Hope House School, Nottinghamshire

What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils enjoy attending the school. The staff are kind and caring. There are positive and strong relationships between staff and pupils. The pupils know that staff will look after them and keep them safe. Staff understand pupils' individual needs well. They are very aware of the difficulties pupils experience. They offer a nurturing approach to help pupils understand themselves.

Staff provide 'sensory spaces' and time for pupils to regulate their emotions. This proactive approach helps pupils to manage their anxieties. As a result, few pupils resort to expressing their frustrations through outbursts. Pupils benefit from learning in a structured and calm environment that is rarely disrupted.

What does the school do well and what does it need to do better?

When pupils join the school, staff check what pupils know and can remember. They use this information to plan a personalised curriculum that is matched well to the outcomes in each pupils' education, health and care (EHC) plan. Pupils who follow a formal curriculum benefit from well-structured lessons that build their knowledge and skills in the subjects they study. For example, in English, pupils use what they learned in a previous lesson to help them understand how a character's feelings develop through a story. High-quality resources help pupils access their learning. For instance, emotions mats help pupils identify what different feelings look like.

Teachers use their good subject knowledge to present information clearly and engage pupils in interesting learning activities. They are skilled in using questioning to identify exactly what pupils have understood and plan what pupils need to know next.

Quality of education, Behaviour & attitudes, Personal development, Leadership & management.

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