Southlands School and The Wing Centre, both Hesley Group residential establishments situated in Boldre near Lymington, received a very favourable Ofsted inspection report in March, under the new framework for independent schools.

Whilst the two establishments are entirely separate with different heads, they were inspected as one establishment, under their approval regulations, by a team of HMI (Her Majesty’s Inspectors).

Both Southlands and The Wing Centre provide education and care for young people with Asperger Syndrome and associated difficulties, with Southlands providing for school age pupils and The Wing Centre providing further education and training for young adults at Post 16.

Sue Gething, Head of Southlands, and Angela Nightingale, Head of The Wing Centre, said “We are absolutely delighted with the positive feedback from the inspection team, and in particular the team’s recognition of the holistic and therapeutic ethos across both establishments”.

Maggi Rigg, Group Principal (South) said, “Southlands and The Wing Centre are the first Hesley establishments to be inspected under the new framework, and I am both encouraged by the positive nature of the inspection process, and delighted by the finding that there are no issues for Southlands or The Wing Centre to address”.

The report stated;

“Southlands and The Wing Centre are very effective institutions with many strengths. The headteachers and senior managers ensure that the residential, therapeutic and educational elements of the provision work collaboratively to address the pupils’ and students’ needs and enable them to make good progress”.

Inspectors stated, “The school and centre meet all the regulations”.

The content of the report highlighted the main strengths of the School & Centre, which are:

“A broad and balanced curriculum for all pupils and students, which includes academic study, therapy and skills for living and leisure”.
“A strong caring ethos”.
“The quality of teaching in both the school and the centre was never less than satisfactory and was good, very good or excellent in nearly all lessons observed”.
“Staff work together to form an excellent team”
“Staff have outstanding professional relationships with each other and with the pupils and students, and share high expectations”
“The residential care is of a high quality”. “The premises and grounds provide good quality facilities for all pupils and students”.
“The school and centre are very well managed”
The school and centre “advance pupils’ and students spiritual, moral, social and cultural development particularly well”.
“They maintain very good links with the local community”
“.. many pupils and students have made marked advances since joining the school and the centre and parents are kept well informed of their progress”