Robins Way School

Robins Way School

Address: High Street, Figheldean, SP4 8JT Unique reference number (URN): 151506

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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

Many pupils join the school after long periods away from education. Leaders maintain a rigorous focus on raising attendance. They ensure that pupils and families understand the importance of regular attendance at school. Leaders know pupils and their families well. They have an in-depth understanding of the barriers that some pupils may face in attending regularly. Leaders work with tireless determination with families and external agencies to overcome these. They systematically track attendance. Leaders support pupils to develop positive attendance habits through tailored strategies. These include well-structured attendance support plans. The support that leaders provide has had a significant impact on pupils attendance. Pupils attend school regularly and consequently benefit fully from their education.

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Attendance and behaviour Strong standard

Leaders and staff have created a calm and caring school. Routines are clear and predictable. This helps pupils to settle quickly and build confidence. Pupils know it is important to be ‘Ready, respectful and safe’. All staff consistently apply the behaviour policy. As a result, pupils feel safe, included and ready to learn. Staff respond swiftly and skilfully when pupils need extra help. For example, they use tailored strategies such as sensory supports and social stories to help pupils to meet behaviour expectations. They teach and model the behaviour they expect from pupils. Consequently, pupils learn to manage their emotions, make positive choices and understand boundaries.

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Inclusion Strong standard

Staff swiftly identify pupils’ individual needs during the admissions and review processes. They assess and address the needs of pupils and their barriers to their learning precisely. Leaders make sure pupils, including those who are disadvantaged those who are known or previously known to children’s social care and those with other barriers to their learning, receive highly personalised, targeted, support from the start. Leaders review pupils’ learning and personal development targets regularly. They ensure that adaptations, such as visual timetables, learning breaks and sensory items, support pupils to make sound progress from their starting points.

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Inclusion Strong standard

Staff work purposefully with external professionals to enhance the support that the school provides for pupils. Leaders ensure that this information is used to inform annual reviews of pupils' education, health and care (EHC) plans. They are meticulous in their attention to detail. They ensure themselves that EHC plans focus on exactly the right support to maintain high standards for pupils. Leaders make sure that decisions are made in pupils' best interests. Staff receive high-quality training. This helps them to adapt their teaching and care effectively. Leaders ensure that alternative provision is suitably used and matches pupils needs. It is used appropriately to re-engage pupils in education or to nurture individual pupils' interests.

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Personal development and wellbeing Strong standard

The school's approach to personal development and wellbeing has a highly tangible impact on many areas of pupils' development. These include pupils' self-esteem, self-belief, their improved behaviour, attendance and outcomes. The school’s pastoral support is comprehensive. Leaders meet pupils’ wider needs through expert therapeutic interventions. They ensure these are closely monitored for impact. Pupils develop important knowledge and skills related to their social and emotional development. This enables pupils to build resilience and develop positive relationships. For example, a daily breakfast club helps pupils to socialise with their peers in a supported environment.

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Personal development and wellbeing Strong standard

The personal, social, health and economic education programme is uncompromisingly ambitious. It sets out the key knowledge pupils will learn. Pupils revisit subject content frequently so that they practise and deepen their learning. Leaders have rightly placed a sharp focus on ensuring pupils know how to stay safe online and offline. Carefully planned visits into the community provide pupils with structured environments to practice social interactions in real-world settings. These opportunities help pupils develop confidence and a sense of belonging.

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Personal development and wellbeing Strong standard

The school provides a comprehensive relationships, sex and health education curriculum. It ensures that pupils, including those who are disadvantaged and those known or previously known to social care, gain the knowledge that they need. Pupils learn about building healthy relationships and the importance of making informed choices.

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Personal development and wellbeing Strong standard

Pupils learn about British values through opportunities to engage in the democratic process in the school council elections. School ambassadors make a tangible difference to whole- school decisions. For example, they work with school leaders to select and purchase construction materials for imaginative play. Pupils develop sophisticated collaboration skills and become role-models. They support their peers to understand the behaviour of others.

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Personal development and wellbeing Strong standard

Pupils benefit from wide-ranging, intelligently curated enrichment activities. These are tailored to support pupils to develop their talents and try new things. Pupils enjoy playing musical instruments, learning chess and visiting the local swimming pool.

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Achievement Expected standard

The school is highly inclusive. Many pupils have struggled previously to be part of a school. Staff provide high quality individual support to help pupils to participate in learning. Consequently, pupils interact increasingly positively with adults and peers. They communicate their needs with growing confidence. Pupils typically achieve well from their starting points. They secure important knowledge in many academic subjects including English and mathematics. Pupils typically develop knowledge, skills and learning behaviours across the curriculum. These prepare them for the next stage of their education and life. Staff make checks on pupils’ learning. Where pupils have gaps in understanding, staff adjust the curriculum to respond to this. However, in some subjects, this is less developed. Where this is the case, staff do not use what they know about pupils’ understanding to inform their decisions about what comes next. Consequently, some gaps in pupils’ learning persist. In

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Achievement Expected standard

addition, sometimes pupils who have secured their learning and are ready to move onto more complex concepts do not have the opportunity to do so.

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Curriculum and teaching Expected standard

Leaders provide a broad, ambitious and inclusive curriculum. It is designed to ensure pupils build the knowledge they need to prepare them for their next steps. Pupils experience a suitably wide range of subjects. Leaders know that many pupils join the school with gaps in learning. They ensure that staff understand pupils starting points and their barriers to learning, including gaps in pupils' reading, writing and mathematics knowledge. Therefore, the school’s curriculum has a useful focus on developing pupils' learning in these subjects.

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Curriculum and teaching Expected standard

Pupils develop increasing levels of independence and resilience. For example, pupils who are at the early stages of reading, benefit from a well-planned phonics curriculum. They read books that match their phonic knowledge closely. Therefore, they read with increasing fluency and accuracy. Leaders ensure that therapeutic support strengthens pupils’ communication and thinking skills.

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Curriculum and teaching Expected standard

Leaders routinely check the impact of teaching. They use this to support staff development. Staff benefit from training and clear guidance that set out effective teaching approaches. However, in a few curriculum subjects, staff do not have the expertise they need to deliver the curriculum as intended. As a result, sometimes pupils do not consistently build on their previous knowledge.

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Leadership and governance Expected standard

Leaders have a clear and robust vision. They are ambitious for what pupils will experience. Leaders know the school very well. They understand its strengths and act quickly when they identify areas that need further improvement. Leaders have chosen the right actions to create a learning environment where pupils want to attend and where they can thrive. As the school has grown, these actions have been introduced carefully so that staff get the guidance and support they need to succeed in their roles.

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Leadership and governance Expected standard

Staff benefit from well ‑ focused professional learning. This is informed by school improvement priorities and high-quality research. Leaders are mindful of staff workload and wellbeing. Staff appreciate this and are proud to work at the school.

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Leadership and governance Expected standard

The proprietor and governance leads understand their responsibilities. They provide regular, useful challenge for leaders. Along with leaders, they act in the best interests of pupils, including disadvantaged pupils and those known or previously known to social care. The proprietor and governors closely monitor the work of the school. They ensure effective quality assurance processes are in place. They track pupils’ progress across all areas and hold leaders to account effectively. This all helps to ensure the school meets the requirements of schedule 10 of the Equality Act 2010 and consistently meet the independent school standards. Leaders work tirelessly to develop and maintain positive relationships with parents and the local community. Parents know the school champions their children. They speak warmly of the care given and are confident that their children’s needs are met. Leaders have built an

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Leadership and governance Expected standard

open and inclusive community where all are welcome.

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

School days begin with calm, predictability and care. Staff welcome pupils warmly each morning. This structure helps them to feel safe and secure immediately. Pupils attend school well. They enjoy respectful relationships with staff. Pupils know they are valued. Staff assist pupils in identifying and managing their emotions. This culture enables pupils to trust adults and engage successfully in all aspects of school life and thrive.

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

Inclusion is deeply embedded. All pupils have special educational needs and/or disabilities. Many pupils have significant gaps in learning when they join the school. Many have had disjointed experiences of education. Staff take time to understand each pupil. Pupils benefit from tailored educational and therapeutic support. Leaders adapt the curriculum to enable pupils to build their learning over time. As a result, pupils achieve well from their starting points. Pupils are proud of what they achieve. Pupils’ behaviour is increasingly positive as they develop a true sense of belonging. Pupils form meaningful relationships with one another as their confidence grows. They trust staff to resolve any issues. Bullying is not tolerated.

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

The school is an integral part of the local community. For example, pupils participate in Remembrance Day and church services. This helps pupils develop confidence and a sense of responsibility. Pupils visit a wealth of places of interest. These opportunities open their eyes to the world around them.

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

Staff also help pupils prepare for new experiences or the unexpected. For example, the immersive room helps pupils know what to expect when they visit to a busy station. Pupils are enthusiastic about musical activities, sports and swimming. These opportunities help pupils discover new interests. The school develops positive relationships with parents and carers. They value the new beginning the school provides and appreciate the care shown to their children.

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Next steps

Leaders should ensure that assessment informs subsequent teaching more consistently, so that gaps in pupils' learning are addressed and those who have secured new knowledge can move onto more complex concepts more rapidly. Leaders should ensure that staff more consistently have the expertise they need to deliver the curriculum as intended.

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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 (HMI) or by Ofsted Inspectors (OIs) who have previously served as HMIs.

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About this inspection

Inspectors spoke with the headteacher, other senior leaders, the clinical lead, the assistant regional director, the regional director and a representative of the proprietor during the inspection.

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About this inspection

All pupils have an education, health and care (EHC) plan. The school caters for pupils with a primary need of social, emotional or mental health.

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About this inspection

The school uses 2 unregistered alternative providers.

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About this inspection

The school has applied to the Department for Education (DfE) to make a ‘material change’ to its registration. To review the material change request, the DfE commissioned Ofsted to review Parts 1, 2, 4, 5 and 8, as well as paragraphs 7 (a) and (b), 11, 12, 14, and 16 (a) and (b) from Part 3. This part of the inspection was carried out under section 162(4) of the Education Act 2002.

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About this inspection

The outcome of this part of the inspection is: the school is likely to meet the relevant independent school standards if the material change relating to the provision is implemented.

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About this inspection

The proprietor requested to increase the maximum number of pupils from 25 to 40. They have adequate space and facilities for the increase in pupil numbers.

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About this inspection

The proprietor has suitable plans in place to ensure appropriate staffing arrangements for the proposed number of pupils. The proprietor intends to increase the number of pupils on roll gradually over time with additional staff appointed as required.

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About this inspection

The name of the proprietor is Peter Bloom.

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About this inspection

The email address of the school is admin@robinswayschool.co.uk

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About this inspection

Headteacher: Jemma Taylor 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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