Doubletrees School

Overview

Doubletrees School is described as a “calm and purposeful place to learn” where pupils are “proud and enthusiastic members.” The report highlights “secure and nurturing relationships” between staff and pupils, alongside a “well-designed and sequenced curriculum” that supports pupils with severe learning difficulties, autism, and complex needs.

Strengths

• Pupils demonstrate “Outstanding” behaviour and attitudes, supported by staff who are “highly responsive and flexible” in meeting individual needs.
• Leaders have implemented a curriculum that “fully supports” pupils’ care and special educational needs, with a strong focus on preparing them for adulthood.
• Staff are “dedicated and highly knowledgeable” about how pupils learn and communicate, acting as champions to ensure pupils have a voice.
• Early years provision successfully prepares children for curriculum pathways, with a secure focus on communication and core learning centred on each child’s education, health and care plan.
• Pupils experience a “wide range of opportunities to enrich their learning,” including community involvement and vocational experiences that build independence and resilience.

Areas to improve

• Teachers’ subject knowledge in phonics is “not fully secure,” limiting some pupils’ independence in becoming “confident and fluent readers.”
• The post-14 curriculum lacks sufficient ambition for a small minority of pupils, meaning they are “not prepared as well as they could be” for their next stage.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are “effective,” with staff remaining vigilant to concerns and pupils feeling safe and able to identify trusted adults.