The Compass Community School Hampshire is a small school that is far greater than the sum of its parts. The school provides pupils with a haven where they can rebuild their self-esteem, relationships and education. Pupils adore the adults at the school and mirror their respectful, caring and kind demeanour. As pupils’ confidence grows, staff ramp up their expectations, guiding pupils to gain an exceptional body of knowledge. Pupils beam with pride as they show staff and visitors their efforts. Pupils at the school are kind to each other. They sometimes fall out, but use the skills that staff have given them to overcome any arguments or squabbles they may have. Pupils enjoy a strong bond and support each other’s education and emotional recovery during their time at the school. Pupils develop skills and attributes to last them a lifetime. The extensive range of trips and visits gives pupils a detailed understanding of sports and culture they had not previously encountered. Despite the difficult journey, pupils realise how lucky they are to be here. One pupil grinned as they told inspectors, ‘I would give the school a nine out of ten, but don’t tell my teachers I said that!’ What does the school do well and what does it need to do better? The school provides a range of curriculum pathways that are designed to meet a variety of needs and levels of understanding. Pupils are assessed carefully on entry and staff constantly review what pupils know and understand, tweaking the curriculum to meet pupils’ special educational needs. Although staff follow the plans closely, they are unafraid to make changes when necessary. They quickly identify and address any gaps in pupils’ knowledge, often those taught at the early stages of primary education, helping pupils to make excellent progress towards their goals. All pupils study a broad curriculum which places reading, writing and mathematics at its core. Staff ensure that pupils have a secure and sound understanding of the basics before moving them on to more complex content. This equips pupils with the firm foundations they need to explore, research and discuss the arts, humanities and vocational subjects. The curriculum is sequenced logically so that pupils build their understanding gradually. For example, pupils developed their knowledge of historically significant literature by studying a range of increasingly complex texts by Dickens, Shakespeare and Chaucer. At each stage, pupils skilfully compare the similarities and differences between texts. This deepens their understanding of text structure, language and historic attitudes to gender and race. Pupils’ vocabulary, in particular, is broadened through these activities. The curriculum equips pupils with the knowledge and understanding to thrive in modern society. Pupils explore challenging but important topics such as race, religion and gender. They consider these with maturity, sensitivity and respect, listening Inspection report: Compass Community School Hampshire 3–5 November 2021 2 carefully to conflicting views and considering how their actions affect others. This learning is shown in pupils’ actions and interactions with others. It was a privilege for inspectors to listen to pupils discuss how they aim to develop caring and positive relationships in the future. Careers guidance is sharply focused on expanding pupils’ knowledge of what is possible. Pupils gain qualifications and training that will help them to take their next steps in employment, education and training. Pupils enjoy extensive access to further education and apprenticeship providers, which they find useful and inspiring. Pupils’ behaviour is exceptional. Staff model a warm, friendly and professional demeanour throughout the day. They are relentlessly positive and kind. Pupils mirror this back, interacting with staff, peers and visitors with a polite but inquisitive manner. Staff use a consistent range of approaches to tackle any off-task or disruptive behaviour. Pupils trust staff to help them to manage their behaviour and respond instantly when this is the case. Jokes, laughter and smiles abound. Pupils know that adults like them and want the very best for them. Attendance in the school is exceptionally high because pupils want to be here every minute they can be. Leaders have created a culture where staff can focus on the right things. The site is well maintained, spacious and well resourced. There are plenty of quiet spots for pupils to work in peace and a pleasant outdoor space where pupils can let off steam. High-quality resources and support are readily available and staff receive first-class training in how to use these. Teachers draw on the considerable expertise within the Compass group to access subject support. This is used to provide specialist online teaching and to help the staff on site to deliver lessons in subjects outside of their specialism. Staff report high levels of morale and job satisfaction. They know the significant impact they have on pupils. One teacher told inspectors, ‘I cannot predict the future and I cannot fix pupils’ past, but I can make their day brighter today.’ Governors and the proprietary board work efficiently in the background to ensure that pupils are getting a great deal. They meet with school leaders, staff and pupils to gauge how well their plans are working. Governors, leaders and board members understand their areas of responsibility and are unafraid to challenge each other when improvements are needed. This works particularly well during times of change, when all parties work in unison to ensure that the service that pupils receive remains of the highest quality.