Progress Schools - Hamilton Square

What Ofsted said

From the inspection on 15 July 2025

Most pupils join this school with adverse experiences of education. Typically, they do not value learning when they arrive. In addition, most pupils have special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). Pupils appreciate that this school offers something different. A strong emphasis on building positive relationships, together with small class sizes, gives pupils the space and support to learn to cope with being in school. Staff welcome pupils into school each morning. This helps to set the tone for respectful interactions between pupils and adults. In the main, pupils follow the school's well-established routines. Each school site is typically calm and harmonious. The school has high expectations of pupils' achievement. However, pupils do not learn as well as they should. In some subjects, the curriculum is underdeveloped and staff lack appropriate subject-specific expertise to deliver it well. Very recently, leaders have taken action to improve the school's quality of education. Much of this work is very new. Pupils benefit from opportunities to develop confidence and resilience. For example, they participate in activities such as go-karting or trampolining. These activities are supplemented by virtual reality experiences to encourage pupils to explore the world beyond their local area. For instance, pupils enjoyed a virtual visit to a natural history museum.

What the school should improve

• The curriculum is underdeveloped in some subjects. This hinders how well staff deliver these curriculums and, consequently, how well pupils learn. The school should ensure that there is clarity about what pupils should know and remember in each subject and support staff to deliver subject curriculums consistently well.
• Staff lack the subject-specific knowledge to teach some of subjects that they are required to. This means that pupils' learning and achievement are uneven across the curriculum. The school should ensure that staff have the guidance and support they need to deepen their subject-specific expertise.
• Sometimes, staff do not use assessment information effectively to provide support or design learning activities that take sufficient account of pupils' starting points. As a result, some gaps in pupils' knowledge go unaddressed. The school should ensure that staff receive the necessary support to make effective use of assessment information to help pupils build knowledge securely.

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