Mapesbury School

What Ofsted said

From the inspection on 3 February 2026

Pupils value the care, encouragement and support that they receive from staff. Many pupils recognise the positive changes they have made in their attitudes towards attending school and learning alongside others. Pupils are confident that the school meets their individual needs. This is because staff take time to understand them well and respond to what matters most to them. As a result, pupils build trusting and positive relationships with staff and peers. Behaviour is generally positive across the school. Each day begins with opportunities for pupils to reflect on how they are feeling and how ready they are to learn. When pupils become unsettled, staff respond quickly and sensitively. This helps pupils to stay safe and return to learning more quickly. Pupils learn to use a range of strategies to manage their emotions, including accessing calming spaces in classrooms, sensory resources and fidget tools. Pupils speak to a trusted member of staff about their worries and feelings. They know staff deal swiftly with bullying. Pupils understand and demonstrate the school's values, such as collaboration, integrity and empathy. They show good manners and respect personal space. They are increasingly able to take responsibility for their actions, including recognising mistakes and apologising independently. Pupils enjoy enrichment activities and school outings. Many of these link closely to their learning. These experiences provide opportunities to practise social skills in real-life contexts. Pupils take pride in representing the school, including through roles such as the school council. Pupils benefit from leaders' high expectations. Although some aspects of the school's curriculum and wider offer are still being refined, the curriculum supports pupils to build knowledge well, including their use of vocabulary. Pupils make positive progress from their starting points. They benefit from a nurturing environment where they feel included, confident and prepared for the next stage of their education and adulthood.

What the school should improve

• The proprietor should strengthen the school's work to develop the curriculum, ensuring that all aspects are clearly defined, with key content, knowledge and skills set out explicitly and sequenced coherently. • Leaders should ensure that learning activities are consistently purposeful and closely aligned to the intended curriculum so pupils clearly understand what they are learning. • The proprietor should ensure that staff have access to consistently high-quality professional learning and development to further strengthen their expertise in behaviour management and curriculum development.

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