The Chiltern School

What Ofsted said

From the inspection on 22 February 2023

All pupils are welcomed and valued at The Chiltern School, regardless of their needs. It is easy to see pupils' enjoyment of school by the smiles on their faces as they arrive each morning. Pupils love to take part in well-planned activities that make learning fun. Pupils' development, well-being and happiness are at the centre of everything that happens at the school. All pupils are supported to achieve their best. Expert staff adapt what happens in the classrooms to help pupils succeed. As a result, pupils thrive, gain in confidence and make good progress in their learning. Pupils behave well. They respond well to highly consistent routines. This helps them to identify and manage their emotions effectively. As a result, they enjoy their lessons and get on well with each other. This means that lessons are not affected by disruption. Staff listen attentively to pupils. They learn how individual pupils communicate so that they understand their opinions and feelings. As a result, there is a calm, purposeful atmosphere around the school. Pupils know that bullying is wrong. They are confident that staff will act quickly to stop any unkind behaviour. This helps pupils feel safe and happy.

What the school should improve

• Some subject leaders do not know whether their curriculum plans are helping pupils to remember and do more. This is because they have not had time to monitor and check how well pupils are remembering what they are learning. Leaders should ensure that all subject leaders are given the opportunity to check routinely the impact the curriculum is having on pupils' learning and make changes as needed to make sure that pupils achieve the best they possibly can.

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