Bright Fields School

Bright Fields School

Address: South Leverton, Retford, Nottinghamshire, DN22 0DJ Unique reference number (URN): 151871

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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 Expected standard

Pupils achieve well from their individual starting points, particularly given their complex needs and disrupted educational histories. Many join following prolonged absence or limited access to education. Leaders support pupils effectively to re-engage with learning, resulting in clear improvements in attendance, participation and readiness to learn. For many pupils, this represents meaningful progress from very low baselines.

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Achievement Expected standard

Achievement is most evident in pupils’ personal and social development. Pupils develop greater confidence, resilience and improved self-regulation. This supports pupils to engage more consistently in the curriculum, with those who previously struggled to attend or remain in class increasingly doing so and showing growing independence.

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Achievement Expected standard

In subjects where the curriculum is well structured, pupils build and recall knowledge over time. However, this is not the case across all subjects, particularly in early reading. This is due, in part, to rapid staffing changes and the early stage of the school's development. While pupils make secure gains in engagement, attendance and personal development, variation in teaching means that academic knowledge is not yet developed consistently across the curriculum over time.

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Achievement Expected standard

Leaders are refining assessment systems and strengthening reading provision. These developments are beginning to support more consistent progress, but they require further time to embed fully so that pupils develop secure knowledge and skills across the curriculum.

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Attendance and behaviour Expected standard

When pupil join the school, their attendance improves rapidly. This is due to leaders’ highly personalised and flexible approach. Many pupils join the school with histories of non- attendance, school refusal or very limited engagement with education. Leaders respond with carefully planned, phased timetables and tailored support, working closely with families and external agencies. This enables pupils to re-engage successfully and attend more often for longer periods over time. For some pupils, this represents significant progress from very limited attendance. Reduced timetables are used appropriately and for the shortest time necessary to support pupils’ needs.

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Attendance and behaviour Expected standard

Leaders have a clear vision for the culture of conduct and relationships across the school. They promote a calm, respectful environment where pupils feel secure and learn to regulate their behaviour. Behaviour and attitudes to learning are positive and continue to improve. Pupils are supported to regulate their emotions and respond well to consistent routines and expectations. The school’s rewards system helps pupils to reflect on their choices. As a result, incidents of poor behaviour reduce and pupils engage more consistently in learning. Pupils report that staff deal with concerns, including bullying, appropriately. Over time, the use of physical intervention reduces as pupils develop a deeper sense of belonging and improved self-regulation.

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Inclusion Expected standard

Inclusion is central to the school’s work. Leaders have a clear moral compass and a well- defined vision to support pupils who have faced significant barriers to learning and wellbeing previously. All pupils have special educational needs and/or disabilities, and many have experienced disrupted education, social care involvement or prolonged school absence. Leaders identify needs carefully using pupils’ education, health and care plans, multi-agency support and information shared by families. This enables staff to build a secure understanding of each pupil so that most pupils feel secure, settle quickly and are ready to re-engage with education.

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Inclusion Expected standard

Provision is personalised for each pupil and focuses on reducing barriers to learning and wellbeing. Leaders use targeted approaches appropriately, including phased timetables and tailored pastoral support. This helps pupils who previously struggled to attend or engage to access education more consistently and participate in school life. Leaders work closely with external agencies, including social care, early help and virtual schools, ensuring that pupils known to services, including those who are looked after, receive coordinated support.

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Inclusion Expected standard

The curriculum helps pupils develop independence and confidence beyond the classroom. Through a range of experiences, pupils learn how to belong to in different communities and understand their role within them.

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Personal development and wellbeing Expected standard

Personal development, wellbeing and preparation for adulthood are central to the school’s work and reflect leaders’ clear focus on the needs of the pupils. Leaders have established a broad programme that supports pupils to develop confidence, resilience and the knowledge and skills needed for life beyond school. Pupils benefit from a structured personal, social and health education curriculum, alongside practical experiences, including community visits and enrichment activities. This approach helps them to understand the wider world and their place within it.

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Personal development and wellbeing Expected standard

Leaders place a clear emphasis on pupils’ emotional wellbeing. Some pupils arrive at the school with significant trauma or disrupted experiences. Staff support them to understand and manage their emotions with increasing independence. Behaviour is approached as a form of communication, and pupils are supported to develop strategies to regulate themselves and build positive relationships. As a result, pupils grow in confidence and are increasingly able to engage with learning and wider school life.

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Personal development and wellbeing Expected standard

The personal development programme supports pupils’ social, moral, spiritual and cultural development appropriately. Pupils learn about relationships, respect and making safe choices, including understanding online and offline risks. When necessary, this support is personalised to each pupil’s needs. They develop an age-appropriate understanding of fundamental British values and are supported to consider their role within society.

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Personal development and wellbeing Expected standard

Preparation for adulthood is considered thoughtfully. Pupils develop independence through community-based experiences and begin to understand aspects of finance, health, employment and personal safety. This helps pupils to take increasing responsibility for themselves and prepares them for their next steps in education or training.

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Needs attention

Leaders ensure that the personal development programme is inclusive and responsive to pupils' needs. Their work is having a positive impact on pupils' engagement, attendance and wellbeing. They are continuing to refine how they evaluate the impact of this work so that they can more clearly demonstrate how well pupils build knowledge, skills and understanding over time.

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Curriculum and teaching Needs attention

Since the pre-registration inspection, the school has experienced significant staffing changes. Although leaders have begun to develop staff expertise to implement the school's approach, this work remains at an early stage. While pupils make secure gains in engagement and personal development, variations in teaching mean that pupils' academic knowledge is not developed consistently across the curriculum.

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Curriculum and teaching Needs attention

The planned curriculum sets out what pupils should know over time, alongside the social and emotional development they need. However, in some areas, teaching methods are not matched consistently well to pupils’ needs, particularly in early reading. Checks on what sounds pupils know and can use are at an early stage. Some staff do not have the expertise to precisely support pupils who are learning to read. Teaching does not meet pupils’ needs consistently or build knowledge in a logical and systematic way. This is because the planned curriculum is not translated clearly into classroom practice, particularly in mixed-age classes.

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Curriculum and teaching Needs attention

Leaders are taking steps to strengthen staff expertise and improve teaching consistency. However, given the number of pupils who are recent admissions and the relatively recent introduction of assessment systems, it is too soon to see the full impact of leaders' actions on how well pupils recall the curriculum over time.

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Leadership and governance Needs attention

Leadership and governance do not provide a precise-enough oversight to ensure that the independent school standards are met consistently over time. While monitoring and quality assurance arrangements are established, they are not yet sufficiently precise to demonstrate the impact of leaders' actions to improve pupils' learning over time. This limits how well the proprietor can evaluate the impact of the school's work and hold leaders to account. Consequently, the independent school standards relating to leadership and management are not met consistently.

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Leadership and governance Needs attention

Leaders and those responsible for governance continue to improve and build capacity, helping to stabilise the school after a period of disruption. Leaders have taken decisive action to address weaknesses, focusing on pupils' safety, staff wellbeing and improving the culture of the school. Leaders have strengthened relationships, improved pupils' behaviour and created a more open and collaborative way of working. Leaders are visible in daily practice, and most staff and parents and carers express confidence in the school’s direction. Leaders ensure that key statutory duties are met. Safeguarding arrangements are generally secure, and systems for admissions, behaviour and multi-agency working are effective. Recent developments, including new management systems, are beginning to support leaders in gaining a clear overview of the school's work, including safeguarding.

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

Pupils describe this school as somewhere they belong. They feel happy, supported and able to succeed. Many have previously refused to attend school or have had multiple suspensions previously. They arrive at the school with very negative experiences of education. Here, they are given a second chance and begin to rebuild their confidence. They explain that they now attend more often and feel calm because staff take time to understand them and build trusting relationships. There is a clear emphasis on helping pupils understand their role in the wider world. Over time, pupils begin to develop a sense of their place within school and wider society.

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

Pupils say that staff know them as individuals and use their interests, such as fishing and aviation, to help them engage with learning. This helps pupils enjoy learning and feel successful. They talk positively about their learning, often referring to subjects that they like in particular. Opportunities beyond the classroom are purposeful and prepare pupils for life outside of school. However, some pupils lack the skills they need to decode unfamiliar words. This limits their confidence and independence when reading.

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

Pupils learn to build friendships. They show increasing kindness and begin to understand how to manage difficult emotions. Pupils value the support they receive when they feel anxious or unsettled and trust staff to deal with their worries and concerns. They understand the school rules and can explain what bullying is, saying it is taken seriously. Through the curriculum, they learn about different types of safety, including the risks of vaping and how to stay safe online.

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

Most parents and carers share positive views of the school, particularly given their children’s previous experiences. As one parent typically explained, 'My child is thriving in an environment that understands him, not because he has autism but for who he is'.

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Next steps

Leaders must ensure that all staff have the expertise to support pupils who have gaps in their reading knowledge, particularly those at the early stages of reading. This includes helping pupils to build fluency and develop secure decoding skills so that they become confident and independent readers over time. Leaders must ensure that the curriculum is taught consistently well, according to each pupil's age and stage of development. Leaders must also ensure that teaching is adapted precisely to pupils’ starting points, needs and aptitudes so that knowledge builds logically and pupils recall learning securely over time.

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Independent school standards

Independent school standards are either met or not met for each category. Leaders and those responsible for governance must strengthen their oversight of the provision, so that they have an accurate understanding of the impact of their work, ensure that evaluation is precise, and identify trends over time to inform swift action and secure effective accountability.

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About this inspection

The fees currently charged are £65,000 to £93,412

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About this inspection

The school's email contact is: kelley@sofinoeducation.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 leaders, staff, parents and carers, and pupils during the inspection.

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About this inspection

Inspectors confirmed the following information about the school:

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About this inspection

The school specialises in educating pupils with social, emotional and mental health issues and autism. It caters for pupils with an education, health and care plans.

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About this inspection

The school uses 1 unregistered alternative provision.

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About this inspection

The school has undergone a significant change since the school's pre-registration inspection in July 2025. There have been 3 headteachers in post since that time. The deputy headteacher took up the post in June 2026.

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About this inspection

This is the school's first standard inspection. The school was registered by the Department for Education in August 2025.

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About this inspection

1. Quality of education provided Standards not met The following standards have not been met: Paragraph 2(1)

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About this inspection

The standard in this paragraph is met if–

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About this inspection

(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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About this inspection

For the purposes of paragraph (2)(1)(a), the matters are–

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About this inspection

(b) that pupils acquire speaking, listening, literacy and numeracy skills;

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About this inspection

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

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About this inspection

(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; (f) utilises effectively classroom resources of a good quality, quantity and range;

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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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Lead inspector:

Shaheen Hussain, 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. 5. Premises of and accommodation at schools Standards met

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Facts and figures used on inspection

6. Provision of information Standards met

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Facts and figures used on inspection

7. Manner in which complaints are handled Standards met

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Facts and figures used on inspection

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

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Facts and figures used on inspection

The following standards have not been met:

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Facts and figures used on inspection

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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Facts and figures used on inspection

(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 This data is from 16 June 2026

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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

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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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