Students, staff and parents at Duke of Lancaster in Fakenham are celebrating after a recent Ofsted inspection. Inspectors highlighted the wide range of opportunities available to pupils, including work experience, community projects and educational visits in the UK and overseas, which help students develop confidence and a strong sense of achievement.
Inspectors also praised Duke of Lancaster’s inclusive and thoughtful approach to meeting the needs of children with special educational needs and disabilities. The specialist school, which is part of Eastern Education Group and supports pupils with communication and interaction needs, was recognised for providing a nurturing environment where pupils feel safe, supported and ready to learn. This is underpinned by detailed care plans, strong relationships with staff, and an engaging curriculum that brings learning to life through meaningful real-world experiences. Particular points of achievement for the school included its transformative impact on attendance and Ofsted inspectors wrote that ‘Leaders are tenacious about finding ways to help pupils return to learning, often after long periods out of school’.
The report also praised pupils’ attitude to learning, stating that ‘Pupils are enthusiastic about learning and take pride in their work. They develop secure composition skills in writing and build knowledge across subjects’.
This comment is demonstrated by other positive news from the school, in which 11 year old student, Sullivan, was recently successful in the ‘I Have A Dream’ poetry competition hosted by UK-based poetry organisation Young Writers. The competition asked students aged 11-18 to enter poems about the land of dreams: dreams for the future, inspiring dreamlands or nightmares.
Sullivan’s poem, ‘My Friends’, was selected by judges to be published in the Young Writers 2026 Anthology. The poem focused on his close friendships with fellow students in his class.
Penny Taylor-Jones, Head of English at Duke of Lancaster, said: “Sullivan’s poetry success illustrates that our children are just as able, intelligent and capable as any other children. What they need in order to achieve their goals is the right support. At Duke of Lancaster, we work hard to understand each student as an individual and create an environment where they feel safe, valued and confident to learn.”
The Ofsted report highlighted that the number of pupils achieving qualifications has risen year-on-year, and that incoming improvements to the curriculum are close to being completed.
Elizabeth Barneveld, Head of School, said: “We are delighted that Ofsted has recognised the dedication, expertise and care that our staff bring to the school every day. The report reflects our commitment to ensuring that every student feels safe, understood and empowered to achieve their potential.
“We are particularly pleased that inspectors highlighted the strong relationships between staff and pupils, our personalised approach to education, and the significant progress many of our students make in attendance and engagement with learning. These are areas that can present particular challenges for our pupils, and we are proud of the supportive environment we have created.”
