Chailey Heritage School rated as ‘outstanding’ in recent Ofsted inspection

The school and its facilities has been rated ‘Outstanding’ for the fourth time running.

Chailey Heritage Foundation provides education and care services for children and young adults from the age of three upwards.

Praising the ‘strong senior leadership team and staff that are dedicated and skilful’, the Ofsted report goes on to talk about how the teams ‘put into practice every day a passionate belief that all pupils should access rich and meaningful opportunities at school, no matter how complex their learning and health needs’.

One such initiative that does just this is the bespoke curriculum that has been created by headteacher Simon Yates and his team specifically to enhance the development and wellbeing of the children, the report says.

A parent summed up this approach by telling the inspectors ‘because our children don’t fit into a box, the school makes the box for the child’.

The school also benefits from amazing support from its community and sponsors who raise thousands of pounds every year to bring facilities such as the Dream Centre, Patchwork Farm, therapeutic horse riding and other specialist equipment to help the children and young people reach their full potential.

Mr Yates said: “Our school staff are just brilliant, but we have been supported by staff from all departments as well as governors and trustees.

“And of course we really couldn’t have done any of this without our amazing nurses, therapists and doctors. It really felt like team work, and that’s what makes us so fantastic every day.”

Helen Hewitt, chief executive of Chailey Heritage Foundation, said: “We are absolutely delighted that the school has achieved ‘Outstanding’ again in their Ofsted report as this not only acknowledges the amazing job the whole team does daily, but it shows how we are at the forefront, a pioneer in the specialist educational sector.

“The ultimate accolade came from the parents of the pupils who fed back to Ofsted that the team are ‘life changing’ to their children.”