Exhall Grange Specialist School

Overview

Exhall Grange Specialist School continues to be a good school, providing an "inclusive and welcoming community" where pupils with autism thrive. The report highlights that pupils are "confident and articulate," with staff adept at adapting the curriculum to meet individual special educational needs. While the school excels in preparing students for adulthood and fostering independence, it identifies specific areas regarding communication support and curriculum development for pupils with more complex needs.

Strengths

• Pupils are "confident and articulate" and have "positive attitudes to learning," with high aspirations for their futures.
• The sixth-form provision is highly personalised, preparing students well for adulthood through life skills, work experience, and "very positive destinations."
• Early reading is taught effectively, with staff delivering the phonics curriculum well and developing comprehension skills alongside sounding and blending.
• Careers education is a "real strength," with carefully planned work experience and close collaboration with employers to support future decisions.
• Staff are committed to pupil success, and leaders are "mindful of their well-being and workload," creating a supportive environment.

Areas to improve

• The school must ensure a "clearly designed approach to teaching pupils to communicate well" for those with the most complex needs, ensuring all staff are trained to deliver this effectively.
• The curriculum needs further development to be "equally well developed in all pathways," ensuring it matches the school’s ambitions for pupils with more complex needs.

Safeguarding

The report states that "the arrangements for safeguarding are effective."