Queen Elizabeth II Silver Jubilee School, Horsham

Overview

This inspection confirms that Queen Elizabeth II Silver Jubilee School “continues to be an outstanding school.” It is described as a “very special place” where staff care deeply for pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities, treating every child as an individual. The school fosters a positive, family-like environment where pupils are proud and well-supported.

Strengths

• Staff “care deeply” for pupils, ensuring every child’s unique talents and needs are “well understood” through individualised planning.
• The curriculum is “constantly evolving,” with staff carefully designing learning that suits individual needs and breaks content into “small steps” to aid retention.
• Pupils make “considerable progress with reading,” supported by staff passion and early phonics teaching, with many becoming “excited about reading.”
• There is a strong focus on preparing pupils for adulthood, including “excellent partnerships with local companies” for work experience and an effective careers programme.
• Bullying is virtually non-existent; pupils “do not worry about bullying” because they understand what it is and know who to talk to.

Areas to improve

• Leaders have plans to “reduce the pressures on classroom support assistants” to improve staff well-being and workload.
• Some staff are “keen to up-skill and receive even more training and support” to respond effectively to pupils’ challenging behaviour, particularly for those who find it difficult to stay calm.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are “effective,” with staff well-trained to identify signs that a pupil needs help or protection and concerns shared quickly with leaders who take “swift, effective action.”