Aurora Rowan School

What Ofsted said

From the inspection on 3 February 2026

School days begin with the calm, predictability and care that the pupils at Aurora Rowan School need. This structure helps them to feel safe and secure immediately. Pupils attend school well. They are warmly greeted on arrival and swiftly move to their classrooms, where their routine continues. Classrooms are well prepared so that pupils can transition smoothly into meaningful activities tailored to their individual needs and interests. Learning is shaped entirely around how each pupil learns best. Many pupils arrive with significant developmental gaps, so leaders place play-centred learning at the heart of its curriculum. Through carefully planned exploration, repetition, interaction and hands-on experience, pupils build the core learning they may have missed previously. Therapeutic support is embedded deeply in daily life. Speech and language therapists and occupational therapists work alongside teachers, ensuring highly appropriate strategies are utilised in classrooms. They help develop a calm, structured and communication-rich environment that enables pupils to communicate needs confidently and access learning with dignity. Pupils have their achievements celebrated at every turn. Depending on what works best for each pupil, they receive 'high-fives', tokens, praise, messages home and weekly certificates linked to the school's values. This creates a highly positive atmosphere where there is absolutely no sense of unkindness between pupils. Beyond the classroom, pupils learn essential life skills in real-world contexts. Depending on their level of development, they may visit shops, travel within the community, attend farm-based sessions and practise organisational skills, such as managing money and personal items. As pupils grow older, they begin to explore the world of work through a structured careers programme that is totally relevant to their needs. Opportunities such as 'The Minty Express', a school-run enterprise, provide authentic experiences of budgeting, purchasing and delivering items, helping pupils prepare meaningfully for adulthood.

What the school should improve

• Leaders should ensure that the school continues to develop its academic and pastoral support to make embedded and transformational changes for its pupils.

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