Northcroft School in Newbury has achieved ‘Strong Standard’ results in every area of school life less than two years after opening its doors to students.
It is one of the first SEN secondary schools to be inspected under Ofsted’s new ‘report card’ scoring system, with inspectors highlighting the school’s “strong impact on pupils’ education and life chances”.
Run by Amegreen Children’s Services, Northcroft opened in November 2024 in direct response to the government’s SEND (Special Educational Needs and Disability) and Alternative Provision Improvement Plan, to combat the shortage of specialist schools and to set new national standards.
It has capacity for 30 pupils and currently has 14 students aged 12 to 18 who are unable to go into mainstream education because of their extreme specialist needs.
Amegreen also has a sister primary school in Theale, which was awarded Outstanding by Ofsted last year under the previous system.
The new-style report highlighted a number of areas where the school, its pupils and staff delivered “impressive” results.
On the impact of the school, inspectors said: “Parents and staff are overwhelmingly positive about the school’s strong impact on pupils’ education and life chances. Staff feel valued. They are unanimously determined to work hard and do a great job. Parents, pupils and staff all believe that leaders’ dedication and determination is having a highly positive impact on all members of the school community.”
On teaching, the report said: “Expert staff use a range of well-chosen strategies to deliver the curriculum. High quality staff training ensures the school’s teaching approaches are securely embedded and delivered with high levels of consistency. Staff use these teaching strategies thoughtfully to ensure pupils access the curriculum effectively and learn well.”
On leadership, inspectors noted: “Leaders and the proprietor have a clear, ambitious vision for the pupils at this school. They are determined that every pupil will experience a highly individualised learning programme that supports them appropriately to achieve very well. High-quality, regular training ensures that all staff have an impressive teaching and learning skillset based on up to date educational research. It is clear that all members of the school community, including those responsible for governance, work closely together to achieve the very best for the pupils in their care.”
On achievement, the report said: “The school has very high ambitions for pupils to achieve well and gain a range of appropriate qualifications. Pupils know that the adults in school understand their needs precisely. Leaders ensure that pupils learn the knowledge and skills they need to achieve well at school. Pupils respond positively to adults’ high expectations, making rapid progress from their starting points. This prepares pupils very well for their next steps in education and for adulthood.”
And on attitudes to learning: “Pupils demonstrate highly positive and mature attitudes to their education. They clearly want to learn. They listen carefully in lessons and respond well to instructions. They are determined that nothing will get in the way of this special opportunity they have been given.”
Headteacher Alex Walsh said: “To get these results so early in the school’s life is such an achievement and is testament to everyone’s hard work and total dedication.
“We’re incredibly proud of all we’ve achieved since opening and how much we’ve grown. For this to be recognised with ‘Strong standards’ so quickly is wonderful recognition.
“We aim to give our children a nurturing environment where we deliver the highest level of education, built upon with enriched experience which promotes a lifelong love of learning, alongside a tailored personal development programme. To have this recognised is fantastic.”
Ofsted’s new five-point scale of exceptional, strong standard, expected standard, needs attention and urgent improvement is designed to give teachers and parents more information about key areas within a school. It looks at six areas: achievement, attendance and behaviour, curriculum and teaching, inclusion, leadership and governance, and personal development and wellbeing. Northcroft School was awarded ‘Strong standard’ in all of them.
Read the full Ofsted report here.
