Flexible Learning School

Overview

Flexible Learning School is an independent provision for pupils aged 13 to 16 who have experienced significant disruption to their education. The inspection found the school to be ‘Good’ overall, with ‘Outstanding’ leadership and management and personal development. Pupils receive ‘high-quality and skilled support’ from a dedicated team, enabling them to ‘successfully re-engage with their education’ and achieve well across a broad, bespoke curriculum.

Strengths

• Personal development is described as ‘exemplary’, with pupils learning essential life skills, safety, and empathy through activities like cooking lessons and charity work.
• The ‘carefully designed curriculum’ is bespoke, helping pupils overcome learning barriers and build skills logically to suit their individual needs and ambitions.
• Staff ‘quickly get to know pupils’ individual needs’, fostering a ‘calm place of learning’ with strong, respectful relationships and effective behaviour management.
• The school ‘goes above and beyond’ to ensure pupils feel safe and happy, offering a round-the-clock support helpline for academic or personal guidance.
• Leaders have created an ‘open, reflective culture’ that supports staff and pupils in reaching new heights, including community engagement during holidays.

Areas to improve

• The school’s work to improve attendance is ‘not yet positively impacting on all pupils’, meaning some miss out on valuable learning opportunities and continuity.

Safeguarding

The report states that ‘the arrangements for safeguarding are effective’, with leaders ensuring staff understand procedures and the school meeting independent school standards.