School leaders, staff, pupils and parents at Acorn Park School in Banham, Norfolk are celebrating rising up the Ofsted rankings after the previous inspections judged the school ‘inadequate’ in February 2020
Acorn Park School is an independent specialist school catering for pupils aged 5-19 and part of Options Autism a specialist provider of education for children, young people and adults with a primary diagnosis of autism.
The new Ofsted report began by applauding Acorn Park, saying, “Pupils of all ages feel happy, supported and well cared for.”
Head of school, Philippa Whipp, appointed 18 months ago to help drive the change, shared her joy at receiving the report. Philippa said: “There is no greater pride than knowing our pupils feel that they can be themselves. We strive to provide a safe and inclusive environment at Acorn Park and having that recognised by this report is testament to the ethos and values we have developed over the last year and a half.
“Everyone here has been resolute about providing the best possible experience of schooling for our pupils and this was celebrated by the inspectors. We are one team – from pupils and parents to staff and Governors – and this is what makes us proud to be Acorn Park.”
The inspectors noted that “leaders have built good relationships with families” and “parents praise the high quality of pastoral care and support that staff provide.”
The sixth form was also applauded for the provision of “personalised programmes to meet students complex needs” that enabled them to “become more independent” and “suitably prepared for the next stage of education or training, and for living independently.”
Peter Marshall, head of service, said: “I am immensely proud of this inspection report, not just because it celebrates so strongly the many fantastic ways that our school now supports its pupils and their families, but because it rightly celebrates the incredible team effort from our staff, our leaders, and our families over the last 18 months.
“This report is a tremendous reflection on all that our community has sought to achieve for this very special school, but more importantly, it celebrates the great work of the people that matter most – our fantastic children and young people.”
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