New Skill Centre

What Ofsted said

From the inspection on 24 June 2025

Pupils receive excellent support at New Skill Centre. Their needs are accurately identified. The school puts in place an extensive range of well-considered ways of meeting pupils' needs effectively. This includes skilful help with pupils' mental health. Pupils have very positive relationships with caring and committed staff. Pupils praise the nurturing ethos. Those who have experienced trauma and high levels of anxiety settle and conduct themselves well. The school is a purposeful place to learn. Pupils thrive in the safe and calm culture. They focus in their lessons and take pride in their learning. At social times, pupils enjoy the calm and friendly environment. This helps them develop their confidence and social skills. Pupils are polite and respectful to peers. Expectations for achievement are high. Pupils learn a strong curriculum. The personalised programmes of learning motivate post-16 students. Across the school, pupils achieve well. There are a wide range of opportunities. Pupils enthuse about lunchtime activities, for example board games, electronics, pool and football. They appreciate how the school has responded to their requests, such as for more extra-curricular choices. Pupils engage meaningfully with charity work. These experiences develop their positive character traits and prepare them successfully for their next steps.

What the school should improve

• The school does not have as high expectations for attendance as it should. This means that some pupils' attendance does not improve enough, and they miss out on important learning. The school should review its processes for improving attendance and ensure it raises its expectations in this area.
• When pupils return from absence, the school, at times, does not check closely enough where they may need support to catch up successfully on missed learning. This means that sometimes pupils do not build up what they know and can do as much as they could. The school should ensure that it checks where pupils need to catch up on missed learning because of absence, so that they do not develop gaps in their knowledge.
• In the sixth form, the school does not systematically ensure students benefit from coherent relationships and sex education. As a result, some students do not develop a sufficient level of understanding about healthy adult relationships. The school needs to put in place a well-considered relationships and sex education programme for all sixth-form students.

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