Fox Wood Special School

Overview

Fox Wood Special School is described as having an "exceptional" culture of inclusion and attendance, with a "strong standard" across achievement, curriculum, and leadership. The report highlights the school’s "transformational impact" on pupils with severe learning difficulties, noting that staff create a "culture of belonging" where pupils "flourish" and make "giant leaps" in communication and independence.

Strengths

• Attendance is "exceptional," with leaders ensuring pupils with high medical needs are supported on-site, resulting in low absence rates.
• Behaviour and inclusion are "exceptional," driven by "highly effective systems" that address sensory needs and reduce barriers to learning.
• Pupils make "noteworthy progress" in communication and social skills, achieving well against their education, health and care plan targets.
• The curriculum is "cutting-edge and progressive," with staff skilled at tailoring teaching to individual needs, particularly in early reading and core subjects.
• Personal development is supported by a "holistic and personalised approach," fostering resilience, confidence, and preparation for adulthood through enterprise and work experience.

Areas to improve

• Governors’ systems for supporting and challenging leaders should be more "systematic," ensuring scrutiny of key work is consistently fed back to the governing body.

Safeguarding

The safeguarding standards are met, with leaders establishing an "open culture in which safeguarding is everyone's responsibility" and concerns are actively identified and managed.