Car Dyke School

Car Dyke School

Address: 60 Main Road, Dowsby, Lincolnshire, PE10 0TL Unique reference number (URN): 151568

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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 Expected standard

The school has established a positive environment with respect at its core. There are clear systems in place to manage pupils’ behaviour, which can be challenging at times. This is because pupils have experienced significant trauma in the past and struggle to manage their feelings. They can quickly become upset or anxious. While staff face significant challenges as they support pupils to meet the school’s high expectations for behaviour, they routinely provide pupils with a kind and caring response. As a result, pupils settle and largely manage to cope with the demands of the school day.

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Attendance and behaviour Expected standard

Staff help pupils to make good choices. They remind them to use ‘kind hands’. They reward pupils when they respond to instructions and work hard. For example, pupils can collect tokens which they exchange for computer time, a craft activity or time in the school’s well- equipped sensory room.

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Attendance and behaviour Expected standard

Improving pupils’ attendance has been a key success for the school. Leaders have identified the key barriers that prevented pupils from coming to school. They have created a bespoke response which has been crafted with care and sensitivity bearing in mind pupils’ previous experiences in school. This work has been highly effective and secured pupils’ greatly improved attendance.

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Achievement Needs attention

The school has given careful consideration to the development of pupils’ personal skills when they join the school. As a result of their work, pupils have experienced some significant success. For example, they now attend school well. They are increasingly familiar with the routines of the school day. They have formed positive relationships with the adults in school and their self-confidence is growing.

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Achievement Needs attention

In contrast, pupils do not achieve as well as they could academically. They struggle to engage with some aspects of the curriculum and do not participate in learning activities for enough of the school day. Pupils have many gaps in their knowledge and skills when they arrive at the school. However, the school has not prioritised closing these gaps with sufficient speed or efficiency. Pupils are not consistently well enough prepared for the next steps in their education or life beyond school.

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Curriculum and teaching Needs attention

Leaders do not have secure enough oversight of the delivery of the curriculum. They have not provided staff with the training they need to deliver the curriculum with the expertise they need, given pupils’ high levels of need. The school has not ensured that pupils develop the key learning skills they need to access the curriculum fully. The school rightly prioritises key subjects such as English and mathematics. However, pupils do not routinely learn about a range of other subjects. This is because their barriers to learning have not been identified with sufficient provision and, as a result, they do not spend enough of the school day learning.

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Curriculum and teaching Needs attention

Staff use ‘observational diaries’ to record pupils’ successes and where they may need extra help. However, these checks are not focused sharply enough on the targets that have been identified as the most important skills and knowledge that pupils need to acquire. This means that staff are not consistently well-placed to identify pupils’ next steps.

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Curriculum and teaching Needs attention

Nevertheless, the school’s curriculum is well-thought out. It is broad and suitably ambitious. Curriculum plans set out the key knowledge that pupils should learn, including pupils who are at the very earliest stage of learning. It has been designed so that learning builds over time.

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Inclusion Needs attention

Staff ensure that they familiarise themselves with the key information that is included in pupils’ education, health and care (EHC) plans. They work closely with other adults who have an interest in, and oversight of, pupils’ education. This includes local authorities who commission pupils’ places at the school, and the virtual school. This helps staff to understand pupils’ starting points when they join the school. Staff use this information to break pupils’ long-term targets identified in their EHC plans into smaller, more achievable steps for pupils.

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Inclusion Needs attention

However, on the whole, the school has not engaged with the specialist services that can provide the precise advice and guidance that the school needs to support pupils who have such high levels of additional needs. While the school is clear about the goals and ambition that are identified for each pupil, they have not successfully identified what they need to do to remove the barriers that pupils face so that they can learn as well as they can. Staff do not consistently have the expertise they need to deliver the curriculum. This means that sometimes the support that pupils receive is not as effective as it could be.

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Leadership and governance Needs attention

The proprietor has not ensured that all of the independent school standards have been consistently met. The school has faced some additional challenges in the early days since it opened such as staff recruitment and admissions. Nevertheless, there is still significant work to do. Leaders have not ensured that pupils’ barriers to learning are successfully identified or that staff have the precise skills they need to deliver a well-rounded education for pupils.

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Leadership and governance Needs attention

There is no doubt that leaders have a clear vision for the school. They prioritise the decisions they believe will make the greatest difference for pupils and are ambitious for them. As a result, there have been some notable successes in the school’s first year, such as pupils’ attendance and the care that pupils receive to keep them safe and happy. The school has established positive working relationships with the key groups and individuals who have responsibility for pupils. They work closely with these stakeholders to make sure that decisions are made in pupils’ best interests. The proprietor is knowledgeable about their statutory responsibilities including safeguarding. While their oversight of this important element of the school’s work is methodical, the proprietor does not have a well enough developed understanding of other aspects such as the education that pupils receive.

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Leadership and governance Needs attention

Staff agree that leaders provide them with the support they need. They say that leaders consider their wellbeing and do what they can to reduce their workload. Staff work well together as a team and help each other out whenever they can.

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Personal development and wellbeing Needs attention

The school’s personal development and wellbeing offer does not provide pupils with a broad enough range of experiences and opportunities. While pupils’ additional needs create an additional challenge for the school in this work, leaders have not worked with sufficient determination to respond to pupils’ interests and help them to find new interests.

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Personal development and wellbeing Needs attention

The school has a personal, social and health education curriculum in place. This curriculum includes relationships and sex education. There are plans in place to support pupils to access career education when they develop the personal skills they need to engage in this aspect of their personal development. Staff make sensible adaptations to the curriculum. They prioritise the most important personal skills that pupils need to develop in preparation for the next steps in their education. For example, pupils learn how to keep themselves safe in the school building and on the school grounds. They learn how to play on the trampoline safely. Staff encourage pupils to look after equipment, share and take responsibility for their own belongings. The school takes effective action to protect pupils from online risks.

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Personal development and wellbeing Needs attention

Pupils learn to make their own choices. They begin to understand the difference between right and wrong. The school helps pupils to understand that poor choices can lead to consequences. Staff work closely with pupils to build up their confidence. Pupils’ small gains are celebrated and, as a result, their self-esteem improves.

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Personal development and wellbeing Needs attention

Pupils receive appropriate pastoral support. Staff recognise when pupils experience discomfort or frustration. Pupils use the school’s well-equipped sensory room when they need some time to calm down. Pupils also enjoy a walk in the school garden when they are finding the school day hard.

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

Pupils who attend Car Dyke School have complex additional needs. These needs are well known, and staff provide high levels of personal care for pupils. In the past, pupils have had negative experiences in education that have coloured their view of school. They have not attended school on a regular basis or not attended school at all. However, pupils are overcoming some of their personal challenges. They are learning that school can be a happy place. Pupils enjoy aspects of school life such as time on the school's trampoline or a walk in the garden. As a result of the increasingly positive experiences pupils now have, their attendance is vastly improved and they attend school well. They develop a strong sense of belonging and acceptance in this small school. Pupils enjoy positive relationships with staff. Staff are patient and kind when pupils struggle to manage their feelings. Staff step in at the right times and offer alternative activities or

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

pupils’ preferred activities so that they become more settled. There are high levels of supervision. Staff keep an 'eagle eye' on pupils throughout the school day. They make sure that pupils are safe and that bullying is not tolerated. Largely, the school is calm. Pupils are familiar with school routines. They anticipate lunchtime, enjoy outdoor sessions and know that the ‘goodbye song’ marks the end of the school day.

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

While the care that pupils receive is positive, there continues to be plenty of important work for the school to do. Currently, pupils do not fully benefit from the breadth or ambition of the curriculum. This is because staff do not consistently demonstrate the expertise they need to reduce pupils’ significant barriers to learning and help them to experience greater academic success.

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Next steps

The proprietor should ensure that they have clear oversight of the school’s work in order to assure themselves that the school is successfully meeting the independent school standards. The school should seek the advice and guidance of specialist agencies to further support their work to remove the barriers that prevent pupils from learning as well as they can. The school should ensure that staff have the expertise they need to engage pupils successfully in their learning and support them to achieve all that they can. The school should further extend the personal development and wellbeing offer so that pupils can develop their personal talents and find new interests.

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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

This was the school's first standard inspection. The school opened on 9 July 2025.

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About this inspection

Inspectors spoke with the headteacher, the director of education and the chair of the proprietor body.

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About this inspection

The school's proprietor is Blossom Children's Homes Limited. The chair of the proprietor body is Matthew Wakeling.

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Independent school standards

Independent school standards are either met or not met for each category. The fees currently charged are £65,000.

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Independent school standards

The maximum number of pupils that the school is permitted to admit is 20.

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Independent school standards

The school's email address is Craig.prestidge@blossomchildren.co.uk

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Independent school standards

Inspectors confirmed the following information about the school:

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Independent school standards

This is an independent special school. The school caters for pupils with a range of special educational needs and/or disabilities, including pupils who have cognitive and learning needs, speech, language and communication needs and pupils who have been diagnosed with an autism spectrum disorder. Pupils have an education, health and care plan.

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Independent school standards

The school does not make use of alternative provision.

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Independent school standards

1. Quality of education provided Standards not met

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Independent school standards

The following standards have not been met: Paragraph 2(1)

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Independent school standards

The standard in this paragraph is met if–

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Independent school standards

(a) the proprietor ensures that a written policy on the curriculum, supported by appropriate plans and schemes of work, which provides for the matters specified in sub-paragraph (2) is drawn up and implemented effectively; and

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Independent school standards

(b) the written policy, plans and schemes of work– (i) take into account the ages, aptitudes and needs of all pupils, including those pupils with an EHC plan; and

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Independent school standards

The standard in this paragraph is met if the proprietor ensures that the teaching at the school–

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Independent school standards

(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; (b) fosters in pupils self-motivation, the application of intellectual, physical and creative effort, interest in their work and the ability to think and learn for themselves; (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; (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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Independent school standards

2. Spiritual, moral, social and cultural development of pupils Standards not met

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Independent school standards

The following standards have not been met:

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Independent school standards

The standard about the spiritual, moral, social and cultural development of pupils at the school is met if the proprietor–

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Independent school standards

(b) ensures that principles are actively promoted which– (iii) encourage pupils to accept responsibility for their behaviour, show initiative and understand how they can contribute positively to the lives of those living and working in the locality in which the school is situated and to society more widely;

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Independent school standards

3. Welfare, health and safety of pupils Standards met

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Independent school standards

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

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Independent school standards

5. Premises of and accommodation at 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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School capacity

6. Provision of information Standards met

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School capacity

7. Manner in which complaints are handled Standards met

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School capacity

8. Quality of leadership in and management of schools Standards not met

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School capacity

The following standards have not been met: Paragraph 34(1)

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School capacity

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–

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School capacity

(a) demonstrate good skills and knowledge appropriate to their role so that the independent school standards are met consistently; (b) fulfil their responsibilities effectively so that the independent school standards are met consistently; and

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Exceptional

Practice is exceptional: of the highest standard nationally. Other schools can learn from it.

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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. 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

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