Isebrook School

Overview

Isebrook School continues to be a good school, providing a nurturing environment where pupils feel safe, happy, and well-prepared for adult life. Leaders maintain high expectations, fostering a caring community where students behave well and show respect for staff and one another. The curriculum is engaging and diverse, offering meaningful opportunities for pupils to develop skills for the workplace and contribute to the wider community.

Strengths

• Pupils enjoy an "engaging and diverse curriculum" that includes practical experiences such as running a market stall, animal care, and horticultural activities.
• Staff create a "nurturing environment" with high behavioural expectations, ensuring pupils are polite, courteous, and quick to respond to instructions.
• Reading and communication are taught effectively, with staff providing personalised support so that pupils of all ages "genuinely love reading."
• Sixth-form students follow an "ambitious curriculum" that prepares them for adulthood through personalised support and community projects.
• Parents hold positive views, noting the school’s "inclusive approach" and the significant improvement in their children’s confidence.

Areas to improve

• Leaders should implement plans to check pupils’ understanding and assess the impact of new curriculums in subjects where this has not yet been fully evaluated.
• Leaders must ensure all staff have the necessary knowledge and expertise to deliver the intended curriculum, particularly where activities are not precisely matched to pupils’ existing knowledge.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective, with an established culture where staff receive regular training and leaders are "swift and tenacious" in reporting concerns and working with outside agencies.