Peterhouse School

Overview

Peterhouse School provides a “calm and welcoming” environment for pupils with autism, where leaders prioritise welfare, inclusion, and partnership with families. The report highlights “rapid improvement” in curriculum design and teaching, noting that staff effectively support pupils’ emotional wellbeing and help them re-engage with learning from often disrupted starting points.

Strengths

• Attendance and behaviour are rated at a “Strong standard,” with leaders managing attendance “thoughtfully” and maintaining “calm and orderly” conduct.
• Inclusion is rated at a “Strong standard,” with staff demonstrating “secure knowledge” of pupils’ needs and making “thoughtful changes” to environments and routines.
• Leadership and governance are rated at a “Strong standard,” characterised by a “clear purpose” and effective collaboration with external agencies and families.
• Personal development and post-16 provision are rated at a “Strong standard,” offering personalised pathways that build independence and prepare pupils for adulthood.

Areas to improve

• Leaders should ensure teachers use assessments “consistently” to check and address misconceptions in pupils’ understanding.
• Approaches to checking learning need to be used more consistently so that academic progress can be seen clearly across all curriculum areas.

Safeguarding

The safeguarding standards are met, with leaders establishing an “open culture” where concerns are actively identified and managed to ensure pupils feel safe.