Aran Hall

Overview

Aran Hall is an independent special school for boys aged 11 to 19 with learning disabilities and autistic spectrum conditions. The report notes that leaders have made "strong progress" since the last visit, demonstrating a "clear vision for the strategic development of the school" and meeting the Independent Schools Standards (Wales) Regulations 2024.

Strengths

• The school builds pupils’ "emotional resilience and independence well" through its ‘Achieve! Programme’, which uses a "stepped approach to acknowledgement and reward of positive behaviours".
• Staff work closely with colleagues in the linked residential home, with "partnership working and communication between staff" identified as a strength.
• Pupils access a "suitable range of activities, qualifications and accreditations" that align with their needs, including bespoke individual curriculum maps and education plans.
• The proprietor pays "appropriate regard to the registration and operational guidance for independent schools in Wales".

Areas to improve

• The school should "continue to evaluate assessment arrangements at a whole school level to improve staff understanding of pupil progress in skills across the curriculum".
• Leaders must monitor the impact of new assessment processes, as implementation is in its "early stages" and it is "too early to comment on their impact".

Safeguarding

The report states there is "no evidence to indicate that the school does not meet the regulatory requirements" for the welfare, health and safety of pupils.