Kirkleatham Hall School

Kirkleatham Hall School Kirkleatham, Kirkleatham Village, Redcar, TS10 4QR

p.1

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 Outstanding 1 Leadership and management Good 2

p.1

Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

This is a good school.  Pupils are happy at school and all make at least good progress from their individual starting points. This is in all subjects, including reading, writing, communication and mathematics.  Excellent relationships and consistent behaviour management across the school result in pupils’ outstanding behaviour.  Pupils are well cared for and feel safe at school. Pupils are openly supportive and caring of each other. The school buzzes with a positive and vibrant ethos.  Since the last inspection, leaders have developed a sensory base within school to provide support and experiences for pupils who find it the hardest to learn. These pupils have exceptionally detailed learning programmes and this result in them making outstanding progress.  The senior leadership team, including governors, are driven to make Kirkleatham Hall the very best it can be for pupils. All areas for improvement set at the last inspection have

p.1

Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

been fully met and teaching and achievement have continued to improve. The school is very well prepared for the future.  Children’s learning in the Early Years Foundation Stage is of the highest quality. Throughout the school, pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is also outstanding.  The quality of teaching is good because focused staff activities ensure that everyone understands the needs of all pupils in the school.  The sixth form is good. Students experience an interesting and varied curriculum that prepares them well for life after school.

p.1

It is not yet an outstanding school because

 There are areas of outstanding practice across the school but this is not consistent.  The extensive range of information staff have about pupils is not consistently used to accelerate pupils’ progress and achievements even further.

p.1

Information about this inspection

 The inspectors observed 11 lessons, two of which were joint lesson observations with the headteacher. They also made a number of other short visits to classrooms.  Discussions were held with members of the governing body, pupils, senior leaders and staff. A conversation was held by telephone with a representative of the local authority.  A range of school documents were examined including the school improvement plan, the school’s data of pupils’ achievement, records relating to behaviour, safeguarding, attendance and the minutes of the governing body meetings.  Inspectors took account of the 10 parental responses to the on-line questionnaire (Parent View), letters and information that were sent to the inspectors and responses from the staff questionnaire.

p.2

Inspection team

Michele Crichton, Lead inspector Additional Inspector Sally Hicks Additional Inspector

p.2

Information about this school

 Kirkleatham Hall is a day special school. The school serves a wide geographical area.  All pupils have a statement of special educational needs. Pupils have a wide a range of complex learning and development needs. An increasing number have medical conditions and autistic spectrum conditions.  The proportion of pupils known to be eligible for pupil premium funding is well above the national average.  Most pupils are of White British origin.  The school has links with local schools and colleges and is part of a school sports partnership, sharing a school sports coordinator with another school in the area. The school is part of a trust with five local secondary schools and three primary schools. The secondary schools involved are Bydales School, Laurence Jackson School, Redcar Academy, Rye Hills School and Sacred Heart School. The primary partners are Castleton Community Primary School, Glaisdale Community

p.3

Information about this school

Primary School and Zetland Primary school. College partners are Prior Pursglove College and Redcar and Cleveland College. Business partners are Coast and Country Housing, Darlington Building Society, Teesside University, The Centre for Process and Innovation and The Sage (Gateshead).  Since the last inspection, a new headteacher has been appointed and the school has maintained its awards and accreditations.

p.3

What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Ensure teaching is more consistently outstanding in order to accelerate pupils’ progress by: - sharing the highly effective practices that already exist within the school - ensuring that progress data is understood and used by all staff, including support staff - ensuring that leaders at all levels monitor and evaluate how staff use this knowledge in their planning and to set even more challenging targets.

p.3

The achievement of pupils is good

 All pupils enter the school with very low levels of attainment. Good, and for some outstanding progress, is made from their individual starting points.  Girls, boys and different pupil groups, including those eligible for the pupil premium, all achieve equally well.  Reading, writing and mathematics are systematically developed across all key stages and this continues into the further education section of the school. Prior learning and understanding are thoroughly built upon.  Reading and writing activities are meaningful, and importantly, they are enjoyable. Mathematics is developed, for example, through practical problem solving, such as buying goods at the shop then returning to school to weigh and then cook the ingredients to make cakes or pizzas.  For students in post-16 provision, frequently success is in entry level functional skills or in the Duke of Edinburgh award scheme. Occasionally, when pupils are very able, access is made to

p.4

The achievement of pupils is good

GCSE level qualifications.  Outstanding progress is made by all pupils in their social and communication skills. This is because staff take every opportunity to talk and discuss with pupils, ask for their opinions and views, and ensure high quality responses.

p.4

The quality of teaching is good

 The quality of teaching is good and sometimes it is outstanding. In the majority of lessons, pupils benefit from a highly personalised learning environment that meets their needs well. Activities which are well matched to pupils varying abilities, strong team-work and highly sensitive support are frequently seen during lessons for all year groups.  Occasionally, not every teacher applies their detailed knowledge of pupils’ current levels of learning to planning lessons or setting targets that enables all pupils to make the maximum progress possible.  Teachers and support staff create a very positive and supportive atmosphere for learning. All staff use questioning techniques that are highly effective. This means that all pupils feel comfortable in learning new things and have the confidence to give their views and ‘have a go.’  Achievement is enhanced when pupils are fully involved in their own learning. For example, in an

p.4

The quality of teaching is good

outstanding lesson pupils had to explain fully the method each of them used to get their answer to a mathematics problem by ‘talking it through.’ This meant that pupils understood there were a range of methods to use and that different problems might need different ways to solve them. This also contributes significantly to their outstanding communication skills.  Reading, writing, communication and mathematics are developed well individually and across different subject areas. Pupils’ work is regularly marked sometimes with extensive comments about the quality of their work and where learning moves to next.

p.4

The behaviour and safety of pupils are outstanding

 Behaviour is consistently outstanding and is exemplary. Pupils are considerate and supportive of each other, and polite and respectful to staff. Pupils and school records confirm that this is typical of behaviour in the school.  All pupils have excellent attitudes to learning. There are numerous opportunities to develop independence and self-confidence which is maintained throughout the school.  For example, children in the nursery have ‘tidy up’ activities and students in the further education section present and speak on topics at other schools or hold thoughtful discussions about the lives of people from across the world.  Pupils say they feel safe and know that they can turn to any member of staff if they need help or support. They say there is no bullying in school but are aware that it can take place. They are aware that it might not just be face to face bullying but through emails or texts.

p.4

The behaviour and safety of pupils are outstanding

 Pupils are proud of their school. Older students are eager to talk about the construction of their new further education building which is soon to be built on site. Over lunch one student related, ‘We’ll have a common room and our own kitchen and not have to be in the cabin. It will make us more grown up’.  The vast majority of parents are overwhelmingly in support of staff and are extremely happy that their child attends the school. A number of parents took the time to write directly to the lead inspector to relay how their children have developed. Typical comments were, ‘Kirkleatham is an excellent school which excels in giving our very special children an excellent education throughout their school lives’. Almost every parent repeated the same phrase that their children hate being away from school and ‘ask to go back constantly in the holidays.’  Attendance is good for a school where pupils have a high number of medical needs. There have

p.5

The behaviour and safety of pupils are outstanding

never been any exclusions at Kirkleatham Hall.

p.5

The leadership and management are good

 Senior leaders, including governors are highly ambitious for pupils to have a successful time at Kirkleatham Hall. There are excellent partnerships with outside agencies and with other schools. Leaders maintain and use these links well.  All pupils have equality of opportunity to learn. There are a range of curriculum activities, experiences and learning opportunities at every stage of learning that are tailor made to the individual. This means that by the time pupils leave the school they have some form of accreditation.  Systems used to check the school’s performance are thorough, rigorous and accurate.  The school’s governors, leaders and managers monitor the quality of teaching closely to ensure that staffs’ skills and understanding of the pupils is high. There are regular ‘exchange day’ events. This means that every teacher swops place with another year group or special need area to achieve a global view of all pupils.

p.5

The leadership and management are good

 Senior staff ensure that they hold regular meetings with schools in the local area to ensure the precision of data and assessment methods. However, the benefit this accuracy brings is under developed. This is because leaders and managers do not fully monitor and evaluate how this information is used by teachers in their planning or in setting the most challenging targets for pupils.  The highly effective teaching and learning practices that already exist within the school are not regularly shared with others so that the high achievement is consistent across the school.  The local authority provides light touch support for this good school. Much liaison has taken place regarding the new further education build so that it fully meets the needs of students.  Pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is outstanding. This is because there are many opportunities to learn through visits in the local and wider community and to use these

p.5

The leadership and management are good

visits in a way that is meaningful and relevant to pupils. For example, they dress up like Vikings following a visit to Ormesby Beck or make edible models of Roseberry Topping.  The governance of the school: - The governing body provides support and challenge in equal measure to promote the best achievements of all pupils. Its members are as enthusiastic as staff in the continuous drive for school development. They have a clear view of the next steps needed and know the school very well. The governing body ensure that its statutory duties are met and safeguarding arrangements meet current requirements through regular monitoring by selected governors and by ensuring all staff training is up to date. The governing body understands the school’s data (including the progress of pupils known to eligible for the pupil premium funding) and recognises that pupils’ achievements are positive. The governing body has already set the

p.5

The leadership and management are good

performance management targets for the headteacher and understands the link between teachers’ performance and pay progression.

p.6

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

p.7

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.

p.7

School details

Unique reference number 111777 Local authority Redcar and Cleveland Inspection number 401199

p.8

School details

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

p.8

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 118 Of which, number on roll in sixth form 20 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair D Thomson Headteacher K Robson Date of previous school inspection 13 July 2010 Telephone number 01642 483009 Fax number 01642 480054 Email address kirkleatham_hall_special_school@redcar- cleveland.gov.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 .

p.8

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.

p.9

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

p.9

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

p.9

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’.

p.9

School details

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

p.9