Jigsaw CABAS School

Jigsaw CABAS School

Address: Building 20, Dunsfold Park, Cranleigh, Surrey, GU6 8TB Unique reference number (URN): 131976

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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 Exceptional

Attendance is exceptional because leaders take a highly strategic and preventative approach to reducing barriers for pupils with profound and complex needs. Their meticulous work on hygiene, regulation and emotional readiness has a direct and measurable impact on pupils’ ability to attend school. Disadvantaged pupils and those with barriers to their wellbeing attend markedly better than national figures. Leaders analyse patterns with precision and intervene early, using bespoke plans that address each pupil’s individual challenges. Persistent absence is rare, but when it does occur, leaders act swiftly and effectively. Leaders work closely with families and external professionals to secure sustained improvement. Their relentless focus ensures that pupils who previously struggled to attend now access education consistently and confidently.

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Attendance and behaviour Exceptional

Behaviour and attitudes to learning are transformational. Often, pupils arrive with histories of trauma, exclusion and highly challenging behaviour, yet they flourish here. Staff apply expertise, consistency and compassion in their behaviour analysis and support. Bullying and discrimination are extremely rare. There is a culture of safety and trust. Pupils develop self ‑ regulation and resilience, supported by tailored adaptations that meet their sensory, emotional and communication needs. Attitudes to learning are highly positive. Pupils engage with purpose and pride, often exceeding expectations given their starting points. The journey of sixth ‑ form students to achieve qualifications and model responsibility, exemplifies the school’s exceptional impact on pupils' achievement and development. Inclusive, finely tuned systems ensure that every pupil has high aspirations and that they experience dignity and

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Inclusion Exceptional

Leaders, governors and the proprietor ensure an exceptionally inclusive culture. Their strategic work enables the school to meet the needs of a very diverse range of pupils. Their work on inclusion is transformative. Staff identify and assess learning needs with forensic precision. They use detailed information to design micro ‑ steps of learning that remove barriers and enable every pupil to participate fully in lessons. Staff review support and challenge continuously, adapting provision in lesson time so that pupils with profound special educational needs and/or disabilities, disadvantaged pupils and those known to children’s social care, all thrive. Leaders’ determination to include every pupil in meaningful opportunities is evident in the remarkable progress that pupils make, through the curriculum, from their starting points.

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Inclusion Exceptional

Support for vulnerable pupils is exemplary. Staff know each pupil in notable depth and use this understanding to refine teaching, therapeutic input and pastoral care. Disadvantaged pupils and those with social care involvement benefit from highly personalised support plans that address emotional, behavioural and safeguarding needs alongside academic development. Leaders monitor progress rigorously, beginning with supervisors’ observations and extending through bespoke review processes that ensure no pupil is overlooked. These exceptional standards of inclusion are sustained over time. The development of pupils now in the sixth form, many of whom entered school with significant barriers, demonstrates the long ‑ term impact of this meticulous and compassionate approach.

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Personal development and wellbeing Exceptional

The personal development and wellbeing programme is exceptional. It is designed by a highly strategic leadership team that places pupils’ safety, regulation and long ‑ term life chances at the centre of every decision it makes. Leaders understand the profound and complex needs of pupils and have relentlessly adapted, reviewed and personalised the personal development offer for pupils. This forensic approach ensures that pupils who begin school with significant vulnerabilities make transformational progress in their independence, safety and emotional regulation.

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Personal development and wellbeing Exceptional

The curriculum for personal, social, health and economic education, including relationships and sex education, is expertly tailored. Leaders ensure that pupils learn about private and public behaviours, personal hygiene, bodily autonomy and appropriate sexual development using clear, structured and sensitive teaching. Pupils are taught explicitly about online and offline risks in ways that match their understanding. This enables them to recognise danger, seek help and stay safe. This work is strengthened through close partnership with parents so that parents are aware of the importance of the personal development programme.

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Personal development and wellbeing Exceptional

Social, moral, spiritual and cultural development is woven seamlessly through the curriculum. Pupils learn to respect difference, understand relationships and participate safely in their community. They have a secure understanding of different world faiths, cultures and the importance of equality and diversity. Pupils rehearse social interactions, practise communication and develop confidence through purposeful routines such as preparing shared spaces, contributing to school life and engaging in therapeutic activities.

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Personal development and wellbeing Exceptional

Pastoral support is exemplary. One ‑ to ‑ one emotional literacy work, combined with whole ‑ school behaviour analysis, creates a coherent and deeply informed approach to pupils' wellbeing. Therapeutic and academic staff collaborate closely, ensuring that every pupil’s emotional, sensory and learning needs are understood and met. Preparation for adulthood is transformative for many pupils. Leaders map each pupil’s journey from early years to Year 14 with precision, breaking down long ‑ term goals into micro ‑ steps that build pupils' independence. Pupils learn essential life skills, from managing personal care to tolerating medical procedures and attending appointments, which dramatically increases their ability to access healthcare, education and community life. This contributes effectively to pupils' character development, resilience and autonomy. For some pupils this is life ‑ changing and it equips all pupils exceptionally well for adulthood.

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Post-16 provision Exceptional

Post-16 provision is exceptional. Highly strategic leadership sets an ambitious vision for every learner, regardless of the complexity of their needs. Leaders have designed a curriculum that is meticulously tailored, ensuring that learning is meaningful, purposeful and rooted in the skills that students need for adulthood. Their deep understanding of each student enables them to create pathways that maximise independence, confidence and personal fulfilment.

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Strong standard

Students achieve exceptionally well in the sixth form. They gain functional skills, life skills and entry ‑ level qualifications that represent significant success given their low starting points. Last year, every student progressed to further education, and current students are securing even more ambitious destinations, including higher ‑ level college courses. These outcomes reflect the precision of teaching and the relentless belief that there is no limit to what students can achieve.

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Strong standard

The curriculum blends academic learning with rich life ‑ skills development. Students run the school café, manage the shop, prepare communal spaces and rehearse social interactions using well ‑ designed scripts. These experiences build resilience, independence and employability. Bespoke work ‑ experience placements allow students to explore a range of vocational options, helping them to move into appropriate settings where they sustain and succeed.

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Strong standard

Wider opportunities and inclusive practice are exemplary. Students learn to navigate daily routines, understand relationships, respect cultural differences and regulate their emotions in a safe, structured environment. Careers guidance is highly personalised, enabling students to make informed choices and engage in purposeful activities that enhance their work and life chances. The sixth form is a vibrant, aspirational community where every student thrives.

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Achievement Strong standard

Achievement is strong because pupils develop secure foundational knowledge through highly tailored teaching that reflects their complex starting points. In the primary phase, adults use precise, well ‑ chosen resources and structured routines to unlock early communication, sensory regulation and emerging academic skills. This creates a firm platform for future learning. As pupils move into the secondary phase, staff build on these foundations with tasks mapped directly to education, health and care plan targets and individual support plans. Continuous assessment ensures that pupils learn with accuracy, enabling them to make sustained progress across the curriculum. Pupils with the most profound needs access ambitious learning successfully because of the skilful adaptability of staff.

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Achievement Strong standard

By the sixth form, students apply their skills with growing independence. They produce high ‑ quality woodwork, run the school shop and prepare shared spaces, developing confidence, communication and life skills. From their starting points, pupils make significant progress through the curriculum, over time. Often, pupils achieve outcomes that once seemed unattainable. The micro ‑ teaching approach is particularly effective. From Reception, previously pre ‑ verbal children are supported to use relevant resources provided by the school confidently at school and home, which transforms their ability to express their needs and interact with others. This is consistent across all year groups. Pupils leave the school strongly prepared for their next steps in education, employment or training, equipped with the confidence, habits and independence that they need to thrive.

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Curriculum and teaching Strong standard

Strategic leadership of curriculum and teaching is highly effective, ensuring that every pupil accesses a bespoke, ambitious and precisely engineered learning pathway. Leaders design an inclusive curriculum that secures strong foundations for all pupils, including those with profound learning difficulties and autism. Staff deliver individualised learning approaches, using finely tuned assessment procedures to check how well pupils are learning. Staff identify micro ‑ steps of learning that build cumulatively into meaningful and rapid progress through the curriculum. In early years, children benefit from immersive, communication ‑ rich routines that prioritise language, regulation and early mathematics and English. Across the school, the curriculum remains broad and balanced, enriched by bespoke curriculum activities such as food technology, yoga and swimming. These contribute to the development of life skills for pupils and promote health and wellbeing. Leaders’ forensic

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Curriculum and teaching Strong standard

planning processes ensure that no pupil’s needs are too complex to consider within the curriculum design. Learning is always accessible, purposeful and rooted in long ‑ term developmental goals for pupils.

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Curriculum and teaching Strong standard

Teaching is consistently strong because adults make expert, moment ‑ by ‑ moment adaptations that respond to pupils’ sensory, emotional and cognitive needs. Staff break learning into micro ‑ chunks that align precisely with pupils' individual set targets. This enables pupils to achieve success. Supervisors and teachers work seamlessly together, choosing the right task, resource or strategy at exactly the right time. The school overcomes barriers to learning through carefully sequenced learning and frequent adaptations. As a result, pupils with significant needs experience a curriculum that is ambitious, inclusive and highly relevant, allowing them to develop knowledge, skills and the independence that they need to thrive.

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Leadership and governance Strong standard

Leadership and governance are highly effective, demonstrating a strong standard of strategic oversight and an unwavering commitment to pupils’ best interests. Leaders and proprietors have a precise understanding of the school’s strengths and areas for development. They prioritise improvement actions that are sharply aligned with pupils’ complex needs, ensuring that every decision is rooted in what will make the greatest difference to their learning, safety and long ‑ term outcomes.

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Leadership and governance Strong standard

Proprietors, governors and trustees provide impressive challenge, support and expertise. Their knowledge of the school is deep and current, enabling them to meet statutory duties with diligence. Governance systems ensure robust quality assurance that secures full compliance with the independent school standards. This rigour is matched by a culture of trust and professional respect.

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Leadership and governance Strong standard

Leaders analyse behaviour and wellbeing trends with forensic detail, using this information to shape teaching, pastoral care and pupils’ personal development. Professional development for staff is ambitious and continuous, empowering staff at all levels to refine their expertise. The training programme is based on up-to-date, high-quality research. Staff speak with confidence about the high levels of support that they receive. This creates a highly invested workforce that feels both supported and challenged. Staff wellbeing remains buoyant because leaders are highly dedicated, compassionate and supportive. Parents and carers are overwhelmingly positive about the school. Engagement with families, professionals and the wider community is purposeful and effective, strengthening the support to pupils. Leaders, governors, proprietors and staff are united by a culture of high ambition and a belief that there is no ceiling on what pupils can achieve.

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

Pupils feel a sense of belonging in this deeply caring, inclusive and ambitious school. Leaders and the proprietor pursue the very best for every pupil from the moment they arrive. All pupils have education, health and care plans with significant and complex special educational needs and/or disabilities. The support that they receive is exceptional. Pupils' unique needs are at the centre of all leaders' decisions. Pupils embrace the highly ambitious curriculum which is characterised by precision and ambition. The school meets the full range of pupils' needs without compromise. Pupils thrive and they unlock learning because the staff track, analyse and refine the support that pupils receive with remarkable consistency. This contributes well to pupils achieving well from their starting points. Pupils' personal and social development, as well as their academic progress, is impressive.

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

Pupils' attendance and behaviour are exceptional. Leaders take a highly strategic approach, removing barriers through meticulous work on developing pupils' communication, understanding and readiness to learn. Pupils often arrive with behavioural, emotional and safeguarding challenges, but they settle quickly because the school uses expertly designed systems consistently. Some negative attitudes to learning are transformed over time. Pupils are not worried about bullying. Staff respond swiftly and effectively to any worries that pupils share. Behaviour management is exemplary. Leaders and staff use highly effective systems that secure rapid and sustained improvements to pupils' negative behaviour. Relationships are warm, respectful and rooted in deep understanding, creating an ethos of compassion and aspiration.

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

Pupils' personal development and wellbeing are transformative. Pupils flourish through carefully structured teaching in hygiene, safety, communication and independent living. Sixth ‑ form students make impressive progress through the curriculum attaining highly and securing impressive destinations when they leave the school. Students take great pride in contributing to school life, including running the school shop and preparing the lunch hall, demonstrating maturity, responsibility and readiness for adulthood. Parents and carers are unanimous in their praise of the school, with many describing the school as life ‑ changing.

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Next steps

Leaders should continue to embed their work to ensure that pupils experience transformative success across all areas of learning.

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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 co-headteachers, senior leaders, teachers, support staff, proprietors, the CEO of the trust and the chair of governors during the inspection.

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About this inspection

The inspectors confirmed the following information about the school:

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About this inspection

Jigsaw CABAS School caters for pupils with autism. A high proportion of pupils have social and communication difficulties and are non-verbal. All pupils have an education, health and care plan.

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About this inspection

The school was established as an independent day school in 1999 by a group of parents of children with autism. The trust also runs provision for adults with autism (JigsawPlus). The school follows the methodology of the Comprehensive Application of Behaviour Analysis to Schooling (CABAS).

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About this inspection

Many of the pupils who attend here have either been previously excluded or are unable to attend mainstream schools. Pupils are referred to the school by their local authority.

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About this inspection

The main school site is in Dunsfold. The school also uses a ‘Life Skills Centre’ for targeted experiences with small groups of pupils each week. This is located at 9 Sydney Road, Guildford GU1 3LL.

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About this inspection

The school does not use any alternative provisions.

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About this inspection

The proprietor body is a registered charity, The Jigsaw Trust. The CEO is Kate Grant.

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About this inspection

The chair of trustees is Jill Kiely and the chair of governors is Adam Dalton.

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About this inspection

The current annual fees are £78,833 for primary provision and £83,563 for secondary and sixth-form provision.

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About this inspection

The school email address is info@jigsawschool.co.uk

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About this inspection

Co-headteachers: Dr Emma Hawkins and Mariann Szabo 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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