Marjory Kinnon School

Marjory Kinnon School Hatton Road, Feltham, TW14 9QZ

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Overall effectiveness

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

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

 Pupils do not have enough opportunities to use their initiative and become independent learners. Too little time in lessons is taken up with active learning activities.  Teaching overall is not yet good enough as teachers’ feedback does not always show pupils how they can take the next steps in improving their work.  There are also too few opportunities for pupils to respond to searching questions and communicate their understanding as fully as possible.  Attendance for some pupils is lower than it should be because some parents and carers arrange holidays during the school term.  Not all support staff are actively involved in all sections of the lesson. Consequently they do not always have a clear understanding of what pupils need to do to improve their work.  Not all leaders and teachers make enough use of information about pupils’ progress to ensure they are making the best possible progress.

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The school has the following strengths

 The headteacher has very high expectations. She makes it very clear that she wants all pupils to learn as well as they can. She has challenged staff to improve their work, which they have done. The senior leaders and governors work closely with the headteacher to improve the school.  Behaviour is good. Pupils feel safe, are eager to learn and engage well in lessons.  Attendance has improved and is now average, and exclusions have reduced dramatically.  Children make a good start in the Reception classes and progress well.  The welfare of children is at the heart of everything the school does. Staff have very positive relationships with pupils.  Pupils’ progress is improving rapidly after a period of slow growth.

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Information about this inspection

 The inspectors visited 30 lessons, all of which were observed jointly with senior leaders.  Informal discussions were held with groups of learners from each key stage, and included hearing pupils read.  Eighteen submissions to the online questionnaire (Parent View) were received. In addition, inspectors took account of the school’s own surveys of parents and carers. Returns from 42 questionnaires completed by staff were also considered.  Meetings were held with the Chair of the Governing Body, a representative from the local authority, a National Leader of Education (NLE), the headteacher and senior and middle leaders.  The inspectors evaluated documentation, including information on the pupils’ current progress, the curriculum, and development plans, as well as procedures and records on safeguarding, behaviour and attendance.

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Inspection team

David Scott, Lead inspector Additional Inspector Jackie Blount Additional Inspector Mary Geddes Additional Inspector

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Information about this school

 Marjory Kinnon is a special school for children and young people with moderate and severe learning difficulties; a high proportion of students have a diagnosis of autism.  Pupils are generally admitted from nurseries and maintained schools from Hounslow. Some join after exclusion from their previous school or difficulties in finding a school place as a result of the severity of their disabilities and associated challenging behaviour.  Almost two thirds of pupils are from ethnic minority heritages, well above average, as is the proportion of the pupils who speak English as an additional language or are at the early stages of learning English. The majority of pupils are boys.  All pupils have a statement of special educational needs.  The proportion of pupils known to be eligible for the pupil premium (those eligible for free school meals, those in care and those with a parent or carer in the armed services) is above average.

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Information about this school

The local authority looks after one of the pupils, but none of the pupils in the school are from service families.  All Year 7 pupils are eligible for the Year 7 catch-up premium.  Just under 10% of pupils across the school are involved with the local Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS) as a result of their behavioural needs.  The provision works in partnership with many different bodies and organisations, including a number of neighbouring local authorities.  Twenty eight pupils at Key Stage 4 currently receive some of their education off site, delivered by an alternative provider, West Thames College.  The school does not enter pupils early for examinations.  The school was recently awarded the SafetyMARK.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Improve teaching so that all groups of pupils make at least good progress by:  enabling pupils to become more active learners through encouraging them to work by themselves and allowing them time for discussion  providing more detailed feedback so pupils know precisely how to improve  involving pupils more in lessons through opportunities to answer searching questions and achieve even higher levels of progress.  Strengthen further the impact of leadership at all levels by:  ensuring that information on pupils’ progress in lessons is recorded and analysed rigorously so that help and support can be quickly given where they are needed  ensuring that there is a clear role for support staff in all sections of lessons, so that they are actively engaged in accelerating pupils’ progress  improving rates of attendance still further by working even more closely with parents and carers so that they give real assent to the importance of regular attendance.

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The achievement of pupils requires improvement

 Achievement requires improvement because too few pupils make rapid enough progress over time, especially at Key Stage 4.  Progress by the end of Year 11 is beginning to accelerate. There has been a rising trend over the past two years. Progress in English is faster than in mathematics. This has been as a result of a strong focus on improving reading and writing.  Pupils make slower progress in mathematics because some teachers are less confident in teaching this subject.  In Reception, children make good and sometimes better progress. They quickly settle and learn the routines of the day. They learn how to communicate their needs and choices by using signs and symbols. They make good progress with socialising and working with other children.  At Key Stages 1, 2 and 3, the majority of pupils are making good progress with their reading and writing skills. Pupils who are ready to do so are developing their ability to recognise letters and

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The achievement of pupils requires improvement

the sounds they make, and more able pupils are developing their reading fluency and understanding well.  Pupils who are eligible for the Year 7 catch-up and pupil premium have made similar progress to other pupils in the school. Learners with autistic spectrum disorders have made better progress from very low starting points compared with other pupils, and the school ensures that the gap is narrowed. As a result, the attainment, of both groups of eligible pupils in the school has risen to almost match that of their peers in English and mathematics.  There are no differences in the progress of different groups, including those of different ethnic backgrounds, those with moderate and severe learning difficulties and those who speak English as an additional language.  Most students at Key Stage 4 spend part of their timetable studying off site. Their progress is similar to that of students in school and there are effective arrangements for checking their

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The achievement of pupils requires improvement

work, attendance, punctuality and behaviour.  Since the last inspection, the number of available subjects has doubled. All students follow pathways appropriate to their learning needs, and in Year 11 are able to achieve accreditation in English and mathematics as well as a range of academic and practical subjects. No one leaves without work experience or some form of accredited qualification, or placement at college.

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The quality of teaching requires improvement

 Although teaching is improving strongly, particularly in English and mathematics, the quality is too variable, and there is not enough that is consistently good to ensure all pupils make good progress in all classes and subjects.  At times, staff do not use enough practical activities to exploit opportunities for pupils to work by themselves and apply what they have learned previously. Also, when tasks are dominated by teacher-led activities and the teacher talks for too long, pupils’ progress slows and interest wanes.  In the better lessons, teachers use question and answer sessions well to check pupils’ progress in grasping new skills, knowledge and understanding. However, this practice is not consistently applied across the school.  Teachers receive regular and effective training in the areas in which they are less confident and this is having a positive impact on their skills.  Teachers often miss opportunities, both in lessons and in marking, to emphasise ‘small-step’

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The quality of teaching requires improvement

feedback to pupils. As a consequence, pupils do not always have a clear idea of how to improve quickly.  Pupils gain confidence in applying their literacy skills when they have the opportunity to engage in practical activity and discussion. This was well illustrated in an English lesson, where pupils were using electronic media to research and discuss the key events in Romeo and Juliet. Here they used technical language to describe the ‘ingredients’ that made it successful.  The promotion of pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural awareness is woven into their daily lives. There are many opportunities for pupils to speak about their learning, listen carefully to each other and reflect on the lives of people who are from different cultures and have different beliefs.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

 Pupils are friendly and polite to adults and each other and behave well in lessons because they are interested in what they are learning. In the playground they are similarly considerate and play well together. Lunch is a social occasion that is enjoyed by all pupils.  The school has an effective behaviour policy which is consistently and fairly applied throughout the school. High staffing levels helped the relationships between adults and pupils to be warm, supportive and based on mutual liking and respect.  The very few pupils who find it hard to behave well are exceptionally well supported. For example, systems are well established to deal with isolated incidents of challenging behaviour in lessons without disrupting the learning of others.  Incidents of bullying are rare and are always dealt with swiftly and effectively. Pupils are aware of different forms of bullying, including cyber-bullying and extreme behaviour such as racism.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

They feel comfortable about confiding in adults when things go wrong and demonstrate a well- developed understanding of what is right and wrong.  Pupils told inspectors that they enjoy coming to school and feel safe and well cared for. In the online questionnaire, parents and carers agree that their children are happy and well behaved and feel safe in school.  Overall, attendance is average. Nevertheless, for some pupils attendance is lower than it should be as some parents and carers arrange holidays during the school term.  Exclusions have been reduced over the past two years from 67 days to seven, due to an alternative creative solution in another school, initiated by the current leadership of the school.

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The leadership and management are good

 The vision of the headteacher and her determination to make the school a success is the driving force behind its improvement. She expects the best and has worked tirelessly to raise staff morale and instil a ‘can-do’ ethos which does not accept failure as an option. This is the main reason why a history of underachievement has been rapidly and securely reversed.  She has developed an increasingly effective leadership team which has worked together very successfully to rapidly reduce past inadequacies in teaching, increase the range of subjects and raise the standard of students’ achievement. Consequently, the school demonstrates a strong capacity to continue on its improvement journey.  Since the last inspection, the leadership team has widened the choice of qualifications available to students, by offering education off site through an alternative provider and a greater emphasis on practical work-based courses together with literacy and numeracy.

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The leadership and management are good

 The local authority provides effective and proportionate support, particularly since the school was judged to be satisfactory. Regular monitoring and specific training, for example in assessment and early years, has been planned carefully, but has reduced over time to reflect the growing ability of the school to operate without external help.  The school’s monitoring of the quality of teaching involves informal classroom visits and formal lesson observations. The senior team currently leads this process and is coaching middle leaders to take on this responsibility.  Teachers work cooperatively with support staff to give one-to-one support, or to teach small groups. However, not all teachers have ensured that support staff are actively engaged in all parts of lessons to ensure that pupils achieve as well as they can.  The school works increasingly well with parents and the local community. A particular strength is

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The leadership and management are good

the effective way in which parents who do not easily engage with the school have been encouraged to become more interested in their children’s education. For example, strategies to keep them regularly informed through texting, phone calls, meetings and home visits have made a positive contribution to show parents how they can help and support their child’s learning.  New systems for collecting and checking information on students’ progress enable leaders to target additional help and support where and when it is needed. However, not all staff are confident in recording and analysing information on pupils’ progress.  A positive feature of the school is the partnerships with local schools and external agencies, which make an increasingly positive contribution to pupils’ progress and well-being.  As a result of robust arrangements for managing teachers’ performance, only those teachers who meet the required high standards, as judged by the headteacher, are able to move up the

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The leadership and management are good

salary scale. Serious weaknesses in teaching have been effectively addressed and senior leaders have not shied away from holding difficult conversations with teachers about the quality of their teaching or the consequences of continued poor performance.  Senior leaders and the governing body have ensured that all safeguarding procedures are securely in place, meet statutory requirements and are rigorously applied. Leaders effectively promote equality of opportunity for all members of the service and are proactive in tackling all forms of discrimination.  The governance of the school: – The governors use resources effectively and challenge the school well. They provide support for the headteacher, who ensures that the performance and salary progression of staff are monitored effectively. They take well-considered action when interventions are necessary. They receive reports from the headteacher and the local authority and are increasingly

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The leadership and management are good

confident in asking questions so that they fully understand the issues, particularly when they receive better information on pupils’ progress and how it compares with similar settings. They are well informed about exclusions and the quality of teaching. Committee members direct appropriate funds for learners attracting the Year 7 catch-up and pupil premium to make sure that individual learners are supported and helped in lessons. However, they have not yet analysed thoroughly enough the impact of the activities on pupils’ outcomes. Full regard is given to the well-being and safety of pupils, who are very vulnerable at this time of their lives; governors have undergone enhanced safer recruitment training.

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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 102554 Local authority Hounslow Inspection number 404826

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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 4−16 Gender of pupils Mixed Number of pupils on the school roll 160 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Julia Chia Headteacher Denise Morton Date of previous school inspection 6−7 July 2011 Telephone number 0208 890 2032 Fax number 0208 893 7450 Email address office@marjorykinnon.hounslow.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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