Paddock School

Paddock School

Address: 120 Broadwater Road, London, SW17 0DZ Unique reference number (URN): 101102

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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.

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Achievement Strong standard

Leaders prioritise pupils’ achievement regardless of the barriers to learning they face. As a result, pupils achieve consistently well from their varied starting points. They make significant progress in their communication, language and social skills. Some pupils gain detailed knowledge and skills from subjects such as food technology and music. Pupils gain impressive confidence and appropriate skills in their preparation for adulthood. For example, becoming independent travellers and having clear future learning and training goals.

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Achievement Strong standard

In the Reception class, children settle quickly and make excellent progress. They develop language and communication skills that help them access the curriculum. Pupils, across the school, achieve well in relation to the targets in their education, health and care plans. They are proud of the high-quality work they produce. Older pupils demonstrate their skills in a memorable leavers concert performing songs they have written, through imaginative portfolios of work and examination results.

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Attendance and behaviour Strong standard

Leaders have managed attendance thoughtfully and carefully. Leaders work closely with families to understand and reduce barriers to attendance. Daily checks, prompt follow up and consistently personalised support help pupils feel confident about coming to school. As a result, despite the complexity of pupils' needs, the school has maintained high levels of attendance over several years. Leaders routinely check if actions are improving attendance and punctuality.

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Attendance and behaviour Strong standard

Pupils feel safe and are warmly welcomed into the school. Behaviour across the school is calm and orderly. Pupils move safely around the site and settle quickly in lessons. Staff understand pupils' sensory needs and swiftly intervene to help pupils remain focused and calm. They help pupils regulate emotions and return to learning when difficulties arise. Staff help pupils to develop the tools they need to manage their own behaviour and emotions. Quiet spaces, during the day and at breaktimes and intuitive personalised interventions from staff support pupils’ emotional wellbeing effectively. There is no discriminatory behaviour or bullying. The school's personalised approaches ensures pupils behaviour is transformed as a result.

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Curriculum and teaching Strong standard

Leaders have constructed a carefully sequenced, ambitious range of curriculum pathways that builds on pupils' prior learning across all age groups. The curriculum is of a consistently high quality across subjects and phases. Leaders have a clear and accurate understanding of the quality of curriculum and teaching. Teachers have used their knowledge of pupils to plan lessons that are exciting and engaging.

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Curriculum and teaching Strong standard

Staff are very skilled at tailoring the curriculum to each pupil's needs. Staff use an effective range of communication systems to communicate effectively with all pupils. Leaders have ensured that staff have the knowledge and expertise to teach effectively across the curriculum and for pupils with very different needs. Staff focus on developing pupils' core knowledge in reading, writing, speaking and mathematics. For example, the school has carefully adapted and revised an early reading pathway.

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Curriculum and teaching Strong standard

For older pupils, where appropriate, there is consistent focus on subject-specific vocabulary, which supports pupils to articulate their learning where they can and make links to prior knowledge. For example, pupils name and use appropriate utensils to prepare food for the school café. Pupils sustain their focus and demonstrate readiness to gain qualifications and be prepared for their next steps of their lives.

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Early years Strong standard

Leaders have high aspirations for children in the early years. Children are extremely happy, confident and secure in the early years. Staff identify children's barriers to learning swiftly. Staff take great care to ensure that each child has a careful transition plan that supports a seamless start to the early years. Relationships between adults and children are warm and caring. Children quickly learn to follow routines. They play and learn in a stimulating, well- considered environment.

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Early years Strong standard

The early years curriculum is engaging and tailored to each child's needs. All staff, alongside specialists, support children's language and vocabulary development. They use a range of communication strategies that are well suited to children's developmental and sensory needs. Staff model many different approaches that help children to understand or use more words including stories, songs and play. Teachers ensure that children who are at the initial stages of learning to read, gain the phonics knowledge and language comprehension they need to read. Staff use sight, sound or touch to support learning, individual reading routines, and activities that build children's mathematical and physical skills. Leaders and staff maintain regular contact with parents to update them on what children are learning.

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Inclusion Strong standard

Leaders’ dedication to the principles of inclusivity are informed by the deep understanding of pupils’ individual needs. They have a clear understanding of the barriers to learning for pupils and the support that pupils require. They ensure targeted support and well- considered personalisation of learning plans and activities in the curriculum are in place. Leaders have expertly built every aspect of the school's work around pupils' diverse needs. They monitor and assess the progress of pupils with rigour. Specialist care workers and health professionals work together effectively to support pupils. They apply leaders' high- quality systems and strategies expertly well.

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Inclusion Strong standard

Pupils flourish, as staff consistently reduce multiple and complex barriers to pupils' learning and well-being. Parents and carers praise the sensitive and helpful support they receive and the progress their children make. This close partnership between staff and parents and other members of the community to reduce additional vulnerabilities is highly effective. For example, leaders' use of extra funding to support disadvantaged pupils is thoughtful and makes a difference to pupils with additional needs. The school provides excellent support for pupils known or previously known to children's social care. This cohesive approach ensures that all pupils benefit from the rich variety of opportunities available to support their development.

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Leadership and governance Strong standard

Leaders and those responsible for governance share a clear and passionate commitment to pupils’ welfare, learning and inclusion. They have high expectations of pupils, staff and families. This has been maintained through extensive building programmes and realignment of the curriculum across the primary and secondary sites. Leaders ensure the curriculum and effective support is planned in detail for each pupil. Robust systems for monitoring the impact of improvement strategies have become a crucial element of leaders’ priorities. At the heart of the school’s work is lowering barriers to successful learning for all pupils.

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Leadership and governance Strong standard

Professional learning is aligned to pupils’ needs, inclusive practice and wellbeing. Leaders are attentive to staff workload and support staff to focus on what matters most for pupils. Staff and leaders across the school benefit from extensive high-quality training to ensure that the curriculum in place is taught consistently well. Leaders have established a culture of high expectations for all. This reflects leaders’ commitment to making decisions that are in the best interests of all pupils.

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Leadership and governance Strong standard

Governors fulfil their roles effectively. They provide thoughtful support and challenge to leaders across all aspects of the school's work and meet their statutory responsibilities. Highly effective and collaborative relationships with families, professionals and external agencies contribute to a shared sense of responsibility and confidence in the school’s direction. Governors maintain a secure understanding of the school’s performance through regular monitoring activities. This is particularly the case for pupil premium funding, which is carefully deployed to meet the inclusive priorities of the school.

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Personal development and wellbeing Strong standard

Leaders have developed a personalised approach to pupils' personal development. Pupils benefit from high levels of pastoral care. The programme is rich, varied and reflective of the respectful and caring school culture. Over time, pupils develop resilience and confidence. Pupils learn about relationships, staying safe online and offline, and making informed choices about their health and wellbeing. They find their voice and feel proud of their achievements. Pupils learn about different cultures and traditions. For example, when learning about relationships, pupils learn about the similarities and differences between themselves and others.

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Personal development and wellbeing Strong standard

Leaders monitor participation in all aspects of the personal development programme carefully. Pupils benefit from a wide range of experiences that support their social, emotional and cultural development. They enjoy a range of clubs, such as cooking, overnight expeditions, and singing in a band. They enjoy many trips, from visiting a local park to historical sights and landmarks in the city, museums and places of worship which broadens understanding and respect for others. Through the curriculum for personal, social and health education, pupils learn the importance of healthy lifestyles.

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Personal development and wellbeing Strong standard

Leaders and staff know all the pupils and their families very well. This allows staff to tailor pastoral support to individual needs. They provide consistent, caring support when pupils experience worry or emotional difficulty. Pupils benefit from therapeutic provision, including art, music and drama, which helps them express feelings and meet pupil needs effectively.

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Personal development and wellbeing Strong standard

A clear priority of the school is the preparation of pupils for later life. The school promotes pupils' understanding of fundamental British values. Pupils deepen their understanding of democracy by voting for their peers in school council elections. Staff deliver careers education through a careful programme of visits to colleges, meeting people from different occupations. Pupils build independence through individual programmes of carefully structured travel practice, shopping, community visits and work related experiences. This helps them feel increasingly prepared for their next steps.

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Post-16 provision Strong standard

Leaders have carefully planned post 16 study programmes that are matched to students’ needs, interests and aspirations. Students talk confidently about their learning and the value they attach to being part of the sixth form community. Teachers deliver study programmes tailored to the needs of students. Students access a combination of academic, vocational and functional learning pathways, qualifications and other accredited learning. Students continue to develop their basic skills in reading, writing, communication and mathematics from their different starting points. Staff check what students know and can do over time and provide individual support where learning has previously been disrupted.

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Post-16 provision Strong standard

Staff focus on preparing students for life after school. Developing confidence in students' own abilities and independence is a priority for post 16 provision. Students practise practical life skills such as independent travel, managing money, self-care and skills relating to employment. Students take part in valuable work experience at the school or with external businesses. Careers education and guidance are personalised and relevant. Staff work closely with students and their families to plan transitions and explore possible future pathways beyond post 16 education, matched to their interests and starting points. Students are very well prepared for their futures.

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

Pupils have extremely positive attitudes to school and growing confidence as learners from the early years through to post 16. Pupils are proud to attend the school. They arrive each morning with enthusiasm and are greeted warmly by staff who know them extremely well. Adults have pupils' best interests at heart in everything they do and every decision they make. They are vigilant in ensuring that pupils feel safe and are kept safe. Relationships, between pupils and staff, are highly constructive. Staff understand pupils' worries and respond to them consistently well. As a result, pupils, including those who face barriers to their learning, feel safe, valued and ready to learn.

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

Pupils enjoy their learning and approach lessons with interest and curiosity. Teachers plan lessons that are carefully crafted to build on what pupils have learned before and meet their needs, goals and targets. They achieve very well. Older pupils benefit from a carefully planned curriculum that results in a variety of qualifications that they can work towards. These opportunities help pupils to be well prepared for their next stages in education or life outside school.

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

Pupils show high levels of respect for each other. They learn about how to behave around one another and in society. Behaviour throughout the school is excellent, calm and purposeful. Staff supervise pupils closely to support them to independently take actions and make positive, safe decisions. Incidents of bullying are rare and, if it happens, staff deal with it swiftly. Children in early years show high levels of independence, curiosity and fascination.

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

Older pupils value the many opportunities to develop independence including travel preparation, singing in a group and visits to numerous places of interest. Parents and carers speak very highly about the care, progress and difference the school makes to their children in the school.

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Next steps

Leaders and those responsible for governance should maintain and build on the improvements to the curriculum and teaching across the school since the new structure and buildings were established to ensure the highest possible outcomes.

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About this inspection

The co-chairs of the board of governors in this school are Sarah Asquith and Tim Pethybridge.

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About this inspection

Inspectors carried out this full inspection under section 5 of the Education Act 2005.

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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 the headteacher and assistant headteachers, as well as several other leaders and members of staff. They also spoke with representatives of the governing body. Inspectors carried out learning walks across the school and reviewed pupils’ work. They met with groups of pupils and observed social times. Inspectors examined a range of school documents, including those related to the curriculum, school improvement, safeguarding, behaviour, attendance and governance.

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About this inspection

The inspectors confirmed the following information about the school:

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About this inspection

The school caters for all pupils with education, health and care plans. It supports pupils with autistic spectrum disorder, moderate learning difficulties and severe learning difficulties.

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About this inspection

The school does not use alternative provision.

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Team inspectors:

Francis Gonzalez, Ofsted Inspector Samantha Hill, Ofsted Inspector

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Facts and figures used on inspection

This was the data available at the time of the full inspection, taken from different sources . More recent data may have been published since the full inspection took place.

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Facts and figures used on inspection

The inspector(s) used this data during the full inspection on 14 July 2026

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What does this mean?

The total number of pupils currently at this school and how this compares to other schools of this phase in England.

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What does this mean?

The total number of pupils who can attend the school and how this compares to other schools of this phase in England.

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What does this mean?

Headteacher: Sarah Santos The proportion of pupils eligible for free school meals at any point in the last 6 years.

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What does this mean?

The proportion of pupils with an education, health and care plan. This covers pupils with more support than is available through special educational needs support.

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What does this mean?

The proportion of pupils with reported special educational needs support at the school.

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What does this mean?

Based on the English indices of deprivation (2019) and the school's location, we have calculated whether the school is located in a more or less deprived area.

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What does this mean?

Whether school has Resourced provision or SEND unit (if applicable).

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What does this mean?

The type of Special Educational Needs provision provided at the school (if applicable).

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Destinations after 16

Percentage of pupils staying in education or employment for at least 2 terms after the end of secondary school (key stage 4).

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Overall absence

The percentage of all possible mornings and afternoons missed due to absence from school (for whatever reason, whether authorised or unauthorised) across all pupils.

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Persistent absence

The percentage of pupils missing 10% or more of their possible mornings and afternoons.

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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. 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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Urgent improvement

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Urgent improvement

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 .

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Urgent improvement

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Urgent improvement

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

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