Ofsted inspectors visited this Sunderland special school and issued this verdict

Ashbrooke School is an independent school which educates pupils who have a “range of Social, Emotional and Mental Health (SEMH) needs, complex educational needs, communication difficulties and challenging behaviours”.

Whilst Ofsted no longer gives single grade judgments, they do issue a report card with judgements given for the key criteria of quality of education, behaviour and attitudes, personal development, and leadership and management.

The school was judged to be good in all these areas, except for personal development, which was deemed to be outstanding.

Following the publication of the report, the school’s headteacher Clare Read said: “We’re proud of the resilience, confidence and ambition our children and young people demonstrate daily.

“This report highlights not only their impressive achievements but also the unwavering commitment of our team, who strive to cultivate a creative, caring, and innovative learning environment that nurtures individual talents and encourages a love of learning and unlocking new opportunities.

“It’s truly rewarding to see the positive effects of our curriculum, therapeutic support, and extracurricular activities reflected in this report.

“We are dedicated to helping each pupil to raise their aspirations and look to the future with increased confidence, ready for life beyond the classroom.”

The report highlighted how pupils are proud to attend the school, the “calm and focused” learning environment, and how staff are “ambitious for their pupils”.

Inspectors also highlighted pupils’ positive behaviour and “when behaviour does not match the school’s high expectations the school reviews this promptly”.

Lead inspector Emily Stevens was fulsome in her praise of the school’s curriculum and development of children’s literacy.

She said: “The school ensures that all pupils access a broad curriculum. This offer ensures that pupils leave the school with appropriate qualifications across a range of subjects and areas of learning. It enables pupils to be successful in their next steps when they leave the school.

“In the majority of subjects, the school carefully considers the small steps that pupils need to know and learn to help them to connect their learning.

“Reading is a high priority across school. ‘Book boost Mondays’ inspire pupils to read a diverse range of books. Pupils read every day and staff are effective at using strategies and language linked to the schools chosen phonics scheme. This helps pupils at the early stages of reading read with increasing fluency and confidence.

“Pupils rise to expectations and achieve well.”

Special praise was reserved for the school’s personal development of pupils, and provision of extracurricular activities.

Ms Stevens said: “The school provides a rich range of opportunities to support pupils’ personal development.

“Carefully connected learning in the personal, social and health education (PSHE) curriculum enables pupils to understand themselves, their emotions and current affairs.

“Weekly ‘pupil-led learning’ helps to build resilience and broadens pupils’ interests and talents. For example, pupils enjoy learning at the beach and in the forest as well as a wide sports offer.

“The school is highly effective in raising aspirations. It helps pupils make meaningful connections with local businesses. This helps pupils understand the world of work well.”

The report also praised the school’s careers guidance and the shared vision of all the staff at the school.