The Ryes College

The Ryes College

Address: Bures Road, Assington, Sudbury, Suffolk, CO10 5NA Unique reference number (URN): 143911

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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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Achievement Expected standard

Pupils have complex needs, including social, emotional and mental health needs. They all have an education, health and care plan. Pupils experienced significant disruption to their education prior to joining the school. The school works effectively to close gaps and build pupils' knowledge in reading, writing and mathematics. As a result, despite barriers to learning and wellbeing, most pupils achieve well.

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Achievement Expected standard

The school has established effective programmes to support pupils to re-engage with their learning. Staff emphasise developing pupils' independence. This includes teaching them to travel safely. Pupils also benefit from targeted support to help them improve their social and communication skills. This helps pupils to interact more positively with others, both in school and the wider community. It also supports pupils to build their self-esteem over time.

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Achievement Expected standard

Where appropriate, pupils access a range of nationally recognised qualifications. This includes functional skills, BTEC National Diplomas and GCSE courses. These pathways prepare pupils well for their next steps in education or training.

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Attendance and behaviour Expected standard

Leaders have a secure oversight of pupils' attendance. They identify patterns or barriers to pupils' high attendance. Where concerns arise, they put in place appropriate and timely action plans. These include building effective relationships with parents and carers to build trust. In many cases, this work is successful and pupils' attendance improves over time. This is particularly notable given that many pupils have experienced disrupted attendance at their previous settings.

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Attendance and behaviour Expected standard

All pupils have social, emotional and mental health needs. The school provides effective pastoral support to help pupils recognise and manage these needs. Typically, pupils are polite and welcoming. Sometimes, pupils struggle to manage their emotions. Generally, disruption to learning is dealt with well. Staff are skilled at recognising when a pupil is struggling to focus. They intervene quickly and effectively. This means learning is not significantly disrupted. Leaders analyse behaviour patterns well. They use this information to provide pupils with appropriate support. For example, personalised plans to help pupils stay calm and focused are used effectively. These help pupils manage their emotions. They learn how to respond to events in a healthy manner. Staff work well to build positive relationships with pupils. They teach pupils how to rebuild relationships with their peers after any falling

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Attendance and behaviour Expected standard

out. This helps to ensure any incidents do not damage pupils' self-esteem or confidence.

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Curriculum and teaching Expected standard

Leaders have a secure understanding of the quality of the school's curriculum and teaching. The curriculum is well sequenced and ambitious. Leaders have trained staff appropriately to meet the needs of pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities. Pupils enjoy a wide range of subjects, including personal development, outdoor learning, art and design and technology. Pupils study separate curriculum pathways depending on their prior learning and needs. Staff support pupils to achieve well on their particular pathway. Some pupils learn in highly effective nurture groups. In these groups, teachers are consistently skilled in providing pupils with high levels of academic and pastoral support.

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Curriculum and teaching Expected standard

Many pupils join with significant gaps in their reading, writing and mathematics knowledge. The school has an appropriate curriculum in place to help secure this foundational knowledge, including reading. In the main, there are appropriate methods in place to check pupils' skills and knowledge. These checks support staff to quickly recognise when pupils lack understanding. However, assessment is not consistently precise across all subjects. As a result, sometimes gaps in pupils' understanding are not identified or addressed quickly enough. While pupils often achieve well from their starting points, this is not always the case. In some instances, teaching moves on through the curriculum before pupils have secured important curriculum knowledge.

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Inclusion Expected standard

All pupils have an education, health and care plan with social, emotional and mental health identified as their primary need. The school has well-considered methods in place to identify pupils’ needs before they join. They build positive relationships with pupils and their parents and carers. This helps pupils to settle well in school.

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Inclusion Expected standard

All pupils have had a disrupted education prior to joining. The school has appropriate ways of identifying pupils’ academic and pastoral needs. They have separate curriculum pathways in place to help pupils progress well from their different starting points. Leaders monitor how well pupils are progressing through the curriculum over time. Staff receive appropriate training to deliver the curriculum as leaders intend. They are typically skilled to make appropriate adjustments where needed to ensure pupils achieve well.

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Inclusion Expected standard

The school has introduced a broader range of therapeutic approaches to meet pupils’ needs. This support has a positive impact on pupils’ wellbeing. Staff and pupils benefit from the additional help provided by the group's clinical team. The school works well with representatives from the virtual school. This collaboration helps to ensure children known to social care are appropriately supported. A small number of pupils receive provision off site to further help them with their social skills and mental health.

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Leadership and governance Expected standard

The proprietor body is effective in ensuring that the independent school standards are met. Appropriate quality assurances are in place. This includes an effective governing body and other layers of support and challenge. As a result, leaders have a clear and accurate understanding of the school's strengths and areas for improvement. They have created a nurturing and ambitious environment for pupils. Leaders have successfully prioritised building strong relationships and high expectations. Consequently, pupils develop a sense of belonging. This is noteworthy after their historically challenging experiences of education. Leaders act purposefully to ensure pupils grow in confidence. They successfully prioritise building pupils' resilience and social skills. As a result, pupils steadily build the skills they need to thrive both at school and beyond. The proprietor body fulfils its statutory duties effectively, including those related to

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Leadership and governance Expected standard

safeguarding. All pupils are disadvantaged and have an education, health and care plan. Leaders ensure that provision is focused on meeting their individual needs, academically and pastorally. They ensure that resources are used effectively and in the pupils' best interests. They recognise when provision needs strengthening. Leaders make improvements in a timely manner. They are ambitious to continually improve pupils' experiences. This includes small-group support visits, therapeutic care and well-equipped learning environments.

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Leadership and governance Expected standard

Staff are well-trained and have access to a range of appropriate professional development. Their training is well matched to meet the needs of the pupils they support. Staff are positive about the school. They feel well supported by leaders.

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Personal development and wellbeing Expected standard

The school provides a well-considered programme to support pupils' personal development. This includes meeting the needs identified in pupils' education, health and care plans. Leaders ensure that pupils are well supported to build their skills and confidence. They go on trips such as to museums, cafes or the zoo. This can include using public transport and interacting with other adults. These visits are linked to pupils' learning within the curriculum or to develop their broader life skills.

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Personal development and wellbeing Expected standard

The school has a wide range of therapeutic provisions. This support helps pupils to recognise and understand their own needs. Pupils are taught how to manage their emotions. They develop strategies to keep themselves healthy and safe. Pupils are supported to stay safe, including online. The school closely monitors pupils' wellbeing. Staff understand pupils' needs well. They use risk assessments appropriately to ensure targeted support builds carefully on pupils' starting points.

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Personal development and wellbeing Expected standard

Staff support pupils to manage conflict and build and repair relationships . This includes helping pupils to 'make things right' without experiencing shame. Staff help pupils to rehearse strategies through role play and discussion. They can then use this in real-life scenarios. The school promotes fundamental British values, such as democracy. Pupils vote for their school council representatives. They are given ample opportunities to develop their interests, for example through sports clubs. Pupils are encouraged to commit to the clubs, such as board games, for several sessions. This helps to build their resilience and supports social interaction.

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Personal development and wellbeing Expected standard

The school provides a structured programme of careers education, information, advice and guidance. It recognises that its pupils have increased vulnerabilities which place them at increased risk of not being in education, employment or training. The school is taking appropriate action to further strengthen its careers provision. This supports pupils' transition to their next steps.

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

Most pupils are happy at school. They are well supported to re-engage with learning after disrupted experiences of education. They benefit from a wide range of subjects and experiences that help to engage them. Many pupils enjoy their lessons in a range of areas, including design and technology, personal development and physical education. The curriculum pathways are well matched to pupils' needs and prior learning. Some pupils enjoy additional care in nurture groups. Pupils benefit from positive working relationships with the staff. This helps to reduce their anxiety about school and lessons. The school ensures that staff have a clear understanding of how to meet pupils' needs. This includes those outlined in their education, health and care plans. As a result, barriers to pupils' learning are reduced. Pupils are well prepared for their next steps.

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

The school ensures that pupils are well supported to feel secure in school. This helps them to feel a positive sense of belonging. Pupils are well supported to develop their interests outside of their lessons. This includes attending clubs such as those for drawing or film. Pupils learn how to develop their social skills. They are supported in developing friendships with their peers. Pupils learn how to recognise their different emotions. Over time, they build strategies to manage their feelings in a healthy manner.

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

Typically, pupils attend well. Despite disrupted experiences of education in the past, pupils now have a more positive attitude towards their learning. Pupils benefit from a calm atmosphere in school. Any disruption to lessons is dealt with promptly. Learning is rarely disrupted. Pupils know the staff care for them. Pupils typically demonstrate tolerance and respect for others. Any instances of unkindness are quickly and effectively dealt with by staff. From their starting points, pupils are well prepared for life in modern Britain.

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Next steps

Leaders should ensure that assessment criteria are precise so that staff can accurately understand and identify pupils' understanding across the curriculum. Leaders should ensure teaching consistently addresses gaps in pupils’ reading, writing and mathematics knowledge so that pupils secure the foundations they need for later learning and success.

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Independent school standards

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

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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 executive headteacher, chair of governors, regional director of education and a representative from the virtual schools during the inspection.

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About this inspection

The school provides education for pupils with social, emotional and mental health needs and autism, attachment disorders, anxiety, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder and specific learning difficulties.

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About this inspection

Since the previous inspection, a new executive headteacher has been appointed.

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About this inspection

The school is registered to admit 36 pupils. There are currently 33 pupils on roll.

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About this inspection

There are no students in the sixth form, and leaders do not intend to take students in that age group in future. Insufficient evidence and amnesty are granted for the judgment of sixth- form provision.

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About this inspection

The school currently uses one unregistered alternative provision.

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About this inspection

The school address is Bures Road, Assington, Sudbury, Suffolk, CO10 5NA

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About this inspection

The proprietor body is The Ryes College Ltd. The chief executive officer is David Manson. The chair of governors is James Madine.

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About this inspection

The email address of the school is admin.ryescollege@keyseducation.ac.uk.

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About this inspection

1. Quality of education provided Insufficient evidence

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About this inspection

Inspectors were unable to gather sufficient evidence to judge whether the following standards are met: Paragraph 2(2)

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About this inspection

For the purposes of paragraph (2)(1)(a), the matters are–

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About this inspection

(g) where the school has pupils above compulsory school age, a programme of activities which is appropriate to their needs;

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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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Team inspector:

Mireille MacRaild, His Majesty's Inspector

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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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