Elmtree Grove School Ltd

What Ofsted said

From the inspection on 27 January 2026

The proprietor does not check carefully enough that the school has effective systems in place to keep pupils safe from potential harm. This lack of vigilance means that the school’s poor safeguarding practice is not addressed swiftly. A weak culture of safeguarding exists, putting pupils at risk of harm. Pupils do not receive an acceptable standard of education. All pupils have education, health and care plans. Most have significant gaps in their learning. The school does not take into account pupils’ starting points or meet their special educational needs and/or disabilities well. Furthermore, teaching often does not address the significant gaps in pupils’ knowledge. The proprietor’s oversight off these issues is weak. Despite this, some pupils enjoy their learning. Staff greet pupils with a smile and a warm welcome when they arrive at school. This helps pupils to feel accepted. Many pupils have missed considerable periods of their education before joining Elmtree Grove. The school’s work to overcome barriers to learning helps pupils to re-engage with education and improve their attendance. Leaders have recently raised their expectations of pupils’ behaviour. Pupils’ behaviour has improved as a result. Caring and respectful relationships guide their daily interactions. Some pupils feel safe, however, not all. They know who to talk to if they have any concerns. When pupils experience bullying, leaders and staff deal with such incidents appropriately. Pupils deepen their understanding of the world through the school’s personal development offer. They learn about democracy and the rule of law during online discussions with Youth Parliament visitors. This helps them to connect their school experiences to important fundamental British values. However, pupils do not access a wide range of enrichment opportunities to nurture their talents and interests.

What the school should improve

• The proprietor must ensure that safeguarding systems enable staff to report concerns confidently and that all concerns are acted on promptly and consistently to keep pupils safe.
• The proprietor and governors must strengthen their oversight of the provision, providing the support and challenge necessary to address weaknesses in safeguarding, curriculum and health and safety.
• Leaders must ensure that staff have the expertise necessary to identify pupils’ barriers precisely and adapt teaching effectively so that pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities achieve well across the curriculum.
• The proprietor and leaders must strengthen the school’s systems to check and evaluate the quality of education that pupils receive and make any changes needed promptly.
• Leaders must make sure that assessment is used effectively so that teachers understand pupils’ starting points and plan learning that is well suited to pupils’ needs, including in reading.
• Leaders must use the information that they gather about behaviour and bullying incidents routinely to identify and address the key issues, so that pupils’ behaviour continues to improve.
• The proprietor must ensure that the school has suitable systems, procedures and expertise to meet all of the independent school standards consistently.

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