Emerge School

What Ofsted said

From the inspection on 4 June 2024

Pupils grow in confidence at Emerge School. It is a unique place to be. Pupils achieve the school's vision of 'learning today for a better tomorrow'. Pupils feel valued, listened to and cared for. Pupils and staff describe the school as a family. They genuinely care about each other. Staff know the pupils well, and they get to know their likes, dislikes and interests. Staff use this information to hook pupils into learning effectively. As one parent said, and inspectors agree, 'Pupils are safe, happy and learn well.' Pupils' attitudes to learning are commendable. Staff use many creative and thoughtful strategies to support behaviour effectively. As a result, pupils' behaviour and attitudes are exemplary. The wealth of expertise and support wrapped around each pupil helps them feel well prepared for learning. The school pays serious attention to developing self and mutual respect. As pupils learn to accept rules and believe in themselves, they grow in confidence and learn to develop empathy. Pupils embrace the opportunity to take on school jobs. They are especially pleased to be the pupil employee of the month. Pupils develop a sense of belonging and pride.

What the school should improve

• In some subjects, the school has not set out what they want the pupils to learn. This means that teachers are unclear about precisely what to teach and in what order. As a result, pupils' learning does not always build logically and this slows their learning. The school should ensure that plans for the curriculum are developed well across all subjects and all key stages so that the key knowledge to be taught is carefully set out.
• Although the school is developing subject and curriculum leadership, it is not currently monitoring the curriculum effectively enough. This means leaders are not aware of what is working well and where further improvements are needed. The school should ensure they take steps to identify how well the curriculum is being delivered.
• The school is at an early stage of developing careers education, information, advice and guidance. Some aspects of practice are relatively new. This means that pupils' experiences are inconsistent and variable. The school should enhance its careers provision so that pupils have well-planned and coherent opportunities to engage with impartial advice and careers guidance in preparation for their transition at the age of 13.

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