Waterside School

North Bridge Enterprise College, 11 June 2026 1 North Bridge Enterprise College Eco Power Stadium (East Stand), Stadium Way, Doncaster DN4 5JW

p.1

report:

Overall outcome The school is likely to meet the relevant independent school standards if the material changes relating to the school provision are implemented

p.1

report:

This inspection was commissioned by the Department for Education (DfE), which is the registration authority for independent schools. The school has applied to the DfE to make a material change to its registration. The school proposes to change its premises and change the maximum number of pupils.

p.1

report:

The purpose of the inspection is to advise the Secretary of State for Education about the school's likely compliance with the independent school standards that are relevant to the material changes that the school has applied to make.

p.1

Part 8. Quality of leadership in and management of schools

When we carry out material change inspections of independent schools, we report on the school's likely compliance with part 8 of the independent school standards first. Under part 8, the proprietor is required to ensure that the school meets all of the independent school standards consistently. The standard in part 8 is intended to ensure that the quality of leadership and management at the school is sufficient for that purpose.

p.1

Part 8. Quality of leadership in and management of schools

The proprietor, along with leaders and staff, demonstrate the necessary skills and knowledge to fulfil their roles and responsibilities well. Governors meet termly and work with leaders across a range of areas including safeguarding, health and safety and welfare to provide ongoing assurances about the work of the school. The proprietor makes use of internal and external professionals to provide further oversight about the school. Clear lines of accountability between different roles in the school enable the independent school standards (the standards) to be met North Bridge Enterprise College, 11 June 2026 2 consistently. The proprietor’s effectiveness in meeting the standards overtime impacts positively on the proposed material change request.

p.1

Part 8. Quality of leadership in and management of schools

The school’s proposed change reflects the proprietor and leaders ongoing ambition to offer high quality education for pupils who have experienced disruption to their educational journey. The new premises proposed as part of this request is likely to enable the school to continue to fulfil these aspirations. The building is purposefully designed. It will offer pupils dedicated learning spaces to experience a broad curriculum. It also offers an increased number of learning spaces should the material change to numbers of pupils on roll be granted.

p.2

Part 8. Quality of leadership in and management of schools

The standards in this part are likely to continue to be met if the request for the material change is approved.

p.2

Safeguarding

The school’s culture of safeguarding is shared and understood by all staff, including leaders and the proprietor. Leaders and staff show genuine care for pupils. They take timely and robust actions to ensure that pupils are safe.

p.2

Safeguarding

The school’s safeguarding policy reflects statutory guidance. Leaders and staff enact it in their daily work. Oversight for safeguarding is robust. The proprietor and leaders work together the keep pupils safe. Leaders make appropriate referrals and escalate concerns linked to safeguarding promptly. The school works effectively with a range of professionals. Leaders for safeguarding are tenacious in following up any concerns. This ensures that pupils and their families receive the right support.

p.2

Safeguarding

Staff benefit from regular safeguarding training. It provides them with the key knowledge and skills they need to keep pupils safe. Leaders update staff weekly though briefings alongside formal annual training. Staff know where to take concerns about both pupils and adults. Safeguarding training is an important part of new staff induction processes.

p.2

Safeguarding

The proprietor ensures the school’s safeguarding policy is published on the school’s website.

p.2

Supervision of pupils

The proprietor ensures pupils are well supervised. The ratio of adults to pupils is high. Pupils learn in smaller class groups. It means that pupils are well-supported by staff who know them well. Pupils appreciate this and value the warm and North Bridge Enterprise College, 11 June 2026 3 caring relationships they have with staff. The school proposes to sustain these small groups should the material change be granted. Some recruitment is complete but the proprietor’s plans for more recruitment will further support the increase in pupil numbers on roll.

p.2

Health and safety and fire

The school’s health and safety policy is detailed and clear. It enables all staff to understand their roles in keepings pupils safe. The proprietor ensures that staff are suitably skilled to undertake their roles. Leaders, with staff, make regular and pertinent checks on the school’s current premises. These includes daily checks on the building and its safety as well as more formal maintenance checks. These processes and procedures will be replicated at the proposed change of premises should the requested change go ahead. The proprietor makes use of external experts and annual audits to provide further rigour to the school’s premises. These protocols help to keep pupils and staff safe.

p.3

Health and safety and fire

The school complies with the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005. The proprietor commissions an external agency to conduct detailed fire risk assessments of the school premises. The school acts upon any feedback given promptly to make further improvements to the school premises. For the current building this includes re-aligning fire doors to reduce gaps. The same external checks have been made for the proposed new building.

p.3

Health and safety and fire

Both sites are suitably equipped with the appropriate firefighting equipment needed to keep pupils and staff safe. Regular servicing and fire drills ensure that the systems used in the event of a fire work.

p.3

Health and safety and fire

The work of the proprietor and school leaders linked to health and safety ensures pupils are safe. This is reflected in pupil voice. Pupils feel safe and well cared for at the school.

p.3

Risk assessment

The proprietor ensures that the school follows an effective risk assessment process. There is an appropriate risk assessment policy. Risk assessments identify potential risks and hazards inside and outside the various parts of the school premises. These includes vehicle risk assessments for the transportation of pupils as well as the onsite activities pupils participate in. Risk assessments also detail the actions that will be taken to mitigate risk. They include actions needed to support pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities. These comprehensive individual risk assessments are accessible to all staff.

p.3

Risk assessment

The proprietor ensures the new school site has a range of comprehensive risk assessments. These mirror existing policies in place at the existing school site but North Bridge Enterprise College, 11 June 2026 4 are bespoke to the different building and its uniqueness. For example, there are detailed risk assessments for its proposed outside spaces and vocational learning areas such as the food technology and hair and beauty classrooms.

p.3

Risk assessment

The standards in this part are likely to continue to be met if the request for the material change is approved.

p.4

The recruitment checks made on staff, supply staff and the proprietor

The proprietor, with leaders, ensures that it makes suitable checks on adults who work at the school or who engage with pupils from the school. This includes adults who support remote learning to pupils. The checks the school makes reflect statutory guidance and recruitment practice. For example, the school ensures online checks are completed as part of recruitment processes.

p.4

The recruitment checks made on staff, supply staff and the proprietor

There were no supply staff on site during the inspection, but leaders know the checks they would make should supply be used.

p.4

The single central record of these recruitment checks

The school’s single central record is up to date. Newly recruited members of staff are recorded appropriately. If staff have lived or worked overseas appropriate checks are made and recorded. The school records the relevant checks it makes on directors, governors and central staff appropriately.

p.4

and showers

The school’s current site ensures pupils have suitable private toilet facilities that are intended solely for pupil use. Each toilet has an adequate supply of hot and cold water which does not incur a risk of scalding. In the proposed new premises toilets are fitted and refurbished to a high standard. Each floor has dedicated individual pupil toilets. The water temperature is regulated and does not pose a risk. There is ample additional space to accommodate changing areas. The school also has a gymnasium space affording additional capacity. Both sites have working shower facilities.

p.4

Medical room

The proprietor ensures that its premise has a medical room. In the current building it is suitably equipped with both access to water and a bed for rest. It is North Bridge Enterprise College, 11 June 2026 5 positioned close to toilets. The room is not used for other learning or activities. In the proposed new premises, there is large dedicated medical room next to an accessible toilet. This means that pupils who are ill or injured are likely to be well cared for should the change be granted.

p.4

Ensuring the health, safety and welfare of pupils

The school’s current building is suitably equipped and decorated for academic learning with some rooms for vocational learning such as food technology. The new building has been refurbished and decorated to high standard. Classrooms are large, bright and where needed offer pupils the opportunity to study subjects such as science and art in dedicated spaces. Other classrooms have been refurbished appropriately to teach construction, food technology and hair and beauty. This enables the school to broaden its onsite curriculum offer. There is also the capacity for dedicated pastoral and welfare spaces within the proposed building for staff as well as pupils.

p.5

Ensuring the health, safety and welfare of pupils

The increase in size and space of the school premises enables the number of pupils on roll to increase.

p.5

Lighting and acoustic conditions

Pupils benefit from a school building that is suitably lit with both natural and artificial lights. The proposed new building replicates this with all classroom spaces having large windows for natural light as well as high specification internal lighting when needed. Both sites have appropriate external lighting. New classrooms are suitably refurbished to ensure that pupils can focus on learning without audible disruption.

p.5

Outdoor space

The school currently makes use of space outside of their building as well as all- weather pitches that are part of the wider stadium facilities. The proposed new building ensures that the school has its own dedicated outdoor multi games area. This provides a suitable space for groups of pupils to socialise and participate in physical education curriculum over the course of the day.

p.5

The school's accessibility plan

The school has a suitable accessibility plan in place. North Bridge Enterprise College, 11 June 2026 6

p.5

About this inspection

Inspectors carried out this inspection under section 162(4) of the Education Act 2002, at the request of the registration authority for independent schools. Inspectors checked the school's likely compliance with the independent school standards. These are the requirements set out in the schedule to the Education (Independent School Standards) Regulations 2014.

p.6

About this inspection

Inspectors checked the school’s likely compliance with the independent school standards. These are the requirements set out in the schedule to the Education (Independent School Standards) Regulations 2014.

p.6

About this inspection

Following our updated inspection framework, all inspections are now led by His Majesty’s Inspectors (HMI) or by Ofsted Inspectors (OIs) who have previously served as HMIs.

p.6

About this inspection

This inspection was commissioned by the Department for Education (DfE) to check the school’s suitability to change its premises and number of pupils on roll (from 50 to 75 pupils).

p.6

About this inspection

The inspectors spoke with the headteacher, other school leaders, those responsible for governance and the proprietor during the inspection. The inspectors also spoke with pupils and staff.

p.6

About this inspection

This is the school’s second material change inspection. The first material change inspection was to increase the number of pupils on roll in December 2019.

p.6

About this inspection

The school uses three unregistered alternative provisions.

p.6

About this inspection

The school operates from one site. It is located at Eco Power Stadium (East Stand), Stadium Way, Doncaster DN4 5JW. It proposes to move to new premises at Middle Bank House, Middle Bank, Doncaster DN4 5PF.

p.6

About this inspection

The school, through work with the Department for Education, proposes to change its name from 29 June 2026 to Waterside School.

p.6

About this inspection

The school is currently registered to admit up to 50 pupils with social, emotional and mental health difficulties. Some also have secondary needs including autism spectrum disorder and moderate learning difficulties.

p.6

Lead inspector

Emily Stevens His Majesty's Inspector North Bridge Enterprise College, 11 June 2026 7

p.6

About this school

Chair of the proprietor body David Manson

p.7

About this school

Type of school Other independent special school

p.7

compulsory school age on roll

Annual fees for day pupils £36,894 (annual)

p.7

compulsory school age on roll

Email address steve.richardson@keyseducation.ac.uk North Bridge Enterprise College, 11 June 2026 8 providing education and skills for children and learners of all ages, and inspects and regulates services that care for children and young people

p.7

compulsory school age on roll

If you would like a copy of this document in a different format, such as large print or Braille, please telephone 0300 123 1231, or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk . 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 .

p.8

compulsory school age on roll

Interested in our work? You can subscribe to our monthly newsletter for more information and updates: http://eepurl.com/iTrDn .

p.8

compulsory school age on roll

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

p.8