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Other · Ofsted report

Jigsaw CABAS School

Inspected 3 Oct 2013 · published 23 Oct 2013 · URN 131976

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Summary

No overall grade in this framework

Jill Bainton

What we read, and from where

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  • Inspection date verified

    3 Oct 2013

  • Inspectors verified

    Jill Bainton

  • Postcode verified

    GU6 8TB

  • Name on report verified

    The Jigsaw School

  • URN verified

    131976

Page 1 of 9
Page 1 of the report

Deep dive

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Tone of the report

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+87Very positivemore positive than 90% of reports of this type

Reads more warmly than most reports of this type.

Praiseoutstandingvery wellexcellentexceptionalexceptionallyextremelyhighly effectivevery effective
Criticisminadequatenot metseriousweaknesseslow

How the report reads, start to finish

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FindingsWhat needs to improveAbout the inspectionLeadership positive critical
  • Findings1749w+98
  • Leadership429w+42
  • What needs to improve88w+56

Strengths

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Concerns

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Next steps

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Anatomy of the report

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Pages
9
Words of findings
2,221
longer than usual (typical 1049)
Reading level
Hard
Flesch 41, typical 45
Average sentence
19 words
Next steps
3
typical 5
Hedged sentences
6%
“some”, “not always”, “most”…

Where the words go

Findings 58%Leadership 14%What needs to improve 3%About the inspection 25%

Full report text

The Jigsaw School Buildings 20-22, Dunsfold Park, Stovolds Hill, Cranleigh, Surrey, GU6 8TB

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Overall effectiveness Outstanding 1

Pupils’ achievement Outstanding 1 Pupils’ behaviour and personal development Outstanding 1 Quality of teaching Outstanding 1 Quality of curriculum Outstanding 1 Pupils’ welfare, health and safety Outstanding 1 Leadership and management Outstanding 1

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This school is outstanding because

 The quality of teaching is outstanding. It is based on excellent preparation and a detailed knowledge of the curriculum. This ensures that pupils make outstanding progress in relation to their individual starting points and capabilities. Most make greater progress than is typically expected.  Staff have an exceptional knowledge of the individual needs of each pupil and provide tailored learning tasks which enable and challenge them to succeed.  The school builds very strong relationships with parents and carers to ensure continuity of care between school and home.  Leaders and managers have a very clear vision of what the school can achieve. They have the highest aspirations for pupils and the highest expectations of staff so that pupils' achievement and the quality of teaching are excellent.  Pupils make exceptional progress in managing and improving their behaviour as a result of the strategies used to develop their

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This school is outstanding because

communication and social skills.  The safety and welfare of the pupils are given a very high priority and pupils are cared for extremely well.

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Compliance with regulatory requirements

 The school meets schedule 1 of the Education (Independent school Standards)(England) Regulations 2010, as amended by the Education (Independent School Standards) (England) (Amendment) Regulations 2012 (‘the independent school standards’) and associated requirements.

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Information about this inspection

 The inspection was undertaken with half a day’s notice. Eleven lessons were observed jointly with the school’s director of education.  Meetings were held with leaders, trustees, governors, staff and members of the school.  Twenty eight responses to the Parent View online questionnaire were available and discussion was held with some parents on site. Fifty one staff questionnaires were also considered.  Written evidence was examined, including work in pupils’ books, schemes of work and data on their progress. The inspector listened to pupils reading.

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Inspection team

Jill Bainton, Lead inspector Additional Inspector

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Information about this school

 The Jigsaw School is an independent special day school for pupils with an autistic spectrum disorder. It opened in 1999 and is overseen by the Jigsaw Trust, which is a registered charity. The main school site is in Dunsfold and the school also uses a Life Skills Centre for older pupils in Guildford. Offsite facilities are used for physical education.  The school follows the methodology of the Comprehensive Application of Behaviour Analysis to Schooling (CABAS®). It became a certified CABAS® school in 2003. The school is registered for up to 60 pupils aged from five to 19 years. There are currently 53 pupils aged between five and 19 at the school, of whom 15 are in the sixth form. All pupils attending the school have a statement of special educational needs and they come from a large number of local authorities. The headteacher is one of the founders of the school.  The Jigsaw School is ‘committed to providing a safe and caring environment where all our

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Information about this school

learners will be given an education of the highest standard and every opportunity to achieve their full potential’.  The school was previously inspected by Ofsted in September 2010 when it met all the independent school regulations.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Develop the professional expertise of staff so that all share an understanding of how individual pupils can be consistently challenged and progress at the fastest possible rate by making formal arrangements for the peer observation of lessons by teaching staff.  Provide pupils with the opportunity to express their ideas through a school council.

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Pupils’ achievement Outstanding

Pupils’ achievement is outstanding as a result of excellent teaching, and a highly effective and very well implemented curriculum. Most pupils join the school with starting points that are low for their ages due to their specific difficulties. Pupils consistently meet or exceed their learning targets and make exceptional progress in all areas of learning, especially in their communication, literacy and numeracy skills. This is due to thorough, ongoing assessments of their progress to check that the learning units used meet their individual needs. Teachers use this information to plan pupils’ next steps in learning. Pupils are taught with sensitivity and much encouragement. They are very well supported and challenged and the majority rise to meet the challenges set them, despite their difficulties. The very detailed tracking of pupils’ progress enables the staff to ensure that the learning needs of the pupils are very effectively met over time. The school’s emphasis on

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Pupils’ achievement Outstanding

developing the pupils' communication and social skills enables pupils to access learning in a meaningful way, and some read well and with enthusiasm. Pupils also achieve accreditation in a range of ways, including life skills, which they particularly enjoy. Parents and carers are kept very well informed through regular detailed reports, enabling them to support their children’s learning at home. Placing authorities are kept very well informed through the review process. Pupils are very well prepared for their life after school through the life skills programme which helps them develop their independent living skills. Parents and carers are overwhelmingly positive in their praise of the school and the progress their child has made.

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Pupils’ behaviour and personal development Outstanding

Pupils’ behaviour and personal development are outstanding; this is extremely well supported by the curriculum and the excellent role modelling by staff. The school can demonstrate that pupils’ behaviour improves over time due to the consistent and calm implementation of the highly effective behaviour support systems and, as a result, their behaviour is now outstanding. Pupils are able to learn in a well-ordered environment with very well established routines. Some of the pupils were able to confirm that they enjoy school and the enthusiastic participation of others clearly demonstrates that they enjoy the full range of learning opportunities available to them. Attendance is very good. Some pupils undertake small tasks around the school which help to build their confidence and independence; older pupils independently photocopy their work and others take round the trolley of classroom supplies. Pupils are very well supported through the short periods of

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Pupils’ behaviour and personal development Outstanding

learning time, which are gradually extended as they acquire a longer concentration span. This growing self-confidence enables them to smoothly manage the changes throughout the day, supported by the very efficient staff team.

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Pupils’ behaviour and personal development Outstanding

Pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is outstanding. Pupils are becoming more able to get on with each other and the sixth form common room is always busy with pupils listening to music or enjoying using their hand-held technological devices. There is no bullying. The older pupils especially benefit from the practical life skills programme where they are learning to shop, cook their lunch and care for their surroundings, including the sensory garden. Pupils have a range of opportunities to contribute to school life, from collecting registers, taking part in the Christmas production and helping in charity fundraising events. The school has identified that the formation of a school council would give the pupils even more opportunities to express their ideas and become involved in seeing them come to fruition. The school has a high profile locally, with support from groups who visit the school and welcome the pupils to their activities. Pupils gain a

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Pupils’ behaviour and personal development Outstanding

good awareness of services and institutions by visiting the local shops, parks and libraries. The very wide range of visits outside school helps to promote this effectively, with Hampton Court Palace proving to be a very popular destination. Racial harmony is promoted well through the regular celebration of different festivals. The school ensures that pupils are always given balanced viewpoints when discussing topical affairs and ensure that no partisan political views are expressed in any teaching at the school.

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Quality of teaching Outstanding

The teaching is outstanding and, as a result, pupils achieve exceptionally well. Pupils are taught on a one-to-one basis or in small groups with individual support. They thrive in the calm and purposeful learning environment. Staff know pupils’ learning and emotional needs extremely well and put this knowledge to very effective use in matching the learning activities closely to the needs of each pupil. Staff work very well together as a team using a multi-disciplinary approach with speech and language and occupational therapy embedded in the curriculum. Staff have very high expectations for pupils’ achievement and independence, and work consistently to promote this goal. They are calm, predictable and reliable in their response to the pupils using the CABAS® approach and most pupils respond by engaging in the planned activities, showing high levels of enjoyment. Staff continually praise pupils’ success with very positive comments which help to

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Quality of teaching Outstanding

reinforce their self-confidence and self-esteem. Those pupils who are able are now given an increased opportunity to talk with staff during lessons and express their views. The establishment of clear routines of encouragement, repetition and reinforcement within the learning environment helps to support the pupils, enabling them to make more sense of their world. Continual emphasis is placed on developing pupils’ literacy and communication skills and these have increased considerably during the pupils’ time at the school. Those pupils without speech use visual prompts and information and communication technology (ICT) devices very effectively to communicate.

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Quality of teaching Outstanding

Pupils’ learning is rigorously tracked and analysed through methodical assessments throughout lessons, which are monitored to ensure accuracy. The data are carefully monitored to ensure that pupils are sufficiently challenged and supported in their learning. Pupils’ National Curriculum levels of attainment are assessed annually. The school’s data show that all pupils make at least good, and most making outstanding, progress according to their starting points; in particular, their progress in literacy, communication and social skills is exceptional.

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Quality of curriculum Outstanding

The curriculum is outstanding as it is thoroughly planned and meets the needs of the pupils exceptionally well, reflecting their statements of special educational needs. It enables them to make excellent progress. The school has made improvements to the curriculum since the last inspection. The therapeutic provision has been expanded with a larger team of specialist staff to more fully implement therapies across the curriculum. In addition, pupils’ use of individual ICT devices has increased considerably as both a learning and communication tool, and the facilities have improved for art, physical education, sensory integration and life skills. The curriculum is based on the National Curriculum and planned through relevant topics and themes on a three-year cycle and covers the required areas of learning. Personal, social, health and citizenship education (PSHCE) is embedded within the curriculum and permeates the school day. The older pupils’ needs

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Quality of curriculum Outstanding

are well met through accreditation using ASDAN (Award Scheme Development and Accreditation Network) and a range of appropriate courses. The curriculum is very well documented with detailed planning in place based on the principles of CABAS®. Staff devise a daily programme for each pupil, based on their individual needs, that shows clear progression and enables the pupils to make progress commensurate with their ability. Careers education takes the form of individual specialised support and work experience is provided through the Trust’s social enterprises, an onsite café, artwork and business suite. A very wide range of visits outside school further enhances the curriculum.

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Pupils’ welfare, health and safety Outstanding

Arrangements for the welfare, health and safety of the pupils are outstanding. The school’s leaders have ensured that all the regulations are met and the staff provides an exceptionally high level of care. There is a full and detailed range of clearly-written and up-to-date policies and procedures for all aspects of pupils’ welfare, including behaviour management, the prevention of bullying, safeguarding, safety both on and off site, and first aid. All of these meet requirements and are very effectively implemented. The school keeps meticulous records of any behaviour incidents. The required training for all staff in safeguarding is completed within the required timescales and to the appropriate levels. All staff are trained in first aid and all accidents are carefully recorded. All staff are checked for their suitability to work with children and the information is included in the single central register as required. All the required checks are made on the proprietors, governors and

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Pupils’ welfare, health and safety Outstanding

trustees, and are suitably recorded. Training in safer recruitment has been undertaken by a number of staff involved in making appointments. The school pays very careful attention to risk assessments, with very thorough assessments of activities both on and off site. Fire safety procedures are very robust with regular fire drills, checking of appliances and a detailed fire risk assessment. The attendance and admission registers meet the regulations. Supervision of pupils is vigilant. Health and safety procedures are extremely thorough and are kept under continuous review by the proprietors. Pupils are encouraged to adopt healthy lifestyles through a wide range of physical activities, and their eating and drinking are closely supervised. Pupils enjoy the food technology lessons and benefit from learning to prepare their own food, gaining valuable life skills.

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Leadership and management Outstanding

The leadership and management of the school are outstanding and have a very positive impact on the pupils’ learning and achievement. The headteacher, along with her senior management team, inspires the staff to work towards the highest levels of achievement for each pupil. Staff confirmed through the questionnaires that they are very proud to be working at the school and are very well supported by leaders and managers at all levels. They have opportunities for professional development and are well supported through annual appraisal. Teaching is regularly monitored and training provided, and the school has identified that peer observations between staff now need to be placed on a more formal footing. They are also aware that it would be helpful to create a school council to provide pupils with a further opportunity to express their ideas .

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Leadership and management Outstanding

The senior leadership is very ably supported by its board of governors and trustees, who all take an active role in the life of the school. They have an accurate view of the strengths of the school and how to move it forward. The detailed school development plan provides a clear outline for sustained improvement. The trustees provide a range of training opportunities focusing on autism in education for other groups throughout the year and play an active role in raising awareness of autism nationally, including leading research projects. The partnership with parents and carers is very strong and they are welcome into the school at any time. They are kept very well informed through the daily communication book; parents and carers consider this to be a very effective means of finding out about their child’s day, which may have a significant impact on their life at home that evening. Parents regard this as a very positive feature of their contact with the school

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Leadership and management Outstanding

with one parent describing it as ‘a lifeline’. The trustees have ensured that the premises and accommodation meet all of the regulations, and provide an attractive and welcoming environment. They ensure that parents, carers and placing authorities receive accurate and up-to-date information. All the independent school regulations are met, including those for safeguarding and the complaints procedures.

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Grade Judgement Description

Grade 1 Outstanding A school which provides an exceptional quality of education and significantly exceeds minimum requirements. Grade 2 Good A school which provides a high quality of education that exceeds minimum requirements. Grade 3 Adequate A school which meets minimum requirements but needs to improve the quality of education it provides. Grade 4 Inadequate A school where minimum requirements are not met and the quality of education has serious weaknesses.

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School details

Unique reference number 131976 Inspection number 422738 DfE registration number 936/6579 This inspection was carried out under section 162A of the Education Act 2002, as amended by schedule 8 of the Education Act 2005, the purpose of which is to advise the Secretary of State for Education about the school’s suitability for continued registration as an independent school. Type of school Special day school for pupils with autistic spectrum disorder School status Independent School Age range of pupils 5–19 years Gender of pupils Mixed Number of pupils on the school roll 53 Number of part time pupils 0 Proprietor The Jigsaw Trust Chair Sarah Collyer Headteacher Kate Grant Date of previous school inspection 29–30 September 2010 Annual fees (day pupils) £48,461–£51,232 Telephone number 01483 273874 Fax number 01483 548986 Email address kategrant@jigsawschool.co.uk guidance 'Complaining about inspections', which is available from Ofsted’s website: www.ofsted.gov.uk . If

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School details

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

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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

inspects to 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,

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School details

please 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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