, actively supporting pupils to rebuild and strengthen their relationships. This work means that pupils develop independent skills in self-control, relationship building and care for others. Pupils say that bullying does not happen as a result of this.

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What it's like to be a pupil at this school

Staff model calmness and positively. This means that pupils are consistently exposed to a warm, caring and mature environment. As a result, pupils are being well prepared for life after school in terms of future study, employment and being a part of a community.

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Independent school standards

Independent school standards are either met or not met for each category.

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Next steps

Leaders should ensure that the sequence of the curriculum consistently helps pupils build their knowledge securely over time.

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About this inspection

Inspectors carried out this standard inspection under section 109(1) and (2) of the Education and Skills Act 2008, and checked the school’s compliance with 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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About this inspection

Following our renewed inspection framework, all inspections are now led by His Majesty’s Inspectors (HMIs) or by Ofsted Inspectors (OIs) who have previously served as HMIs.

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About this inspection

Inspectors spoke with the group education director, the headteacher, teachers and a representative of the proprietor body during the inspection.

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About this inspection

The name of the proprietor is Cambian Childcare Ltd. The chair of the proprietor body is Andrew Sutherland.

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About this inspection

The fees currently charged are £59,000 to £91,000.

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About this inspection

The school's email address is lucy.harrison@cambiangroup.com.

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About this inspection

The inspectors confirmed the following information about the school:

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About this inspection

The school caters for pupils with social, emotional and mental health needs.

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About this inspection

The school uses no alternative provision.

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About this inspection

The school is registered to admit 20 pupils.

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About this inspection

The school offers placements that generally last for one academic year to prepare pupils for study at mainstream or other providers.

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About this inspection

Headteacher: Lucy Harrison 1. Quality of education provided Standards met

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About this inspection

2. Spiritual, moral, social and cultural development of pupils Standards met

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About this inspection

3. Welfare, health and safety of pupils Standards met

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About this inspection

4. Suitability of staff, supply staff, and proprietors Standards met

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About this inspection

5. Premises of and accommodation at schools Standards met

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About this inspection

6. Provision of information Standards met

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About this inspection

7. Manner in which complaints are handled Standards met

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About this inspection

8. Quality of leadership in and management of schools Standards met

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Facts and figures used on inspection

This data was available to the inspector at the time of the inspection.

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Exceptional

Practice is exceptional: of the highest standard nationally. Other schools can learn from it. All standards have been met.

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Strong standard

The school reaches a strong standard. Leaders are working above the standard expected of them.

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Expected standard

The school is fulfilling the expected standard of education and/or care. This means they are following the standard set out in statutory and non ‑ statutory legislation and the professional standards expected of them.

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Needs attention

The expected standards are not met but leaders are likely able to make the necessary improvements.

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Urgent improvement

The school needs to make urgent improvements to provide the expected standard of education and/or care.

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Insufficient evidence

Inspectors were unable to gather reliable enough evidence to grade an evaluation area. This is rare and normally only happens if there are no pupils on roll at the school.

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Insufficient evidence

services providing education and skills for children and learners of all ages, and inspects and regulates services that care for children and young people.

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Insufficient evidence

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Insufficient evidence

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Insufficient evidence

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Insufficient evidence

Store Street Manchester M1 2WD T: 0300 123 1231 Textphone: 0161 618 8524 E: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk W: www.gov.uk/ofsted

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