Dolphin School (Incorporating Noahs Ark Nursery Schools)

Queen Elizabeth II Jubilee School Kennet Road, London, W9 3LG

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Overall effectiveness

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

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Overall effectiveness

This is a good school.  Relationships at all levels throughout the school community are characterised by respect, patience and understanding. This ensures that all pupils whatever their age are enabled to develop well. Parents and carers comment that all the staff at the school care exceptionally well for the pupils and this is one of the reasons why they chose the school.  All pupils make good progress from their starting points. They learn to relate exceptionally well to adults and each other.  The sixth form is good, where each individual pupil is well prepared for the next stage of education, training or employment.  Class teaching teams are well led and provide interesting activities for a wide range of ability and need in each class. Teamwork between teachers and support staff is excellent, resulting in high expectations of what pupils can achieve.  Pupils behave well, are enthusiastic in lessons, feel safe and are keen to participate and learn.

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Overall effectiveness

 Senior leaders have made sure that the range of subjects is exciting and stimulating. This, combined with improvements in teaching, is resulting in recent improvements in pupils’ progress.  Governors know about the good quality of teaching at the school.  Partnerships with parents and carers, outreach and training services and a local charity are excellent, resulting in a vibrant school community that is continually making improvements.

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It is not yet an outstanding school because:

 Not all teachers in all lessons make sure that learning is planned accurately, using knowledge of each pupils’ starting point, and review it frequently and precisely throughout the school day with pupils and support staff.  There have been insufficient opportunities for excellent practice in teaching to be shared widely through the whole school.

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Information about this inspection

 The inspection team observed 16 lessons taught by nine teachers, of which eight were jointly observed with the head of school and assistant headteacher.  Meetings were held with the executive headteacher, senior and middle leaders, the Chair of the Governoring Body and the safeguarding governor, and an advisor from the local authority. Informal conversations were held with pupils and parents and carers.  The inspection team scrutinised school documentation, including information relating to assessment and pupils’ progress, pupil premium records, the sport premium action plan, case studies, performance management records, governing body meeting minutes, planning for school improvement and records about behaviour, attendance and safeguarding.  There were five responses to the online questionnaire, Parent View, which were not possible to view. The team considered a survey of parents’ and carers’ views recently undertaken by the

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Information about this inspection

school. They took account of 25 questionnaires received from staff.

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Inspection team

Janet Dinsmore, Lead inspector Additional Inspector Mary Geddes Additional Inspector

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Information about this school

 This special school is part of the Federation of Westminster Special Schools with College Park School and the Outreach and training service. This federation was formalised in January 2012 with a single governing body and the appointment of the executive headteacher. College Park was inspected at the same time as this school.  All pupils have a statement of special educational needs. The proportion of those with more complex needs is increasing. The number of pupils in the sixth form has decreased and the number of children in the Reception class has increased significantly since the previous inspection.  Over three quarters of the pupils are from minority ethnic groups and many of these are learning English as an additional language. These proportions are much higher than average.  The proportion of pupils who start at the school at times than would otherwise be expected is much higher than average.

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Information about this school

 The majority of pupils are known to be eligible for free school meals and therefore in receipt of the pupil premium (additional government funding). All Year 7 pupils are eligible for catch-up premium funding.  The school mainly offers the Award Scheme Development and Accreditation Network (ASDAN) externally accredited courses and does not enter pupils early for other examinations.  Since the previous inspection parts of the school have moved to a new building incorporating health services and providing hydrotherapy facilities.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Improve teaching to accelerate pupils’ progress by:  making sure that learning is planned accurately using knowledge of each pupils’ starting point  reviewing learning frequently and precisely throughout the school day with pupils and support staff.  Improve the leadership and management of teaching so that there are more opportunities for outstanding practice to be shared through a system of coaching and mentoring.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 All pupils make good progress from their starting points. Their individual learning characteristics are very different and these are considered carefully when teachers check their progress.  Pupils learn to communicate well. The youngest pupils respond well to song, rhyme and story, indicating their involvement by pressing a button, smiling and beginning to make sounds. As they progress they begin to use signing and words.  Older pupils and those in the sixth form demonstrate well their ability to work on their own, understanding how to check the timetable, and knowing what to do when they have completed an activity. They can complete tasks by themselves, for example matching letters and sounds and finding keys on a keyboard.  Children in the Early Years Foundation Stage settle in well, form good relationships with staff and demonstrated that they can make choices and communicate well.  Pupils make good progress with early reading skills. Older pupils can recognise symbols and use

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The achievement of pupils is good

these to construct answers to verbally presented questions. Pupils who are learning English as an additional language make good progress with communication.  Pupils in Key Stages 4 and 5 have frequent opportunities to learn and practise work-related skills in the café, learning how to use public transport and gardening at The Royal Parks. They make good progress in these activities.  Pupils develop well physically; they have many opportunities to explore texture and shape and independent mobility is continually demonstrated by many of the disabled pupils.  Pupils known to be eligible for the Year 7 catch-up and pupil premium funding, including those eligible for free school meals, make good progress. There is no difference in their progress in either mathematics or English and that of their peers at any key stage in this school. Being the majority, they are making better progress than their peers nationally in these subjects.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 Older pupils who are new to the school settle quickly and make good progress because they are in a school that has a comprehensive understanding of their learning needs and how to maximise their achievement in all areas of learning and development.  Progress of pupils in all areas of learning, physical and social development as well as key skills in literacy and numeracy is beginning to accelerate because of the imaginative integrated planned learning activities. Achievement is not yet outstanding because not enough pupils are making outstanding progress.

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The quality of teaching is good

 All staff are trained well and have expertise to design learning to meet a wide variety of complex special educational needs, medical needs and disabilities. They know individual pupils exceptionally well. This enables them to respond quickly and sensitively to pupils, however they communicate, guiding them to the next steps of learning.  Excellent staff skills in music, drama and art make sure that lessons are creative, using pictures, sound and texture. This makes learning fun and interesting for all pupils. The class teaching teams work very well together in each class changing activities so that learning is maximised.  Staff use a wide range of creative abilities to make learning exciting and stimulating. For pupils with profound and multiple learning difficulties a continual range of experiences making the most of all senses is characteristic of the good and outstanding teaching.  Activities are well designed to enable a range of skills to be learnt and practised. For example,

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The quality of teaching is good

the water theme was explored in one lesson with paint, foot spas and in another, exploring boats, floating, sinking and jelly.  Teachers and support staff have expertise in organising good, structured learning activities for those pupils with complex needs and autistic spectrum conditions. Routines, individual visual timetables and rotation of well-paced activities make sure that pupils make good progress and minimise anxiety. There is consistency across all key stages for this approach so that skills are built well as pupils move from class to class.  The range of subjects provides excellent opportunities for pupils’ outstanding cultural and spiritual development. The creativity is excellent, enabling pupils to express themselves through a range of media and experience many aspects of art, culture and performance. Older pupils have opportunities to complete the Duke of Edinburgh Award, learning teamwork and

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The quality of teaching is good

contributing to the community.  Where teaching is outstanding teachers plan exceptionally well from their expert knowledge of each individual to make sure that each activity enables all the pupils to make good progress in several areas of learning and development. The learning is reviewed accurately at the end of the lesson so that pupils and support staff know exactly how much has been achieved and teachers can plan specifically for the next small steps of learning. However, in less successful lessons this is not precise, timely or specific enough and there is insufficiently detailed review of this with support staff.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

 Pupils behave exceptionally well in lessons. They are motivated, recognising their friends and demonstrating excellent social development. They understand right and wrong through the consistent behaviour management.  They know they are safe, checking visitors’ badges and recognising people who are unfamiliar. They show great trust and affection for all staff, who keep them safe.  Attendance is above average for schools of this type. Some pupils have complex medical conditions that mean time away from school for treatment. The school organisation and integrated health services mean that learning is not interrupted for routine appointments and recommendations from a range of therapists and their assistants can be incorporated very well into daily activities.  Pupils arrive at school enthusiastically and demonstrate their enthusiasm in lessons and in the playground.  The management of individual pupils who may present challenging behaviour is good because of

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

the expertise of the staff and on-going discussions and adjustments that minimise incidents. Incidents are well recorded but not yet analysed in sufficient detail to determine whether there are any school-wide modifications that can be made. There are no racist incidents or bullying.  Occasionally in less successful lessons, pupils become slightly distracted because they are not so involved in learning.

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The leadership and management are good

 The senior leaders at this school have made sure that the improvements to teaching and attendance that were recommended at the previous inspection have happened. This demonstrates capacity for improvement. They are making sure that subject and department leaders are trained well for their roles and this is making a strong contribution to improving teaching.  Teachers’ performance is managed well. Teachers’ classroom practice has improved through the setting of specific targets. There is no underperformance. There are insufficient opportunities for teachers who regularly demonstrate outstanding practice to share this with colleagues through a system of coaching and mentoring. Leadership and management are not yet outstanding because leaders have not yet secured consistently outstanding teaching across the school.  The systems for checking pupils’ progress are robust and follow national guidance for pupils

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The leadership and management are good

working at low levels. Leaders have begun to check this more regularly. This system has not yet been in place for long enough to fully hold teachers to account for the progress of their pupils. This checking is beginning to show accelerated progress for pupils.  The leadership of the Early Years Foundation Stage is currently incorporated with the whole of the lower school. There has only very recently been a significant number of children at this key stage. Leaders are fully aware of the further developments that may be needed to make sure these children make the best possible progress.  The leadership of the sixth form is good. The planning of activities through wider community links and in partnership with College Park gives real-life opportunities for pupils to practise their skills. There are excellent links with parents and carers and other colleges and providers to plan for each pupil’s future when they leave.

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The leadership and management are good

 There is an excellent partnership, through the federation, with the outreach and training service. This provides tailor-made training for school staff and good links with mainstream schools. This also results in very accurate checking of pupils’ progress with colleagues from a wide variety of other settings, so it is accurate.  The school also has an excellent partnership with a local charitable provider. They provide good enrichment to the curriculum, through the after-school club and support to parents and carers. All staff continually make sure that there is equality of opportunity and no discrimination in all aspects of the school, both in lessons and the wider curriculum.  Pupil premium funding has been used to train support staff with specific responsibilities and provide training in speech and language, physiotherapy and occupational therapy. This has resulted in those pupils making accelerated progress in communication and achieving better than

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The leadership and management are good

their peers. It has also been used to provide access to external sporting facilities that have enabled better physical development and involvement in the local community so preparing pupils to move on from the school. Plans for primary school sport funding will give a wider range of opportunities for pupils’ physical development.  Statutory safeguarding requirements are met and all staff are trained well to make sure pupils’ safety is paramount.  The local authority provided support to the federation as it formed, and is now confident in the leadership of the headteacher and senior staff to continue to improve the school.  The governance of the school:  Governors are trained well and have a good range of skills from education, the legal profession, finance and business to hold the school to account. They use resources effectively and increasingly challenge the school well. They provide support for the executive

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The leadership and management are good

headteacher, who ensures that the salary progression of staff is directly related to performance in the classroom. They receive regular reports from the executive headteacher and the local authority and are increasingly confident in asking questions so that they fully understand the issues, particularly when they receive better information on pupils’ progress. They each visit classes in the school regularly, and have a good understanding of the quality of teaching. Committee members direct appropriate funds for learners who attract the sport, Year 7 catch-up and pupil premium to make sure those individual learners are supported and helped in lessons. Governors independently audit the safeguarding arrangements and are well trained to do so. They ensure that the school is as safe as it can be for the pupils in its care. The Chair of the Governing Body is trained well to make sure that the performance

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The leadership and management are good

management of the headteacher is effective in continuing to improve the school. In addition, training is planned for all governors to increase their understanding of the different types of information used to calculate pupils’ progress in special schools and in comparison to others nationally.

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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 101084 Local authority Westminster Inspection number 427153

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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 All-through School category Community special Age range of pupils 4–19 Gender of pupils Mixed Gender of pupils in the sixth form Mixed Number of pupils on the school roll 63 Of which, number on roll in sixth form 10 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair June Simson Headteacher Olivia Meyrick Date of previous school inspection 30 November 2010−1 December 2010 Telephone number 020 7641 5825 Fax number 020 7641 5823 Email address office@qe2cp.westminster.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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