Doucecroft School, part of the independent charity Autism Anglia has responded proactively to the findings of its recent Ofsted inspection, which took place from 25th to 27th February 2025.

While the inspection highlighted many areas of strength within the school, it also identified key areas where improvement is needed. As a result, the overall rating has been given as “Requires Improvement”.

Key Strengths Identified by Ofsted

The inspectors recognised many strengths within the school, including:

• Clear leadership direction – School leaders have a clear understanding of the school’s strengths and areas for improvement, with a clear plan for progress.
• Positive and supportive environment – Doucecroft School is a happy place where pupils thrive socially, build strong relationships, and arrive enthusiastic for learning. The children have good relationships with the adults that care for them.
• Tailored support for pupils – The school knows its pupils extremely well. The therapy and education teams work closely with families to develop detailed plans that support pupils’ regulation, resilience, and overall well-being.

Key Areas for Improvement

The inspection identified key areas where further development is needed:

• Raising academic achievement – While pupils make progress, they could achieve more highly. The report noted that leaders are ambitious for improvement, but there has been limited capacity due to staff vacancies to drive teaching improvements.
• Enhancing curriculum structure – The school needs to ensure greater clarity in what pupils should learn and when across all subjects.
• Strengthening teaching quality – Learning intentions, teaching points, and tasks should be more closely linked and consistently high in quality.

Immediate Actions to Drive Improvement

The school had already started strengthening its provision before the inspection and has since accelerated these efforts with a robust School Improvement Plan, which includes:

• Strengthening leadership capacity – A new Headteacher was appointed in October 2024 and will be joined by a new Deputy Headteacher and Assistant Headteacher shortly. Phase Leads have also been appointed to enhance leadership capacity.
• Enhanced curriculum planning – Work is underway to refine the curriculum, ensuring greater clarity on what pupils should learn and when.
• Expert guidance and support – An Education Advisor with extensive experience and in-depth know of the Independent School Standards and the Ofsted framework to support leadership in improving teaching and learning.
• Governance and accountability – An advisor to the Board of Trustees with experience as a former Independent Schools Standards (ISSR) Inspector and in-depth knowledge of Independent School Standards has been appointed to ensure rigorous oversight of school improvements.
• Transparency and engagement – The school values the partnership with parents and carers and will hold a Parents and Carers Meeting on 22nd April to discuss next steps and introduce new leadership team members.

Headteacher Sam Lawrence said:

“We are committed to making rapid and meaningful improvements to provide the best education for our learners.

“We are pleased to see that Ofsted has recognised our many strengths, including our strong relationships with learners and our focus on personal development, which we are incredibly proud of.

“The inspectors also acknowledged we know our learners extremely well. Our dedicated wellbeing and therapy teams collaborate closely with families to create tailored plans that support students’ emotional regulation, build resilience, and boost their confidence.

“Additionally, they highlight our improved attendance rates and reduced suspension rates. These successes have been driven by the implementation of Trauma Perceptive Practice (TPP), Essex County Council’s approach to understanding behaviour and supporting children’s emotional wellbeing. By embedding this approach alongside timely access to support, robust monitoring processes, and a collaborative multi-disciplinary team, we have been able to swiftly address learners’ evolving needs and help them return to class quickly.

“With our dedicated staff, strong leadership, and the support of our school community, we are confident in our ability to achieve positive change.”

James McQuiggan, CEO of Autism Anglia, reinforced the school’s commitment, stating:

“Even before the Ofsted inspection, we had identified key areas for development and had already begun strengthening the school leadership and governance to ensure improvements.

“Ofsted noted we had a turbulent year in staffing, and this impacted our ability to implement improvements. A new Headteacher, Samantha Lawrence was appointed in October 2024, and a new Deputy Head and Assistant Head Teacher will join the charity shortly, resolving our staffing challenges.

“Additionally, Ofsted highlighted the need to raise our expectations for learners. We are committed to maintaining a consistently high standard of education and ensuring that every learner is supported in reaching their full potential. In addition to expanding our leadership capacity, we have revised our coaching models to better support staff in delivering high-quality teaching. Our school action plan has been updated, and we are focused on executing it to drive the necessary improvements.

“I’m confident that Doucecroft School will continue to move forward positively and build on the excellent foundations already in place.”

About Doucecroft School

Doucecroft School, part of independent charity Autism Anglia, is an independent special school in Eight Ash Green founded in 1977. The school provides education for pupils with autism aged 3-19 years old.

All pupils have an Education, Health and Care Plan (EHCP) and school placements are funded by local authorities and admission is through local authority referral. There are currently 87 pupils on roll.

READ THE OFSTED REPORT