Graduately Developing Futures

Graduately Developing Futures

Address: Flourishing Fields Farm, Stonehouse Lane, Hopwood, Worcestershire, B48 7BB Unique reference number (URN): 151427

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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 Strong standard

Pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities make rapid progress from their starting points, often with gaps due to previously disrupted education before joining the school. Positive achievement is evident across the curriculum. Pupils develop reading, writing and mathematics skills steadily. For example, they move from early phonics knowledge to reading with increasing accuracy and understanding. In writing, pupils progress from single words to extended sentences with clear structure.

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Achievement Strong standard

Leaders track progress carefully through small steps. This ensures that even small gains are recognised and built on. Pupils also develop important life skills, such as communication, independence and emotional regulation.

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Achievement Strong standard

Pupils recall and apply their learning well over time. They explain what they know and use skills in different contexts. The school prepares pupils very well for their next steps. Pupils gain the confidence, skills and attitudes needed to continue their learning successfully.

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Attendance and behaviour Strong standard

Attendance has improved significantly for pupils. Many pupils join the school with a history of low attendance. Leaders take effective action to help pupils re-engage. They work closely with families and adapt provision to meet pupils' needs. As a result, attendance is high for all pupils. Leaders monitor attendance closely and respond quickly to any concerns. Clear procedures are in place, although they are rarely needed due to pupils' positive engagement with school.

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Attendance and behaviour Strong standard

The impact of the school's work to support pupils to manage their feelings and emotions and engage positively with learning is exemplary. The nurturing and positive approach has supported pupils extremely well to re-engage with education. Pupils' behaviour is calm and purposeful. Staff understand pupils' needs and use consistent approaches to support them. They focus on helping pupils manage their emotions and behaviour. This creates a positive learning environment. Pupils show enthusiastic attitudes to learning. They concentrate well, try their best and complete tasks with care. They develop strategies to manage their feelings, take breaks if needed and return to learning promptly.

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Attendance and behaviour Strong standard

The school is inclusive and free from bullying or discrimination. Staff treat all pupils with respect and ensure they feel valued.

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Curriculum and teaching Strong standard

Leaders design a clear and ambitious curriculum for pupils that precisely meets their individual needs, with different identified pathways carefully tailored to provide the support and challenge each child needs. The curriculum focuses on building secure foundations in reading, writing, mathematics, communication and personal development. Leaders plan learning in small, manageable steps. This helps pupils build knowledge and skills gradually and with success. Staff assess learning regularly and use this information to shape next steps. Teaching is consistent and carefully delivered. Staff follow agreed approaches that best support each pupil's preferred approach to learning. They explain learning clearly, use practical resources and provide effective support. Staff check understanding frequently and correct misunderstandings straight away.

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Curriculum and teaching Strong standard

The curriculum is inclusive. Staff adapt tasks so that all pupils can take part and succeed. Communication strategies, including signing and visual supports, help pupils access learning fully. Therapeutic approaches are fully integrated. For example, sensory activities and communication strategies support pupils to remain ready to learn.

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Curriculum and teaching Strong standard

Pupils are encouraged to think about their learning. They reflect on their progress and understand their targets. This helps them take increasing ownership. Overall, teaching ensures that pupils engage well and develop secure knowledge and skills over time.

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Inclusion Strong standard

Leaders provide a highly effective approach to inclusion for pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities. All pupils have education, health and care (EHC) plans, and staff use these plans carefully to guide provision.

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Inclusion Strong standard

Leaders identify pupils' needs accurately through detailed transition arrangements. They gather information from families, professionals and previous settings. This helps staff understand each pupil fully before they start. Assessment is thorough and ongoing. Leaders use a range of systems to check progress in small steps and to identify and reduce any barriers to learning. Staff review this information regularly and adjust support expertly when needed.

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Inclusion Strong standard

Provision is flexible and tailored precisely to the needs of each individual pupil. Staff adapt teaching, environments and routines to meet pupils' needs. Weekly review meetings of all aspects of the pupils' learning and care ensures that support remains highly effective. This includes input from educational psychologists, occupational therapists and speech and language therapists, which is reflected in daily practice.

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Inclusion Strong standard

The school places equal importance on pupils' wellbeing and learning. Staff track emotional development alongside academic progress. This helps them respond quickly to changing needs. The impact is clear. Pupils who previously struggled to access education are now happy, they attend well, engage and learn successfully. They become more confident and develop positive attitudes to school.

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Leadership and governance Strong standard

Leaders have a clear and accurate understanding of the school's strengths and priorities for development. They are passionate about providing the very best provision for pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities.

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Leadership and governance Strong standard

Leaders use effective systems to check the quality of education. They review pupils' progress, monitor teaching and meet regularly with staff. They maintain a clear and accurate view of the school through structured processes and regular communication.

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Leadership and governance Strong standard

Leaders at all levels play an active role and understand the school's work well. They support the school's vision and invest in staff development, resources and community links. Leaders are taking appropriate steps to strengthen governance further as the school grows.

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Leadership and governance Strong standard

Leaders meet statutory duties, including safeguarding requirements. Systems are secure and regularly reviewed. Staff development, wellbeing and workload are given careful attention. Leaders provide ongoing training and support, which helps staff feel confident and prepared. This results in consistent practice across the school.

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Leadership and governance Strong standard

Leaders work closely with parents, professionals and the wider community. They communicate regularly and build positive relationships with parents, who are unanimous in their praise for the work of the school. They also engage with external experts to ensure that support for pupils is precisely matched to their needs and to further enhance the provision.

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Leadership and governance Strong standard

Overall, leadership is ambitious, driven by a clear moral purpose and ensures that the school continues to develop and grow, while maintaining a clear focus on meeting pupils' needs and placing them at the centre of all decision-making.

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Personal development and wellbeing Strong standard

Leaders place personal development and wellbeing at the centre of their work. The school delivers an extensive, carefully planned and varied outdoor-based curriculum that sits alongside the main academic offer. This curriculum is highly personalised and based on pupils' initial assessments, ensuring that learning meets their specific personal developmental needs.

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Personal development and wellbeing Strong standard

The programme includes personal, social and health education, relationships and sex education and social, moral, spiritual and cultural development. These areas are integrated thoughtfully and adapted to suit each pupil's stage of development. Pupils benefit from wider experience days, where they learn about different faiths and traditions. For example, they explore events such as Hajj, which helps them develop respect and understanding of others.

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Personal development and wellbeing Strong standard

Pupils learn how to develop healthy relationships and keep themselves safe. Teaching is meaningful and linked to real-life contexts. For instance, pupils receive tailored guidance about understanding risks in practical situations. Leaders ensure that pupils revisit learning regularly so that knowledge is secure.

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Personal development and wellbeing Strong standard

Assessment of personal development is thorough. Staff track pupils' learning carefully and use this information to plan next steps. Where appropriate, pupils' achievements are examined to provide external recognition of their progress.

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Personal development and wellbeing Strong standard

The curriculum also draws on detailed wellbeing assessments completed when pupils join the school. These assessments identify pupils' social and emotional needs and guide individual targets and activities. Staff monitor progress closely over time and adapt support when needed. Pupils make clear gains in emotional development and social interaction.

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Personal development and wellbeing Strong standard

Pupils benefit from a range of wider opportunities, including careers-related learning linked to real-life experiences. The activities that the school provides to broaden pupils' experiences and support their social and emotional development ensure that pupils are well prepared for adulthood. Additional support, such as bursaries, helps pupils access activities beyond school. This further supports their confidence, independence and social development. Overall, pupils develop strong personal skills and are well prepared for the next stage of their lives.

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

Pupils enjoy attending this unique and highly specialised provision that supports those with complex special educational needs and/or disabilities, many of whom have experienced disrupted education. The school creates a calm, welcoming environment where pupils feel safe, valued and ready to learn. Staff build warm, trusting relationships with pupils and provide consistent routines that help reduce anxiety and build confidence.

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

Pupils enjoy learning and engage positively. There are high levels of adult support, which allows staff to adapt learning closely to precisely to meet the individual needs of each pupil. Pupils show pride in their work and demonstrate resilience and determination. They contribute to discussions, share ideas and reflect on their progress. Over time, pupils develop increasing independence and confidence.

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

The school prepares pupils well for their next steps by focusing on communication, emotional development and key academic skills. Pupils learn to manage their feelings, make choices and take increasing responsibility for their learning. These skills help them to re- engage with education successfully. Barriers to learning are reduced through highly personalised support, including sensory strategies, communication tools and structured routines. Pupils respond well to this and develop highly positive attitudes to learning.

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

Relationships between pupils and staff are highly positive. Pupils feel comfortable speaking with staff and trust them to help when needed. Pupils also show kindness and respect towards others. Pupils attend regularly, often overcoming significant barriers they had before joining the school. High levels of supervision ensure that any bullying or discriminatory behaviour does not occur, but if it should, there are clear systems and processes to manage this.

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

Pupils take part in a wide range of outdoor learning and wider experience days that help them explore different faiths, traditions and real-life situations. They develop respect for others, build healthy relationships and learn how to keep themselves safe through meaningful, personalised activities. Pupils also gain confidence and independence through careers-related experiences and additional opportunities beyond the classroom.

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Next steps

Leaders should build on systems for assessing pupils' progress to demonstrate sustained, positive long-term outcomes as the school develops.

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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

Several leaders are responsible for the running of this school, including the executive principal, the principal and the head of school.

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About this inspection

The name of the proprietor is GDF Consultancy Midlands.com Ltd.

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About this inspection

The fees currently charged are £58,000 to £96,000.

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About this inspection

The email address of the school is jag@gdfconsultancy.com

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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 proprietor, executive headteachers, the headteacher and the special educational needs coordinator. Inspectors also spoke with pupils and their parents. Inspectors also spoke with commissioning local authorities.

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About this inspection

Inspectors confirmed the following information about the school:

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About this inspection

All pupils at the school have education, health and care plans. Pupils' needs include autism or attention deficit hyperactivity disorder. Pupils who attend this school have experienced a disrupted education prior to joining.

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About this inspection

The school uses no alternative provision but does provide alternative provision for other pupils with SEND. Places are commissioned by local authorities.

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About this inspection

The school was registered by the DfE in November 2024.

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About this inspection

This was the school's first standard inspection.

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About this inspection

1. Quality of education provided Standards met All standards have been 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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Lead inspector:

Catherine Young, 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.

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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

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 .

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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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