North Star 82°

Overview

North Star 82° continues to be a good school, providing a "sanctuary, safety and success" for pupils who often arrive following educational instability. Skilled staff build strong, trusting relationships that foster a calm atmosphere and help pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities make significant progress in behaviour and learning.

Strengths

• Staff are "well trained to manage sometimes complex behaviour," ensuring discriminatory or unkind behaviour is not tolerated.
• The curriculum has a "clear rationale," with strong links between leadership and therapists promoting language needs and progress in reading and writing.
• Reading is a "top priority," with staff effectively supporting pupils who have developed negative views, leading to transformed attitudes and increasing independence.
• The trust provides "robust governance," with trustees using wide-ranging information to "support and challenge leaders well."
• Staff well-being is promoted effectively, with a "strong team ethic" enabling effective work and pride in the school.

Areas to improve

• Curriculum planning and teaching in some subjects is "not as secure and consistent," meaning pupils cannot always make key links between subjects to deepen understanding.
• Pupils’ individual plans are "too general and difficult to measure impact," with a lack of opportunity for parents to make meaningful contributions.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.