We are Locrating.com, a schools information website. This page is one of our school directory pages. This is not the website of Royal Free Hospital Children’s School.
What is Locrating?
Locrating is the UK's most popular and trusted school guide; it allows you to view inspection reports, admissions data, exam results, catchment areas, league tables, school reviews,
neighbourhood information, carry out school comparisons and much more. Below is some useful summary information regarding Royal Free Hospital Children’s School.
To see all our data you need to click the blue button at the bottom of this page to view Royal Free Hospital Children’s School
on our interactive map.
Evidence gathered during this ungraded (section 8) inspection suggests that aspects of the school's work may not be as strong as at the time of the previous inspection.
The school's next inspection will be a graded inspection.
What is it like to attend this school?
This is a school where each pupil is valued and celebrated for who they are and what they can do. Most have had a turbulent time in education and they often join the school feeling that education has little to offer them.
Staff work hard to change this view.
Staff have created a safe space, where pupils can learn. Consequently, pupils typically enjoy school and are proud to attend.
After spendi...ng time at The Royal Free Hospital School, even pupils who have previously spent one or two years in their bedrooms often thrive when they return to a mainstream school.
Pupils' behaviour is exemplary, both in class and throughout the school. They are polite, welcoming and cooperative.
The positive, well-staffed environment limits any potential for bullying. Low-level disruptive behaviour does not hinder other pupils' learning. They are confident that staff will help them with any problems they encounter.
The school has high expectations for all pupils. However, the curriculum is under review. At the time of this inspection, the curriculum was not sufficiently developed.
Parents and carers are positive about the school. Several parents spoke of seeing changes in their children that they had never dared to dream of, such as achieving GCSEs, or just talking to a neighbour.
What does the school do well and what does it need to do better?
Recently, the school has experienced several changes.
These include relocating to a new site, appointing a new headteacher and addressing a significant shift in the needs of the pupils.
The pupils at the school are proud and happy here. Depending on their medical requirements, pupils may stay at the school for either short or long durations.
When pupils join, the staff promptly establish a connection with the pupils, making every effort to comprehend each pupil's personality, interests, talents and future aspirations. Pupils' special educational needs and/or disabilities are accurately identified and understood. The staff also reassure pupils admitted to the wards that they can continue their education and stay on top of their schoolwork.
The school has outlined a compelling vision for the next phase of the curriculum, aiming to ensure it better addresses the diverse needs of the pupil cohort. However, the school is in the early stages of this work. This means that sometimes, pupils are not taught ideas in a logical order, and they do not progress through the curriculum as well as they should.
Pupils work towards a range of qualifications, including GCSEs in English and mathematics, and achieve some success.
The curriculum is enriched through a range of additional subjects and therapies. This includes equine therapy, art therapy and drama therapy.
These help pupils to develop social skills and resilience strategies to deal with previous trauma.
Staff ensure that pupils explore a range of diverse and demanding texts, both as part of the curriculum and for pleasure. The school identifies pupils who may need support with their reading.
Staff have various support strategies at their disposal, which they can use to help individual pupils. Consequently, these pupils learn to read with accuracy and fluency.
The school is tenacious about ensuring pupils' attendance at school improves.
Every effort goes in to help pupils engage with learning. Even the structure of the school day has been carefully designed to re-engage and enrich pupils' lives beyond the academic curriculum. As a result, most are keen to attend.
A strength of the school is the way it develops pupils' personal skills and gets them ready for adulthood. Significant efforts have been made towards helping pupils positively consider their future, particularly those concerned about their medical diagnoses. The careers programme helps pupils to know about the variety of options available to them when they leave school.
When pupils leave Year 11, they move on to a range of colleges and training opportunities. The school goes out of its way to remain a source of support for pupils after they have left.
The school and hospital are highly integrated, with the school staff regularly attending and contributing to daily clinical meetings.
The school's work helps normalise the hospital experience for pupils, and this sense of familiarity supports pupils during difficult times.Leaders, staff and governors share an unwavering vision for every pupil to thrive. The school and governors work well together and are clear about what needs to be done to improve the school's performance.
Leaders and governors recognise the dedication of staff. They make sure their well-being is prioritised. The culture of openness, collaboration and support is highly prized by staff.
Consequently, staff feel listened to and supported. They are consulted on any changes, and they value leaders' understanding of their well-being and workload.
Safeguarding
The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.
What does the school need to do to improve?
(Information for the school and appropriate authority)
• Because the school is at the early stages of designing a curriculum that responds to the recent changes it has seen in the needs of the pupils, the delivery of the curriculum is not yet consistently effective. As a result, in some subjects pupils do not build their knowledge well enough over time. The school should ensure that all subject curriculums are implemented as intended.
Background
Until September 2024, on a graded (section 5) inspection we gave schools an overall effectiveness grade, in addition to the key and provision judgements. Overall effectiveness grades given before September 2024 will continue to be visible on school inspection reports and on Ofsted's website. From September 2024, graded inspections will not include an overall effectiveness grade.
This school was, before September 2024, judged to be outstanding for its overall effectiveness.
We have now inspected the school to determine whether it has taken effective action to maintain the standards identified at that previous inspection. This is called an ungraded inspection, and it is carried out under section 8 of the Education Act 2005.
We do not give graded judgements on an ungraded inspection. However, if we find evidence that a school's work has improved significantly or that it may not be as strong as it was at the last inspection, then the next inspection will be a graded inspection. A graded inspection is carried out under section 5 of the Act.
Usually this is within one to two years of the date of the ungraded inspection. If we have serious concerns about safeguarding, behaviour or the quality of education, we will deem the ungraded inspection a graded inspection immediately.
This is the first ungraded inspection since we judged the school to outstanding for overall effectiveness in October 2019.
