Vermont School

What Ofsted said

From the inspection on 24 June 2025

All pupils at this school have special educational needs and/or disabilities. Many have experienced a disrupted educational experience previously. They benefit from the kindness and care that the school staff show them. Pupils build positive relationships with staff who they consider to be their trusted adults. There are warm greetings exchanged between pupils and staff at the start of the school day. The nurture that pupils receive is not matched by the quality of education that is on offer. The school does not have high enough expectations of what pupils should know and be able to do. The curriculum does not enable them to build their knowledge and skills. This means that pupils are not prepared for their next educational steps. Pupils understand the importance of showing respect and considering the feelings of others. They respond to reminders to be polite and moderate their language. They generally behave well in lessons and, when needed, they are supported to recognise their emotions and regulate their behaviour. Pupils enjoy their lunchtime clubs where they can choose from a range of activities. They value playing games with their friends and observing nature. The card trading club is incredibly popular. Pupils are supported well in their interactions with each other during this activity. Pupils benefit from the use of local amenities such as a nearby swimming pool where they enjoy water confidence sessions.

What the school should improve

• The governing body does not provide effective oversight, support or challenge to the school to ensure that pupils receive a quality education. This means that pupils are not achieving as well as they should. Governors must make sure that they have the knowledge and information that they need to hold the school to account for the quality of education that it provides, so that pupils are well prepared for their next steps.
• Governors do not fulfil their statutory obligations. This means that stakeholders do not have access to the information they should through the school's policies and procedures. The governing body should ensure that it understands and implements its statutory duties fully.
• The school's curriculum lacks structure and ambition. The teaching of reading lacks a systematic approach. This means that pupils are not achieving as well as they should across a range of subjects, including reading. The school must ensure that it designs an ambitious and clearly sequenced curriculum. It should also ensure that staff receive the support that they need to implement the curriculum effectively, therefore ensuring pupils accumulate the knowledge and skills that they should.
• In most subjects, the school does not have effective assessment systems. This means that gaps in pupils' knowledge and skills are not addressed. The school should ensure that assessment procedures are established and used to provide information about how well pupils are learning and what they need to learn next.
• The systems for managing pupils' behaviour are not followed consistently well. This means that some pupils do not know what is expected of them or they do not receive the support that they need to manage their own behaviour. The school should ensure that all staff are equipped to manage pupils' behaviour in a consistent way, in line with school procedures. The school may not appoint early career teachers before the next monitoring inspection. The position regarding the appointment of early career teachers will be considered again during any monitoring inspection we carry out.

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