TCES North West London SEND school is graded outstanding by Ofsted

Part of the TCES Group Social Enterprise, which is the largest independent SEND education provider in London, TCES North West London was graded outstanding across all six inspection categories and the inspectors commented that the school lives up to its motto of, `We never give up, we never exclude.'  

Throughout the Ofsted report, the school’s unwavering focus on inclusion is highlighted, from student and staff relationships, attendance, happiness of students, positive behaviour and working with other schools in sharing expertise in SEND education.  

The report states ‘From the start, staff and students develop strong trusting relationships. When student’s behaviours deteriorate, staff work with them sensitively to unpick and address the underlying causes’. ‘From typically feeling socially isolated on arrival, students leave the school as confident, independent young adults. They are extremely well-equipped for their future lives.’  

When looking at the transformative impact the school has on student behaviours and attitudes, the report commented that: ‘The school has a very effective approach to helping students to develop highly positive behaviours and attitudes. It helps students to appreciate their own self-worth and that of others. Over time, students' behaviours and their attitude to others and to education markedly improve. They feel happy and enjoy the positive recognition that they receive for their efforts and accomplishments’. It goes on to say: ‘The schools work to promote students’ personal development is exceptional’. 

The inspection also praised the school's approach to therapeutic education and for changing how students feel about education: ‘All students have education, health and care (EHC) plans. They arrive with poor prior experiences of and attitudes to education. The school prioritises providing students with extensive therapeutic and pastoral support when they join the school. This gets them into the right place emotionally to engage positively with learning. The school’s specialist therapy provision uses a range of highly effective tools to address any students' communication difficulties’.  

CEO of the TCES Group, Thomas Keney said: “To receive an outstanding grading for our school is testament to the skilled, specialist team we have wrapped around each child, providing exceptional teaching, therapeutic and pastoral support. Whilst inclusion in education has become a focus in recent months, TCES has been living and breathing inclusion in our schools for over a quarter of a century and this Ofsted report demonstrates how authentic inclusion in education can truly transform the lives of the most complex and traumatised children.  

“The children that come to our school have been excluded from mainstream schools an average of three times. For children with complex needs, exclusion reinforces a cycle of rejection and failure. Instead, at TCES we focus on creating an environment where every child can succeed. This isn’t always easy, and it’s never without obstacles, but the results speak for themselves, and we never give up. The outstanding grading is something every one of our staff, students and parents can feel very proud of.” 

You can read the full outstanding Ofsted report here.