(UK) Cambridgeshire: School for girls with ASD needs improvement

Feb 14, 2023, Cambridgeshire Live: New Cambs school for autistic girls 'requires improvement', Ofsted says https://www.cambridge-news.co.uk/news/cambridge-news/new-cambs-school-autistic-girls-26232172.amp

E. England

A new school for autistic girls has been told it needs to improve the quality of its education by an education watchdog. Ofsted inspectors said the Hope Tree School in Impington had created a “welcoming and safe school environment” in the short period of time since it opened in June 2022. The specialist school was rated overall as requires improvement following an inspection in November last year.

Inspectors rated the school good in three of the four assessment areas, but rated the quality of education as requires improvement. The school said it was pleased with much of the report, but was disappointed the inspection had taken place 15 weeks after it opened, which meant not all of its plans could be in place before the inspection.

In the report published by Ofsted it said: “Pupils describe Hope Tree as a ‘place where we can start to learn again’. Many have had negative experiences of education previously. Staff are caring and take time to understand pupils’ complex social and emotional needs. This helps pupils to feel safe and settled. Parents agree, one parent commented, ‘Hope Tree is quite simply amazing in every aspect possible’.