Bladon House School in Newton Solney have received a ‘Good’ Ofsted education grade in their inspection, which took place last month. The young people at Bladon have a range of complex needs, including: a diagnosis of autistic spectrum disorder, speech, language and communication needs; moderate or severe learning difficulties and mental health issues and associated challenging behaviours. The school provides day and residential placements for children and young people aged 5 to 19 years.
The Inspection report emphasised how much young people at the school loved being there and were engaged in their learning, something that most young people hadn’t experienced before, due to previous placements being unsuitable and therefore to meet their education and social needs.
Inspectors said:
“Pupils’ positive attitudes towards education are evident in the ways pupils engage with their work. In lessons, pupils work well on the tasks that teachers set and complete their work with pride. They show pleasure when they have completed a task successfully.”
“The strong relationships that exist between staff and pupils ensures that pupils enjoy coming to school and adopt very positive attitudes to their learning. For most pupils, this represents outstanding progress, as their previous experience of education has been fractured and less positive before joining the school.”
One of the key reasons for pupils’ engagement is the schools expertise in developing individualised curriculum pathways with agreed outcomes and an emphasis on preparation for life after Bladon House School. The curriculum offer is rich. Alongside the core subjects there is the opportunity for all students to access: computing, cooking, PE and outdoor education, including Duke of Edinburgh, horticulture and land based studies. These are taught by subject specialist teachers and instructors. In addition, a range of activities are offered by external providers, both on and off-site including: music production and graffiti art- lovely examples of which can be seen around school.
Pupils at the school also have access to a wraparound onsite therapy team including Occupational Therapy, Speech and Language Therapy and Physiotherapist. The therapists work with teachers and care staff, as well as parents and carers to ensure a consistent approach, which really benefits young people’s development.
“High quality therapy supports pupils effectively to understand their additional needs and recognise when they become anxious. This allows pupils to learn how to manage their anxieties. This, in turn, helps to reduce the frequency with which pupils demonstrate challenging behaviours.”
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