St Martins School: Huge Ofsted praise for special school where its happy pupils thrive

A Derby special school, which was last inspected by Ofsted in 2017 and found to be "outstanding", has been told it has maintained the standards identified seven years ago. St Martins School, in Alvaston, became part of the Shaw Education Trust in 2020, and is said to "continue to provide an exceptional quality of education and care for pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND)".

The visit to the Bracknell Drive school took place in late October and the newly-published report says that pupils "thrive and are happy due to the school’s excellent all-round provision. Parents and carers typically say that they are proud to send their children to the school".

The inspectors found that pupils were eager to share the difference that the school has made to their lives. The Ofsted report said: "Some, who had negative prior experiences of education, spoke in terms of being a 'different person' now. Pupils highly value the support they receive, both for their learning and for their social, emotional and mental health needs."

There are 242 pupils on roll at the school, which is for young people aged 11-19 and caters for a range of additional needs, predominantly autism and/or social, emotional and mental health (SEMH) needs. All pupils who attend the school are supported by an EHC (education, health and care) plan.

Post-16 students attend the school’s off-site Horizons sixth-form provision, located at Irongate House in Derby. There is an additional off-site provision situated at the Royal Derby Hospital, from which post-16 students undertake supported internships and the school also runs an off-site Heart of the Park community café situated within Arboretum Park.

What does the school do well, according to Ofsted?

• The curriculum has been extremely well planned and developed over time. On admission, pupils are carefully placed in one of three curriculum pathways, according to their needs.
• The school is relentlessly focused on preparing pupils for adulthood. This begins as soon as pupils join the school in Year 7. Employers typically give very positive feedback about the students on placement. The proportion of St Martins' pupils who successfully proceed to employment, education or training far exceeds local and national figures for pupils with SEND
• The school adopts a firm focus on reading and mathematics. Daily lessons in these core subjects enable pupils to develop secure knowledge and skills at the right level for their needs
• Highly positive relationships are at the heart of the school’s provision. Staff have a deep understanding of pupils’ individual and complex needs and circumstances.
• The school supports pupils’ broader personal development, and their well-being, exceptionally well. This includes an appropriate emphasis on how to stay safe, and the importance of healthy relationships.
• Leadership at all levels is very strong. This includes the excellent support and challenge provided by governors and the multi-academy trust. Staff are wholeheartedly positive about the support and training that they receive to fulfil their roles. Staff also praise leaders’ approachability and the care shown for their workload and well-being.