Special needs pupils in Cirencester are left without schooling after Coln House School in Fairford closed down due to ‘inadequate’ Ofsted report.
Coln House School in Fairford, photo by Gloucestershire Echo
The head teacher and three staff members have been suspended following an investigation after inspectors learned teachers were using physical restraint and failing to record incidents, as well as acknowledging a steep decline in the schools performance and safeguarding.
Councillor Paul McLain, cabinet member for children and young people, informed Gloucestershire Echo: “Our absolute priority is the safety and well-being of the children in our county. Due to some safety concerns, we have taken the decision to remove all pupils from Coln House School at the current time. We are working to find placements for the children affected, to minimise the amount of disruption to them and their families.”
Coln house had 35 pupils enrolled aged nine to sixteen, all with severe learning difficulties. The school officially closed before the summer holidays and a plan to reopen is ‘unlikely’ according to Ofsted.
Gloucestershire county offer 11 special needs schools in the following locations:
Battledown Centre for Children and Families- Charlton Kings
http://www.battledown.org.uk/What_We_Do.aspx
Alderman Knight- Tewksbury
http://www.aldermanknight.gloucs.sch.uk
The Milestone School- Gloucester
http://themilestoneschool.co.uk
The Shrubberies School- Stonehouse
http://www.shrubberiesschool.co.uk
The Heart of the Forest Community Special School- Coleford
http://www.heartoftheforest.org.uk
Paternoster School- Cirencester
http://www.paternosterschool.co.uk
The Ridge Academy- Cheltenham
http://www.theridgeacademy.org
Peak Academy- Dursely
http://www.thepeakacademy.org
Belmont School- Cheltenham
http://www.belmont.gloucs.sch.uk
Bettridge School- Cheltenham
http://bettridge.org.uk
Alternative special needs schools with ‘good’ to ‘outstanding Ofsted evaluation surrounding Gloucestershire
Battledown Centre for Children and Families
Ofsted report ‘Outstanding’
Achievement of pupils- Outstanding
Quality of teaching- Outstanding
Behaviour and safety of pupils- Outstanding
Leadership and management- Outstanding
‘It provides an exceptional start for young disabled children and those with special educational needs. All children, including those with complex medical needs and facing highly significant barriers to communication, make exceptional progress.’
Harp Hill, Cheltenham GL52 6PZ
01242 525472
Alderman Knight School
Ofsted report ‘Outstanding’
Achievement of pupils- Outstanding
Quality of teaching- Outstanding
Behaviour and safety of pupils- Outstanding
Leadership and management- Outstanding
‘Pupils make rapid progress from their low starting points because teachers plan extremely carefully to meet their individual needs. There are no differences in the rates of progress made by pupils in different groups.’
Ashchurch Road, Tewkesbury , GL20 8JJ
01684 295639
The Milestone School
Ofsted report ‘Outstanding’
Achievement of pupils- Outstanding
Quality of teaching- Outstanding
Behaviour and safety of pupils- Outstanding
Leadership and management- Outstanding
‘The school is a specialist school for communication and interaction and uses its expertise in these fields to support a large number of other schools throughout the local authority. This helps many pupils with learning difficulties in mainstream schools to have their needs met in their local school.’
Longford Lane, Gloucester, GL2 9EU
01452 874000
The Shrubberies School
Ofsted report ‘Good’
Achievement of pupils- Good
Quality of teaching- Good
Behaviour and safety of pupils- Good
Leadership and management- Good
‘Good leadership and management at all levels, including governance, provide a strong focus on teaching and learning. As a result, the school has sustained the good achievement, teaching, behaviour and safety and leadership and management found at the previous inspection. It has also extended provision in the sixth form.’
Oldends Lane, Stonehouse, Gloucestershire, GL10 2DG
01453 822155
Heart of the Forest Community Special School
Ofsted report ‘Good’
Achievement of pupils- Good
Quality of teaching- Good
Behaviour and safety of pupils- Good
Leadership and management- Good
‘Pupils’ good behaviour contributes to good learning. Challenging behaviour is well managed and rarely disrupts lessons. Pupils say that they feel safe at school.’
Speech House, Coleford, GL16 7EJ
01594 822175
Paternoster School
Ofsted report ‘Good’
Achievement of pupils- Good
Quality of teaching- Good
Behaviour and safety of pupils- Outstanding
Leadership and management- Outstanding
‘In this welcoming school, pupils make good progress and achieve well in a wide range of subjects and areas, so they are well prepared for each stage of their learning.’
Watermoor Road, Cirencester, Gloucestershire, GL7 1JS
01285 652480
For further information about the schools listed visit https://reports.ofsted.gov.uk
