The Anchor SENDfriendly Centre

Strengths

• Pupils typically progress well from their starting points, closing gaps in communication, reading, writing and mathematics.
• Attendance is highly effective, with many pupils who previously struggled now attending regularly.
• Leaders have created a calm, respectful and supportive environment where pupils feel safe.
• The curriculum is broad, carefully structured and personalised to meet pupils' complex needs.
• The school is highly inclusive, identifying individual needs swiftly and adapting provision sensitively.
• Staff have secure expertise in teaching reading, including phonics, and use consistent, effective approaches.
• Leaders are ambitious and committed, with a clear shared vision for pupils with complex SEND.
• Staff receive extensive, evidence-informed training and feel well supported.
• Pupils are well prepared for adulthood through a coherent personal development programme and meaningful community experiences.
• Post-16 provision is coherent and ambitious, building well on students' prior learning and preparing them for adulthood.

Areas for Improvement

• The school's evaluation of some subject areas is less robust, limiting assurance that pupils' knowledge develops well in those subjects.
• Leaders do not systematically track the careers support and experiences pupils have had, so cannot be assured all pupils receive comprehensive guidance.
• Leaders should more closely analyse the extent to which pupils have learned all subjects to identify learning aims more precisely.

• Primary Schools
• Secondary Schools