An Essex newspaper has published an article following up on a disappointing Ofsted inspection last autumn of our Anderson School. We are keeping all parents, staff and the wider school community updated about the improvements we are making, but we understand why some parents continue to be concerned.

We thought we would share our full response below

Kirstie Fulthorpe, Director of Education at the National Autistic Society, said: “Our Anderson School was inspected last autumn and we were deeply disappointed that a number of standards were not being met.

“After the inspection, we wrote to families of our students to inform them of the result and our plans to improve.

“While the Inspectors highlighted some positives, it was clear that we were not meeting the high standards that we and, everyone involved in the school, expect.

“All new schools face challenges. But, as the inspection highlighted and despite our best efforts, we hadn’t introduced all the improvements required to overcome these challenges. Since then, we’ve been implementing an action plan to put things right.

“We know that some parents are concerned. We are keeping all parents, staff and the wider school community updated about our progress, as we drive through changes at the school.”

If you have any questions, please contact nas@nas.org.uk.