Fell House School

What Ofsted said

From the inspection on 16 April 2024

Pupils benefit immensely from their time at Fell House School. Staff guide and support them to get back on track, with many having had a challenging time in the past. There are high expectations for pupils. For many, this is the first time they have felt settled in a school. Pupils have found a school where they are happy, can be themselves and achieve well. All pupils have special educational needs and/or disabilities. Staff, including therapists, use their expertise to understand what each pupil needs. Pupils are well supported to meet their individual targets. Everyone celebrates pupils' successes. Staff spot the small steps that pupils take to reach their personal goals. Pupils' behaviour is exemplary. Staff are consistent in their expectations of pupils' behaviour and in the way that they treat them. They skilfully support pupils to manage their emotions well. Pupils look out and are supportive of each other. They demonstrate highly positive attitudes to their learning. They are resilient to different challenges that they sometimes face. The school devises an exceptionally rich range of experiences for pupils outside of lessons. For example, pupils learn about how to keep themselves safe in different situations through the local 'Amber Watch' scheme. The school provides opportunities for pupils to develop their teamwork and practise life skills in a different context.

What the school should improve

• In a few subjects, the school has not clearly set out the knowledge which they wish pupils to know. In these subjects, teachers' understanding of what pupils should be learning is not as secure as it could be. Occasionally, this impacts how successfully the school ensures that pupils' knowledge over time improves. The school should finalise its curriculum thinking in these subjects.
• On a few occasions, the support which staff provide to pupils who need additional help with reading is not as effective as it could be. This means that some pupils do not routinely receive the required assistance when they need it. The school should ensure that staff receive effective training and guidance so that they can support pupils with reading more successfully.

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