Courtlands School, located in Plymouth, Devon, has recently undergone an inspection that has raised significant concerns regarding its overall effectiveness. The school, which caters to primary-aged pupils with severe and moderate learning difficulties as well as social and emotional mental health challenges, has been rated as inadequate across all key areas, including the quality of education, behavior and attitudes, personal development, leadership and management, and early years provision. This marks a stark decline from its previous inspection grade of good.
The inspection highlighted that many pupils' social and emotional well-being is not adequately supported, leading to distress and aggressive behavior in some cases. Staff members have not received effective training in de-escalation techniques, which has resulted in an unsettled learning environment. The use of physical restraint by staff has been noted as excessive and often inappropriate, causing injury to both staff and pupils. Although leaders have begun to review behavior management strategies, it is too early to assess their effectiveness.
The high turnover of staff and reliance on temporary agency staff have contributed to difficulties for pupils in forming relationships and engaging with school life. The personal, social, and health education curriculum is poorly implemented, leaving pupils unprepared for responsible citizenship and lacking understanding of fundamental British values. However, pupils do express enjoyment in certain activities, such as forest school and local excursions.
The school's leadership has faced challenges in unifying staff around a shared vision for improvement. While a phonics program has been introduced to support early reading, its implementation has not been effective, as pupils struggle to apply their phonics knowledge in practice. Additionally, the curriculum lacks coherence, and many staff members are not adequately trained to meet the diverse learning needs of pupils. Despite the existence of education, health, and care plans for all pupils, many do not receive the necessary therapeutic interventions, leading to unmet sensory and communication needs.
Governance at the school has also been identified as weak, with the board of trustees failing to hold the school accountable for its performance. Staff have expressed dissatisfaction with the support provided for managing their workload and well-being. The safeguarding arrangements are deemed ineffective, with excessive use of physical restraint posing risks to pupil safety.
To improve, the school must establish a culture of safeguarding that prioritizes pupil safety and well-being. Staff training in physical interventions must be enhanced, ensuring that such measures are only used as a last resort. The curriculum needs to be better structured to support successful learning, with a focus on meeting the individual needs of pupils, particularly those with special educational needs and disabilities. The school must also ensure that pupils receive the therapeutic support outlined in their EHC plans and that the early years curriculum is tailored to foster language development and communication skills.
Furthermore, the school needs to address the high levels of persistent absence among disadvantaged pupils and communicate the importance of regular attendance to parents and pupils. Leadership must work to unify staff around improvement plans and ensure that their well-being is adequately supported. The board of trustees should gather accurate information to effectively challenge and monitor the school's progress. Overall, significant changes are required to ensure that Courtlands School can provide a safe and effective educational environment for its pupils.
