Marland School

What Ofsted said

From the inspection on 7 March 2023

Pupils arrive at Marland School after difficult experiences of education. Staff understand this and give pupils time and space to adjust. Staff focus on understanding pupils' special educational needs and/or disabilities. They use this knowledge well to develop positive, caring relationships with pupils. The quality of these relationships is a strength of the school. As a result, pupils start to feel settled and re-engage in education. Across all three sites, leaders set clear expectations for pupils' behaviour. Pupils respond well to the strategies that staff use to help them to manage their complex emotions. They learn to communicate their feelings in positive ways. Pupils say they feel safe at school. They trust staff to act quickly and effectively to resolve any signs of bullying. Leaders have high expectations for what all pupils can achieve. They raise pupils' own aspirations. As a result, some pupils are experiencing success at school for the first time. Pupils benefit from a wide range of activities on offer to them, such as sporting events, outdoor learning and trips to local places of interest. Pupils say these events help them to learn new skills and to become more confident.

What the school should improve

• Leaders have not identified precisely what pupils need to know in some subjects. As a result, learning across all key stages is not coherent. Pupils do not build their knowledge as well as they could. Leaders need to ensure that the important knowledge pupils need to know is clearly identified in all subjects and that pupils remember this over time.

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