Mowbray School

Mowbray School Masham Road, Bedale, North Yorkshire, DL8 2SD

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Overall effectiveness

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

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This is a good school

 Pupils make good and sometimes outstanding progress in personal development. This enables them to learn well.  Teaching is good; some is outstanding. In most lessons, pupils learn well because they enjoy what teachers have planned for them to do.  The range of subjects and courses offered is carefully designed to meet the needs of each pupil. It is enriched by learning on the farm and visits and visitors.  Children in the Early Years Foundation Stage make a good start to their learning because they learn to communicate with everyone effectively.  Partnerships with the local community and other schools, especially through outdoor learning and sport, have a good effect on achievement.  Pupils feel respected and well cared for. This is because staff ensure that pupils feel comfortable and confident at all times.  The headteacher has high expectations of everyone involved with the school and staff are encouraged and supported to improve their

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This is a good school

teaching. This is helping the school to continually improve.  The governing body makes an excellent contribution to leadership by ensuring that all members involves themselves in what is happening in school. This means that they have a firm grasp on how the school is improving.

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It is not yet an outstanding school because

 Progress in English is not as good as it is in mathematics.  In a few lessons, notably in the secondary department, more-able pupils are not challenged as effectively as other pupils.

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Information about this inspection

 The inspectors examined the school’s procedures for safeguarding. They also looked at the headteacher’s reports to the governing body, governor reports to the headteacher following visits, development plans, records of lesson observations, targets set for teachers, and documents that track pupils’ progress.  The inspectors observed six lessons, including two jointly with the headteacher, and made short visits to six other lessons. They listened to pupils read and examined pupils’ work. Inspectors held discussions with staff, the Chair of the Governing Body and a member of the local authority.  The inspectors spoke with pupils and the lead inspector took account of 36 responses from the on-line questionnaire (Parent View) as well as two letters.

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Inspection team

Pauline Hilling-Smith, Lead inspector Additional Inspector Alistair Younger Team inspector Additional Inspector

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Information about this school

 The large majority of pupils has either moderate learning difficulties, speech, language and communication needs or autism. A small minority of students has either severe learning difficulties, physical needs, hearing impairment, or specific learning difficulties. A small minority has challenging behaviour as a result of behavioural, social or emotional difficulties.  The large majority of students is boys.  All students have a statement of special educational needs.  The proportion of students who speak English as an additional language is well below average.  The proportion of students from minority ethnic backgrounds is well below average.  The proportions of students known to be eligible for pupil premium funding, which is extra money from the government to schools based on the numbers of pupils eligible for free school meals, pupils in the care of the local authority and those from families in the armed forces, is

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Information about this school

above average.  There are four children in the Early Years Foundation Stage.  Stability is well below average as the school draws from five military bases.  The school runs an on-site farm and it is the base for the community school sports partnership.  The school has recently attained National Autistic Society accreditation.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Improve achievement in English by:  planning more opportunities for pupils to work towards targets set for them in English in all subjects.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Improve teaching particularly for more-able pupils by:  ensuring that clear challenging learning targets are always set for all pupils especially for the more-able and especially in the secondary department  allowing more-able students to be as independent in their learning as they can be  making sure that lesson observations check that more-able pupils are being extended.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 All pupils are working below the levels expected nationally when they start at the school as a result of their disabilities and special educational needs. The vast majority of pupils makes good progress in English and mathematics when compared to pupils nationally with similar starting points.  Children in the Early Years Foundation Stage make good or better progress in the development of communication skills. This is because everyone makes sure they use signs, gestures and facial expression as well as words when speaking.  Pupils, especially those with communication and interaction difficulties and challenging behaviour, make good and occasionally outstanding progress in managing their own behaviour.  All pupils leave the school with qualifications which prepare them well for the next step in their education or training.  Pupils make good progress when they have opportunities to apply their skills. For example, when

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The achievement of pupils is good

they learn on the farm or in the environmental area.  There are still some inconsistencies in achievement. Progress in English, notably for more-able secondary age pupils, although good, is not as strong as progress in mathematics. However, this inconsistency is being tackled.  Pupils eligible for free school meals and those who receive support from pupil premium funding learn at the same good rate as that of other pupils. There is no difference between the achievement of boys and girls. However, more-able pupils with moderate learning difficulties do not always make the progress they are capable of because targets set for them in lessons do not always challenge them.  Pupils make good or better progress when they are clear about what they are learning. In an outstanding mathematics lesson, pupils repeated and developed their skills in telling the time from a clock face and then some pupils went on to learning about twenty-four hour time and

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The achievement of pupils is good

reading time from a digital clock. This was accomplished through detailed planning, skilful questioning and excellent support from teaching assistants and an excellent understanding of how well the pupils were learning.

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The quality of teaching is good

 The majority of teaching is good and occasionally outstanding. Teaching enables most pupils to make good progress and occasionally to make outstanding progress in a particular subject or in personal development.  Teachers have high expectations of pupils when they set targets for the pupils to achieve in lessons. However, occasionally these are about what the pupils will do and cover rather than what they will learn. This means that checking pupils’ progress in learning is not always rigorous enough.  Information and communication technology (ICT) is used very well to keep pupils’ interests. It is also used very well to develop reading skills. Pupils develop their learning further at home when they gain access to the programmes they use at school through the Internet.  The teaching of mathematics is a strength because it is led well by the subject leader and teachers have a good knowledge of this subject. However, the teaching of English is not as well

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The quality of teaching is good

developed, notably for the more-able secondary age pupils because they are not always challenged sufficiently and there are not enough opportunities planned for pupils to read and write in all subjects.  Parents agree strongly that students are taught well and are particularly pleased by progress in personal development.  Occasionally, a few more-able pupils are not challenged as much as they could be because teachers do not always plan for pupils to work on their own or find out for themselves as much as they could do. However, the school is making adjustments to the teaching of more-able pupils, for example, by teachers asking questions that make pupils think hard. This is having a good effect on their progress but there is more to do.  Teaching assistants contribute a lot to the achievement of the pupils through good support, for example, by offering additional guidance to complete tasks or modify behaviour.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

 The vast majority of pupils, especially those with communication and interaction difficulties and emotional and challenging behaviour, makes at least good progress during their time at the school in learning how to manage their own behaviour. This is because they are supported very well to do so. However, because pupils are at different points in their understanding there are some difficult times for some pupils during the day.  Pupils are polite and welcoming. They are pleased to participate in conversations with adults. They work hard to have good attitudes to learning and this helps them learn well and make good progress. They enjoy school and one pupil was reduced to tears when he could not attend on one day last week due to the snow.  Pupils show the support they have for each other when they ensure that everyone has the necessary amount of support to, for example, participate in activities in drama. They try to

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

attend to their own task as well as they can.  Staff manage behaviour well and understand the needs of individuals. They are skilled in supporting individual pupils and maintaining safety and a good working atmosphere for the vast majority of the time. This is because there are strong relationships between everyone in the school community.  Pupils learn about how to keep safe when they learn about cross-contamination after preparing raw chicken. They develop the skills necessary to use large sharp knives safely at the same time.  Pupils feel safe and well cared for. A high percentage of parents responded to the questionnaire and all parents agreed with pupils that bullying is not a problem and any issues are dealt with effectively. Parents are exceptionally pleased with the progress the pupils make in personal development.

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The leadership and management are good

 The headteacher has exceptionally high expectations of everyone involved with the school and he is ably supported in school improvement by the deputy headteacher. The vision, established with the governing body, is communicated to and by, everyone throughout the school. However, there is more to do to ensure that all more-able pupils make the same outstanding progress as that made by others.  Assistant headteachers and subject co-ordinators are able to have a good impact on school improvement because the plans they make are effective. Staff are aware of how well pupils are progressing and how this compares to pupils in other schools.  The staff support each other well. All staff are committed to working together to ensure that any barriers pupils have to learning well are removed. They ensure that additional funds, such as the pupil premium, are used to good effect such as providing access to computers or additional staff

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The leadership and management are good

during visits and when pupils go out of school.  The school has an accurate view of its own performance and knows that more priority needs to be given to achievement in English and to extending challenge especially for the more-able pupils.  The range of subjects and courses on offer is very well suited to the interests and abilities of individual pupils. They are well-organised and capitalise on outdoor learning on the school farm and in the environmental area, as well as in partner schools and colleges.  Pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is developed well because relationships are strong. Good opportunities are provided for pupils’ personal development. Equality of opportunity and respect for all is at the heart of the school’s work as is the promotion of good relationships with the community served by the school.  The local authority supports and challenges the school well through reviewing the work of the

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The leadership and management are good

school. The local authority has worked with the school particularly to ensure that the progress of more-able pupils is compared rigorously with the progress of pupils nationally.  The leadership of teaching and performance is effective. The performance of the headteacher is monitored well by the governing body to ensure that it has a good effect on school improvement. All teachers know how they are accountable for pupils’ progress and regular reviews of performance ensure that this is foremost in their work.  Procedures to check the quality of teaching are detailed, extensive and thorough. However, lesson observations do not always check that pupils of all abilities, especially more-able pupils, are challenged enough and are making enough progress.  Partnership with parents is outstanding. Parents say they know exactly what is going on in school and say that dealings with the school are excellent particularly when a move to the school

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The leadership and management are good

is being considered.  The governance of the school:  The leadership of the governing body is exceptionally effective. Governors have a very good knowledge of what is happening in school including how well pupils are progressing, and that this is a good school. Governors are clear about how the pupil premium funding is spent and can identify the positive effect this is having on those pupils. They make sure that statutory requirements, including safeguarding, are met and they manage the budget effectively. They have a firm grasp of how the leadership is driving the improvement of the school and ensure that they provide the necessary challenge and support for this to continue. Governors have a good knowledge of how well teachers are performing and ensure that there is a good link between performance and pay.

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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 121779 Local authority North Yorkshire Inspection number 402049

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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 3–16 Gender of pupils Mixed Number of pupils on the school roll 140 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Robert Dunning Headteacher Jonathan Tearle Date of previous school inspection 2 February 2010 Telephone number 01677 422446 Fax number 01677 426056 Email address admin@mowbray.n-yorks.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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