Fairlight Glen Independent Special School

Fairlight Glen Independent Special School

Address: Verona House, 45 Station Road, Herne Bay, Kent, CT6 5QQ Unique reference number (URN): 135623

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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 Needs attention

Pupils including those known, or previously known to social care, do not leave school well prepared for the next stage of their education, employment or training. This is because they have key gaps and misconceptions in their knowledge and understanding in the wider curriculum subjects. Leaders have introduced a professional learning programme to develop staff’s use of strategies to check pupils' knowledge, but this work is in its infancy. As a result, the required independent standard in Part 1 is not met.

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Achievement Needs attention

Leaders are resolute in their work to improve pupils' achievement in English and mathematics particularly. Staff make sure that pupils learn to read fluently and with understanding, irrespective of pupils’ starting points and special educational needs and/or disabilities. They work well to help pupils secure their basic skills in spelling and the recall of mathematical facts. Pupils achieve nationally accredited courses, such as functional skills in English and mathematics.

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Attendance and behaviour Needs attention

Pupils do not attend school as often as they should. They do not benefit fully from all that the school has to offer. Leaders review pupils’ attendance routinely and work well with a range of agencies to provide support to help pupils overcome any barriers. Staff take every opportunity to encourage pupils to attend regularly. This is a priority given that many pupils have been out of education for extended periods of time before they join the school. Leaders are beginning to make sure that any adaptations or support are effective and suitably consider pupils’ changing circumstances.

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Attendance and behaviour Needs attention

The school has a palpable ethos of kindness in all areas. Pupils are courteous and behave well. They follow instructions with thought and care. Pupils settle into lessons quickly and take pride in presenting their work neatly. Staff model the school’s behaviour systems effectively. This helps build positive, trusting, caring and happy relationships between adults and staff. Leaders identify pupils who need additional help to manage their behaviour or emotions and provide timely and effective support.

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Attendance and behaviour Needs attention

Pupils are clear that bullying, harassment and discrimination are not tolerated here. They are confident that if they have any concerns staff will act quickly and fairly to help resolve these.

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Curriculum and teaching Needs attention

Teaching does not help some pupils embed their learning securely over time. In subjects other than English and mathematics, pupils do not secure the important knowledge and understanding well enough before moving on to more complex learning. At times, pupils are unclear about what they are expected to know and remember well. They do not make links in their work. As a result, pupils do not learn as well as they should. Leaders have provided teachers with a programme of professional learning to address this, but it is too early to see the impact of this work. As a result, the school does not meet some of the independent school standards (the standards) that align to the quality of education pupils receive.

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Curriculum and teaching Needs attention

The curriculum is interesting and ambitious. Leaders have thought carefully about the knowledge, skills and vocabulary they want pupils to gain and the order in which they should learn this content. Teachers have sound subject knowledge, which they use to explain new ideas clearly.

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Curriculum and teaching Needs attention

Reading is a priority. Staff encourage pupils to read widely and often. The books that younger pupils read are matched closely to the sounds they learn. Any pupils who need to catch up receive prompt and effective support. Consequently, pupils become confident and fluent readers. Similarly, pupils develop firm roots in their knowledge of mathematical concepts, such as place value and multiplication facts.

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Inclusion Needs attention

The school’s inclusion strategy does not yet have a consistent impact on pupils’ outcomes and experiences. Leaders are working resolutely to address weaknesses in some aspects of the school’s inclusion practices. For example, most recently, they have provided staff with clear information on pupils’ individual starting points and their education and health care plan targets. Staff receive ongoing training. Consequently, they have a growing understanding of the strategies and interventions that leaders expect to be used to help pupils achieve their targets. However, the implementation of pupils’ individual plans and targeted interventions remain inconsistent.

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Inclusion Needs attention

Pupils arrive at the school with different starting points. Most have had negative experiences of education. Staff understand each pupil’s individual special educational and/or disabilities needs well. They use information from their initial assessments to adapt and create a bespoke curriculum, which accounts for pupils’ interests and aspirations. When pupils’ lack of confidence and self-belief hinders learning, adults provide skilful support. Consequently, pupils learn to take risks, work independently and experience success in this safe, caring and happy school.

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Inclusion Needs attention

Leaders work purposefully with parents and carers, the virtual school and external agencies to plan multi-agency support. This ensures that, more often than before, pupils receive the pastoral and emotional support they need.

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Leadership and governance Needs attention

Leaders understand the school’s strengths and weaknesses. They have recently introduced appropriate actions to strengthen teaching, raise attendance and improve pupils’ outcomes. However, it is too soon to see the impact these actions are having on pupils. The required independent school standards (the standards) in Part 8 are not met.

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Leadership and governance Needs attention

Leaders check the school’s work against the standards. However, leaders’ understanding of their roles and responsibilities to meet the standards is not secure enough. Consequently, the standards that align to leadership and management continue to be unmet. The proprietor maintains the premises well and ensures health and safety checks are completed in a timely manner. They commission external specialists to review leaders’ work and provide an independent evaluation of the school’s work. Governors meet their statutory duties and provide suitable challenge and support. Together with the proprietor they hold leaders to account for managing resources. Leaders make decisions in pupils’ best interests, those known to social care, or previously known and pupils who face other barriers to their learning and wellbeing.

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Leadership and governance Needs attention

Leaders provide staff with a useful professional learning and coaching programme that helps them develop their practice. Leaders consider staff workload and wellbeing when introducing any change.

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Personal development and wellbeing Needs attention

The personal, social and health education curriculum develops pupils’ understanding in sufficient depth in different themes, such as personal hygiene, safety and citizenship. However, pupils’ understanding of different cultures and religions varies. Leader have begun work to ensure that pupils’ learning of faiths and cultures in modern Britain is secure. This means that the required independent standard in Part 2 is not met.

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Personal development and wellbeing Needs attention

Pupils learn about healthy relationships and consent. They talk maturely about different families and the importance of respect for everyone. Pupils are clear that everyone has the right to feel ‘safe, valued and appreciated’. They show an age-appropriate respect for the individual differences. Staff encourage pupils to socialise and develop their confidence through regular visits to the local leisure centre, the swimming pool, the cafe and adventure outings. Pupils also learn about finance and budgeting in practical ways. For example, they plan meals, visit the supermarket to buy fresh ingredients and prepare tasty dishes in school. Pupils learn how to maintain a healthy lifestyle and the importance of a balanced diet.

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Personal development and wellbeing Needs attention

Pupils learn what it means to be positive citizens. They take on responsibilities to keep their school tidy, plant flowers to support the natural habitats and help out in the ‘community garden’. Leaders ensure that pupils develop an understanding of social and cultural issues. Pupils regularly discuss a range of moral questions that helps them develop a clear sense of right and wrong. For instance, they debate topics such as gender equality and misuse of artificial intelligence.

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Personal development and wellbeing Needs attention

Pupils benefit from a well-considered careers programme. They receive regular, useful, unbiased careers advice. This begins by helping pupils identify their strengths and the different professions that they would like to pursue. Staff help pupils to map out the pathway they need to follow to work towards their chosen career choice. This means that pupils are well informed about different career pathways and future study options.

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

The school has experienced changes in leadership and staffing in recent years. New leaders and the proprietor have worked well to ensure that previously unmet independent school standards (the standards) regarding the welfare, health and safety of pupils are now met securely. Leaders are starting to address inconsistencies in teaching, pupil outcomes, attendance, implementation of pupils’ individual education and health care plan targets and the personal social and health education curriculum. Many of the improvements are only just beginning to bear fruit. This means that most pupils do not leave school well prepared for the next stage of their education, employment and training.

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

Staff know pupils very well. They provide pupils with the help, care and support they need to become confident, independent and successful members of this inclusive community. Pupils are resoundingly clear that their school is a ‘friendly, happy, welcoming and safe place’. They rise to leaders’ high expectations and show positive attitudes to their learning. Breaktimes are sociable occasions. Pupils enjoy organising board games, playing together or taking a moment to catch up with their friends.

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

Pupils are full of praise about the efforts staff make to give them opportunities and support they would not ordinarily have. When pupils find it difficult to manage their behaviour, staff respond sensitively and carefully. This helps pupils to regulate their feelings and emotions. Pupils take ‘time out’ and go on a sensory walk, they practise mindfulness and listen to music. They learn how to keep safe, including when online. Pupils are not concerned about bullying. They trust staff to quickly help them to resolve any worries or problems they have.

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

Pupils heartily participate in the myriad of ‘enrichment activities’ that motivate them to pursue their interests. They discover new hobbies, such as cooking, sewing, fishing and woodwork. Pupils proudly showcase their musical talents and perform at local and national events.

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Next steps

Leaders at all levels should make sure that they have the knowledge and expertise to play their part effectively to meet the independent school standards securely and consistently. They should also continue to embed their systems and processes for overseeing areas of the school's work so that the improvements they seek are rapid and sustained. Leaders should make sure that staff implement pupils' individualised plans and specific interventions consistently well, so that pupils achieve their educational health and care plan targets successfully. Leaders should ensure that teaching is consistently effective, so that pupils make links in their learning and embed their knowledge securely over time. Leaders should make sure that teachers assess pupils’ understanding effectively, addressing any gaps that arise promptly, so that pupils achieve as well as they should. Leaders should ensure that the schools’ attendance procedures are consistently effective

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Next steps

and help pupils secure high rates of attendance. Leaders should make sure that the personal, social and health education curriculum supports pupils to develop their knowledge and appreciation of different cultures and faiths represented in modern Britain.

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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

During the inspection, inspectors checked whether the school now meets the independent school standards that it was judged to have failed at its previous material change inspection on 12 June 2025.

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About this inspection

The outcome of this part of the inspection is that the school now meets some of the previously failed independent school standards in Part 3 paragraph 7, 7(a), 7 7(b) and 11. Leaders ensure that the school’s safeguarding policy is suitable. They have established robust safeguarding systems and procedures to ensure that pupil safety and welfare are paramount. Staff are well trained and know well their roles and responsibilities to ensure that pupils are safe. The school’s health and safety policy and procedures are fit for purpose.

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About this inspection

However, the school continues to not meet the independent school standards in Part 8 paragraph 34(1), 34(1)(a) and 34(1)(b). Leaders do not demonstrate good skills and knowledge appropriate to their role so that the independent school standards are met. They do not fulfil their responsibilities effectively so that the independent school standards are met consistently. Leaders made a number of minor changes, such as making sure the correct copies of the complaints and safeguarding policies were uploaded to the school website, parents and carers received accurate information about the relationships and sex education policy during the inspection.

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About this inspection

Inspectors spoke with the headteacher, all staff and the proprietor throughout the inspection. The lead inspector also spoke on the telephone with an officer from the placing local authority and the virtual school headteacher. They also met with 3 governors including the acting chair.

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About this inspection

The school received its last standard inspection in July 2023. Since then, the school received a material change inspection in June 2025, where some independent school standards were found to be not met. Following this inspection in June, the Department for Education required the proprietor to produce a statutory action plan. The plan was submitted on 28 October 2025 and evaluated as not acceptable by Ofsted on 7 November 2025 and not accepted by the DfE on 15 December 2025.

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About this inspection

This inspection was the first progress monitoring inspection and standard inspection since the school was judged not to comply with the standards in June 2025.

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About this inspection

The school meets the requirements of the provider access legislation, which requires schools to provide pupils in Years 8 to 13 with information and engagement about approved technical education qualifications and apprenticeships.

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About this inspection

The inspectors confirmed the following information about the school:

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About this inspection

Fairlight Glen Independent Special School, Verona House, 45 Station Road, Herne Bay, Kent CT6 5QQ, caters for pupils with social, emotional and mental health needs.

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Independent school standards

Independent school standards are either met or not met for each category. The school is registered for up to 12 pupils aged between 8 and 18 years. Prior to attending this school, most pupils had been out of formal education for significant periods.

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Independent school standards

Nearly all pupils have needs associated with social, emotional and behavioural difficulties, alongside associated learning difficulties and autism. All pupils have an education, health and care plan.

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Independent school standards

The proprietor is Pilgrims Corner Education Limited.

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Independent school standards

The chair of the proprietor body is Linda Norman.

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Independent school standards

The headteacher took up post in November 2025.

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Independent school standards

The school does not currently 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:

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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; (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

(a) actively promotes the fundamental British values of democracy, the rule of law, individual liberty, and mutual respect and tolerance of those with different faiths and beliefs;

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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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Independent school standards

6. Provision of information Standards met

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Independent school standards

7. Manner in which complaints are handled 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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7

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

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7

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

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7

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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7

(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.

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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

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

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