Maple Ridge School in Basingstoke has met the expected standard in every area assessed during its latest Ofsted inspection, with inspectors also confirming that safeguarding arrangements are effective. The inspection report, published on 8 July 2026 following a visit on 2 June, covers a special school where all 104 pupils have education, health and care plans for a range of needs including autism and severe learning difficulties.
Headteacher Victoria Clovis and the governing body, chaired by Keith Norman, will take encouragement from inspectors’ recognition that pupils generally achieve well from their starting points, particularly in communication and reading. Attendance was singled out as a strength, with the report noting that leaders maintain “robust strategic oversight” and work closely with families to keep vulnerable pupils in school. One parent told inspectors the school had “changed our family’s life for the better”.
The school was previously judged good in October 2022 and has since grown from 98 pupils to 104, reflecting wider demand for specialist provision in the area. Leaders have had to adapt structures to support an increasing number of younger children with complex needs. The 2022 inspection confirmed the school’s good status, and the latest report follows a full graded inspection under section 5 of the Education Act 2005, led by His Majesty’s Inspector Jo Petch alongside team inspector Mark Bagust.
While the overall picture is positive, inspectors set out three areas for leaders to address. They want to see staff expertise developed so the curriculum is delivered consistently across the school, smoother transition routines between activities to help pupils stay regulated and ready to learn, and a stronger offer of activities at playtimes and lunchtimes so that children can broaden their interests and improve their social interaction.
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