Glenwood School

Glenwood School Washington Road, Emsworth, PO10 7NN

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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.  The school meets fully its aim of expecting every student to do their best in order to achieve the finest possible results and be well prepared for life after school.  Students make outstanding progress from their starting points to the end of Year 11, particularly in English and mathematics, as well as other National Curriculum subjects.  Those known to be eligible for free school meals achieve as well as all other students.  Students’ personal and social development is outstanding and this prepares them very effectively for further education.  Teaching is outstanding. Teachers are highly effective at planning their lessons, making sure the work is hard enough and always at the right level of difficulty for each student. As a result, students make the best possible progress towards their individual targets.  Students’ behaviour and attitudes to learning are outstanding. This is because of the

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

interesting and motivating lessons, together with highly effective support from all staff.  Students say the school is a safe place to be and that should they have a problem there is always an adult they can approach for help and guidance. This is also confirmed by their parents and carers and the school’s own records.  Leadership and management are outstanding. The headteacher and his senior leadership team have made sure there has been a continuing and highly effective focus on maintaining and improving further all aspects of the school’s work.  The experienced governors know the school very well, work closely with the headteacher and his senior leaders and are highly effective in their duties.

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Information about this inspection

 The inspectors observed 12 lessons, taught by eight different teachers and two different teaching assistants. Two of the lessons were observed jointly with the headteacher and two with the deputy headteacher.  A meeting was held with a group of students who are members of the school council and with a mixed-aged group of other students. Meetings were also held with the headteacher, members of the senior leadership team, others with posts of responsibility and the Chair of the Governing Body. A telephone discussion was held with a representative of the local authority.  The lead inspector took account of the online questionnaire (Parent View). However, because there were only six responses, he also took into account the school’s own most recent parental questionnaire, and 20 responses to the staff questionnaire.  The inspectors observed the school’s practice and looked at a range of documentation, including

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Information about this inspection

the school’s checks on how well it is doing and its improvement planning, information on students’ progress, documents used by senior leaders to check the school’s work, governing body documentation, and records relating to attendance, behaviour and safeguarding.

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Inspection team

James Bowden, Lead inspector Additional Inspector Hazel Callaghan Additional Inspector

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Information about this school

 Glenwood School provides for students with moderate learning difficulties. Many students have additional needs, which include speech and language difficulties, severe learning difficulties, behavioural, social and emotional difficulties, speech, language and communication needs and autistic spectrum disorders. All students have a statement of special educational needs: the majority for moderate learning difficulties and a few for behavioural, emotional and social difficulties or speech, language and communication needs.  The majority of students join in Year 7 but some pupils are referred from mainstream schools, usually in Years 7 to 9.  Currently, the majority of students are boys. Most students are of White British backgrounds and a very few are of Mixed ethnic backgrounds. None of the students are from families where English is not the home language.  The proportion of students at Glenwood eligible for the pupil premium, which provides additional

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Information about this school

government funding to support pupils known to be eligible for free school meals, children in local authority care and children from service families, is well above the national average. Currently, there are no children from service families and a very few are in local authority care.  The school does not use alternative, off-site provision.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 At the start of lessons, make sure teachers are more consistent in explaining to students exactly what they will be expected to learn by the end of the lesson.

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The achievement of pupils is outstanding

 As a result of their increasingly diverse range of special educational needs, students’ attainment on entry to the school is well below that of their classmates in mainstream settings. Attainment remains low in all age groups. Notwithstanding this, students make excellent progress in relation to their starting points, whatever their abilities, and achieve well, particularly in English and mathematics.  High-quality support for all means that all groups make similar progress, including those with different special educational needs, boys and girls and those supported by pupil premium funding. Pupils known to be eligible for free school meals achieve as well as others as a result of the extra support and resources they receive.  Whole school data, linked to national progression guidance for disabled students and those with special educational needs, show that the great majority make the expected progress and most

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The achievement of pupils is outstanding

exceed this level. By the end of Year 11, all students achieve a mix of GCSE passes as well as Entry Level certificates, including in English and mathematics. Over the last four years, all Year 11 students have moved on successfully to further education colleges to follow a broad range of vocational courses and, in some instances, academic courses.  In almost all lessons seen, progress over time was outstanding, which confirms the school’s judgement based on detailed and highly effective checking on how well students are doing. In a mathematics lesson, students made great strides in their understanding of different kinds of angles around a point or on a straight line. In preparation for GCSE work in Years 10 and 11, students also made sure they showed their working-out to provide the correct answers. In an English lesson observed during the inspection, students successfully distinguished differences

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The achievement of pupils is outstanding

between facts and opinions in text as ways of convincing and persuading readers.

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The quality of teaching is outstanding

 Teaching throughout the school promotes excellent learning for all students and prepares them well for the next stage of their education.  Each lesson is planned highly effectively in order to build on previous learning and to provide challenge for the next steps in learning. In another English lesson, students read sections of text in different ways to show the importance of how to read emotive language to get over a particular point of view. This prepared them well for writing their own speeches and built very well on their previous learning.  A key strength is the way in which all teachers and adults in the room work together to make sure students make the best possible progress in relation to their individual learning needs and targets. This was very evident in a design and technology lesson where students were developing further their initial project ideas and working towards producing a final design. All

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The quality of teaching is outstanding

worked diligently as individuals, some using computer aided design programs to excellent effect, as both the teacher and the teaching assistant moved around to support very effectively all in their individual tasks. At the end of the lesson, all took turns in explaining to the teacher and the other students what they had achieved by the end of the lesson.  A variety of activities also enlivens learning. In another mathematics lesson, using an interactive display connected to a computer, examples of Islamic tiling were shown to motivate students to produce their own tiling patterns using one or more geometric shapes (tessellations).  Introductions to lessons make students aware of what is expected of them. However, these are not always clear enough in explaining exactly what students will learn by the end of the lesson and some students make less rapid progress as a result. This is because, on occasion, the

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The quality of teaching is outstanding

introductions are about what topics will be covered in the lesson rather than specific learning intentions.  Parents and carers are overwhelmingly pleased with the progress their children are making, as are students who spoke with the lead inspector. One commented, ‘Teachers listen and bond with students. I always learn a lot and am given time to finish work.’

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are outstanding

 Behaviour is outstanding in lessons and around the school because of consistent routines, high levels of support from staff and their respect for students’ dignity, well-being and developing independence. Underpinning this are the highly effective relationships between all adults and students, which result in enjoyable, purposeful and safe learning throughout the day.  Typically, behaviour over time has been outstanding. There have been no recent recorded instances of racism or homophobia and instances of bullying or unacceptable behaviour are rare. There have been no permanent exclusions and instances where students are not allowed to go to school for a short time because of poor behaviour are few.  Students understand what bullying can involve and the potential dangers associated with the use of the internet. One student commented that if bullying did happen, it would be dealt with quickly by the school. In all lessons observed during the inspection, there was not one instance

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are outstanding

where learning was disrupted by poor behaviour.  Unauthorised absence from school is low. Students arrive happily in the morning, remain happy throughout the day and leave happily at the end, including those who attend daily after-school clubs. Attitudes and behaviour throughout the morning annual sports day were excellent.  Students’ attitudes to learning are highly positive. In lessons, students work alone or together in pairs or small groups. In one small group, students responded seriously to the thought provoking questions about social issues where they might find it difficult to say, ‘No!’  Without exception, parents and carers who responded to the school’s own survey of their views are happy with the school’s care for their children. This was also confirmed by the responses to the staff questionnaire and by the students who met with the lead inspector. Another student commented, ‘The school is a big friendly place and staff help us get through it all.’

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The leadership and management are outstanding

 The headteachers’ passionate drive and ambition have led to continuing and sustained improvement throughout the school since the last inspection. All staff are overwhelmingly committed to the school’s culture of reflection and development and want the best outcomes possible for all students.  Senior leaders check carefully the quality of teaching and learning and students’ progress. They set teachers clear targets to improve further the quality of their work. At the end of each year, recommendations are made regarding additional responsibilities and training opportunities.  As a result of the school’s unyielding commitment to equality there is no discrimination of any kind. Consequently, all students, regardless of their circumstances or needs, make excellent progress in their learning and personal development.  The subjects and topics students study have the same breadth as in mainstream schools and,

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The leadership and management are outstanding

because they are tailored to match fully the abilities and individual needs of students, all have equal opportunity to succeed. There is a strong focus on preparing students’ readiness for the next stage of their education through personal, social and health education, as well as through the ‘life skills’ programme, which develops their independence. This contributes significantly to students’ all-round personal development, including their spiritual, moral, social and cultural development.  The school works highly effectively with other professionals, including during occasional trips to further education colleges, to support students’ wide-ranging needs particularly well. Parents’ and carers’ appreciation of what the school does is evident in their overwhelmingly positive responses to the school’s recent survey of their views.  The local authority knows this outstanding school well and offers a light touch, but effective,

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The leadership and management are outstanding

approach to support continuing improvements.  The governance of the school:  The governing body is highly effective in its role as a critical, yet supportive, friend of the school. It holds senior leaders to account for students’ achievement and provides strong challenge to ensure continuing improvements in all aspects of the school’s work. As a result of governors’ expertise, training and visits to check on how well students are learning, they have a very clear understanding of the quality of teaching and achievement data. The governing body checks the work of senior leaders and other staff to inform decisions about any actions that need to be taken, training opportunities and pay. It makes sure national requirements are met and safeguarding procedures are fully in place in the school. The finance committee makes sure the school’s finances are in order and diligently oversees the use of funding,

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The leadership and management are outstanding

including the use of the pupil premium. Funding has been, and is being, used to provide extra literacy and numeracy support, improve students’ social skills, provide a range of specific activities to prepare students for the next stage of their education and support the work of the home/school link worker.

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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 116639 Local authority Hampshire Inspection number 403297

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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 11–16 Gender of pupils Mixed Number of pupils on the school roll 91 Appropriate authority The local authority Chair John Morgan Headteacher Phillip Johnson Date of previous school inspection 7–8 May 2008 Telephone number 01243 373120 Fax number 01243 373103 Email address adminoffice@glenwood.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 .

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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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