Vermont School

Vermont School is a small special school for pupils aged 5 to 11 with social, emotional and mental health needs, and all pupils have education, health and care plans. The inspection in June 2025 found that staff show kindness and care, pupils build positive relationships with trusted adults, behaviour has improved in several respects, and safeguarding is effective. Pupils generally behave well, enjoy lunchtime clubs and activities such as swimming, and are supported to recognise and regulate their emotions. However, inspectors found serious weaknesses in the quality of education and leadership. The curriculum lacks ambition and structure in most subjects, reading is not prioritised, assessment is weak, and pupils do not build knowledge and skills well enough or get prepared for their next educational steps. Governance is not fulfilling statutory responsibilities or providing effective challenge and support, behaviour systems are applied inconsistently, persistent absence remains high for some pupils, wider experiences are limited, and significant staff turnover has made improvement harder. The school has been placed in special measures because it is failing to give pupils an acceptable standard of education and leaders and governors are not demonstrating the capacity to secure the necessary improvement. The inspection took place while the substantive headteacher was unavailable and an interim headteacher was in post; the school is part of Aspire Community Trust and uses four unregistered alternative provisions.

Strengths

• Warm, caring staff build positive relationships and act as trusted adults for pupils.
• Pupils understand respect and generally behave well in lessons.
• Staff support pupils to recognise their emotions and regulate their behaviour when needed.
• Pupils enjoy lunchtime clubs and activities such as card trading and swimming.
• Behaviour management has improved, with fewer suspensions, violent incidents and physical interventions.
• The school has secure oversight of absence reasons and offers appropriate support to families.
• Pupils contribute to school life through jobs, assemblies and the student council.
• Safeguarding arrangements are effective.

Areas for Improvement

• The governing body does not understand or fulfil its statutory responsibilities and does not effectively challenge or support leaders.
• Governors do not ensure website information, policies and complaint procedures meet requirements.
• The curriculum in most subjects lacks ambition, structure and clear sequencing.
• Lessons often are not part of a sequenced learning journey and do not build securely on prior learning.
• Resources are limited and staff support for learning varies; the same lesson is often delivered regardless of pupils’ needs.
• Assessment is ineffective in most subjects, so the school lacks a clear picture of how well pupils are learning.
• Reading is not prioritised; phonics resources and decodable books are lacking and pupils get little practice.
• Behaviour systems are not consistently understood or applied by staff.
• A significant number of pupils have high rates of persistent absence.
• Pupils’ wider experiences are limited, with few school trips or community interactions.
• Significant staff turnover creates challenges for training and professional development.
• The school has not brought about sustained improvements to the quality of education and requires special measures.
• The school may not appoint early career teachers before the next monitoring inspection.

In 2024–25 pupils at Vermont School attended 77.5% of sessions (the national figure for special schools was 87.2%). 64.4% of pupils were persistently absent, missing at least one session in ten (nationally 35.3%).

Sessions missed

Pupils persistently absent

Source: Department for Education, Pupil absence in schools in England. Each year is the one the school year ends in (2025 is 2024/25). Persistent absence means missing 10% or more of sessions; severe absence means 50% or more. No figures were published for 2019/20.

In 2024–25, 58.5% of pupils at Vermont School were suspended at least once (nationally 5.1%). No pupils were permanently excluded.

Pupils suspended at least once

Source: Department for Education, Suspensions and permanent exclusions in England. Each year is the one the school year ends in (2025 is 2024/25). A pupil can be suspended more than once, so suspensions per 100 pupils can be higher than the share of pupils suspended. Very small numbers are hidden by the DfE. Exclusion figures dropped in 2020 and 2021 because of school closures.

In 2025–26 Vermont School had 5.6 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for special schools was 6.6). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 61.5% were no longer at the school a year later (nationally 14.5%).

Pupils per teacher

Teachers who left the school within a year

Source: Department for Education, School workforce in England. Each year is the one the school year ends in (2025 is 2024/25). Pupils per teacher counts full-time-equivalent pupils and teachers. Turnover is the share of a year's teachers (full-time equivalent) who were not at the school the following year, whether they moved to another school or left state-funded teaching. Turnover and sickness figures run one year behind the ratios. Sick leave is the share of teachers who took at least one day in the year, so it swings widely at small schools, where a few teachers can make it 0% or 100%. The national figures are for all state schools of the same type.

In 2025–26 Vermont School had 54 pupils, 100.0% of them with an education, health and care (EHC) plan (nationally 99.5%).

It says it provides for: social, emotional and mental health.

Pupils by main type of need

Source: Department for Education, Special educational needs in England (the 2025–26 school census). SEN support is extra help in school without an EHC plan. National figures are for all state-funded special school schools. Counts are as published, with small numbers not hidden.

In 2025–26 Vermont School received £34,010 and spent £42,228 for each of its 54 pupils. It ended the year with a deficit of £776,000 (-£14,376 per pupil).

Income per pupil

Spending per pupil

Source: Department for Education, Financial Benchmarking and Insights Tool. Each year is the one the financial year ends in (2024 is 2023–24).

• Primary Schools
• Secondary Schools

All schools in Southampton · Southampton local authority: places and applications

Vermont School is part of Aspire Community Trust, which runs 8 schools. The nearest others:

• Cantell School Southampton
• Bassett Green Primary School Southampton
• Swaythling Primary School Southampton
• Bevois Town Primary School Southampton
• Mansbridge Primary School Southampton
• Mount Pleasant Juniors Southampton
• Mount Pleasant Infants Southampton

What is Vermont School's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for Vermont School is Inadequate, from an inspection in September 2026.

When was Vermont School last inspected by Ofsted?

Vermont School was last inspected in September 2026.

How many pupils does Vermont School have?

Vermont School has 54 pupils on roll.

What age range does Vermont School cover?

Vermont School for pupils aged 5 to 11.

What are Vermont School's SATs (KS2) results?

In 2025, 0% of Year 6 pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths.

Where is Vermont School?

Vermont School is at Vermont Close, Off Winchester Road, Southampton, Hampshire, SO16 7LT.