Westfield School

Westfield School Westfield Walk, Leominster, HR6 8HD

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Overall effectiveness

Previous inspection: Satisfactory 3 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

 Almost all pupils, including those with additional special educational needs, achieve well. Achievement in reading is particularly good. Pupils achieve well in literacy, numeracy and in their personal development.  Good teaching means that most pupils make good progress in their activities. In the best teaching, staff challenge pupils well so that they extend their knowledge and understanding.  The sixth form is outstanding. Students’ achievement has improved because of the very high quality of provision and the excellent opportunities for them to acquire accreditation and vocational experiences.  Behaviour is good. Pupils are safe and secure at school.  Pupils benefit from many exciting learning experiences and have access to good quality resources, which engage them well.  Pupils are well cared for. An effective range of therapies contribute very well to their learning and welfare.  Parents are rightly pleased with their children’s

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This is a good school

education.  Efficient planning by the governing body means money is spent well for the benefit of all groups of pupils, including those who are known to be eligible for additional funding.  Leadership and management are good. The senior leaders have a clear vision and place a high focus on improving the performance of staff through rigorous monitoring and high quality training.

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It is not yet an outstanding school because

 In a few lessons pupils are not challenged well enough to ensure they make the progress expected of them because too much turn-taking results in pupils waiting too long for their turn.  The provision for the few higher-attaining pupils with challenging autism-spectrum disorders does not always meet their needs and abilities.

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Information about this inspection

 The inspector observed 10 lessons, all of them jointly with the headteacher. In addition, the inspector made a few short visits to observe pupils’ learning.  Meetings were held with the headteacher, senior leaders, the pupil council, a local authority representative, the music therapist, the Chair of the Governing Body and two other governors.  The inspector observed the school’s work and looked at a number of documents, including the school’s own information about pupils’ progress, planning and monitoring documents, safeguarding information and pupils’ work.  The inspector took account of the school’s own parent survey because there were too few responses to the on-line survey (Parent View). A telephone conversation was held with a parent during the inspection. The inspector also took account of 12 responses to the inspection questionnaire from staff.

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Inspection team

Denise Morris, Lead inspector Additional Inspector

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Information about this school

 Westfield is a small special school for pupils with severe or profound and multiple learning difficulties. About a third of pupils have autism-spectrum disorders and a small number are higher-attaining pupils with challenging autism.  There are a very few pupils from minority ethnic backgrounds.  There are no children currently in the Early Years Foundation Stage.  The sixth form has its own separate accommodation and students spend some of their time at local work-related providers such as a farm and the library.  The headteacher, senior leadership team and several members of the governing body are new to their roles since the last inspection.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Increase the proportion of outstanding teaching across the school by:  reducing the amount of turn-taking in lessons so that the pace of pupils’ learning improves  making sure that teachers provide sufficient challenge so that pupils do more in the time allowed.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Improve provision for the small proportion of higher-attaining pupils with challenging autism- spectrum disorders by:  increasing appropriate training for staff  making sure that resources and the accommodation fully meet these pupils’ individual needs and abilities.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 The vast majority of pupils, including those with additional special educational needs, achieve well during their time at Westfield. As a result, they make at least good progress in literacy and numeracy and in their personal development. They make particularly good progress in reading because of very effective strategies and resources. Students achieve a wide range of accreditation by the time they leave the sixth form.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 The positive focus placed on the development of reading skills was evident in Years 7 to 9 where pupils searched for information about different animals in a text they were sharing. They scanned pages quickly as they tried to be the first to find answers. Several could read simple text fluently and with expression. Others used their knowledge of phonics (matching letters and sounds) to attempt new words.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 Very occasionally pupils are not challenged well enough in their lessons because there is too much turn-taking and they are required to wait too long for a turn. At these times the pace of their learning dips and they do not achieve enough in the time allowed.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 Students in the sixth form achieve exceptionally well. This was evident during an enterprise activity in which they were successfully learning about ‘giving change.’ They were practising in preparation for a plant sale that they were holding to raise their own funds for their annual residential trip. They talked excitedly about past trips to Cornwall and the Isle of Man where they stayed in youth hostels catering for themselves.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 Pupils’ communication skills are promoted well by staff. They encourage pupils to talk to each other about their work and to talk aloud to their class. Where signs and symbols are required to ensure greater understanding, they are used well, enabling pupils to have their say and take part actively in discussions. Pupils told the inspector that they were involved in making decisions and choosing tasks.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 Pupils known to be eligible for the pupil premium achieve as well as other pupils because the extra funding is used to employ additional staffing and to fund additional activities, such as extra music therapy to meet these pupils’ needs.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 Parents are rightly pleased with their child’s progress. ‘I cannot find the words to express how well the school has supported my child. He has improved tremendously in the past three years. I receive regular emails, any worries are quickly alleviated and communication is fantastic,’ commented a parent.

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The quality of teaching is good

 In almost all lessons teachers provide exciting activities that fully engage pupils in learning. Positive relationships result in calm and productive lessons.

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The quality of teaching is good

 Tasks are almost always well planned and organised and there are clear routines that mean pupils know what is expected of them. Teachers make sure that pupils help with simple jobs including the organisation and giving out small items such as books or scissors.

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The quality of teaching is good

 In the best lessons, teachers extend pupils’ knowledge and understanding through focused questions that challenge them to search for answers. An example of this was in Years 10 and 11 where pupils were learning how to undertake interviews as part of a ‘Comic Relief’ activity. Pupils really enjoyed watching a mock interview given by the teacher to a pretend ‘pop star’. They watched intently and were enthused to try interviewing for themselves. Excellent support and questioning meant that they developed good interviewing techniques, improving their self- confidence and their speaking skills.

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The quality of teaching is good

 Good teaching in mathematics was evident in Years 3 to 6 where pupils were learning about two-dimensional shapes. They counted the different shapes and completed tally charts quickly, trying to find more shapes than the other pupils in their group. Just occasionally the pace of learning dips because teachers do not provide sufficient challenge due to too much turn-taking.

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The quality of teaching is good

 Outstanding teaching in the sixth form means that students make the best possible progress and enables them all to acquire good quality accredited qualifications by the time they leave.

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The quality of teaching is good

 Teachers are skilled in the teaching of reading and in all aspects of caring for pupils and keeping them safe. They receive good quality training but not all staff have yet received training in strategies to teach more-able pupils with challenging autism-spectrum disorders. As a result, teaching for this small group is not quite as strong as for other groups of pupils.

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The quality of teaching is good

 Pupils’ spiritual, moral social and cultural development is promoted well through music, dance, drama, stories and celebrations from different cultures.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

 Pupils come to school joyfully each morning, eagerly looking to see what is on offer. They told the inspector that they feel safe at school and that they know how to keep safe in the community. They said that they have lots of friends and they show this by getting on well together.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

 No evidence of bullying was seen during the inspection and records show that any teasing is quickly dealt with by staff. Older pupils said that everyone at the school is kind.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

 Pupils show their enjoyment of school by the way they attend regularly. Attendance is rising and is now above that found in most similar schools.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

 Staff manage behaviour well and pupils and parents rightly say that behaviour is good. Pupils regularly engage in activities to help others and there are many examples of pupils taking care of others, helping them with their learning or sharing their tasks together.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

 The wide range of additional activities planned by the school has a very positive impact on pupils’ personal development and on their behaviour. For example those pupils who are able to access offsite provision such as to a local farm return to school often covered in mud but full of enthusiasm about what they have achieved during the day.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

 The wide range of work-related opportunities in real businesses, such as the farm, the library, a builder’s yard and local shops often provide older pupils in Years 10 to 12 with real employment. These experiences are having a very positive impact on their personal development and helping to prepare them extremely well for their futures.

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The leadership and management are good

 Senior leaders have successfully improved teaching and achievement despite the relatively short time they have worked together. They have been well supported by staff and the governing body. Effective use of the ‘Teachers’ Standards’ shows their strong commitment to improving teachers’ skills so that they can progress and seek promotion.

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The leadership and management are good

 Leaders have made sure that staff have the skills necessary to keep pupils safe and help them make the best possible progress. For example, effective training in the teaching of reading is having a big impact on pupils’ improvements in that area. Training for staff on the use of signs and symbols has meant that pupils always have a way to communicate. Leaders have rightly planned additional training to meet the needs of the higher-ability pupils with challenging autism-spectrum disorders in the near future.

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The leadership and management are good

 Performance is effectively managed by senior leaders and is rigorously monitored. Regular observations of teaching and learning, both by leaders and the local authority, mean that there is a very clear and accurate view of how well the school is doing.

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The leadership and management are good

 The local authority provides effective support to the school, especially in training and in supporting the wide range of needs of the pupils.

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The leadership and management are good

 The school promotes good relationships with parents, local schools, support agencies and a wide range of work-related providers.

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The leadership and management are good

 Leaders make sure that all pupils have equal opportunities as demonstrated by the high proportion of pupils who benefit from individual support and the full inclusion on trips, visits and work-related experiences and accreditation.

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The leadership and management are good

 Safeguarding procedures meet requirements.

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The leadership and management are good

 The governance of the school:  The governing body provides clear direction to the school, promoting an atmosphere in which pupils thrive. Governors regularly challenge and support leaders and are fully involved in checking the school’s strengths and areas for improvement. They know about the quality of teaching and the achievement of pupils. Governors understand the importance of managing the performance of staff and they make sure that there are sufficient funds to provide the training to improve teaching further. They manage the school’s finances well and make sure that money allocated to support pupils eligible for pupil premium funding is used for the benefit of those pupils. Governors make sure that good teachers and staff are rewarded through the school’s performance management structure and that any underperformance is improved through additional training and mentoring.

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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 117055 Local authority Herefordshire Inspection number 405682

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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 Age range of pupils 5–19 Gender of pupils Mixed Gender of pupils in the sixth form Mixed Number of pupils on the school roll 40 Of which, number on roll in sixth form 12 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair June French Headteacher Nicki Gilbert Date of previous school inspection 9 November 2010 Telephone number 01568 613147 Fax number 01568 616848 Email address admin@westfield.hereford.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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