New Horizons School (Part of the Sabden Multi Academy Trust)

Highlights from Latest Inspection

Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

This is an outstanding school.

Pupils' learning and progress are outstanding. Pupils achieve very well in a range of subjects. Their attainment improves significantly, often from low starting points.

Higher than average proportions of pupils make rapid and sustained progress in both English and mathematics. Pupils' reading skills develop very well. This is mainly due to daily literacy sessions of excellent quality across the school.

The school takes very good care to ensure that pupils from all ethnic backgrounds and both genders do as well as each other. This is especially important as most pupils are boys from White British backgrounds. Teaching is ...often outstanding.

In lessons, pupils have a comprehensive understanding of what they are learning and why. This helps them to be very focused on their work. Pupils have an excellent knowledge of how well they are learning and a thorough appreciation of what they need to do to improve.

Teachers take very good account of what pupils already know, understand and can do. Many teachers are skilled at adapting lessons to pupils' responses. This gets pupils involved with learning very well.

Arrangements to keep pupils safe are outstanding. The school is calm and orderly. The work of school staff transforms pupils' attitudes to learning.

Pupils participate very well in lessons and there is often a strong sense of enjoyment. Pupils' behaviour in class and around the school is typically excellent. In lessons, pupils often make relevant contributions because : they are interested in what is being taught.

Pupils' spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is successfully given high priority. Outdoor education, residential experiences and classroom lessons contribute strongly to this. The school is very effective in developing pupils' awareness of difference.

As a result, racism and bullying are infrequent and dealt with swiftly when, rarely, they do occur. The school prepares pupils very effectively for the next stage of their education. This applies particularly as pupils move from Key Stage 3 to 4 when they choose which subjects to study.

Leadership is strong throughout the school. There is a common focus on ensuring that learning and teaching are of a consistently high standard. School leaders use their rigorous and frequent checks on the quality of teaching to make decisions about teachers' training needs.

The governing body provides outstanding support to the school. They robustly ensure that school leaders are held to account for pupils' learning and development.

Information about this school

New Horizons is a special school for pupils with a statement of special educational needs for their social, emotional and behavioural difficulties.

Pupils may also have other special educational needs such as autistic spectrum disorders or speech and language difficulties. The school operates from two sites: - Beauchamp Road, where 55 pupils in Key Stages 2 and 3 are on roll - Tile Barn Road, where 22 pupils in Key Stage 4 are on roll. The Beauchamp Road site includes a class for pupils who have been, or are at risk of being, excluded from mainstream school.

These pupils are registered with both New Horizons and their mainstream school. The school admits pupils throughout the school year and into all year groups. This means that while some pupils have been at the school for a number of years others have only joined recently.

The number of boys on the school roll is much higher than the number of girls. Almost all pupils are of White British heritage. The proportion of pupils supported by the pupil premium is above average.

This is additional government funding provided to give extra support to pupils known to be eligible for free school meals and to children who are looked after. The school uses Ivyland Farm, Plumpton Agricultural College and Flimwell Forestry Centre as alternative providers of education for a small number of pupils in Key Stage 4. The school makes early entry to GCSE examinations for pupils in Year 10 in mathematics.

The school is part of the SABDEN federation, which includes three special schools, a secure unit and a pupil referral unit. The executive headteacher and the governing body are responsible for the federation as a whole. The executive headteacher is a National Leader of Education.