The Dales School

Overview

The Dales School continues to be an outstanding school, providing exceptional care and education for pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities. Leaders and staff deliver a ‘woven curriculum’ that balances academic challenge with therapeutic support, enabling pupils to make considerable progress academically and socially. The school is described as a happy, productive environment where pupils are safe and flourish.

Strengths

• Staff provide an ‘ambitious curriculum that precisely meets their needs’, resulting in pupils becoming ‘confident communicators’ and ‘enthusiastic learners’.
• The ‘woven curriculum’ offers the ‘right balance of academic challenge and therapeutic support’ for complex behavioural and sensory needs.
• Communication and literacy are taught expertly, with storytelling and reading playing an important part in daily life, including use of the ‘impressive reading carriage’.
• Staff have a ‘detailed understanding of each pupil’s complex needs’, using personalised learning plans to tailor teaching and support effectively.
• Parents are ‘exceptionally positive’ about the education and care, noting the ‘transformational effect’ on their children’s attitudes and behaviour.

Areas to improve

• The report identifies no significant areas for improvement.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.