Exeter House Special School

Overview

Exeter House Special School continues to be a good school, providing a secure and happy environment where every pupil is treated as "individual and unique." Staff demonstrate deep understanding of pupils' complex needs, fostering strong bonds that help learners communicate, build confidence, and develop essential skills for independence and adult life.

Strengths

• The curriculum is highly ambitious and precisely tailored to meet individual targets set out in education, health and care plans, with teachers breaking these down into "manageable steps."
• There is a strong focus on communication and reading, with staff trained to help pupils decode words and engage with "songs, stories rhymes and poems."
• Pupils make "notable progress" in personal, social and emotional development, learning to interact with others and care for themselves.
• Leaders effectively prepare students for future training or employment through a vocational centre focused on "independent living."
• Staff are supported through professional training and workload management, valuing leaders’ investment in them as professionals.

Areas to improve

• Leaders must ensure that the new approach to linking assessment information with teaching leads to precise instruction that matches pupils’ academic potential, as its impact on raising academic outcomes "has yet to be seen."

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective, with staff remaining "vigilant to the slightest sign of a problem" and leaders acting swiftly to ensure pupils are protected.