Michael Hall School

Overview

This emergency inspection, commissioned by the Department for Education due to safeguarding concerns, found that Michael Hall School meets all independent school standards checked. The report confirms that leadership and management are sufficient, with robust policies in place for safeguarding, whistleblowing, and safer recruitment.

Strengths

• Leaders have a "secure understanding" of policies regarding whistleblowing, safeguarding, and safer recruitment, ensuring pupils "feel safe to raise concerns."
• Staff are "positive about the leadership" and feel "well supported to enact school policies accurately" following appropriate training.
• The curriculum includes careful consideration of "age appropriateness" and external risks, such as online safety, helping pupils understand discrimination and wellbeing.
• Safer recruitment procedures are "secure," with a single central record that "reflects a culture of safeguarding" and adheres to statutory guidance.
• Older pupils are "well prepared for their next stage of education" through effective careers education and work experience plans.

Areas to improve

• Leaders are "continuing to develop their oversight" of the PSHE curriculum, which is currently "more robustly implemented in the upper school."
• Record-keeping systems in the Early Childhood area are "not as robust as elsewhere in the school," though this does not currently put pupils at risk.
• Leaders are exploring ways to refresh risk assessments with an emphasis on "de-escalation and removing the need for any physical intervention."

Safeguarding

Safeguarding arrangements are effective, with a well-trained lead, concise record-keeping, and a culture where pupils feel able to talk to adults when worried.