Wingrave's MacIntyre School retains its good all round report from Ofsted

Pupils at MacIntyre School – some of whom have had negative experiences of education – soon become competent and independent learners, thanks to the support and nurturing of staff.

The specialist residential school for children and young people with autism and severe learning disabilities received an all-round ‘Good’ rating at a recent Ofsted inspection – with Personal Development achieving ‘Outstanding.’

The report reads: “The school’s motto – Achieve above and beyond - is an intrinsic part of everyday life.

"Communication sits at the heart of the curriculum. Staff skilfully help pupils learn to use a range of helpful strategies and suitable devices that enable them to become effective communicators.

"Pupils are polite and follow instructions without any fuss. They learn about other religions through visiting places of worship, such as temples and mosques.

"Pupils show tremendous maturity when discussing topics such as disability, discrimination, gender identity and racism. They learn about healthy relationships and consent.”

The report continues: “Careers education is central to the school’s success. An impressive variety of well considered work and enterprise opportunities is threaded through the curriculum at every opportunity. This includes access to independent advice and guidance. The notable careers curriculum extends to the sixth form.

"Students are supported to become increasingly independent as they start to prepare for adult life, for example by learning to manage money and to travel on public transport. In addition, pupils are earnestly preparing for their upcoming Duke of Edinburgh’s Award scheme expeditions."

One parent described the school as “a lifeline for our child and the family.”

The school’s head of education, Catherine Clifford, said: “We are delighted with the recognition in this report with specific comments about how pupils ‘become confident and independent learners who feel loved and respected’ and how the school’s curriculum is adapted around each pupil’s personal learning goals, their individual starting points and their education, health and care (EHC) plan targets.

“We work hard, alongside our colleagues in the children’s homes, to ensure that every opportunity to learn is maximised for every young person and we are so pleased that this is having the intended impact on each young person’s life.”