Thornhill Park School

What Ofsted said

From the inspection on 12 May 2026

Pupils enjoy coming to school. Some pupils have had negative experiences of school previously. All pupils have an education, health and care plan. Pupils are well supported by staff at Thornhill Park who care and understand their needs. This helps pupils feel safe. They build trust with key adults who work with them across the day. Staff quickly identify ways in which to engage pupils with school life and learning. Pupils make a bright start to each day. Clear routines and expectations are in place. This provides pupils with familiarity and stability. Positive relationships between staff and pupils are ever present. Staff know and understand what makes pupils tick. In turn, pupils are well supported to understand and regulate their behaviour. This helps them to engage positively with their learning. Pupils talk enthusiastically about what they enjoy in school. This includes that staff help them and the visits and opportunities in the community that they have. Some pupils share how this school is making a difference to them. They are proud to be part of the school. For pupils who are pre-verbal, this is shown in their interactions and communication with their key staff. Pupils are well supported in their preparation for adulthood. Pupils learn how to make healthy meals from scratch, budget and pay for important items as well as make the most of facilities in the local area and wider region. The proprietor has not ensured the independent school standards are consistently met over time. Recently, there have been a number of changes at leadership level. These changes have enabled leaders to focus with some precision to improve the curriculum pupils receive. This work is in the early stages of development and some inconsistencies in teaching remain. This limits the progress and achievement some pupils make.

What the school should improve

• Leaders should continue to develop the curriculum so it is typically well matched to learners starting points and that tasks are well matched to learning intentions.
• Leaders should ensure that staff use assessment effectively to shape learning and make adaptations to the curriculum in a timely way.
• Leaders should ensure attendance registers are consistently maintained in line with statutory guidance.
• Leaders should ensure that planned monitoring enables effective oversight of the changes made to improve impact of the curriculum on pupils learning.
• Leaders should continue to develop approaches to supporting staff with their workload.
• The proprietor should continue to ensure that their work and oversight ensures that leaders are held to account effectively and independent school standards are met consistently

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