Sunfield Garden School and Children's Home

What Ofsted said

From the inspection on 21 May 2024

Sunfield School is a special place where pupils flourish. Pupils benefit from a remarkable range of experiences that develop their self-confidence and resilience. Leaders identify and celebrate the gifts and talents of every pupil in the school, be it making something from clay, forging metal or caring for the animals on the school's farm. All pupils make a positive contribution to their school and the local community. Leaders are ambitious for each and every pupil, both academically and socially. The school's curriculum is carefully adapted to ensure that each pupil learns the knowledge and skills that help them to be successful. Expert staff develop strong relationships with pupils to help them overcome any barriers to learning. Pupils take pride in rising to these high expectations and relish the opportunity to share their achievements with others. Many pupils arrive at the school reluctant to learn after periods of disrupted education. The school's comprehensive package of therapy and well-being support helps them to settle quickly. Leaders dedicate a significant amount of time for staff to get to know the pupils, therefore ensuring support is consistent and appropriate. Pupils feel very safe in school because they know that staff care for them.

What the school should improve

• At times learning is not always broken down into small enough building blocks. As a result, teachers are not always clear about the important knowledge that pupils need to know and remember in order to achieve well. The school should continue to develop the subject expertise of all teachers so that they can sharpen the delivery of the curriculum to help pupils learn highly effectively across the whole curriculum.

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