Doucecroft School in Colchester rated good by Ofsted

The day Mrs Parkinson arrived for her interview in February 2019 also happened to be the same day Ofsted officials turned up to conduct their inspection of the specialist independent school, which caters for children and young people with autism and additional complex needs.

The visits of the inspectors and the school’s future headteacher on the same day were both coincidental and apt.

The independent school has 62 pupils on the roll who are aged three to 19 – but there were serious worries for the education they were receiving when Ofsted inspectors published their report in 2019, which was the worst Doucecroft had received since it opened.

Phrases such as ‘complete absence’, ‘imprecise’, serious incidents’, and ‘severely limited’ abound in the report, which found the school fell short in every measure.

Overhaul – Louise Parkinson has overseen major improvements since she took charge at the Doucecroft School (Image: Doucecroft School)

One of the most worrying aspects of the findings was the school’s lack of transparency, with one section reading there had been an extensive and frequent use of physical restraint, which leaders ‘[did] not share explicitly in annual reviews.’

It makes the Doucecroft School’s journey towards its ‘good’ rating, published earlier this month, all the more remarkable.

The comments from officials make for much better reading, with inspectors noting the school had taken big steps forward over the past three years.

It read: “Leaders have made significant improvements in a short space of time – they have sharply focused on improving systems and processes so that staff are well supported to make a difference to pupils’ education.

“The school is a calm place where pupils feel safe – bullying does not happen often and if it does, teachers deal quickly with any issues.

“Staff listen to pupils and their views, making changes suggested by the student ambassadors; relationships between staff and pupils are warm and friendly.”

Although both the inspectors and future headteacher turning up on the same day in 2019 was a coincidence, the improvement the school has enjoyed since Mrs Parkinson’s appointment, however, has been no accident.

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If there were any foundations which helped the Doucecroft School improve however, it was the dedicated nature of the staff – it was they who Mrs Parkinson had most praise for when she discussed with the Gazette the strides the school has taken to improve.

She said: “Really, it’s down to the hard work of the whole team, and the skillset of the whole team.

“The staff team was skilled [when I arrived] and they knew autism already – I had to put the processes in and raise the expectations.

“My view is that we’ve changed mindset – there was very much a view that autistic children don’t like change and new things, and giving them a challenge might be challenging for behaviour – but we have got to give them new and interesting experiences.

“Providing those experiences in a safe way means they will be ready to [take on those challenges].”

Changing the way children approached their learning, however, required a fresh vision – and this sort of vision can only come from the top, before the collective approach begins to take shape.

Trust and teamwork have also been two values crucial to the improvement the school, with Mrs Parkinson explaining although she may be the person who sets out a way the school needs to be run, it is another thing for staff to buy into it.

“The team just needed new processes to make them smarter at working – we’ve worked with families, and the whole school community has pulled together to make this happen.

“We reviewed the full school curriculum to make sure it was robust, and we have added in GCSEs for children who can do them.

“We’ve put in a curriculum for more complex children which focusses on life skills they will need as independent citizens.”

Recognition – Doucecroft School has improved from inadequate to good (Image: Doucecroft School)

When asked whether she was daunted by the major turnaround she was going to have to initiate, Mrs Parkinson answered with a resounding ‘no’.

“I live off that challenge,” she said.

“When I came to the interview, I could see what I needed to do to change the school – what I had done in the past led me here, and I could see what needed to happen.

“I was in the right place at the right time, I suppose.”

At least, Mrs Parkinson was in the right school at the right time – when she started her job, she was still living in Kent and briefly had to relocate to a caravan before settling in Marks Tey with her family.

“I was living in Kent for the first few terms, and then moved up here and rented a caravan whilst my house went through.”

“I like a challenge.”

The chief executive of Autism Anglia, a charity which supports Doucecroft School and offers support services for families across the east of England, said the Ofsted result was testament to the changes Mrs Parkinson had implemented.

Kate Hancock, Autism Anglia chief executive, said: “This result has been long awaited and I am delighted to see in the comments that all the hard work and efforts of Louise and her team have been recognised.

“Doucecroft is such an amazing school, and this outcome is so well deserved.”

Is has therefore been as much a journey for Mrs Parkinson as it has been for the school, the pupils, and the staff.

Now, Mrs Parkinson explains, teachers can focus on building relationships with children and make sure the school day is stimulating and enjoyable.

“A lot of preparation and support goes into staff, but we don’t shy away from giving them those opportunities.

“We are all so very pleased that the hard work that was done has been recognised and that now we can move on, and go from strength to strength.

“I’ve always been passionate about children, and the children who have difficulties – I’ve always wanted to make a difference for those children who have, for whatever reason, found education difficult.”