St Dominic's School

Overview

The inspection found that St Dominic’s School meets safeguarding standards and achieves a “strong standard” across all evaluated areas, including achievement, attendance, behaviour, curriculum, inclusion, leadership, and personal development. Leaders have created a “highly inclusive culture” where pupils with complex needs, particularly autism and speech, language and communication needs, “thrive and are valued as individuals.” The school is described as a “calm, purposeful and welcoming place” where staff build “trusting relationships” with families and pupils.

Strengths

• Pupils “progress very well” through a “broad and aspirational curriculum” that is “highly flexible” and tailored to individual needs and interests.
• Attendance has improved significantly as leaders “respond quickly” to absence patterns and provide “timely support” to remove barriers.
• Staff demonstrate a “thorough understanding of individual pupils,” using “precise and timely support” and “individualised interventions” to ensure success.
• “Multi-agency working is a significant strength,” with staff collaborating effectively with external professionals and acting as “powerful advocates” for pupils.
• Post-16 provision is “ambitious, personalised and closely matched to their aspirations,” preparing students well for adulthood and further education.

Areas to improve

• Leaders should “continue to refine and embed their identified priorities for improvement” to “drive a transformational impact for all pupils.”

Safeguarding

The report states that “safeguarding standards are met,” noting that leaders have established an “open culture in which safeguarding is everyone's responsibility” and that “pupils are made safer and feel safe.”