Shepherds Down Special School

What Ofsted said

From the inspection on 21 February 2023

Staff greet each pupil with smiles and a warm welcome at the start of the school day. This helps pupils to feel comfortable and safe. Pupils chat happily to friends and staff as they arrive in the morning, keen to get on with the day ahead. Staff expect pupils to work hard and behave well and, for the most part, they do. Pupils move around the school sensibly and responsibly. They are keen to do their best, and work carefully in their books. Anxiety and frustration make it hard for some pupils to behave well all the time. Adults take good care of pupils who are struggling, responding calmly and sensitively so that pupils feel secure. Pupils respect adults and are kind to each other. They are polite and interested in visitors. Leaders act quickly if any concerns about bullying are raised. Pupils love being outdoors and working together, including during forest school sessions. The school's personal, social and health education (PSHE) curriculum supports both academic and personal development very well. During the inspection, for example, pupils thoroughly enjoyed working together to create insects, using clay and twigs. They talked about different parts of the insect, and how they had made them, clearly, proudly and with great enthusiasm.

What the school should improve

• Leaders have recently introduced a programme to help pupils to play a more active part in recognising their feelings and managing their behaviour. This is not yet consistently in place across the school. Variations in how well the programme is delivered mean that some pupils lack the strategies they need to help them to regulate their own responses, and so behave less well than they might. Leaders should implement their plans to develop this aspect of the school's work.

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