Chatsworth Futures Limited

Overview

Chatsworth Futures Limited provides education for young people with profound and multiple learning difficulties, severe learning difficulties, and autism. The report describes an “inclusive and nurturing environment” where learners feel welcome and safe, though leadership and teaching quality require focused improvement to ensure consistent high standards.

Strengths

• Leaders have created an “inclusive and nurturing environment” where staff greet learners warmly and collaborate with external agencies to provide bespoke therapies and support.
• Learners make “positive progress from their starting points” and achieve outcomes set in their education, health and care plans, including developing independence in daily living skills.
• Attendance is high, and leaders act swiftly to identify barriers, while learners demonstrate resilience and understand how to stay safe online and in their communities.
• Staff are described as “caring” and supportive, helping learners prepare for positive destinations such as volunteering, paid employment, and social care settings.

Areas to improve

• Leaders must provide governors with “precise information” to enable effective oversight and challenge regarding the quality of teaching and learning.
• Teaching quality is inconsistent; leaders’ understanding of teaching standards is “too positive” in some cases, and staff sometimes intervene too quickly, preventing learners from developing independence.
• Learning environments need updating, as the college currently shares facilities with a local school and requires its own dedicated spaces to further develop vocational and life skills.

Safeguarding

The safeguarding standards are met, with leaders establishing an “open culture in which safeguarding is everyone's responsibility” and concerns actively identified and managed.