One of the country’s leading providers of education for children and young people with special educational needs has announced the outcome of the hugely successful recent Ofsted inspection of one of their Devon schools. The inspection of Cambian Devon School in Paignton, held between 8-10th May 2024, concluded with Ofsted declaring the school to be ‘good’ in all areas, with the exception of the area of ‘personal development’ which was deemed to be ‘outstanding’.
Cambian Devon School in Paignton, an independent day school for 7-18 year olds with ongoing social, emotional and mental health difficulties, faced challenging times when an inspection in October 2022 resulted in an ‘inadequate’ Ofsted rating. The Senior Leadership Team at Cambian Devon School stated, “The outcome of the previous inspection was hugely disappointing for everyone but we were determined to not only achieve the required improvements, but also to showcase the achievements of our staff and students on every level.”
A subsequent monitoring visit in October 2023, found that the school was making progress in all areas. However, it was not until the recent full inspection that the hard work and dedication of the staffing team was recognised and commended by Ofsted inspectors. In stark contrast to the previous rating, Ofsted inspectors found that the level of progress was so significant that the final report rated the school as ‘good’ with ‘outstanding’ personal development.
In the recent report, Ofsted said, “Although many pupils have missed a lot of schooling by the time they arrive at Cambian Devon School, they adapt quickly and thrive.The carefully balanced combination of educational and therapeutic support enables pupils to develop empathy, respect and kindness. Consequently, pupils learn in a calm environment.”
The inspection found that safeguarding procedures were effective and behaviour throughout the school was good. In the report, which highlighted the strong relationships between staff and pupils, Ofsted stated that, “Pupils are provided with personalised support that ensures that the social, emotional and educational needs of each pupil are met with precision and timeliness.”
Cambian Devon School operates on two sites including a provision in Buckfastleigh which provides outdoor and vocational education. At the Buckfastleigh site, students learn to grow and cook their own food both in the kitchen and in the wild using campfires and have the opportunity to take part in The Duke of Edinburgh Award Scheme. Ofsted praised the combined curriculum offer stating that, “Through the very well-designed curriculum, pupils’ personal development is impressive. Pupils are exceptionally well prepared to be citizens in modern Britain.”
The Senior Leadership Team said, “We are all delighted with the outcome. To have our pupils’ personal development rated as ‘outstanding’ was a highlight for us all. Our young people face many challenges but with support, understanding and encouragement from the staff around them, learn to manage their behaviour and develop the skills to help them succeed in life.”
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