New Forest School

New Forest School, 2 July 2026 1 New Forest School Fawley Road, Fawley, Southampton, Hampshire, SO45 1FJ

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report:

Overall outcome The school is likely to meet the relevant independent school standards if the material change is implemented

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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 the maximum number of pupils attending.

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report:

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

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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 (the 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.

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Part 8. Quality of leadership in and management of schools

All leaders, including the proprietor and governors are passionate about providing a nurturing, high-quality education for the pupils this school serves. The proprietor understands the requirements of the standards in full. The school has clear, robust systems in place to ensure that the standards continue to be met. The proprietor has an appropriately staffed and qualified central team which supports school leaders to maintain oversight of the standards. The school governing body provides the proprietor with robust challenge about how well the standards continue to be met. New Forest School, 2 July 2026 2 Leaders demonstrate secure knowledge and skills appropriate to their roles. The school has a well-qualified and suitably experienced senior leadership team which has oversight of all the school sites. This team includes the school’s designated safeguarding lead. In addition, senior leaders based at each site oversee day-to-

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Part 8. Quality of leadership in and management of schools

day management and safeguarding at their specific site.

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Part 8. Quality of leadership in and management of schools

There is a clear rationale for the proposed material change request. The proposed increase in pupil numbers will meet a local area need for additional special school places. The proprietor intends to maintain low pupil numbers at each of the school sites with the proposed increase in pupil numbers to be across the sites. They have determined the maximum number of pupils they intend to educate at each site. This ranges from 34 to 48 pupils. The total number of pupils across all sites will be 150. There is no intention currently to increase the number of sites the school has.

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Part 8. Quality of leadership in and management of schools

The proprietor has made sure that the school’s accommodation and facilities are at least sufficient to support the proposed increase in pupil numbers. The school has ample space across the 4 sites to house the additional pupils. Leaders’ proposed capacity for each site is sensible and well considered. Capacity at each site is perfectly adequate for the proposed numbers and the furniture and staffing to enable this capacity to be met is already in place.

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Part 8. Quality of leadership in and management of schools

The proprietor has carefully considered the impact of the proposed material change on the staff and pupils in the school. The proprietor intends to increase the number of pupils on each site up to the maximum identified capacity slowly. This is to minimise the disruption to the existing pupil population. Leaders are determined that any additional pupils added to class groups should fit in well with those already attending the school.

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Part 8. Quality of leadership in and management of schools

The proprietor intends that class groups will not contain more than 4 pupils. Each group will be taught by a qualified teacher and have a teaching assistant. Currently, the school has sufficient teaching staff to support the increase in pupil numbers while maintaining a maximum class size of 4 pupils. However, leaders intend to continue to expand the capacity of support staff and pastoral staff on some sites.

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Part 8. Quality of leadership in and management of schools

Leaders have taken appropriate steps to actively promote the wellbeing of the pupils. Designated safeguarding leaders work closely with staff to ensure a strong culture of vigilance that keeps pupils safe. In addition, expert pastoral teams provide wellbeing support for pupils at each site. Furthermore, the proprietor employs a team of specialist staff who provide a range of therapy services across the school.

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Part 8. Quality of leadership in and management of schools

The standards in this part are likely to be met if the proposed material change is approved. New Forest School, 2 July 2026 3

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Safeguarding

The school has a positive safeguarding culture. Leaders understand their safeguarding responsibilities well. The proprietor has ensured sufficient, appropriately qualified safeguarding leaders at each of the school sites. In addition, the school’s headteacher maintains close oversight of safeguarding across the whole school. A suitable policy detailing the school’s safeguarding arrangements is published on the school’s website.

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Safeguarding

The school’s safeguarding and safer-recruitment policies are up to date and comply with current statutory guidance. A carefully designed programme of regular training ensures that staff understand their safeguarding responsibilities well. This keeps safeguarding high on the school’s agenda.

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Safeguarding

Safeguarding leaders prioritise the welfare, health and safety of pupils and staff. Staff know how to recognise when pupils may be at risk of harm. They understand how to refer any concerns they may have and how to assure themselves that appropriate action has been taken. The school has secure systems in place to record and escalate safeguarding concerns. Leaders take appropriate steps to get pupils the help that they need when at risk of harm.

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Safeguarding

Pupils are happy, confident and feel safe. They are keen to come into school and be ready to learn. Pupils’ positive manner, presentation and behaviour demonstrates that they feel safe and secure.

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Supervision of pupils

Across the school, leaders ensure high levels of supervision. Pupils are supervised appropriately throughout the school day, including when they are moving around the buildings and when they are using the outdoor areas. The staff-to-pupil ratio of 2 adults to 4 pupils is often exceeded. This provides additional capacity to accommodate the proposed increase in pupil numbers without the need to employ a substantial additional number of staff. The proprietor has employed well- qualified staff who take good care of pupils.

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Health and safety and fire

Leaders have written a comprehensive health and safety policy. This is available on the school website. It ensures that the school complies with relevant health and safety laws. Leaders make appropriate checks for the health and safety of the school site. The proprietor employs a wide range of maintenance staff to carry out New Forest School, 2 July 2026 4 these checks and make any necessary repairs. Leaders have an accurate oversight of the checks and respond rapidly where any actions are needed.

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Health and safety and fire

Fire safety compliance is robust. The school complies fully with the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005. Each site displays clear fire signage. This includes signs to show the locations of fire exits, evacuation routes and fire assembly points. Leaders ensure that fire equipment is checked regularly. These checks are recorded in detail. In addition, records show that all fire equipment is inspected as required. The proprietor ensures fire safety risk assessments are carried out frequently and any issues rectified swiftly.

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Health and safety and fire

Fire extinguishers are appropriately located and well maintained. They are accessible to staff.

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Risk assessment

There is a robust risk assessment policy in place. Leaders have produced a wide range of appropriate written risk assessments. Risk assessments for specific activities and components of the different sites are thorough and show a careful consideration of risks with appropriate mitigations. Individual pupil risk assessments are also sufficiently detailed. Leaders update these regularly in line with pupils’ changing needs.

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Risk assessment

The independent school standards in this part are likely to be met if the proposed material change is approved.

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

Leaders understand the checks they need to make to ensure that adults are safe to work with pupils. The proprietor employs a centrally based human resources team to oversee recruitment and the onboarding of new staff. They carry out all appropriate checks on new members of staff prior to them beginning work at the school. This process is checked by suitably qualified senior leaders to ensure that it complies with the most up-to-date statutory requirements. This ensures that adults are safe to work with children.

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

The school’s safer recruitment policy provides detailed information on safer recruitment process and sets out clear roles and responsibilities.

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The single central record of these recruitment checks

New Forest School, 2 July 2026 5 The school maintains an appropriate single central record of the recruitment checks. This record contains all the necessary evidence of the different checks the school has completed.

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The single central record of these recruitment checks

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

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and showers

On every site the school has suitable toilet facilities with hot and cold running water. These are all lockable from the inside and only for use by one person at a time. The temperature of the hot water is regulated appropriately. It does not pose a scalding risk.

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and showers

At each site, drinking water is provided from clearly marked sinks. Pupils can access drinking water at all times. These are separate from toilet facilities as required.

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and showers

At each site that has secondary-aged pupils, there is suitable changing accommodation and a shower for pupils to use, if needed.

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Medical room and accommodation for pupils' therapy needs

Each school site has a suitable space for use as a medical room. On 3 sites, there is a dedicated medical room and at the other sites there is a suitable and appropriately equipped space. All medical spaces are located near to changing facilities, running water and a toilet. The school’s medical facilities provide comfortable spaces for the short-term care of sick and injured pupils. All staff have appropriate first aid training.

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Ensuring the health, safety and welfare of pupils

Each school site is well maintained. All buildings are maintained to a suitably high standard. The accommodation is very well decorated and furnished appropriately to meet the needs of the pupils. The school’s classrooms are mostly large and airy and provide ample space for the proposed number of pupils the school intends to accommodate.

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Ensuring the health, safety and welfare of pupils

All learning spaces have an appropriately wide range of resources to support pupils’ learning. Each school site also has a range of additional specialist learning rooms for subjects such as music, computing, art, science and design technology. New Forest School, 2 July 2026 6 In all specialist classrooms, leaders have taken suitable steps to mitigate any additional risks, such as accidents from using specialist equipment and chemicals. All dangerous items are safely locked away and only used with appropriate adult supervision.

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Ensuring the health, safety and welfare of pupils

Each school site also includes smaller spaces for use as breakout rooms for individual and small-group interventions and therapeutic support. All spaces are well resourced and fit for purpose.

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Ensuring the health, safety and welfare of pupils

The school’s outdoor learning centre is set in extensive grounds in a rural location. Classrooms are housed in former barns which have been refurbished to a high standard. Pupils also benefit from additional outdoor activities such as climbing and archery. These are located in purposely designed indoor spaces with appropriate, high-quality specialist resources. In addition, pupils have access to animal care facilities and an extensive woodland area.

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Ensuring the health, safety and welfare of pupils

Leaders have established effective systems to check the accommodation regularly for wear and tear. Suitably qualified maintenance staff are readily available to carry out any necessary repairs so that the school buildings continue to be well maintained.

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Lighting and acoustic conditions

At each site, the classrooms and other indoor spaces are large, bright and airy. They have suitable lighting. Leaders have ensured that the acoustic conditions are appropriate and suitable for the additional needs of the pupils.

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Lighting and acoustic conditions

There is ample external lighting around the school site to ensure the safety of pupils and staff when it is dark. External lighting is provided at all sites and is tested regularly.

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Outdoor space

Each of the school sites has suitable outdoor space for the pupils to use for play and physical education. In addition, the outdoor learning centre has specialist indoor facilities for climbing and archery and access to extensive grounds and a woodland area for forest-based activities. Pupils also benefit from regular sessions at the school farm which provide opportunities to learn and take part in outdoor physical activity.

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Outdoor space

At each site there are well-maintained outdoor areas which provide comfortable spaces for pupils to sit, eat and talk to their friends.

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Outdoor space

The standards in this part are likely to be met if the proposed material change is approved. New Forest School, 2 July 2026 7

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The school's accessibility plan

The proprietor has ensured that the school complies with the requirements of the Equality Act 2010. There is a suitable accessibility plan for the school.

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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.

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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.

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About this inspection

The inspector spoke with the chair of proprietors and the chair of governors, the executive headteacher, the headteacher and other school leaders during the inspection.

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About this inspection

The inspector confirmed the following information about the school:

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About this inspection

New Forest School is part of New Forest Care, a group which also runs several children’s homes. The group provides residential, educational and therapeutic provision across its providers.

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About this inspection

The school is a split-school site comprising four main sites and a farm. Fawley is the ‘home site’ and the others include: Dibden site, Lundale Road, Dibden Purlieu, Hampshire SO45 4QN Totton site, Water Lane, Totton, Hampshire SO40 3ZX The Outdoor Learning Centre, Romsey, Hampshire SO51 6AB Bartley Forest Farm, Old Lyndhurst Road, Cadnam, Hampshire SO40 2NR

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About this inspection

All pupils who attend have an EHC plan and a diagnosis of autism or social, emotional and/or mental health needs. Many pupils are in the care of a local authority.

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About this inspection

The school is not currently using any alternative provision.

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Lead inspector

Sue Keeling His Majesty's Inspector New Forest School, 2 July 2026 8

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body

Headteacher Duncan Smith Type of school Other independent special school Capacity 130

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compulsory school age on roll

Age range of pupils 7 to 18 Gender of pupils Mixed Annual fees for day pupils £45,500 – £111,000 Email address education@newforestschool.co.uk New Forest School, 2 July 2026 9 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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compulsory school age on roll

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compulsory school age on roll

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compulsory school age on roll

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