Raise Education and Wellbeing School

What Ofsted said

From the inspection on 25 February 2025

Pupils in this school have faced significant challenges in their lives. In addition, most have special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). Pupils' previous experiences of education have been disrupted and often negative. However, their perceptions of education begin to change when they join this school. Staff spend time getting to know pupils. They establish trusting relationships with each other. The warmth of these relationships shines through their interactions. As pupils start to feel safe and cared for, they begin to attend school more frequently. With help from skilled staff, pupils' behaviour improves and they begin to re-engage with their education. Preparing pupils for their future lives, both academically and personally, is the school's highest priority. The school is determined that pupils will achieve well and, from their starting points, most do. Support for pupils' social, emotional and personal development is carefully threaded through the curriculum. Pupils enjoy the vast array of opportunities that are a vital part of the school's provision. This includes the school's wilderness programme and an extensive art and music offer. Pupils are encouraged to pursue their interests through carefully tailored work experience opportunities which help to broaden their horizons.

What the school should improve

• In a few subjects, the school has not clearly defined the most important knowledge that it wants pupils in key stage 3 to know and remember. This makes it difficult for teachers to help these pupils to build their knowledge as securely as they could. The school should provide clarity around the knowledge that younger pupils need to acquire in each subject so that they are prepared well for the demands of key stage 4.
• At times, the school's systems to assess and support pupils who are weaker readers do not identify the precise deficits in pupils' reading knowledge. This means that some pupils do not receive the specific reading support that they need to catch up with their peers. The school should ensure that it has appropriate systems in place to identify gaps in pupils' reading knowledge and closely check the impact of interventions to ensure that pupils promptly get the help that they need to read fluently and accurately.

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