Meadows View School

Meadows View School

Address: Tinwell Road, Stamford, Lincolnshire, PE9 2JL Unique reference number (URN): 151624

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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 join the school with much lower starting points than those expected for their age. This is due to their special educational needs and/or disabilities as well as the significant periods of time when they may not have accessed education.

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Achievement Expected standard

The school has rightly prioritised pupils’ communication skills. Pupils who are non-speakers use a range of communication aids such as visuals, signing and technology so that they can interact with others. Specialist staff support this work effectively. These staff provide pupils with additional support as well as training for staff so that they can continue to develop their expertise.

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Achievement Expected standard

Pupils’ learning journals evidence their steady progress through the curriculum. Their personal achievements are also significant. Pupils consistently reach the targets identified in their education and health care plans. As a result of the school’s work, pupils achieve well and are increasingly well prepared for the next stage in their education.

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Attendance and behaviour Expected standard

Many pupils have had a history of low attendance or non-attendance at previous schools. However, leaders have clearly and successfully communicated the importance of high attendance to parents and carers. When pupils face personal challenges that can lead to a dip in their attendance, leaders provide a sensitive yet determined response. They work closely with families and take effective action to ensure that pupils’ attend school on every possible day.

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Attendance and behaviour Expected standard

Staff have a secure understanding of the social and emotional difficulties that pupils face. While there is a whole school approach that has been developed to support pupils to behave well, staff also provide individualised responses that recognise pupils’ diverse needs. Staff model positive behaviours for pupils such as kindness and patience. They gently and firmly remind pupils to make good choices about their behaviour. As a result, pupils increasingly try to live up the school’s high expectations of their behaviour. Typically, they are keen to please and want to learn. Staff routinely record any concerns they may have about pupils’ behaviour. Leaders use this information well to spot any changes in pupils’ behaviour. They then make appropriate adjustments to pupils’ risk assessments and support plans.

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Curriculum and teaching Expected standard

The curriculum has been designed with the school’s context in mind. It is broad and balanced and sets out key academic and personal learning. As pupils join the school, staff check what pupils know and can do as well as considering their needs as set out in their education and health care plan. Pupils are then matched to the most suitable pathway for them. Recently the school has identified that these pathways were not right for a small number of pupils. They have designed a further pathway to provide a short-term intervention for pupils who are at a point of crisis. This is at a very early stage of implementation. In-school experts such as the clinical team support staff to develop the skills they need to deliver the curriculum well. Staff make sure that learning is closely matched to pupils’ needs and is appropriately ambitious for the stage that pupils are at. For example, in mathematics lessons pupils learn to recognise 2-dimensional shapes, to tell the time and to understand

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Curriculum and teaching Expected standard

the concept of height as tall and short. Pupils also have plenty of time to consolidate learning through their play. Sometimes staff do not use a wide range of techniques to ensure that pupils engage in their learning as well as they could.

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Inclusion Expected standard

The school has established a culture that is firmly rooted in the principles of inclusion. Staff liaise closely with parents and carers, local authorities and other agencies so that they have a secure understanding of pupils’ special educational needs and/or disabilities before they join the school. Alongside the information that is included in pupils’ education and health care plans, the school accurately establishes a profile of pupils’ learning, social, emotional and communication needs. Staff use this information to build a curriculum offer for each pupil. They continuously review this offer and make ongoing adjustments to reduce the significant difficulties that pupils experience. Pupils receive individualised support and appropriate interventions. For example, the use of technology to help pupils to recognise facial expressions that indicate how someone is feeling or a wide range of bespoke strategies that are used to enable pupils to communicate effectively. The school uses

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Inclusion Expected standard

alternative provision wisely and with pupils’ best interests in mind.

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Inclusion Expected standard

Staff benefit from the support of both in-house and external specialists. As a result, they continue to develop their expertise to meet pupils’ complex needs. Typically, they are well- placed to ensure that pupils’ needs are well met and as a result, pupils’ achieve well and their confidence improves.

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Leadership and governance Expected standard

Leaders have a secure understanding of the school’s context. They have ensured that parents and carers have played an important part during the school’s first year. Parents are deeply appreciative of the care their children receive. Many of their comments note the positive difference the school has made in their family lives because their child is now receiving the help they need.

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Leadership and governance Expected standard

Leaders are committed to providing an educational offer that will make a difference to the lives of pupils who face multiple challenges. They have worked tirelessly since the school opened to establish a purposeful place for pupils to learn. They have a clear rationale for the school improvement priorities they have identified and waste no time when they need to respond to challenge. They make decisions that are in pupils’ best interests. Governors support this work effectively. They have clear delegated responsibilities, including an oversight of safeguarding. They use a range of sources to offer support and appropriate challenge for leaders.

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Leadership and governance Expected standard

Staff benefit from a wide range of professional development, including early career teachers. Staff appreciate the school’s team ethos and that leaders and specialist staff are on hand to offer guidance. Nevertheless, a significant number raise concerns about their workload and wellbeing and say that they would appreciate a review of their working day. The proprietor ensures that the school meets all the independent school standards consistently and securely and that all of the statutory requirements are met.

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Personal development and wellbeing Expected standard

Leaders have established a suitable programme for pupils’ personal development and wellbeing. They have a clear vision for the personal attributes they want pupils to acquire. These are based on the school’s values: be brave; be kind; be honest; be safe; grow together. These values are appropriate for pupils’ age and stage of development and support the school’s work to promote pupils’ understanding of fundamental British values.

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Personal development and wellbeing Expected standard

The personal, social and health education curriculum is well planned out and underpins the school’s wider ambition for pupils. Pupils learn key skills that will help them in school, and beyond. For example, pupils learn how to keep themselves safe. They understand the value of friendship and to accept difference in order to play and work alongside one another with increasing success. They are beginning to recognise decisions that will benefit themselves, and others. Staff encourage them to take responsibility for their belongings and to keep their classrooms tidy. Staff provide pupils with opportunities to make personal choices. The impact of this work is clear in pupils' increased confidence and independence.

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Personal development and wellbeing Expected standard

Staff also support pupils to develop their personal interests and talents. They take every opportunity to provide pupils with the chance to share these interests in school and to include them in their learning. For example, pupils’ love of model-making, dressing-up and animals.

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Personal development and wellbeing Expected standard

The school provides effective pastoral support that is enhanced by the support of specialist staff. Pupils confidently access this support when it is needed, and staff readily identify pupils who would benefit from further support.

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Personal development and wellbeing Expected standard

Some aspects of the personal development programme are in the early stages of implementation. While the school has planned for a range of extra-curricular experiences such as trips and visitors to school, these have not yet been introduced.

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

Meadows View School offers pupils a welcoming, safe and caring environment. For the vast majority of pupils, this is their first positive experience of education. In the past pupils are likely to have refused to attend school regularly or attend at all. They may have struggled to form positive relationships with the adults involved in their education, as well as their peers. Now, pupils’ attendance has significantly improved because they are happy to come to school. They enjoy the chance to play in the school garden, to use the swing and jump on the trampoline. Many pupils are learning to work alongside others and socialise more successfully with their peers. This is a significant achievement for them.

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

Staff establish positive relationships with pupils based on kindness and respect. They keep a close eye on pupils at all times. At the beginning of the school day, pupils' arrivals are managed successfully. Pupils are greeted cheerfully by staff who provide the reassurance and encouragement that pupils need to make their transition into the school day as smooth as possible. Throughout the school day, staff step in quickly when pupils find it hard to manage their feelings. Staff waste no time to sort out any unkind behaviour, including bullying. This helps pupils to feel safe and secure.

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

Pupils show interest in the learning activities that staff provide for them. They are familiar with the routines of the school day. They know when it is time to come together to learn when the ‘circle time’ song is played. They know that they are expected to sit still to eat their snacks and that they need to put their shoes on to go outside. Pupils are increasingly able to experience success at school because their needs are understood.

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Next steps

Leaders should ensure that staff further develop their skills to support pupils to engage more consistently in their learning. Leaders should continue to check that a recently introduced curriculum pathway is successfully meeting the needs of the pupils who access it. Leaders should ensure that their vision for the school’s personal development and wellbeing offer is fully realised. Leaders should respond to staff concerns in relation to their workload and wellbeing.

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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

This was the school's first standard inspection. The school opened on 1 May 2025.

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About this inspection

Inspectors spoke with the headteacher, the deputy headteacher and other members of the senior leadership team. The lead inspector held meetings with the regional director and assistant regional director who is also the chair of governors, as well as the chair of the proprietor body.

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About this inspection

The proprietor is Acorn Care and Education Limited. The chair of the proprietor is Richard Adams-Murgatroyd.

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About this inspection

The fees currently charged range from £67,890 - £82,890. The maximum number of pupils that the school is permitted to admit is 30.

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Independent school standards

Independent school standards are either met or not met for each category. The school's email address is info@meadowsviewschool.co.uk

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Independent school standards

Inspectors confirmed the following information about the school:

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Independent school standards

The school caters for pupils The school caters for pupils with a range of special educational needs and/or disabilities, including pupils who have social, emotional and mental health needs, speech, language and communication needs and pupils who have been diagnosed with an autism spectrum disorder. All pupils have an education and health care plan.

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Independent school standards

The school makes use of one unregistered alternative provider.

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Independent school standards

1. Quality of education provided Standards met

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Independent school standards

2. Spiritual, moral, social and cultural development of pupils Standards met

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Independent school standards

3. Welfare, health and safety of pupils Standards met

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Independent school standards

4. Suitability of staff, supply staff, and proprietors Standards met

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Independent school standards

5. Premises of and accommodation at schools Standards met

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Team inspector:

Roxanne Fearns-Davies, 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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30

6. Provision of information Standards met

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30

7. Manner in which complaints are handled Standards met

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30

8. Quality of leadership in and management of schools Standards met

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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

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

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