Parayhouse School

Unique Reference Number 135175 Local Authority Hammersmith and Fulham Inspection number 360705 Inspection dates 22–23 June 2011 Reporting inspector Mike Kell

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This inspection of the school was carried out under section 5 of the Education Act 2005.

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Type of school Special School category Non-maintained special Age range of pupils 8–16 Gender of pupils Mixed Number of pupils on the school roll 47 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Kevin Coakley Headteacher Sarah Jackson Date of previous school inspection 24 June 2008 School address New Kings School Annex New Kings Road London SW6 4LY Telephone number 02077510914 Fax number 02077510914 Email address parayhouse@btconnect.com

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Age group 8–16 Inspection dates 22–23 June 2011 Inspection number 360705 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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Introduction

This inspection was carried out by one additional inspector. Seven lessons were observed, each taught by a different member of staff. Meetings were held with two groups of pupils, the family support manager, school leaders and the Chair of Trustees. The inspector observed the school's work, and looked at a range of documentation, such as assessment and attendance data, behaviour and incident logs, the safeguarding policy and procedures, and school development planning. The 31 questionnaires returned by parents and carers were analysed, as were those completed by staff and pupils. The inspector reviewed many aspects of the school's work and looked in detail at a number of key areas.  Leaders' use of statistical information to determine pupils' progress compared with those of similar levels of attainment elsewhere, and their analysis of data to check the rate of progress made by different groups, such as pupils known to be eligible

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Introduction

for free school meals.  The extent to which staff promote independent learning through planned, tailored activities that are determined by teachers' assessment of previous learning.  The procedures for tracking and analysing pupils' personal development and the use of this information in setting targets and triggering individual support packages.  The range of accreditation and the provision for work-related learning in Years 10 and 11.

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Information about the school

Parayhouse School is a smaller than average special school that leases part of the premises of a local authority primary school. It has on roll pupils from 14 different London boroughs, and it also admits privately funded pupils. All of those supported by local authorities have a statement of special educational needs. In two thirds of cases, this is for moderate learning difficulties, speech, language and communication needs, or severe learning difficulties. Three quarters of the pupils are boys, and just under half of pupils are known to be eligible for free school meals, which is much higher than average. About a third of pupils have a White British heritage; the other pupils span a wide range of ethnic backgrounds. One in four pupils speaks English as an additional language. The school is a registered charity, overseen by a board of trustees. Responsibility for elements of the day-to-day running of the school, such as the curriculum and

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Information about the school

safeguarding arrangements, is in the hands of a governing body.

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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

Parayhouse is a satisfactory school. It provides a satisfactory quality of education. Pupils learn and make progress at a satisfactory rate. They make excellent progress in their spiritual, moral, social and cultural development. Pupils' behaviour is excellent. They enjoy school, and their attendance is broadly average. They are friendly and courteous, and they follow instructions willingly. The school's multi-disciplinary approach to supporting its pupils' development is a strength of its provision. Speech and language therapists and the occupational therapist make a significant contribution to pupils' academic progress and personal well-being. Their work is supplemented extremely well by the school's excellent links with parents and carers, and the good partnerships that have been forged with other organisations. Pupils' attainment is low as a result of the nature and severity of their special educational

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Main findings

needs. A team of key staff carries out detailed assessments of each pupil soon after admission. These focus primarily on learning and language and result in a highly informative report that summarises each pupil's skills and performance. This information provides a secure springboard for teachers to accelerate pupils' learning. While some make very good use of this information in planning lessons, staff do not routinely exploit the level of detail in the reports as much as they could. There is inconsistent practice in structuring and organising lessons, and finely tuning the learning outcomes that staff hope different groups of pupils will achieve. Activities and the resources provided are not always the most effective for encouraging rapid learning. Teaching is satisfactory overall. This leads to satisfactory achievement for pupils, with no individuals or group of pupils doing less well than others. Pupils benefit from a good curriculum that incorporates much

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Main findings

community-based learning, including residential stays. The school provides a high level of care, guidance and support with good arrangements for safeguarding pupils and securing their safety. The school's quest to find alternative, permanent accommodation overshadows other aspects of its strategic development. This impacts adversely on school self-evaluation and improvement planning, limiting to satisfactory its capacity for sustained improvement. Leaders monitor aspects of the school's work, such as through lesson observations and the analysis of data, but these procedures are not as sharply focused as they could be in identifying priority areas for development. Therefore, subsequent school improvement planning lacks a strategic dimension, focusing on the shorter-term only. Furthermore, development plans are not explicit in stating the success criteria that will show leaders that priorities have been met, or how they know that they are on track to meet them.

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Main findings

Governance is satisfactory, but governors and trustees are not fully active partners in self- evaluation and improvement planning because they do not acquire sufficient first-hand knowledge of the school.

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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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Inspection grades: 1 is outstanding, 2 is good, 3 is satisfactory, and 4 is inadequate

Up to 40% of the schools whose overall effectiveness is judged satisfactory may receive a monitoring visit by an Ofsted inspector before their next section 5 inspection.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Ensure that all teachers routinely accelerate learning in lessons by: being more selective about the time pupils spend in whole-class work planning precisely what they anticipate different groups of pupils will learn in each lesson always providing activities and resources that match every pupil's capabilities in order to promote independent learning as much as possible making optimum use of the detailed information gathered through the school's comprehensive, multi-agency language and learning assessments.  Improve the impact of leadership and management by: implementing a programme of lesson observations that focuses more specifically on the impact of teaching on promoting pupils' learning further developing the interrogation of assessment data in order to establish a more secure and wider-ranging view of pupils' progress encouraging all trustees and governors to make planned, formal visits into

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

school in order to gain first-hand knowledge of how it operates making school improvement planning more effective by identifying detailed success criteria and the milestones that enable leaders to monitor the extent of progress being made towards achieving them.

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Outcomes for individuals and groups of pupils 3

Pupils make satisfactory progress in acquiring key literacy, numeracy and information and communication technology (ICT) skills. Daily, discrete phonics sessions enable pupils to make good progress in developing their reading skills. This success is not, however, routinely consolidated and extended in lessons. Pupils' achievement is satisfactory and they are successful in accredited courses at the end of Year 11. In a few cases, this includes GCSE in English and mathematics although in most cases pupils achieve passes in Entry Level subjects as diverse as science, physical education and art and design. The school is very successful in producing very good outcomes for pupils' personal development. Pupils have an excellent understanding of how to remain healthy, and a very good appreciation of situations and circumstances that may place them in danger. They move around school sensibly and act safely. Pupils take great strides in other aspects

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Outcomes for individuals and groups of pupils 3

of their personal growth too. For instance, a few learn to use public transport independently. Pupils also become more proficient communicators as their self-confidence grows and their social skills develop. They make excellent progress in their awareness of the needs of others, including those from different cultures or with different beliefs, and in the quality of their social interactions. This enables them to be comfortable in social situations such as answering questions from the parents and carers of prospective pupils. Pupils' input into events such as this, and through their work as Eco Warriors and

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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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Inspection grades: 1 is outstanding, 2 is good, 3 is satisfactory, and 4 is inadequate

involvement in the school council are indicative of the good contribution that they make to the school and local communities.

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Inspection grades: 1 is outstanding, 2 is good, 3 is satisfactory, and 4 is inadequate

These are the grades for pupils' outcomes

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Pupils' achievement and the extent to which they enjoy their learning 3

Taking into account: Pupils' attainment¹ *

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Pupils' achievement and the extent to which they enjoy their learning 3

The quality of pupils' learning and their progress 3

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Pupils' achievement and the extent to which they enjoy their learning 3

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

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2

Taking into account: Pupils' attendance¹

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The extent of pupils' spiritual, moral, social and cultural development 1

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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The extent of pupils' spiritual, moral, social and cultural development 1

is low * In some special schools inspectors do not make a judgement about attainment in relation to expectations of the pupils' age.

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How effective is the provision?

Very good relationships were evident in the lessons observed, and staff had appropriate knowledge of their subjects. They used ICT well to engage and motivate pupils, and were skilled at employing different strategies to meet pupils' preferred methods of communication. Teaching assistants made a good contribution to pupils' learning. However, staff are not wholly effective in building on these evident strengths. While they have detailed assessment information, they do not routinely make best use of it in lesson planning. Staff do not always specify with sufficient clarity precisely what they anticipate different groups of pupils will learn during the lesson. Consequently, there is not always enough difference between the activities provided for the different groups, and at times pupils do not move into group work quickly enough. Moreover, when planning shows that the expected learning outcomes are broadly the same for all pupils, staff are not in a

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How effective is the provision?

position to measure the extent of progress made by pupils with very different levels of attainment.

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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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Inspection grades: 1 is outstanding, 2 is good, 3 is satisfactory, and 4 is inadequate

In the good lessons observed, pupils' learning flourished because they tackled what was demanded of them independently or with appropriate prompting or guidance. Pupils receive a good range of learning opportunities that meets their needs and interests. It is well-matched to their age as they move through the school. Pupils are prepared well for leaving school. They follow effective life skills and communication programmes, and enjoy a good work-related learning programme that includes work experience and college placements. Pupils have extensive opportunities to participate in a range of sporting events within and beyond the local authority. Pupils achieved notable successes in events such as the West London Tag Rugby Tournament and the Panathlon Challenge. Such enrichment events give pupils the opportunity to experience activities that they may wish to pursue beyond school and into adulthood. Pupils' transfer into school and their transition into post-16 provision are managed very

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Inspection grades: 1 is outstanding, 2 is good, 3 is satisfactory, and 4 is inadequate

well, with the role of the family support manager becomingly increasingly influential. Staff provide good day-to-day care, and pupils confirm that there is always someone to talk to if they have concerns. A good range of risk assessments is carried out, and the school has suitably trained staff to ensure pupils' well-being, such as trained first aiders. The school has done very good work with individual pupils who have particularly complex medical, social or communication difficulties. However, the school is aware that it needs to ensure that all staff are fully trained in the use of its preferred method of physical intervention. Pupils know their targets in individual education plans, which are adequate vehicles for tracking and aiding pupils' development.

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Inspection grades: 1 is outstanding, 2 is good, 3 is satisfactory, and 4 is inadequate

These are the grades for the quality of provision

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The quality of teaching 3

Taking into account: The use of assessment to support learning

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How effective are leadership and management?

Leaders show good determination in ensuring that all pupils are free of any form of harassment and that they all have equality of opportunity, such as by making sure their individual communication approaches are provided for. They also check assessment data, ensuring that no groups, including those pupils whose circumstances might make them vulnerable, such as those known to be eligible for free school meals or at an early stage of speaking English, perform significantly differently to others. Therapists and other key staff work effectively to target pupils who experience particular difficulties in order to make sure that gaps do not appear between the extent of their personal and academic progress and that of others. Leaders do a reasonable job in tracking pupils' progress, but they are at an early stage of evaluating the extent of this progress in terms of how it compares with that made by pupils with similar attainment levels elsewhere.

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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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Inspection grades: 1 is outstanding, 2 is good, 3 is satisfactory, and 4 is inadequate

The many lesson observations that are carried out tend to focus on what teachers do rather than on pupils' learning. This reduces the impact of the leadership and management of teaching on accelerating pupils' progress. The school has satisfactory self- evaluation procedures and strategic ambition. Development planning focuses on shorter- term maintenance operations, although these are not explicitly defined with built-in success criteria and scheduled checkpoints to evaluate how things are going. Planning does not detail the school's aspirations and how it hopes to evolve over a longer period, or the steps required in order to get there. The contributions of the boards of governors and trustees to these processes are limited because not enough members get to see for themselves how the school operates day to day. In other areas, governance is more effective, such as in overseeing good safeguarding procedures.

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Inspection grades: 1 is outstanding, 2 is good, 3 is satisfactory, and 4 is inadequate

Leaders' excellent links with parents and carers encourage very good communication between home and school. Consequently, the school has a very good understanding of pupils' families and home circumstances. This makes a significant contribution to pupils' inclusion in their local community as leaders work effectively to get them involved in activities in their home areas. The commitment to removing potential barriers to learning is indicative of the school's good contribution to promoting community cohesion.

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Inspection grades: 1 is outstanding, 2 is good, 3 is satisfactory, and 4 is inadequate

These are the grades for leadership and management

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3

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

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Views of parents and carers

Parents and carers are overwhelmingly supportive of the school. Virtually all of them are content with their child's experience at the school. The comment 'children at the school throughout the various years are confident and happy' is typical of the feelings of many. Many of parents' and carers' views align very closely with those of the inspector, such as promoting their children's understanding of a healthy lifestyle, keeping them safe in school and managing their behaviour. In a few aspects, however, their views differ significantly

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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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Inspection grades: 1 is outstanding, 2 is good, 3 is satisfactory, and 4 is inadequate

to those of the inspector. In particular, those relating to teaching and the rate at which pupils make progress.

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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 Parayhouse 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.

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Responses from parents and carers to Ofsted's questionnaire

The inspector received 31 completed questionnaires by the end of the on-site inspection. In total, there are 47 pupils registered at the school.

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Total % Total % Total % Total %

My child enjoys school 25 81 5 16 1 3 0 0 The school keeps my child safe 26 84 3 10 0 0 1 3

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Total % Total % Total % Total %

My school informs me about my child's progress 22 71 8 26 0 0 1 3

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Total % Total % Total % Total %

My child is making enough progress at this school 19 61 11 35 1 3 0 0

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Total % Total % Total % Total %

The teaching is good at this school 23 74 7 23 1 3 0 0

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Total % Total % Total % Total %

The school helps me to support my child's learning 20 65 9 29 1 3 1 3

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Total % Total % Total % Total %

The school helps my child to have a healthy lifestyle 19 61 12 39 0 0 0 0

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Total % Total % Total % Total %

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) 19 61 11 35 0 0 0 0

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Total % Total % Total % Total %

The school meets my child's particular needs 23 74 8 26 0 0 0 0

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Total % Total % Total % Total %

The school deals effectively with unacceptable behaviour 22 71 8 26 0 0 1 3

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Total % Total % Total % Total %

The school takes account of my suggestions and concerns 22 71 6 19 1 3 1 3

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Total % Total % Total % Total %

The school is led and managed effectively 25 81 5 16 1 3 0 0

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Total % Total % Total % Total %

Overall, I am happy with my child's experience at this school 26 84 4 13 0 0 1 3

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Total % Total % Total % Total %

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 2010 to 31 December 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 2010/11 was not representative of all schools 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 Parayhouse School, London, SW6 4LY

Thank you for making me feel so welcome when I visited your school. Special thanks go to those of you who gave up your time to speak with me. Parayhouse is a satisfactory school. Lessons are satisfactory and you make satisfactory progress in your work. Most of you go to school as often as you can, and I was very impressed with your behaviour and attitudes. They are excellent. You have a very good understanding of how to remain healthy, and you know a great deal about how to stay safe. Also, you learn a lot about how to get along with your classmates and how to communicate with them and adults. I was very pleased to see that some of you learn how to travel independently. Your school gives you lots of interesting things to do, such as attending college, being part of lots of sporting events and going on residential trips. The staff take good care of you. You told me that you feel safe in school and that there is always an adult you can talk to if you

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Inspection of Parayhouse School, London, SW6 4LY

are worried. The people who run the school do a satisfactory job. They want to make the school even better and I have asked them to do the following in order to achieve this.  Make sure that every one of you learns as much as you possibly can in every lesson.  Encourage everyone involved in running the school to help with checking how well it is doing and to be involved in planning for the future. You can help them by continuing to go to school as often as you possibly can, and by carrying on working hard and behaving so very well. It is very good to see that so many of you go to college after leaving school. Finally, I wish each of you success in the future, especially if you are taking examinations and leaving school this year.

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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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