Danecourt School

Overview

This ungraded inspection found that Danecourt School’s work has “improved significantly across all areas” since its previous rating. Consequently, the school’s next inspection will be a graded one. The report highlights a “friendly” environment where pupils feel safe and display “collective pride,” supported by high expectations and personalised learning opportunities.

Strengths

• Staff provide “extremely personalised opportunities” for pupils to learn, underpinned by an “impressive integrated therapy provision” delivered mostly in classrooms.
• The curriculum is highly effective, particularly in mathematics and reading, with bespoke learning designed for each pupil despite small class sizes.
• Pupils’ personal, social, and emotional development is prioritised, leading to significantly reduced absence rates and strong resilience.
• Leadership demonstrates “great energy” and a “deep passion” for improvement, with strong governance and effective professional development for staff.
• Behaviour is “generally excellent,” with staff skilled at de-escalating tensions and building strong relationships to support pupils with complex needs.

Areas to improve

• The report identifies no significant areas for improvement, noting instead that the school is “moving forward at pace” and making sustained improvements.

Safeguarding

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