Ofsted conducts an annual inspection of the school’s boarding, welfare and safeguarding provisions.  Our January 2020 inspection resulted again in the highest possible grades being awarded across the board.  The findings were:

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people, taking into account	Outstanding
How well children and young people are helped and protected	Outstanding
The effectiveness of leaders and managers	Outstanding

We are delighted that this inspection reconfirmed the findings of last year’s inspection, that More House School is an exceptional environment graded Outstanding in all areas by the Department for Education’s inspectorate.

Jonathan Hetherington

Headmaster

Please do follow the link at the top of the page to read the full report, or search for it on Ofsted’s own website.  However, we have picked out a few highlights from the text of the report to share on this page:

Boarders live in a highly supportive community which enriches their experiences and positively influences their development

Boarders make excellent progress

Pupils receive targeted support to cope with their learning difficulties

The positive experiences of boarders are directly influenced by the trusting relationships that they form with the staff, who are dedicated to improving boarders’ well-being and helping them to build a happy and successful life in the future

Developing boarders’ independence skills is fundamental to the ethos of boarding.  The staff have a continuous focus on preparing boarders for their futures, but not just helping them develop practical skills.  The staff know the importance of developing their emotional, social communication and interaction skills and self-confidence so they can cope in the adult world and maximise their life chances

Safeguarding pupils is embedded in all aspects of school life.  An extremely strong safeguarding ethos is inherent in all the staff’s practice, ensuring that the boarders’ safety and well-being are paramount

Led by a skilled and experienced designated safeguarding lead, the team of safeguarding officers is proactive and responds effectively to all concerns raised

Behaviour is excellent

The head of boarding and the boarding staff team have in-depth knowledge and understanding of the boarders’ specific needs.  Working closely with the school’s well-being specialists, therapists and safeguarding officers, the boarding staff implement focused and well-thought-out, tailored strategies to support boarders’ emotional health

Senior leaders and managers are highly competent, experienced and confident in maintaining a positive culture.  Their passion, dedication and aspiration are mirrored by the boarding staff who provide the boarders with experiences and individual support which helps them flourish

All staff share the common aim of providing an excellent boarding experience for the pupils to enhance their learning outcomes and make significant personal and social development to advance their life chances