A South Holland school which caters for children with complex needs has retained its ‘outstanding’ award from Ofsted.
Gosberton House Academy ‘fosters a highly nurturing environment,’ says the recent report.
“Pupils are excited to arrive at school to see their friends and find out what they will be learning. They thrive academically and personally due to the school’s high expectations and commitment to delivering high-quality education,” the inspection noted.
The school has pupils aged between two and 11 with 101 on the roll. It is a member of the University of Lincoln Academy Trust.
Pupils are kind to each other and interact with each other in a considerate manner and they know staff are there to help them.
“Provision is meticulously tailored to meet each pupil’s individual needs, implemented with expertise, sensitivity and a strong emphasis on learning. The school integrates personal development, particularly the essential skills for adulthood, into all aspects of its practice.
“From the years onwards, pupils begin to develop an understanding of how to keep themselves safe, for example water safety and online safety,” says the report.
The curriculum has been revised since the school was last inspected and it also refined the checks it uses to establish what pupils know.
“Behaviour is exemplary. From the early years, children learn to play alongside others, and then to start collaborating in both work and play. Pupils are focused and settled in lessons,” the inspection found.
All the pupils at Gosberton House Academy have Education, Health and Care Plans (EHC). They have a range of conditions including autism, moderate learning difficulty and speech and communication needs. Some also have specific physical needs.
The school was last inspected in 2019 when Ofsted awarded an overall Outstanding grade. These are no longer given, but the recent report said the school had taken ‘effective action’ to maintain the standards of the previous inspection.
“Pupils are provided with opportunities to develop self-awareness and build healthy relationships with others. Staff take pupils’ additional vulnerabilities into careful consideration when addressing sensitive topics.
“Pupils learn essential life skills, such as going to the local shops to buy groceries with money they save in the school bank. They enjoy trips to the local leisure centre to learn to swim. Pupils value the trips they experience that enrich the curriculum, for example to the aquarium in Skegness,” the report says.
