The Chalet School, Swindon

What it's like to be a pupil at The Chalet School

Pupils at The Chalet School experience a nurturing and inclusive environment where they feel safe, valued and able to learn. From the moment they arrive, calm routines and positive relationships with staff help pupils to regulate and prepare for the day. They settle quickly and engage confidently in their learning. Staff know pupils very well. Barriers to learning and wellbeing are identified and reduced through personalised support, strong communication with families and rigorous use of education, health and care plan information. As a result, pupils trust staff, form positive attachments and are able to participate fully in school life. Pupils enjoy learning because the curriculum is carefully designed around their needs. Staff adapt their teaching to help pupils build confidence and independence. Skilled staff use the school's communication approaches, sensory regulation strategies and structured activities to keep pupils engaged. These approaches help pupils to achieve well from their varied starting points. Some pupils make rapid progress, particularly since the introduction of improved curriculum pathways and communication strategies. Pupils develop essential life skills, such as eating socially, self‑regulation and increasing independence, which further enhance their sense of success and belonging. Behaviour is positive. Pupils are supported in understanding and expressing their feelings. There is no bullying. Pupils say that everyone at school is kind. Staff provide sensitive guidance to help pupils develop their self-awareness and curiosity about the world. The environment is calm and enabling, with no low‑level disruption. Attendance is generally high. Where difficulties arise, staff provide timely and targeted support so that pupils continue to attend well. Broader experiences, such as community visits, enrichment activities, shared reading and structured play, help pupils to develop socially, emotionally and culturally. These experiences, combined with growing independence and communication skills, ensure that pupils are increasingly well prepared for the demands of secondary education and life beyond school.

What Ofsted says the school should do next

• Leaders need to support staff in refining the implementation of the school's communication strategy to ensure pupils receive consistently high-quality, effective provision that develops their communication and independence.
• Leaders need to ensure that staff have the necessary knowledge and skills so that they can implement the school's agreed curriculum, teaching and assessment strategies consistently to a high quality across all areas of learning.

The Chalet School excels at understanding each child's individual needs and creating a calm, structured environment where pupils can thrive. Staff use personalised approaches including communication aids and sensory regulation strategies to help pupils regulate and engage confidently in learning. The school works closely with families and external professionals to remove barriers to learning and ensure every pupil experiences success.

Safeguarding standards are met - the school has created an open and positive culture of safeguarding where all legal requirements are met and pupils feel safe.

Theatre trips, choir performances, shopping trips, community visits, school-based roles, careers provision through PSHE curriculum

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