Shenstone Lodge SchoolOfsted inspection, 27 Jan 2011

Shenstone Lodge School Inspection report

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Unique Reference Number 104024 Local Authority Sandwell Inspection number 355510 Inspection dates 26–27 January 2011 Reporting inspector Susan Lewis

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This inspection of the school was carried out under section 5 of the Education Act 2005. The inspection of social care was carried out under the Care Standards Act 2000.

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Type of school Special School category Community Age range of pupils 5–16 Gender of pupils Mixed Number of pupils on the school roll 35 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair D Fereday Headteacher Stephen Butt (Executive Headteacher) Date of previous school inspection 14 May 2008 School address Birmingham Road Shenstone, Lichfield WS14 0LB Telephone number 01543 480369 Fax number 01543 481104 Email address headteacher@shenstonelodge.sandwell.sch.uk

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Age group 5–16 Inspection dates 26–27 January 2011 Inspection number 355510 Boarding provision Shenstone Lodge Social care Unique Reference Number SC038726 Social care inspector Christy Wannop

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Age group 5–16 Inspection dates 26–27 January 2011 Inspection number 355510 achieve excellence in the care of children and young people, and in education and skills for learners of all ages. It regulates and inspects childcare and children's social care, and inspects the Children and Family Court Advisory Support Service (Cafcass), schools, colleges, initial teacher training, work-based learning and skills training, adult and community learning, and education and training in prisons and other secure establishments. It assesses council children's services, and inspects services for looked after children, safeguarding and child protection.

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Further copies of this report are obtainable from the school. Under the Education Act 2005, the school must provide a copy of this report free of charge to certain categories of people. A charge not exceeding the full cost of reproduction may be made for any other copies supplied. If you would like a copy of this document in a different format, such as large print or Braille, please telephone 0300 123 4234, or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk .

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You may copy all or parts of this document for non-commercial educational purposes, as long as you give details of the source and date of publication and do not alter the documentation in any way. To receive regular email alerts about new publications, including survey reports and school inspection reports, please visit our website and go to 'Subscribe'. Royal Exchange Buildings St Ann's Square Manchester M2 7LA T: 0300 123 4234 Textphone: 0161 618 8524 E: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk W: www.ofsted.gov.uk

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Introduction

This inspection was carried out by two additional inspectors and a social care inspector. Inspectors visited 12 lessons and saw 10 teachers. They held meetings with staff, parents, the School improvement Partner and members of the governing body, as well as with pupils. Inspectors observed the school's work, and looked at curriculum plans, the school's development planning, attendance data, the school's policies, and pupils' work and records. They also reviewed senior management and governing body minutes as well as analysing the data from 15 questionnaires returned by parents and carers and 59 from pupils and staff. The inspection team reviewed many aspects of the school's work. It looked in detail at a number of key areas. How good is attendance and behaviour given pupils' needs and learning challenges?  How well has the school coped with its reorganisation into a provision for pupils aged five to 16 years and what is the quality of its new provision for pupils at Key

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Introduction

Stage 3 and 4?  How well do all teachers use the information they have about pupils' prior attainment to set appropriate challenge and pace for each pupil in lessons?  Has the school continued to maintain the high standards of care identified in the boarding provision in recent reports?

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Information about the school

Shenstone Lodge is a residential special school for pupils with behavioural, emotional and social difficulties (BESD) and provides for pupils from all parts of Sandwell. The school has two sites; twelve miles apart. Twenty one pupils are based at its Lichfield site (Shenstone Lodge) for pupils aged five to 13 years. This includes residential provision for 12 boys up to the age of 11 years and extended school provision up until six o'clock. The Tividale site (Brades Lodge) provides for a further 14 day-pupils aged 11 to 16 years. Brades Lodge was originally managed by another special school from April 2010 it has been managed by the same leadership team and governing body as Shenstone Lodge. It relocated to its current premises in September 2010. About 90% of the pupils are boys and the large majority are of White British heritage, others are from a variety of heritages. Each pupil has a statement of special educational

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Information about the school

needs. An increasing proportion have additional learning needs, such as speech and language difficulties or dyslexia. There is a higher than average proportion that are known to be eligible for free school meals. Many pupils have been excluded from their previous schools and have spent long periods not attending school before being transferred to Shenstone Lodge. Pupils join the school at different times during their primary or secondary schooling and a few are dually registered with a mainstream school, prior to a phased return to mainstream schooling. The school has a number of awards including Investors in People and Five for Life Platinum Award. Inspection grades: 1 is outstanding, 2 is good, 3 is satisfactory, and 4 is inadequate Please turn to the glossary for a description of the grades and inspection terms

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Main findings

This is a good and improving school. It does many things well and some outstandingly so. It continues to provide high-quality education and boarding provision at Shenstone. It has rapidly improved the Brades Lodge provision so that it is satisfactory. Leaders have done an excellent job in motivating staff and pupils, securing resources and driving the school forward, despite the many differences in the provisions that have merged. It has achieved a lot in a remarkably short time span, although not all of its initiatives for the older pupils have come to full fruition. Many of its more recent improvements have already started to make a difference, for example in improving the attendance and motivation of pupils at Brades Lodge. The school has managed to change some pupils' attitudes to school in a very short time. All areas identified by inspectors are already written into school improvement planning at both sites. The boarding accommodation is good. It has some

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Main findings

outstanding features such as the excellent contribution it makes to the pupils' achievement and enjoyment in school. The school's improvement and accurate self-evaluation show it has a good capacity to improve further. The curriculum is good and highly relevant to pupils' needs. There is an appropriate and highly effective emphasis on literacy and numeracy. Pupils' progress in these subjects is tracked meticulously and records show that most make good progress. The provision at Brades has already developed good links with alternative providers, extended its range of vocational opportunities and courses, revamped the learning opportunities available at its site, so that pupils themselves comment on how much more interesting and relevant work is now, which is demonstrated by how much they want to attend. They also say they feel listened to and respected. Attendance, is improving rapidly, but is still low. However,

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Main findings

pupils' good academic progress and personal development means they are adequately prepared for working life. Pupils make good progress because they are well taught, although there is some variability in the different departments. Attainment remains low, however, mainly because of pupils' very low starting points when they enter the school and because a few continue to find it hard to attend school as regularly as they should. Teachers and support staff have strong informal knowledge of pupils' levels and needs and really motivate pupils to attend and learn. However, although teachers have good information about the literacy and numeracy levels of pupils, this is not available for all subjects. Not all teachers use the information that is available about pupils learning to plan different work for pupils with different needs. Pupils generally say that they feel safe and well cared for and have a good understanding of how to keep themselves safe. They

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Main findings

quickly develop relationships of trust with their key workers and teachers and behaviour, despite pupils' challenging needs, is good. Behaviour management is a strength of the school and the boarding provision, including the ways in which pupils are encouraged to take responsibility for, and reflect on, their own learning and behaviour. Pupils have an Inspection grades: 1 is outstanding, 2 is good, 3 is satisfactory, and 4 is inadequate Please turn to the glossary for a description of the grades and inspection terms

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Main findings

excellent understanding of how to live a healthy life style and really enjoy the fitness and cooking activities that help them put this into practice on both sites and in the evenings. The quality of care support and guidance is good. Although there are many outstanding features there are some shortcomings in the records and plans kept in the boarding house. The excellence of the school's work with its own boarding facility, with other agencies and schools means that pupils including those who are the most vulnerable due to their circumstances and those with additional learning needs have ready access to the support they need to enable them to feel more positive about themselves and that they have a brighter future. Outstanding support through partnership working enables pupils to transfer to the next stage of their education and to welcome them into the school. This includes close and highly effective working with schools, when pupils are joint registered,

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Main findings

ready for transfer back into mainstream, and with local authorities through the school's own social care workers and educational psychologist. Strong pastoral care systems and excellent personal, social and health education and citizenship programmes are really helping pupils to consider carefully moral and social issues and to take responsibility. For example at Brades Lodge pupils are encouraged to consider for themselves how their behaviour could be best managed and to devise programmes to support this.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Raise attainment and pupils' progress further by: improving pupils' attendance on both sites so that it is consistently in line with or better than that of others of their age developing whole school approaches to the monitoring of pupils' attainment and progress in all subjects ensuring all teachers make effective use of the data available to plan lessons that challenge and support pupils learning in all subjects.  The school must ensure that it meets the national minimum standards for boarding which have not been met.

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Outcomes for individuals and groups of pupils 2

Strong relationships, good teaching and the relevant curriculum inspire pupils to engage more actively in their learning and to attend school more regularly than they have done before. This good progress and improved enjoyment is the same for all pupils regardless of their starting points, their special educational needs and disabilities or backgrounds. Pupils with special educational needs such as speech and language difficulties or dyslexia make good progress. Individual pupils were keen to tell inspectors how much they had been helped and how their confidence in themselves had improved. A significant number of pupils throughout the school make excellent gains in their literacy and ICT skills, and good gains in their numeracy skills as a result of the focused attention and systematic support provided. For example, pupils in Year 7 make outstanding progress in their application of their reading skills as they research on the internet, follow

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Outcomes for individuals and groups of pupils 2

recipes carefully in food technology or build an electronic buggy. Other pupils in Year 3 and Year 4 learn to halve and double numbers and really respond as their teacher challenges them to 'have a go'. Although progress for Key Stage 3 and Key Stage 4 pupils Inspection grades: 1 is outstanding, 2 is good, 3 is satisfactory, and 4 is inadequate Please turn to the glossary for a description of the grades and inspection terms

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Outcomes for individuals and groups of pupils 2

at Brades Lodge is satisfactory overall, pupil records, work, and learning in lessons show that when they attend more regularly their progress is good and accelerating. Progress is best in those subjects such as literacy or physical education or in the courses at Brades Lodge where there is rigorous monitoring of pupils' levels and skills and the teaching challenges them to even higher levels. Pupils' spiritual moral social and cultural development is outstanding because staff have high expectations and are extremely good role models as they support students towards more understanding of themselves, of others and of different societies.

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Outcomes for individuals and groups of pupils 2

These are the grades for pupils' outcomes

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Outcomes for individuals and groups of pupils 2

Pupils' achievement and the extent to which they enjoy their learning 2

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Outcomes for individuals and groups of pupils 2

Taking into account: Pupils' attainment¹

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Outcomes for individuals and groups of pupils 2

The quality of pupils' learning and their progress 2

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Outcomes for individuals and groups of pupils 2

The quality of learning for pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities and their progress

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Outcomes for individuals and groups of pupils 2

The extent to which pupils adopt healthy lifestyles 1

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Outcomes for individuals and groups of pupils 2

The extent to which pupils contribute to the school and wider community 2

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Outcomes for individuals and groups of pupils 2

The extent to which pupils develop workplace and other skills that will contribute to their future economic well-being

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Outcomes for individuals and groups of pupils 2

Taking into account: Pupils' attendance¹

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Outcomes for individuals and groups of pupils 2

The extent of pupils' spiritual, moral, social and cultural development 2

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Outcomes for individuals and groups of pupils 2

1 The grades for attainment and attendance are: 1 is high; 2 is above average; 3 is broadly average; and 4

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How effective is the provision?

The staff have much expertise in managing the behaviour of pupils with BESD and the result is a community that is usually calm and conducive for learning. The strengths of teaching are in staff's high expectations and determination to reengage the pupils in learning and so almost all find interesting ways of teaching the different things pupils must learn. Although teaching is more variable at Brades Lodge, where it ranges from satisfactory to outstanding, it is improving rapidly through rigorous monitoring by the leadership team and strong professional development opportunities. Key worker and mentor support further strengthen excellent relationships with pupils. Most teachers have good subject knowledge although occasionally the teaching is too reliant on worksheets or routine activities with too little challenge. Inspection grades: 1 is outstanding, 2 is good, 3 is satisfactory, and 4 is inadequate

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How effective is the provision?

Please turn to the glossary for a description of the grades and inspection terms

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How effective is the provision?

The curriculum provides a good range of academic and vocational opportunities and is flexible enough to respond to pupils' interests and needs. The extended day, the clubs, visitors and outings all provide good enrichment opportunities. A good range of work related opportunities are being developed at Brades as well as links to other schools to enable pupils to take courses at different levels. The school employs its own social care staff and works very closely with local authorities, the police and courts as well as families to enable pupils who are in difficulties to feel supported and deal with any consequences. Strong systems are in place to encourage attendance and, although the impact of all initiatives has not yet been analysed fully, these and the work of the family liaison workers are already helping to raise attendance. Pupils say everyone matters at this school and that staff will 'always be there for me.' Effective policies and practices are in place to

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How effective is the provision?

secure pupils' safety including good behavioural plans and risk assessments linked to individual pupils and activities at Brades Lodge.

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How effective is the provision?

These are the grades for the quality of provision

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How effective is the provision?

Taking into account: The use of assessment to support learning

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How effective is the provision?

The extent to which the curriculum meets pupils' needs, including, where relevant, through partnerships

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How effective is the provision?

The effectiveness of care, guidance and support 2

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How effective are leadership and management?

The senior leadership have led this school extremely effectively towards achieving a shared and ambitious vision which includes equality of opportunity for all the pupils who attend whether at Shenstone, at Brades Lodge or in the boarding school. They are determined that it will be outstanding in all that it does. Middle managers have a more developed role in monitoring their subjects than was previously the case, including increasing responsibility for monitoring attainment, teaching and learning, although not all have yet been able to put this in place. Staff are proud to work at the school and there has been much good training to support their new roles. Governance is good. Governors are hugely supportive of the work of the school and are tenacious in helping it to acquire the resources it needs. Arrangements for safeguarding and child protection are very secure. Excellent partnerships with local schools and alternative providers as well as

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How effective are leadership and management?

community partners really enhance learning and protect pupil well being. Community cohesion is promoted well, particularly within the school community and the local community to each site, although the school is still developing its international and national work. Inspection grades: 1 is outstanding, 2 is good, 3 is satisfactory, and 4 is inadequate Please turn to the glossary for a description of the grades and inspection terms

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How effective are leadership and management?

These are the grades for leadership and management

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How effective are leadership and management?

The effectiveness of leadership and management in embedding ambition and driving improvement

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How effective are leadership and management?

Taking into account: The leadership and management of teaching and learning

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How effective are leadership and management?

The effectiveness of the governing body in challenging and supporting the school so that weaknesses are tackled decisively and statutory responsibilities met

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How effective are leadership and management?

The effectiveness of the school's engagement with parents and carers 2

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How effective are leadership and management?

The effectiveness of partnerships in promoting learning and well-being 1

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How effective are leadership and management?

The effectiveness with which the school promotes equality of opportunity and tackles discrimination

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How effective are leadership and management?

The effectiveness of safeguarding procedures 2

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How effective are leadership and management?

The effectiveness with which the school promotes community cohesion 2

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How effective are leadership and management?

The effectiveness with which the school deploys resources to achieve value for money 2

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Boarding provision

The school meets the majority, and exceeds many, of the national minimum standards. There are minor shortfalls in documentation for planning care, behaviour and risk management. Three of the four recommendations made previously have been met. Leadership and management of the school are good. Children benefit from excellent communication between residential and educational staff to support their achievement in education. There are highly effective links over welfare matters including child protection, behaviour and health. This strong liaison underpins the 24 hour curriculum. The promotion of equality and diversity is good. Policy, procedure and good practice helps children to know that their individual and diverse needs will be met. There is excellent health care for children; through the contributions of conscientious, knowledgeable care staff, comprehensive health planning and robust arrangements for the

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Boarding provision

safe delivery of medication and first aid. Staff promote healthy choices and active lifestyles and children learn how to take care of themselves across both the educational and care spheres. Children enjoy healthy, nutritious meals that take account of dietary, religious and cultural needs. There are strong child welfare and protection systems. Safeguarding arrangements are effective and staff are well trained. The care team extends their protective approach into partnership working where they have concerns about children, in and out of school. The environment is safe and secure. There is careful selection and vetting of all staff, volunteers, and monitoring of visitors. These arrangements keep children safe. Staff respect children's privacy, personal space and handle confidential information properly. Formal and informal complaints are well managed and children trust staff to sort out their problems. Staff reduce the impact of any bullying through high levels

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Boarding provision

of supervision and good anti-bullying strategies. Staff are particularly effective at helping children to manage their own behaviour, develop positive relationships and a sense of pride and personal responsibility. Staff are trained to use positive physical intervention, Inspection grades: 1 is outstanding, 2 is good, 3 is satisfactory, and 4 is inadequate Please turn to the glossary for a description of the grades and inspection terms

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Boarding provision

however, recording is delayed, incomplete and management monitoring is not carried out within 24 hours. The school's residential provision is outstanding at supporting educational progress. Children have highly individualised holistic support from the care, education and therapy teams. Those with particular support requirements receive help and guidance from additional professionals commissioned by the school to provide for social work, mental health, speech and language needs. Care and teaching staff work together as equal partners to reinforce the 24 hour learning experience. Children develop confidence and self-esteem through the wealth of leisure activities that support the learning experience. The school recognises and celebrates the positive contribution of each child. Young people develop self-confidence and learn strategies to successfully deal with significant life changes and challenges. All children are encouraged and supported to make

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Boarding provision

decisions about their lives and communicate their views. Skilled care staff are active participants in admission and leaving processes; gathering and transferring information to promote smooth transitions. Daily life provides opportunities for learning and practicing independent living skills so children are ready for leaving the school. Care planning remains an area for development. A range of written documents describe care needs, but there is not a consistent document that describes how children's needs will be met on a daily basis. Documented strategies do not extend to anticipating aspects of children's behaviour or vulnerability that require a special focus, such as bullying or absconding, or making written plans to reduce this. Children spoke of the trust and confidence they have in key staff to help them make progress in their lives. There are positive working relationships with families, enhanced by the family liaison worker and the weekly

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Boarding provision

parenting classes. This good partnership working enhances children's well-being and they benefit from this close communication. Staff sensitively help young children to keep contact when they are away from home. The accommodation provides good facilities, is extremely well-furnished, comfortable, warm and welcoming. The grounds are well- equipped and a great place to play. Children can bathe and take care of their personal needs with privacy and dignity and further improvements are planned to bathrooms. There is a clear statement of the school's care principles and practice for residential education. Staff deployment enables plenty of skilled and sensitive staff working with children before and after school. Staff are passionate and committed to their work and informally supported and guided by the residential management team. However, formal staff supervision and meetings are infrequent and care management time is limited. The

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Boarding provision

school management team monitors the effectiveness of the whole school provision, the welfare of the children and makes active plans for development. But, there is not a specific focus on the residential provision to ensure that quality assurance functions are well-embedded in care practice and that the quality of documentation reflects the residential experience.

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National Minimum Standards (NMS) to be met to improve social care

Ensure that records of physical intervention are completed no later than 24 hours after the incident, including the signature of the head, the head of care or a person authorised by the head. NMS 10.14 Ensure a written placement plan is monitored and reviewed, specifying how the school will care for each boarding pupil according to his or her assessed needs on a day to day basis; particularly behavioural difficulty, areas of risk and vulnerability. NMS 17.1 Inspection grades: 1 is outstanding, 2 is good, 3 is satisfactory, and 4 is inadequate Please turn to the glossary for a description of the grades and inspection terms

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National Minimum Standards (NMS) to be met to improve social care

Ensure staff are supported and guided in safeguarding and promoting children’s welfare; for example through half termly supervision and at least monthly care staff meetings. NMS

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National Minimum Standards (NMS) to be met to improve social care

Ensure an annual review of the operation and resourcing of the school’s welfare provision for boarding pupils. NMS 32.4

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National Minimum Standards (NMS) to be met to improve social care

These are the grades for the boarding provision

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National Minimum Standards (NMS) to be met to improve social care

The effectiveness of the boarding provision 2

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Views of parents and carers

An average number of parents and carers returned the questionnaire. The large majority of these were positive about almost all aspects of the school's work although a small minority said that their child did not enjoy school and were concerned about the amount of progress they had made. However, a few parents also said that although their child did not enjoy school the school had managed to get their child to work hard. The inspection team judges that pupils make good progress overall and that this has improved considerably within the secondary department recently, as have pupils' attitudes to school and their enjoyment of their learning.

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Responses from parents and carers to Ofsted's questionnaire

Ofsted invited all the registered parents and carers of pupils registered at Shenstone Lodge School to complete a questionnaire about their views of the school. In the questionnaire, parents and carers were asked to record how strongly they agreed with 13 statements about the school. The inspection team received 15 completed questionnaires by the end of the on-site inspection. In total, there are 35 pupils registered at the school.

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Responses from parents and carers to Ofsted's questionnaire

Statements Strongly agree Agree Disagree Strongly disagree Total % Total % Total % Total % My child enjoys school 5 33 6 40 3 20 1 7 The school keeps my child safe 10 67 4 27 0 0 0 0

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Responses from parents and carers to Ofsted's questionnaire

My school informs me about my child's progress 12 80 3 20 0 0 0 0

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Responses from parents and carers to Ofsted's questionnaire

My child is making enough progress at this school 9 60 3 20 2 13 1 7

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Responses from parents and carers to Ofsted's questionnaire

The teaching is good at this school 11 73 3 20 0 0 0 0

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Responses from parents and carers to Ofsted's questionnaire

The school helps me to support my child's learning 10 67 4 27 1 7 0 0

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Responses from parents and carers to Ofsted's questionnaire

The school helps my child to have a healthy lifestyle 10 67 4 27 0 0 0 0

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Responses from parents and carers to Ofsted's questionnaire

The school makes sure that my child is well prepared for the future (for example changing year group, changing school, and for children who are finishing school, entering further or higher education, or entering employment) 10 67 3 20 1 7 0 0

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Responses from parents and carers to Ofsted's questionnaire

The school meets my child's particular needs 10 67 3 20 1 7 0 0

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Responses from parents and carers to Ofsted's questionnaire

The school deals effectively with unacceptable behaviour 10 67 4 27 0 0 0 0

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Responses from parents and carers to Ofsted's questionnaire

The school takes account of my suggestions and concerns 10 67 4 27 1 7 0 0

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Responses from parents and carers to Ofsted's questionnaire

The school is led and managed effectively 10 67 4 27 0 0 0 0

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Responses from parents and carers to Ofsted's questionnaire

Overall, I am happy with my child's experience at this school 10 67 3 20 2 13 0 0

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Responses from parents and carers to Ofsted's questionnaire

The table above summarises the responses that parents and carers made to each statement. The percentages indicate the proportion of parents and carers giving that response out of the total number of completed questionnaires. Where one or more parents and carers chose not to answer a particular question, the percentages will not add up to 100%.

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Grade Judgement Description

Grade 1 Outstanding These features are highly effective. An outstanding school provides exceptionally well for all its pupils' needs.

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Grade Judgement Description

Grade 2 Good These are very positive features of a school. A school that is good is serving its pupils well.

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Grade Judgement Description

Grade 3 Satisfactory These features are of reasonable quality. A satisfactory school is providing adequately for its pupils.

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Grade Judgement Description

Grade 4 Inadequate These features are not of an acceptable standard. An inadequate school needs to make significant improvement in order to meet the needs of its pupils. Ofsted inspectors will make further visits until it improves.

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Type of school Outstanding Good Satisfactory Inadequate

New school inspection arrangements were introduced on 1 September 2009. This means that inspectors now make some additional judgements that were not made previously. The data in the table above are for the period 1 September 2009 to 31 August 2010 and are consistent with the latest published official statistics about maintained school inspection outcomes (see www.ofsted.gov.uk ). The sample of schools inspected during 2009/10 was not representative of all sc hools nationally, as weaker schools are inspected more frequently than good or outstanding schools. Percentages are rounded and do not always add exactly to 100. Sixth form figures reflect the judgements made for the overall effectiveness of the sixth form in secondary schools, special schools and pupil referral units.

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Common terminology used by inspectors

Achievement: the progress and success of a pupil in their learning, development or training.

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Common terminology used by inspectors

Attainment: the standard of the pupils' work shown by test and examination results and in lessons.

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Common terminology used by inspectors

Capacity to improve: the proven ability of the school to continue improving. Inspectors base this judgement on what the school has accomplished so far and on the quality of its systems to maintain improvement.

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Common terminology used by inspectors

Leadership and management: the contribution of all the staff with responsibilities, not just the headteacher, to identifying priorities, directing and motivating staff and running the school.

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Common terminology used by inspectors

Learning: how well pupils acquire knowledge, develop their understanding, learn and practise skills and are developing their competence as learners.

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Common terminology used by inspectors

Overall effectiveness: inspectors form a judgement on a school's overall effectiveness based on the findings from their inspection of the school. The following judgements, in particular, influence what the overall effectiveness judgement will be.

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Common terminology used by inspectors

 The school's capacity for sustained improvement.  Outcomes for individuals and groups of pupils.  The quality of teaching.  The extent to which the curriculum meets pupils' needs, including, where relevant, through partnerships.  The effectiveness of care, guidance and support.

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Common terminology used by inspectors

Progress: the rate at which pupils are learning in lessons and over longer periods of time. It is often measured by comparing the pupils' attainment at the end of a key stage with their attainment when they started.

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carers to share with their children. It describes Ofsted's

main findings from the inspection of their school.

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Inspection of Shenstone Lodge School, Lichfield, WS14 0LB

Thank you so much for being so friendly and helpful during our recent visit to your school. We enjoyed talking with you and watching you work. Special thanks to those who met with us and told us what you thought about the school. You told us that you really liked the staff and felt that the school was really helping you to manage your behaviour and that although some of you did not like school before most of you enjoy coming to this school. We judge Shenstone Lodge to be a good school with some aspects that are particularly good. These are some of the things we found out:  you are making good progress particularly in the ways in which you manage your behaviour and in subjects such as English, mathematics and ICT. The school checks on your progress really well in some subjects but not in all  there have been many improvements made in Brades Lodge in a very short time including more interesting courses and work for you to do

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Inspection of Shenstone Lodge School, Lichfield, WS14 0LB

 the boarding provision is good and the school works really well with other people to make sure you are cared for if you do need extra help and support  your headteacher, governors and all the staff have high expectations of you and are determined you will have the best opportunities. They are always looking for ways to improve the school. However, we were concerned about the number of you who do not always attend regularly. When this happens you do not make as much progress as you could. We have asked the school to find even more ways of improving your attendance. We have also asked it to check on your progress carefully in all subjects and make sure that teachers plan all of their lessons taking this into account, so that you make as much progress as possible. You can help too by coming to school every day.

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Inspection of Shenstone Lodge School, Lichfield, WS14 0LB

Susan Lewis Lead inspector out in the guidance 'Complaining about inspections', which is available from Ofsted's website: www.ofsted.gov.uk . If you would like Ofsted to send you a copy of the guidance, please telephone 0300 123 4234, or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk .

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