The Sheiling School in Ringwood receives ‘good’ rating from Ofsted

PUPILS at a Forest school for youngsters with learning disabilities love to learn thanks to nurturing staff, Ofsted inspectors have said.

The Sheiling School in Horton Road, Ringwood, which teaches 330 pupils aged five to 19, was visited by inspectors over two days last November.

While the overall rating was ‘good’, inspectors said the pupils’ behaviour and attitudes along with their personal development were ‘outstanding’.

The report said pupils love to learn at the “nurturing” school, with staff taking time to form trusting relationships which made them feel understood and valued.

Pupils at the independent school suffer severe complex and moderate learning disabilities including autistic spectrum disorders, and many have arrived from unsuccessful placements elsewhere.

The report adds: “The school expertly guides pupils to overcome barriers to learning and unlock their potential. Pupils work hard, explore career paths and find friendships. They quickly gain a sense of belonging and safety, which shows in their excellent behaviour and high attendance.

“The school does not limit pupils’ aspirations. They achieve well because staff make every moment a learning opportunity.”

It added the school takes “great care” to prepare pupils for adulthood, including residentials and trips on local transport to build pupils’ independence and visits to shops in the community to experience real-life situations.

Teachers have secure knowledge of the subjects they teach, presenting content clearly and building pupils’ knowledge in a logical order, Ofsted found, and pupils show demonstrable improvement in their behaviour after joining the school.

However, inspectors also found there were a few staff who lacked sufficient subject expertise to teach the curriculum as intended, including in early reading.

As this occasionally hinders pupils from securely retaining knowledge as well as they could, it was recommended that the school should ensure all staff have the relevant expertise to build and extend pupils’ learning in all subjects.

Head of school, Andy Walters, said he was “ delighted” with the report, adding: “Our students receive a great education with us and it was gratifying to hear the student comments and feedback about why the school is valuable to them.

“This is reflected in the achievement of their outcomes, their positive behaviour and high attendance. The inspection has, as always, taken account of and involved a huge amount of effort every day from the dedicated staff across the therapy team, residential houses, leadership, facilities, trustees, parents and a host of people involved in supporting the students and the work of the school, as well as our wonderful teachers and TAs.”