Battledown School

Overview

Battledown Centre for Children and Families is a special school where “the child is at the heart of every decision that is made.” Staff demonstrate deep care, fostering “special” relationships that ensure pupils are “happy and safe.” The school provides a bespoke curriculum linked to education, health and care plans, supported by strong therapeutic approaches and pastoral care.

Strengths

• Staff “know each pupil exceptionally well,” enabling quick intervention for anxiety or stress.
• Pupils display “positive attitudes towards their learning” and make “strong progress from their different starting points.”
• The curriculum is “well planned and bespoke,” with clear planning for key vocabulary in reading and mathematics.
• Therapeutic approaches, including occupational, music, play and speech therapies, are used “successfully to aid pupils’ well-being.”
• Attendance is good, with “secure and effective systems in place” to ensure regular attendance.

Areas to improve

• The relationships and sex education (RSE) curriculum is “underdeveloped,” meaning pupils “do not acquire important knowledge to manage their personal and social lives well.”
• The academic curriculum is “not challenging enough for some pupils” who are increasingly able to follow a more academic path, potentially hindering their progress.

Safeguarding

The report states that “the arrangements for safeguarding are effective.”