Springside

Overview

Springside is a specialist school where leaders and staff nurture pupils with complex needs, ensuring they make individually significant steps forward in their knowledge and skills. The report highlights a culture where pupils are "valued, welcomed and noticed," resulting in strong outcomes across achievement, behaviour, curriculum, and leadership.

Strengths

• Pupils "bloom in their own time" as staff patiently nurture their strengths, leading to notable progress in communication, physical skills, and emotional awareness.
• Leaders build a "detailed knowledge of individual circumstances," using this insight to improve attendance and provide tailored support for families.
• Teaching is shaped around individual needs, with staff "dismantling any barriers" to learning and effectively supporting targets in education, health and care plans.
• The early years provision is "very well thought out," with staff liaising extensively with parents to ensure a smooth start to schooling.
• Leaders create an inclusive environment where all pupils feel they belong, actively supporting those with complex health needs or previous exclusions.

Areas to improve

• Leaders should ensure the "continued improvement of the school’s work" to sustain exceptional standards of support, teaching, and leadership.

Safeguarding

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