A SCHOOL which caters for children with autism has scored well across the board from inspectors, Ofsted.
The Robert Ogden School, on Clayton Lane, Thurnscoe, was inspected back in March and was rated good in all categories, including leadership and management, quality of teaching, learning and assessment, personal development, behaviour and welfare, pupil outcomes and sixth form provision.
It is run by the National Autistic Society and caters for students between the ages of five and 19 who have special educational needs and a diagnosis of autistic spectrum disorder.
Inspectors praised a ‘new and bold’ curriculum that meets the needs of all pupil groups, and the students who attend the Sixth Form provision make good progress in line with others in the school.
Teachers and staff were praised for understanding pupils well and were skilled at recognising triggers which could cause pupils to become distressed. As a result, classroom behaviour was found to be good overall.
Teaching assistants were described as not supporting pupils’ learning as well as they support behaviour, leading to learning slowing.
And the most able pupils make less effective progress in maths because they have insufficient opportunities to use knowledge and skills to solve problems.
But pupils told inspectors they felt safe and happy in school, telling inspectors they love coming and enjoy learning.
Senior leaders were praised for having a clear understanding of the school’s strengths and areas for improvement.
Principal Lorraine Dormand said: “We have high expectations for all our students and are really pleased to see their good progress being recognised by the inspectors and the parents they spoke to.
“This is testament to the passion of our team and the hard work they put in every day to giving our students the best possible start in life.
“We have a crucial role preparing the children and young people in our care for the world, and we place a huge emphasis on developing their social and communication skills. It’s wonderful seeing them grow and flourish.”
The school also has a residential provision, with 12 of the 98 students currently enrolled using the residential sites Thurnscoe House and Thurnscoe Studios.
This was also praised as good in all categories, including overall experiences and progress of children and young people, taking into account how well children and young people are helped and protected and the effectiveness of leaders and managers. The report noted the high standards of care and the ‘highly empathetic’ attitudes and training of staff.
