Samuel Cody School

What Ofsted said

From the inspection on 9 June 2026

Pupils are happy and safe. Their life here is summed up well by one of the school's many values: 'all different, all equal, all achieve'. This value encapsulates what it is like to be a pupil here. The number of pupils joining the school has grown significantly in recent years. Their needs are more varied and wide-ranging than they have been in the past. The school caters for pupils who have moderate and severe learning difficulties, as well as for those who have social, emotional and mental health needs. Regardless of their needs, all pupils receive the warmest of welcomes at Samuel Cody School. Pupils often join the school with very low starting points. Many have had negative prior experiences of education, including periods of time out of school. They may have gaps in their knowledge. Carefully planned transitions for pupils mean that they settle in quickly and get to know staff well. They develop positive relationships with their peers. Any bullying is dealt with quickly and effectively. Pupils' needs are identified swiftly and accurately. Pupils receive personalised and targeted support. For some pupils, this means spending time at Cody Coppice, where they enjoy outdoor learning at a nearby outdoor activity centre. Pupils follow a well-planned and sequenced curriculum. Their reading, writing and mathematics all develop well over time. As a result, they achieve highly in national tests and examinations. While leaders have begun to improve how well pupils’ communication and language develop, there is still more for the school to do to ensure that every pupil's communication and language needs are fully met. In the early years, children do not benefit as much as older pupils from a carefully designed, well-taught curriculum. Instead, they sometimes receive learning activities that are not matched precisely to their needs. This hampers their learning.

What the school should improve

• The school should ensure that assessment in the early years takes account of children's specific starting points and abilities so that staff can match learning activities more precisely to each child's individual needs.
• The school should continue to strengthen pupils' communication and language development so that pupils make more rapid progress from their starting points.

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