Grange School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this school?

The Grange School is an inspirational learning environment in which pupils thrive and prosper. The school has created a safe and nurturing atmosphere. It has high expectations and a steely determination to make sure that pupils enjoy a rich, broad curriculum.

This ambition for pupils' achievement becomes a reality. Pupils at all stages in their school life blossom, both socially and academically.

Pupils are delighted to come to school every day.

Relationships between staff and pupils are very strong. Staff care for pupils well with affection and concern for their well-being. This helps pupils to have a strong sense of belonging and they feel part of the schoo...l community.

Pupils are friendly, respectful and supportive of each other. Their behaviour is exemplary. Pupils learn to increasingly manage their own emotions which helps them to understand their own behaviour and feelings.

Where needed, well-trained staff support pupils with their behaviour. This results in a school environment which is like a sanctuary for pupils.

The school ensures that pupils are well prepared for adult life.

Pupils have extensive opportunities to practise different skills over their school career which support them to move very successfully into adulthood. For example, in the 'futures flat', students learn skills to help them to live independently.

What does the school do well and what does it need to do better?

The curriculum on offer at The Grange from early years to sixth form is extraordinary.

It is broad, balanced and ambitious. The school considers and identifies the knowledge which pupils should learn at every stage in the finest detail. Consequently, the curriculum meets pupils' needs precisely.

This begins in the early years. The school builds children's knowledge and skills based on a clear understanding of their education and care needs, their home life and previous experiences. The way that teachers design learning for children in the early years is clearly effective.

This approach continues throughout the school and sixth form. Teachers show a remarkable understanding of their subjects. They use their expertise well to support pupils' learning.

In every subject, the school uses assessment strategies effectively to identify whether pupils have learned the required content. This helps teachers to plan for next steps in learning extremely well. They ensure that pupils can show and demonstrate their learning in a range of contexts before they move onto new learning.

This results in pupils' improving their knowledge very well over time.

A passion for literature and a culture of reading are apparent throughout the school. Reading is taught daily for all year groups and pupils take home books to share with their families.

Pupils have access to two impressive libraries which supports their reading, but also touches pupils' interests. For example, when pupils develop an interest in certain genres or authors, staff make recommendations. This extends pupils' interest and exposure to the highest quality literature.

Pupils learn to recognise letters and sounds in a systematic way. This enables pupils to link these sounds together to read words. Reading books are perfectly matched to the sounds that pupils know.

Reading books for each year group are carefully selected to support pupils' learning in many different curriculum subjects. Pupils are thoroughly prepared for their next steps in reading.

The school develops pupils' talents and interests through an extensive wider curriculum offer.

Pupils make choices about what they would like to do in the future. From the early years, children get to experience learning in the 'imagination village' to develop their curiosity, imaginative and life skills. This continues with pupils developing their social communication through the 'tiny town'.

The 'buddy barn farm' allows pupils to develop their character as well as supporting pupils' well-being. The wider curriculum offer continues through to sixth form with the 'brewhog café'. Student baristas run the café.

This gives them the chance to apply their skills of communication, teamwork and organisation. Students take these skills into their experience of employment.

Career provision is an exceptional strength of the school.

From the early years, all pupils learn about careers. The school ensures that students get the opportunities to explore their interests. The school provides opportunities for pupils to learn about specific industries so that students have the necessary knowledge, should they want to move into that industry.

For example, some pupils learn about car maintenance to prepare them for a pathway into that industry.

Pupils demonstrate high levels of engagement from early years through to sixth form. They focus on their learning in lessons.

Pupils, including students in sixth form, demonstrate strong levels of resilience. This includes whenever they encounter difficulties. As a result, lessons are not interrupted, and pupils can focus.

Pupils love their learning. They demonstrate remarkably positive attitudes to their studies.

The school's leadership has been instrumental in the transformation of this school.

The trust and local governing board are very knowledgeable about the school. The trust has provided a range of appropriate support to the school, particularly in relation to staff training. Leaders ensure that every staff member receives the precise professional development they need to make them highly effective in their role.

The school is consistently striving to refine and extend the education on offer to pupils. It is thorough in its work with parents. For example, the school has devised bespoke ways of communicating with parents.

Staff report that the school and the trust consider their workload and well-being thoroughly. For example, the support and guidance provided by the school helps teachers with their preparation for lessons and reduces workload.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.