The Eaglewood School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

Outcome

The Eaglewood School has taken effective action to maintain the standards identified at the previous inspection.

The headteacher of this school is Mark Gilbert.

This school is part of The Gryphon Trust, which means other people in the trust also have responsibility for running the school. The trust is run by the chief executive officer, Jamie Anderson, and overseen by a board of trustees, chaired by Roy Wilkins.

What is it like to attend this school?

This school absolutely enacts its vision for pupils to aspire, thrive and belong.

Ambition is high for pupils in terms of their academic and emotional development. Many achieve well in relation to their starting point...s. Pupils are supported to be confident and resilient learners.

There are high expectations set for pupils' behaviour. Pupils live up to these high expectations and behave well. Staff support pupils with their emotional regulation in a calm and gentle way.

This means that pupils know exactly what is expected of them. They feel safe and well supported.

Pupils receive warm greetings at the start of the school day.

They value their familiar routines and the strong relationships they have with the kind and nurturing staff team. Many pupils at this school have experienced a disrupted education in the past. Pupils have highly positive attitudes about attending school.

This is because they have a strong sense of belonging and are set up well for future success.

The school show 'Eaglewood's Got Talent' encapsulates the strength of the school's commitment to pupils' personal development. Pupils show exceptional levels of empathy in the way they support each other to perform with pride and confidence.

There is a shared sense of joy about pupils' achievements.

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

The school ensures that pupils experience a curriculum which is broad and interesting. It prepares pupils for their next steps through a range of appropriate qualifications.

In every subject, there is clarity about the key knowledge and skills that pupils need to learn. There is strength in the responsiveness of the school's curriculum. Pupils' interests and previous learning are built on well.

There is an increasing number of pupils who stay at the school for the long term, and this is reflected in the curriculum ambition.

Pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities are supported extremely well with their emotional well-being and development. Individual education plans include information about pupils' emotional strengths and areas for development.

Pupils concentrate on their learning and develop independence. Staff show that they know pupils well in their interactions with them. However, this support is not always as well focused on pupils' learning needs.

This means that some pupils do not receive the precise support they should.

The school prioritises developing pupils' reading skills and enjoyment. Pupils who need help with their reading receive it from well-trained staff.

This allows them to develop their phonic knowledge. Many pupils have strong reading comprehension skills and use them to explore texts across the curriculum. Staff model reading behaviours and current reading choices.

Pupils enjoy choosing books to read in their class libraries and communal reading areas.

Pupils remember their learning well. They are given valuable time to reflect.

This allows pupils to make appropriate links between previous and current learning. For example, pupils draw on their learning about the Elizabethan era across English and history lessons. Teaching staff are skilful at using questions to check pupils' recall and understanding.

They challenge pupils to think deeply and justify their responses. Pupil rise to this challenge, contributing well and showing resilience with their learning. Teachers have strong subject knowledge and use this to select interesting and thought-provoking teaching materials.

The school culture includes clear routines and expectations for pupils' behaviour. Pupils respond well to the system, which includes engagement points and associated reward tokens. Pupils receive help to regulate their emotions and reduce any anxiety.

Pupils are empowered to make the right choices. They want to come to school, and many have significantly improved attendance since starting at Eaglewood.

Pupils benefit from an impressive personal development programme.

The school makes purposeful links with future employers, which encourages life-long learning and builds aspirations. Pupils are supported with planning their next steps through the robust careers and outdoor education programmes. This is highly personalised and bespoke.

The school's personal, social and health education is shaped carefully around pupils' needs and past experiences. Pupils have many opportunities to give their views and describe their feelings.

Parents and carers praise the inclusive and welcoming nature of the school.

Many describe the positive transformation this has on their child's attitude towards school. One parent sums up the view of many when they say, 'My child now smiles, laughs and feels finally that they belong somewhere.'

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

What does the school need to do to improve?

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

• Pupils' academic learning needs and next steps are not always precisely identified. This means that pupils do not always receive the focused support that they need. The school should ensure that information about pupils' academic next steps is clearly identified and used to shape appropriate support and interventions.

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 good 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 be good for overall effectiveness in July 2019.