Lakeside School

Lakeside School Winchester Road, Chandlers Ford, Eastleigh, Hants, SO53 2DW

p.1

Overall effectiveness

Previous inspection: Good 2 This inspection: Outstanding 1 Achievement of pupils Outstanding 1 Quality of teaching Outstanding 1 Behaviour and safety of pupils Outstanding 1 Leadership and management Outstanding 1

p.1

This is an outstanding school

 The headteacher is determined and relentless in his focus on improvement. This is driven by his passionate belief that all students, irrespective of their circumstances, are entitled to the best possible education.  Since the previous inspection the proportion of students achieving good GCSE passes, including in English and mathematics, has continued to rise.  When students are admitted to the school, their attainment is low because of a history of disrupted education. However, all groups of students catch up quickly with their work and achieve exceptionally well. Outcomes are never less than good, and often outstanding.  Last year’s results showed almost all students moved on to college, training or into jobs when they left the school.  Teaching is outstanding. Teachers are highly skilled in their planning and in the way they ask questions. In the very best lessons teachers take every opportunity to help

p.1

This is an outstanding school

students develop their own initiative as learners.  Students rapidly improve their attitudes and behaviour because imaginative and highly effective behaviour plans are implemented consistently by the school.  A very high proportion of students are eligible for the government funding known as pupil premium and these students make excellent progress because of timely and carefully targeted support.  The curriculum is individual to each student and exciting. The school’s particular strengths in art, information and communication technology (ICT) and design and technology lead to raising students’ self-esteem and then their greater progress in reading, writing and communication.  The highly effective leadership team and governing body have significantly improved the school since the time of their previous inspection. At the heart of this success is their shared belief that tailored support for each student is essential.

p.1

This is an outstanding school

 Leaders and governors continually review the performance of staff and students. It is a school where there is no hiding place for underperformance.  The school receives effective support from the local authority with whom it works to support the other school in the federation.  Parents and carers are overwhelmingly supportive of the school and appreciate the excellent progress their children make.

p.1

Information about this inspection

 Inspectors observed teaching and learning in 17 lessons, and made a number of brief visits to other lessons.  Discussions were held with the headteacher, other senior and middle leaders, teaching staff and a representative from the local authority. The lead inspector met with a group of governors, including the Chair of the Governing Body.  Inspectors observed the school’s work and looked at a wide range of documentation, including the school’s improvement plan, its analysis of how well it does, an external review and current assessment information.  They discussed professional development and the quality of teaching and learning with teachers and school leaders. They also considered support for students who need additional help and the use of the pupil premium, which provides additional government funding for students in local authority care, students from service families and those known to be eligible for free school

p.2

Information about this inspection

meals.  Inspectors took account of 13 responses on Parent View, the online questionnaire for parents and carers, and 32 responses to the staff questionnaire.

p.2

Inspection team

David Marshall, Lead inspector Additional inspector Veronica Young Additional inspector

p.2

Information about this school

 Lakeside is a smaller-than-average size maintained part residential special school for 77 boys aged 11 to 16.  All students enter school with a statement of special educational needs due to behavioural, emotional and social difficulties. Many have associated disabilities including autism and Attention Deficit and Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD). .  Students are drawn from the whole of Hampshire and the school offers a residential facility for up to 18 boys.  Most pupils are from White British backgrounds and almost all speak English as their first language.  Almost two thirds of the students are supported by the pupil premium. This is well above the national average. Lakeside currently caters for three pupils from service families.  Since September 2010, the school has been part of a federation with Grangeside School, Basingstoke, with which it shares a governing body. Students attend this school, and two local

p.3

Information about this school

mainstream schools, for some of their lessons.

p.3

What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Enable all students to make consistently outstanding progress across all subjects by supporting teachers to share the best practice always apparent in some subjects.

p.3

The achievement of pupils is outstanding

 Students enter the school with levels of attainment which are significantly below the national average. A very high proportion are eligible for the pupil premium and many students have a range of complex social and emotional needs. The school’s highly effective support systems, careful monitoring of progress and high-quality teaching enable students to make outstanding progress from their starting points.  Students are exceptionally well prepared for the next stage of their education, training or employment. There were 21 school leavers last year. Of these two went into apprenticeships, two into employment and 16 into different further education colleges.  Students’ attainment by the end of Year 11 has risen steadily since the previous inspection and is now above the national average when compared with similar schools. Precisely targeted interventions, including individual student mentoring, have been instrumental in bringing about

p.4

The achievement of pupils is outstanding

these improvements.  Almost all the students who completed Year 11 in 2012 were eligible for pupil premium funding. As a result of a range of the school’s careful and targeted intervention strategies, these students made exceptional progress. Their GCSE average points scores were higher than others in the school in both English and mathematics, and also higher than for all students eligible for pupil premium nationally.  Students make excellent progress in English, mathematics and the use of ICT because they benefit from highly effective teaching and carefully tailored support. Many students enter the school with very low reading and writing abilities. The school’s carefully targeted intervention programmes and whole-school approach to improving literacy enable them to make rapid and sustained progress. As one student observed, ‘I used to hate reading, now I do it all the time.’  The standards achieved by students in art and design and technology are outstanding. The

p.4

The achievement of pupils is outstanding

awards and acknowledgments by outside bodies are testament to just how much students achieve and the care that is taken to make sure they are aware of their successes.

p.4

The quality of teaching is outstanding

 Teaching is outstanding over time because teachers repeatedly produce lessons where pupils’ previous learning is constantly built upon so that over time all groups of students make exceptional progress.  In many lessons students make outstanding progress in developing their thinking through a range of high speed, yes or no questions, which they all enjoy. Very effective use is made of these question and answer sessions in lessons with teachers and support assistants rigorously checking students’ understanding of what they are learning. This is a constant feature in lessons and is one of the reasons why students make quick and consistent progress. The way staff explored the Easter story when organising the ingredients to make delicious Easter cakes was an example of their outstanding cross-curricular work.  Teachers and other staff work well together. They are constantly looking to improve their own

p.4

The quality of teaching is outstanding

teaching and are very receptive to ideas that will help them produce even better lessons. The support being given to the other school in the federation is giving the teachers the opportunity to be further reflective on their own performance and ensure provision is outstanding across all subjects.  Teachers have good subject knowledge and have the understanding and skill to change a lesson if they feel that it is not pitched at the right level or tasks are not enabling students to move on in their learning. For example, in an outstanding ICT lesson, the teacher used a range of excellent questions to lead students into a thoughtful analysis of the games they were constructing on the screen. Students were highly engaged by the enthusiastic approach of the teacher; they enjoyed the discussion opportunities and were able to apply knowledge from previous lessons to enhance their work. The teacher’s skilful questioning encouraged lively

p.4

The quality of teaching is outstanding

discussion and they made decisive gains in their learning.  The assessments which take place across all subjects every half-term provide excellent opportunities to accurately identify students’ progress. Students and teachers are very clear about whether or not this progress is fast enough and what to do to if it is not.  The strong team of learning support assistants gives invaluable support to students both in lessons and in small groups. Their knowledge and understanding of each student makes a strong contribution to the outstanding progress made by students.

p.5

The behaviour and safety of pupils are outstanding

 The school is a calm and purposeful place in which to learn. It provides a welcoming and respectful environment. The overall level of care extended to the students is seamless and outstanding.  There are excellent improvements in students’ behaviour over time across the school. The vast majority of students attend very regularly; they work hard and are extremely positive in lessons. Students are polite and considerate towards one another and to staff and visitors.  Students are very proud of their achievements and are keen to compare their experiences here very favourably with their experiences before joining this school. Different students take turns at being school councillors on a termly basis and act as very good role models for their peers.  Exceptionally skilful behaviour management systems are in place with students gaining or losing points depending on behaviour. Students are very familiar with these systems and work well

p.5

The behaviour and safety of pupils are outstanding

within them to gain rewards.  Highly effective out-of-class support is available for those whose behaviour has given cause for concern; students continue to learn when they are unable to make it into class. Students are given a range of choices as an alternative to exclusion from lessons. This is because staff are so well aware of their students’ needs and fully prepare them for their lessons.  Students speak with warmth about their successes in physical challenges away from school. A recent trip to Wales provided them with many opportunities to work together to overcome adversity such as the cold weather. On these trips they socialise with each other, solve problems and learn about a different environment and community.  Excellent teaching about staying safe on the internet is in place across the school. Bullying of any kind is uncommon and when it does occur is dealt with very effectively and immediately

p.5

The behaviour and safety of pupils are outstanding

recorded, with reports sent to school leaders and the local authority.

p.5

The leadership and management are outstanding

 The highly experienced headteacher focuses relentlessly and successfully on improving the school. His energy, vision and passionate commitment to the needs of students, his staff and the local community set the tone. As their many responses showed, the members of staff feel proud to be associated with the school.  Responses from the small number of parents and carers to the online questionnaire indicate that they are very pleased with their children’s progress; their views are in line with the school’s own survey of parental views.  The school’s middle and senior leaders have a clear understanding of what makes outstanding teaching and learning. The school has a clear focus on ensuring that teaching is of the highest quality and this is underpinned by excellent training opportunities for all staff.  There is an absolute expectation that all teachers maintain and are held to account for rigorously

p.5

The leadership and management are outstanding

high standards. Financial rewards are only given on the basis of performance. Regular monitoring of teaching across the school by senior and middle leaders ensures that any weaknesses are quickly identified and acted upon. Appropriate targets are set for teachers and are clearly linked to the achievement of students.  The excellent progress that students make and the sustained increase in attainment since the last inspection demonstrate an impressive upward trend. The impact of the school’s actions to improve the achievement of students eligible for pupil premium funding has enabled them to make progress well above others nationally. Small-group tuition in English and mathematics has been particularly successful in bringing about this improvement, as well as targeted mentoring for individual students.  The school makes detailed, accurate and precise analysis of its performance at every level. Students are set challenging targets. Information about how they are doing in particular subjects

p.5

The leadership and management are outstanding

is regularly collated and reviewed by senior and middle leaders. Leaders make very good use of this information to identify where extra help and support are needed to improve the progress of particular students.  The school provides an excellent range of courses that are well-suited to the needs of students. The students who attend ‘off-site’ provision, in different local mainstream schools, are carefully and regularly monitored and supported. As a result, they attend and make the best of these opportunities.  Students benefit from a wide range of additional enrichment activities which contribute extremely well to their spiritual, moral, social and cultural development. These include art, sports, music and academic opportunities. There are good links with other schools and the local business community, which provide excellent opportunities for work-related learning.  The local authority’s involvement with the school is carefully considered and appropriate. It has

p.6

The leadership and management are outstanding

provided valuable support for the federation and with its self-evaluation.  The governance of the school:  Governors visit schools in the federation regularly, always with a specific focus for improvement. As a result, they understand how well students achieve in comparison with those in other schools both locally and nationally. They have a good balance of professional skills that they use to monitor and challenge school leaders, and talk confidently about the quality of teaching and ensure that systems for performance management are robust, particularly with regard to the link between performance and teachers’ salary progression. They ensure that the pupil premium funding is spent to provide enrichment activities for those eligible as well as to support them to access the curriculum. Governors undertake relevant training to equip them for their roles. They regularly review statutory policies and ensure that

p.6

The leadership and management are outstanding

all requirements are met, including those relating to the safety of students.

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 116603 Local authority Hampshire Inspection number 401602

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 Age range of pupils 11−16 Gender of pupils Boys Number of pupils on the school roll 77 Appropriate authority The governing body Executive Chair Samantha Hawksworth Headteacher Gareth Evans Date of previous school inspection 2 December 2009 Telephone number 02380 266633 Fax number 02380 267147 Email address gareth.evans@lakeside.hants.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 .

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