Provision for pupils with learning difficulties, disabilities or those for whom English is not their first language

The School has limited means to adequately staff and resource pupils with specific needs, however, consideration will be given to pupils with learning difficulties, disabilities, or those for whom English is not their first language.   Each pupil's application is considered on its own merit, taking into account whether the School is adequately staffed and resourced to meet the individual pupil’s needs. Where a child has an Education Health and Care Plan, or special educational, physical or pastoral needs, the School will discuss with the parents what the School is able to offer, which may involve additional cost to the parents.

ISI Inspection Reports

The Governors are particularly pleased with the findings of the Educational Quality Inspection which took place in June 2023, where the quality of the pupils’ personal development was assessed as excellent, and the quality of the pupils’ academic and other achievements was assessed as good. 

What the inspectors said:

“The quality of the pupils’ personal development is excellent.”

“The School’s Christian ethos is immediately apparent, is respected by pupils and permeates all areas of school life.”

“A very large majority of parents agree that the school actively promotes democracy, respect and tolerance of other people.”

“Pupils, including those with SEND and EAL, make strong progress over time, as evidenced by comprehensive assessment data.”

“Pupils display excellent attitudes to their learning, demonstrating an intrinsic desire to do well.”

This is a resounding tribute to the quality of all our staff - teaching, support and administrative. We were also delighted with the way our pupils conducted themselves over the course of the inspection. They can be rightly proud of the way in which they interacted with the team of inspectors throughout, and their achievements, work ethic and conduct all played a significant part in the very successful outcome of the Educational Quality Inspection. 

There are aspects of the report that Governors would like to address:

Paragraph 2.10 regarding conducting online searches when appointing new staff  

It is not mandatory to conduct online searches of job applicants (over and above the required checks), but ISI wanted evidence that this had been considered.  The school has reflected on this point, and there is now a process in place for conducting online searches of candidates who have been shortlisted for interview.

Paragraph 2.11 regarding record keeping

Prior to the inspection, routine monitoring picked up that there was a gap in recording legionella checks and water temperature checks, and this had been rectified before the inspection.

Paragraph 2.12 regarding fire safety

The school’s last Fire Risk Assessment was in February this year. At the time of the inspection the school had obtained a quote for a new fire alarm system and was in the process of appointing a contractor to replace the system during the summer holidays. A new fire alarm system has now been installed.

Weekly testing of the fire alarm is a recommendation only, unless there is a good reason not to do so.  The design of the previous fire alarm system meant that weekly testing of the fire alarm was not practical, but it was tested regularly at fire drills. It is also important to note that due to the small site, people always detect a fire and evacuate the building before the fire alarm system has had the time to activate! All records of fire checks were meticulously and continuously kept since the last inspection.  Weekly testing of the fire alarm is now possible and is in place.

A significant number of staff have certified Fire Marshal training.  Fire drills are held twice a term, usually on a different day of the week, to ensure that part time staff experience fire drills throughout the school year, and staff receive verbal and written feedback after each fire drill.  ISI wanted to see evidence of annual refresher fire training for staff.  This is scheduled for September each year and has already taken place this term.

Paragraph 2.13 regarding Risk Assessments

The school had maintained the same number of Risk Assessments since the last inspection, although some were not filed centrally.  This has now been rectified.

Staff are individually coached in the writing of risk assessments specific to their areas of responsibility, and the risk assessments are checked by the Senior Leadership, who, when necessary, request teachers to amend their risk assessments accordingly.  ISI wanted to see evidence of annual refresher training.  This is scheduled for September each year and has already taken place this term and is formally recorded.

To read the full report please click here.

Progress Monitoring Visit

The school received its unannounced Progress Monitoring Visit in January 2024.

We are pleased that most of the standards are now met.  The inspectors that conducted the Progress Monitoring Visit were helpful and supportive, and their report is clearly worded and informative.  This means that the school now understands precisely what action is needed to meet the remaining standards. 

Health and Safety [ISSR Part 3, Paragraph 11; EYFS 3.55] is not met, and the details are as follows:

2.10     This item in the report concerns legionella checks only, which had not been fully embedded in the school’s routine when the inspectors visited.  All other Health and Safety checks have been consistently undertaken and recorded over a long period of time.

2.11     With regards to governor oversight, the work of Hannah Greenman, our Safeguarding Governor, was highlighted by the inspectors in their verbal feedback as an example of excellent practice, and we now need to put in place similar systems for the oversight of Health and Safety.  This will include appointing a governor with the knowledge and skills necessary to ensure effective monitoring of Health and Safety.

2.12     There is a minor mismatch between policy and practice, and our Health and Safety Policy will be amended to ensure that the policy only mentions training that is necessary and appropriate for our setting.

Quality of Leadership and Management [ISSR Part 8, paragraph 34]

2.23     This standard will be met when the above actions have been completed.

Inspectors acknowledged that the school had made a lot of progress in a short space of time, and, in fact, we could have allowed ourselves more time when writing our action plan, something which we have noted for future reference.

It is becoming progressively harder for small schools to keep up with increasing regulations and frequent changes to the inspection framework.  At the time of the full inspection in June 2023, the Governing Body only consisted of 4 governors, which is simply not enough.  Although there are now 6 governors, we still need to keep on recruiting, and it is becoming harder to find people who are able to sacrifice the amount of time needed to fulfil the increasing responsibilities and the demands of the role.  We would value your prayers that suitable candidates will be identified and appointed to strengthen the Governing Body.

To read the full report please click HERE

For first hand accounts of how parents and children have enjoyed and appreciated life at Emmaus School, click here

For further information about Emmaus School admissions, please download a copy of the prospectus. There's also a download available of the application form.

If you have any further queries or would like to arrange a visit to Emmaus School, please feel free to contact us by email or by telephone during school hours.

CAT Results 2023

Every October, pupils in Years 4-11 take the Cognitive Abilities Test which is produced by GL Assessment and is widely used by schools in the independent and state sectors.  This enables the School to track the progress of each pupil annually against national data, and for the older pupils, it gives a useful prediction of how they are likely to perform at GCSE Level. 

Year on year, the CAT tests show high standards of achievement by Emmaus School pupils, despite the fact that the School does not select pupils on the basis of their ability.  The headlines for the 2023 tests are as follows:

Language

72% of pupils are above average.

Maths

90% of pupils are at least average.

Non-verbal

98% of pupils are at least average.

61% are above average

Spatial

98% of pupils are at least average, and 59% are above average.

Pupils with Special Educational Needs

100% of pupils with SEND are at least average in verbal tests. 

Each year, pupils from Years 1 – 9 are tested in reading and spelling using tests supplied by GL Assessment – The Suffolk Reading Test and the Nelson Single Word Spelling Test.  These standardised tests indicate how our pupils are doing compared with the national average.

The results remain very strong with over half of pupils performing at an above average level.  Overall, 95% of children are average or above average in reading, and in spelling 96% of children are average or above average. 

Pupils with SEN achieved well in reading with 71% of pupils with SEN achieving average or above and in spelling 86% of pupils with SEN were average or above.