Doubletrees School

What Ofsted said

From the inspection on 11 July 2023

Pupils are proud and enthusiastic members of their school. Staff have high aspirations for them and support pupils to be increasingly confident and active learners. This is strengthened through the secure and nurturing relationships between staff and pupils. As a result, the school is a calm and purposeful place to learn. Pupils are prepared successfully for their day and their transition from transport by staff who know them well. Staff are alert to what each pupil needs to be ready for learning. This is highly effective. As a result, pupils show a sense of safety and security with a range of staff. Staff switch between different methods of support and communication approaches to enable this to be successful. This continues throughout the whole school day. Staff work diligently to manage the care that pupils need alongside their learning. Pupils experience a wide range of opportunities to enrich their learning. There is a clear focus on ensuring pupils are fully involved in the community. Pupils participate in local community events and beyond. It helps them to develop their awareness of the world around them. Pupils develop a level of independence and resilience that prepares them well for life beyond school.

What the school should improve

• Teachers' subject knowledge is not fully secure in the teaching of phonics. Some pupils opt to use a range of other strategies before phonics to decode what they read. Leaders need to continue to embed the phonics programme for more formal learners and ensure there is sharp focus on staff's subject knowledge and expectations of pupils.
• For some pupils, the post-14 curriculum is not designed to ensure they achieve the best possible outcomes. Leaders do not fully assure themselves that curriculum goals are as ambitious as possible. As a result, there are a small minority of pupils who are not fully prepared for the next stage in their education. Leaders need to ensure that the curriculum is sufficiently ambitious so that all pupils have what they need to be successful when they leave the school.

Read the full Ofsted report (opens in a new tab)