Camberwell Park Specialist Support School

Camberwell Park Specialist Support School Bank House Road, Blackley, Manchester, M9 8LT

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Overall effectiveness

Previous inspection: Outstanding 1 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

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

This is an outstanding school.  Inspirational leadership has promoted sustained progress since the last inspection. This has boosted teaching and learning and pupils’ progress from good to outstanding.  Staff use an extensive range of techniques to ensure that pupils are able to communicate their needs as well as possible.  Teaching across the school is outstanding. Staff know the pupils exceptionally well and tailor their learning to meet their complex range of needs. The contribution of the teaching assistants is good but is not always sharply planned to ensure that they have a consistently outstanding impact on progress.  Progress in the Early Years Foundation Stage is outstanding because of the consistently high quality of the teaching.  The pupils thoroughly enjoy school and, as a result, the vast majority attend whenever they can.  Behaviour and safety are outstanding. Relationships are highly supportive and

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

because of this the pupils feel exceptionally safe in the school.  The headteacher leads an outstanding leadership team. They work exceptionally well together to promote an outstanding ethos which motivates the staff to work in the very best interests of each and every child in the school. Partnerships with parents and other agencies are outstanding.  Governors provide excellent support and challenge to the school leaders. They have a clear understanding of the school’s strengths and how it can improve even further.  The spiritual, moral, social and cultural development of the pupils is promoted exceptionally well by an enriched and extended curriculum, which captivates the pupils’ interests.

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Information about this inspection

 The inspectors observed teaching and learning in 12 lessons. Senior leaders were included in most of the observations. Inspectors also listened to pupils read. They scrutinised the pupils’ previous work and the teachers’ planning.  The inspectors spoke with pupils during lessons and met with a group of pupils. Their lunch break was also observed.  Meetings were held with staff, senior and other leaders and members of the governing body.  Inspectors took into account the 17 responses to the online questionnaire (Parent View) and met with a group of parents. Questionnaires completed by 53 members of staff were analysed and considered.  The inspectors scrutinised a range of documentation including: the pupils’ progress data, the school’s view of its own performance, the improvement plan, safeguarding policies, behaviour policies and behavioural records and documents related to setting targets for teachers to

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Inspection team

David Smith, Lead inspector Additional Inspector John Ashley Additional Inspector

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Information about this school

 The school makes provision for pupils with severe and profound and multiple learning difficulties. A significant proportion of the pupils have additional complex needs such as autism. The vast majority of the pupils have a statement of special educational needs and the remainder are being assessed. Five pupils are in the Early Years Foundation Stage and there are more boys than girls on roll.  The school receives pupil premium, which is additional government funding, for those pupils known to be eligible for free school meals, children from service families and those children who are looked after by the local authority. A high proportion of the pupils are known to be eligible for free school meals, a few children are in the care of the local authority and there are no children from service families on roll at the school.  The school has a wide range of awards including the Eco–Schools Green Flag Award, Investors

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Information about this school

in People Gold Award and the UNICEF Rights Respecting School Award Level 2.  Nearly half of the pupils are White British and a quarter of the pupils are of Pakistani origin.  The school provides an outreach service to other schools in the local authority.  Plans are in place to provide a new building for the school within the next two years.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Make sure that the teaching assistants provide an excellent blend of support and challenge to pupils’ learning in every lesson, to enable pupils to sustain their outstanding progress.

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The achievement of pupils is outstanding

 The pupils’ attainment on entry to the school is low. However, they make rapid and sustained progress because of the highly personalised curriculum and practical nature of their learning. The school’s records of pupils’ progress and evidence from previous work confirm that the vast majority of pupils make much faster progress than typically expected. Pupils make outstanding progress in their reading, writing and speaking and communication. They also make excellent progress in mathematics.  There are no significant variations in the achievement of pupils by gender or ethnic group, which reflects the school’s outstanding promotion of equality of opportunity.  Pupils with additional needs, who are on the autistic spectrum, make outstanding progress. They are provided with a structured and consistent approach, which gives them the confidence to develop the skills to work more positively with others.

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The achievement of pupils is outstanding

 Pupil premium funding is used particularly well to boost the learning of pupils known to be eligible for free school meals and those in the care of the local authority. It is used to pay for targeted speech and language support, play therapy and liaison with other agencies and families. This helps to ensure that the pupils achieve equally well as others.  Children in the Early Years Foundation Stage make outstanding progress. They flourish as improvements in their communication skills gives them access to an ever increasing range of experiences. Small yet crucial steps in learning are acknowledged and celebrated.  Pupils’ communication skills are developed exceptionally well because the staff are very skilled at using a wide range of communication aids to support learning. This helps the pupils to be involved and participate in their challenging tasks.  The wealth of displays helps to promote a rich and stimulating learning environment which

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The achievement of pupils is outstanding

inspires the pupils.  Pupils make excellent progress in developing reading skills through a strong focus on phonics (letters and the sounds they make) and one-to-one support. The most-able pupils read for pleasure and use a wide range of strategies to help them recognise new words.  The teaching of mathematics provides many practical opportunities for pupils to develop their understanding of ordering numbers. This helps the pupils to understand and remember their learning.  Parents are overwhelmingly positive about the progress made by their child. A parent commented that, ‘she found the signing and phonics training for parents particularly useful and this helped to develop her contribution to her child’s learning at home’.

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The quality of teaching is outstanding

 The quality of teaching has improved since the last inspection due to the rigour of monitoring and the strong focus on training. Consequently, teaching is at least good with much that is outstanding.  Teaching in the Early Years Foundation Stage is excellent due to the quality of the teamwork and the extensive range of stimulating learning opportunities.  Assessment of progress is exceptionally thorough, which helps to guide pupils’ clear steps in progress towards challenging targets. The checks made on progress are rigorous and provides a very accurate overview of the pupils’ strengths and areas for development. Assessment files are exemplary and pupils are made aware of how to improve their work.  Staff have consistently high expectations and use a wide range of strategies, including the matching of symbols, pictures and word exchange helping to develop early speech for the pupils with profound and multiple learning difficulties. Information and communication technology is

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The quality of teaching is outstanding

used very well to promote communication and involve pupils in their learning. Many opportunities for pupils to choose what they want to do to are provided for pupils to explore and help develop increased independence in their work. Pupils respond very well to praise and this encourages them to work hard.  In an outstanding lesson, exceptional planning ensured that all of the pupils were fully involved in a story. Activities were practical and ‘hands on’ and the pupils were enthused by the use of an exceptional range of resources.  Literacy, numeracy and communication skills are taught very effectively in all lessons. In one lesson, very clear planning ensured that the pupils made great progress in their ability to repeat and sign letter sounds. In another lesson, very confident teaching encouraged pupils to make excellent progress in their use of adjectives to add interest to a story. Other pupils made

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The quality of teaching is outstanding

outstanding progress in their letter formation and sentence construction. Homework is promoted and made available at home by the use of a learning platform. Parents find the home-school diary as a very valuable way of keeping up-to-date with their child’s work.  The valuable contribution of a wide range of specialist support in the school, including speech therapy and play therapy ensures that the pupils’ complex range of needs is fully met.  There is a brisk pace to learning with high levels of challenge. However, the management of the contribution of the teaching assistants leads to some good rather than outstanding progress.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are outstanding

 The pupils are extremely positive about their school and parents fully agree with this view. All of the parents who completed the questionnaire would recommend the school to others.  Staff have very high expectations and this is shared by the pupils. They relate very well to pupils from other schools joining them in class, for example, to share a football training session.  Extensive staff training ensures that the staff have the skills and confidence to manage any challenging behaviour linked to the pupils’ autism. Staff record any behavioural incidents very thoroughly. Incidents of bullying are a rarity and are managed very effectively when they do happen. Staff ensure that the pupils’ views are valued and make a difference.  Lunchtime is a calm, enjoyable and well-supervised occasion. Pupils are provided with outstanding care and support by the staff and are encouraged to develop independence in their

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are outstanding

use of cutlery. The interaction between the staff and pupils is outstanding and reflects the exceptional ethos of the school.  Clear routines and consistent expectations reduce the anxiety of pupils with autism enabling them to take part in group activities. Assessments of risk are comprehensive and are used to inform planning. Pupils take increased responsibility for their own behaviour and learn to keep safe in school.  Excellent partnerships with a wide range of medical, social and therapeutic services support pupils’ personal development and well-being very effectively. This helps to ensure that the pupils attend school whenever they can other than due to medical conditions.  A parent stated that her child is very enthusiastic about attending the weekly after-school club. Pupils have worked hard to prepare their gardens for the forthcoming RHS Flower Show Tatton Park. These activities make an excellent contribution to the promotion of the pupil’s spiritual,

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The leadership and management are outstanding

 The headteacher provides inspirational and determined leadership and is provided with excellent support from other school leaders. The wide range of awards achieved by the school reflects its excellence. Teamwork is a major strength and the induction process for new staff is impressive which contributes to the maintenance of a cohesive team.  The leadership and management of the Early Years Foundation Stage are outstanding.  The school’s view of its own performance is open, honest and accurate, providing clear directions for continual improvement. Strategic planning is excellent with a focus on a manageable number of key priorities and staff are held accountable for their areas of responsibility.  The local authority has a light-touch approach for this outstanding school. It is held in very high regard and the outreach provided is well received and highly valued by schools in the area.  Teachers’ performance is checked regularly and performance management systems are totally

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The leadership and management are outstanding

up-to-date. Excellent training opportunities help to sustain the capacity of the staff to meet the pupils’ complex needs. Senior leaders recognise the need to refine the management of the teaching assistants’ contribution in class.  The curriculum is outstanding and promotes the pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development exceptionally well. The careful planning of the curriculum tailors learning to match the pupils’ needs and help develop their curiosity. Currently, the exciting jungle garden is a major attraction, which provides a wealth of sensory experiences for the pupils. The outside facilities have been developed exceptionally well and members of the school council are very proud of their contribution to this initiative. The pupils are very keen to attend activities such as the singing-signing choir and football. The pupils are prepared exceptionally well for the next stage of their education.

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The leadership and management are outstanding

 Partnerships with families are outstanding. Parents appreciate the extensive opportunities they have to be involved in the life of the school. School events are very well attended which reflects the commitment of parents to this cohesive and harmonious community.  The governance of the school:  The governing body makes an outstanding contribution to school leadership. They have a wide range of expertise and have very high ambitions for the pupils’ achievement. They are fully aware of the quality of teaching in the school and focus carefully on the link between teachers’ performance and pay. Governors are fully involved in the allocation of the pupil premium funding and regularly check on the impact of this additional finance on pupils’ progress and well-being. Governors attend regular training and ensure that safeguarding requirements are fully met Parents are confident that their child is safe in school. Governors are very pleased

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The leadership and management are outstanding

that the school will soon be in new accommodation as the current building is in need of repair. The three parent governors spoken with during the inspection were all extremely positive about their role and significant involvement in school review and improvement.

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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 105606 Local authority Manchester Inspection number 403778

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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 2–11 Gender of pupils Mixed Number of pupils on the school roll 87 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Mary Walsh Headteacher Mary Isherwood Date of previous school inspection 4 May 2010 Telephone number 0161 740 1897 Fax number 0161 740 3473 Email address head@camberwellpark.manchester.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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