John Grant School, Caister-on-Sea

School report John Grant School, Caister-on-Sea St George's Drive, Caister-on-Sea, Great Yarmouth, Norfolk NR30 5QW

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Overall effectiveness

Previous inspection: Good 2 This inspection: Requires improvement 3 Achievement of pupils Requires improvement 3 Quality of teaching Requires improvement 3 Behaviour and safety of pupils Requires improvement 3 Leadership and management Requires improvement 3

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This is a school that requires improvement. It is not good because

 There has been a period of instability since the previous inspection. Temporary leadership arrangements have successfully brought the school to a position where the new leadership team can take the school forward with confidence but, in the intervening period, pupils’ achievements and the quality of teaching have declined from the good outcomes identified previously.  Over the past two years, pupils’ progress is broadly as expected for their ability.  There is insufficient teaching that is good or better. Pupils are not actively enough engaged in learning.  Teaching does not make best use of lesson time and is not planned in enough detail for pupils to make good progress.  There is not enough use of signing by adults or enough attention to helping pupils use their preferred style of communication to full effect.  Although pupils’ social behaviour is good and this ensures a safe environment, they have too few opportunities to communicate what

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This is a school that requires improvement. It is not good because

they have learnt and understood, and few opportunities to work collaboratively.  There is no systematic approach for teaching pupils to read and spell.  The sixth form requires improvement to embed recent developments to the curriculum and assessing students’ progress.  The senior leadership team and governing body have not checked the school’s work thoroughly enough or used what they know sufficiently to maintain good teaching and learning.

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The school has the following strengths

 The new headteacher and new acting deputy headteacher have a good understanding of what needs to be done and how to do it.  Staff manage pupils’ behaviour well.  Relationships between staff and pupils are good.  There is some good teaching, notably for pupils with profound and multiple difficulties and older students.  There have been some good improvements to the curriculum, particularly for pupils with the most complex needs and to provide accreditation for older students.

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Information about this inspection

 The school was informed of this inspection on the day before the inspection commenced.  Thirteen lessons were observed and pupils’ learning was also evaluated through looking at their work and through case studies.  Meetings were held with the headteacher, acting deputy headteacher, the two assistant headteachers, four members of the governing body, teachers, co-educators and a local authority adviser. The views of staff were also gained through a questionnaire completed by 26 staff.  The views of pupils were gained through a meeting with the school council and informal conversations with others throughout the inspection.  The views of parents and carers were gained from seven responses to the Parent View survey.  Documents scrutinised included the school’s data on pupils’ progress, the school action plan, information about safeguarding pupils, the school’s monitoring of teaching, and attendance data.

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Inspection team

Heather Yaxley, Lead inspector Her Majesty’s Inspector Kathleen Yates Additional Inspector

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Information about this school

 John Grant School caters for pupils with statements of special educational needs relating predominantly to severe learning difficulties, profound and multiple learning difficulties and autism.  The further education unit (sixth form) is for students in Years 12, 13 and 14.  The proportion of pupils eligible for the pupil premium funding is over twice the national average.  The current headteacher and acting deputy headteacher started at the school three weeks ago. Temporary leadership arrangements have been in place for most of the time since the previous inspection.  The governing body is currently led by the Vice-Chair and a new Chair of the Governing Body is due to be appointed at the next meeting.  The school is a Specialist Sports College and has the Investors in People award (bronze).

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Improve teaching so that pupils’ achievements are at least good by:  having a clear and shared understanding of what good teaching looks like  modelling good teaching and sharing good practice from within and outside the school  maximising pupils’ communication  maximising learning time  planning lessons with enough detail to personalise activities for each pupil  implementing a systematic, suitable approach for teaching reading and spelling  improving the learning environment, particularly in the Early Years Foundation Stage class.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Ensure that the monitoring by leaders, managers and the governing body leads to a robust evaluation of the school’s strengths and weaknesses, and is used to inform suitable action plans.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Undertake a comprehensive, external audit of the work of the governing body and implement a suitable plan to ensure good governance.

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The achievement of pupils requires improvement

 The school’s information on pupils’ progress has improved recently and shows that most pupils made the progress expected of them over the past academic year. Scrutiny of pupils’ work confirms this. Pupils’ progress over the past academic year is stronger than in the previous year. This is the case for pupils in all key stages, for students in the further education unit and for children in the Early Years Foundation Stage.

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The achievement of pupils requires improvement

 Achievement in Key Stages 3, 4 and in the further education unit is better than in Key Stages 1 and 2. Those pupils who have had the most stability in teaching achieve better than others.

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The achievement of pupils requires improvement

 Pupils’ achievement in reading is better than writing. Although still lagging behind that of reading, writing and mathematics, achievement in science has improved.

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The achievement of pupils requires improvement

 The school has identified no differences currently in the achievements of pupils with different abilities and pupils eligible for the pupil premium funding achieve as well as others.

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The achievement of pupils requires improvement

 Pupils with the most complex needs respond well to a highly-structured, yet not overly-controlled, learning environment. This has helped to reverse the past underachievement of a small group of pupils with autism. They now make progress in line with other groups.

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The achievement of pupils requires improvement

Pupils respond well when teaching prepares them specifically for the task in hand and then gives them ample opportunity to practise the skills independently. An example is when Key Stage 4 students prepared spicy pizzas and banana buns with confidence and competence. This was because they were well prepared before going into the cookery room, and had instructions that they could understand and follow independently when they were there.

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The quality of teaching requires improvement

 Differences in the quality of teaching hinge on the level of challenge to individual pupils, and the opportunities available to communicate their needs and accomplishments independently and spontaneously.

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The quality of teaching requires improvement

 Pupils do not make good progress when learning is too adult-led and when pupils need too much adult support to complete the work. This leads to some passivity from pupils.

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The quality of teaching requires improvement

 Teaching that has a good balance between teacher-talk and teachers’ questioning leads to good progress. For example, when the adults provided students in a further education class with questions that challenged their knowledge and understanding, they made good progress in their awareness of how to stay safe in school.

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The quality of teaching requires improvement

 When lessons are planned with clear aims for individual pupils, progress accelerates. For example, a group of pupils with profound and multiple learning difficulties engaged with the adults at an outstanding level when recognising photographs and when having a snack. Their attention and willingness to participate was sustained for an extended period of time. This was because the adults were very clear about when to intervene, when to wait and how to make the most of pupils’ spontaneous attempts to communicate their understanding and preferences.

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The quality of teaching requires improvement

 Communication that comes from adults to pupils is usually supported appropriately through symbols or other points of reference. There is some signing by adults but not enough to ensure that pupils understand fully or that they experience a consistent approach. Communication that comes from pupils to adults or between pupils is not structured or encourage sufficiently for pupils to participate fully in learning.

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The quality of teaching requires improvement

 Activities that require pupils to read and spell are not completed to a good standard or sufficiently independently. This is because there is no systematic approach to teaching reading and spelling.

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The quality of teaching requires improvement

 Much time and attention is given to pupils’ personal care and getting ready for lessons to start, but this, together with extended periods for lunch and snacks, can reduce time for teaching and a lack of urgency for the task in hand.

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The quality of teaching requires improvement

 Some classrooms are suitably set up to encourage pupils’ curiosity and to encourage responsibility in getting what they need to get started at a task. In a Key Stage 2 class, this helped pupils to be very independent and cooperative in getting out the resources needed to make a prompt start and to file their work away at the end of the lesson.

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The quality of teaching requires improvement

 Not all classrooms present an appropriately lively or interactive environment, or provide sensory experiences that are integral to pupils’ learning. One example is the Early Years Foundation Stage classroom, where the outside and inside areas are not used to full effect.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils requires improvement

 This aspect of the school’s work requires improvement rather than being good because pupils’ skills in communication and their active involvement in learning are not strong features of their personal development. Other aspects of their personal development are strong, particularly their social behaviour.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils requires improvement

 Pupils’ confidence and sense of responsibility around the school are very evident. They particularly enjoy the company of adults, enjoy being eco-warriors and, wherever possible, can be trusted to conduct themselves around the school without too much adult support. They understand how to be safe around school.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils requires improvement

 Lunchtimes are relaxed, social occasions where pupils look after themselves as much as they can. This starts with getting the lunch of their choice from the hatch to the table, and ends with clearing it all away without fuss or calamity.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils requires improvement

 The way that different groups of pupils conduct themselves around school indicates that they feel safe around one another and that they trust adults. The absence of anxiety-driven behaviours by autistic pupils indicates that they are settled in their environment and feel secure within it. It is particularly notable that pupils with autism manage their behaviour well with other pupils in class and on the playground.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils requires improvement

 Students in the further education unit demonstrate increasing levels of independence and reliability, supported by high expectations from staff and a revised curriculum to prepare them for life after school.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils requires improvement

 Behaviour management is a strong feature of teaching and allows learning to proceed uninterrupted and in a relaxed atmosphere. Over the past two years, training for staff has led to pupils’ improved behaviour. The incidence of restraint, linked to a few pupils with particularly complex needs, has reduced as a result of changes to their curriculum and teaching.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils requires improvement

 There are a few opportunities for pupils to socialise and learn with pupils in other schools. The potential for this to enhance pupils’ academic and personal achievements has not been thoroughly explored, particularly for students in Key Stages 3 and 4 and in the further education unit.

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The leadership and management requires improvement

 A long period of temporary leadership has led to some instability and frustration for staff, as well as a lack of attention to detail when planning school improvement. The local authority and governing body successfully ensured the day-to-day management of the school.

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The leadership and management requires improvement

 During this period, day-to-day management has overshadowed strategic development. Actions to improve pupils’ achievement and the quality of teaching have not been planned or evaluated carefully enough. A lack of rigorous evaluation has led to an over-inflated picture of how well the school is performing.

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The leadership and management requires improvement

 Recognition of the decline in pupils’ achievements and in the quality of teaching led to concerted and effective support from the local authority and temporary leaders. The decline was halted and the new headteacher has inherited a staff team that has the skills and ambition to make further improvements. There is a real sense of anticipation and willingness among staff, senior leaders and the governing body to get on with the job of providing greater rigour to their work.

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The leadership and management requires improvement

 A system for monitoring staff performance is in place but it is not linked clearly enough to pupils’ achievements and improving teaching. Staff feel that their training needs are identified but are not always followed up.

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The leadership and management requires improvement

 The pupil premium funding has been used to supplement activities linked to the school’s specialist status for sports. It has not been used specifically for the pupils that it is intended for and no evaluation has taken place to see if the funding has made a difference to pupils’ achievements.

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The leadership and management requires improvement

 The curriculum has improved since the previous inspection. Teachers in the further education unit have done a good job in extending opportunities for accrediting students’ skills and checking on how much progress each student makes. They are very reflective in their approach to improving this provision. Activities linked to the school’s specialism have increased the sporting opportunities for pupils here and from other schools.

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The leadership and management requires improvement

 The few parents and carers who responded to the Parent View survey would recommend this school to others and none had concerns relating to pupils’ care, safety or behaviour.

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The leadership and management requires improvement

 The governance of the school:  has ensured that statutory responsibilities are met, including those for safeguarding children  does not feel that it has had sufficient information about the quality of the school’s work to provide a constantly high professional challenge  has not been rigorous enough over the past few years in playing a full part in school improvement  is committed to moving the school forward.

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Grade Judgement Description

Grade 1 Outstanding An outstanding school is highly effective in delivering outcomes that provide exceptionally well for all its pupils’ needs. This ensures that pupils are very well equipped for the next stage of their education, training or employment. Grade 2 Good A good school is effective in delivering outcomes that provide well for all its pupils’ needs. Pupils are well prepared for the next stage of their education, training or employment. Grade 3 Requires improvement A school that requires improvement is not yet a good school, but it is not inadequate. This school will receive a full inspection within 24 months from the date of this inspection. Grade 4 Inadequate A school that has serious weaknesses is inadequate overall and requires significant improvement but leadership and management are judged to be Grade 3 or better. This school will receive regular monitoring by Ofsted inspectors. A school that requires special measures is one where the school is

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Grade Judgement Description

failing to give its pupils an acceptable standard of education and the school’s leaders, managers or governors have not demonstrated that they have the capacity to secure the necessary improvement in the school. This school will receive regular monitoring by Ofsted inspectors.

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School details

Unique reference number 121265 Local authority Norfolk Inspection number 402014

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School details

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

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School details

Type of school Special School category Community Special Age range of pupils 3–19 Gender of pupils Mixed Gender of pupils in the sixth form Mixed Number of pupils on the school roll 126 Of which, number on roll in sixth form 21 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Jack Jones (acting) Headteacher Pam Ashworth Date of previous school inspection 25-26 February 2010 Telephone number 01493 720158 Fax number 01493 728616 Email address head@johngrant.norfolk.sch.uk guidance ‘raising concerns and making complaints about Ofsted', 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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School details

You can use Parent View to give Ofsted your opinion on your child’s school. Ofsted will use the information parents and carers provide when deciding which schools to inspect and when and as part of the inspection.

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School details

You can also use Parent View to find out what other parents and carers think about schools in England. You can visit www.parentview.ofsted.gov.uk, or look for the link on the main Ofsted website: www.ofsted.gov.uk

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School details

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. 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

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School details

telephone 0300 123 4234, or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk . 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 information 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’.

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School details

T: 0300 123 4234 Textphone: 0161 618 8524 E: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk W: www.ofsted.gov.uk

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