Sherbourne Fields School

Sherbourne Fields School Rowington Close, Coventry, CV6 1PS

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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.  Pupils in all year groups make at least good progress and many make outstanding progress from very low starting points.  Pupils’ social, moral, spiritual and cultural development is outstanding. The school provides an excellent range of opportunities for them to explore various cultures and religions.  The headteacher and senior leaders, supported by a strong governing body, provide excellent leadership.  All staff know the pupils exceptionally well and use this information in their plans to enable pupils to achieve their very best.  Teaching is outstanding as there is a strong commitment to continually improve teachers’ skills.  The school provides a wide range of excellent learning opportunities. Older pupils have a rich choice of vocational and life skills courses available.  Teaching in the Early Years Foundation Stage is consistently outstanding, resources are excellent and the staff create a warm,

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

welcoming and highly caring environment in which all the children thrive.  The sixth form is outstanding. Teachers provide a wide range of practical activities that are highly relevant to pupils’ lives. These successfully promote their physical development and social skills.  Behaviour and safety are outstanding. Pupils have an excellent understanding of how to stay safe, both in and outside of school. They are very capable of discussing various forms of bullying and are highly competent in their understanding of e-safety.  Parents greatly value the support they receive and hold the school in high regard.  Leaders and managers at all levels are highly effective, using rigorous self-evaluation to plan future improvements. The senior leadership team and governors use their links with the local authority, local schools and regional partnerships to check and evaluate their work.  Governors and the senior leadership team

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

monitor teaching very effectively. They link the performance of teachers carefully to the Teachers’ Standards and robustly evaluate teachers’ pay and progression.

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Information about this inspection

 Inspectors observed 16 lessons. In 10 of these, they were joined by members of the senior leadership team.  Meetings were held with pupils, members of the senior leadership team, the Chair of the Governing Body and with two representatives from the local authority.  Inspectors looked at documentation regarding pupils’ progress, the school’s self-evaluation, school improvement information, safeguarding and child protection documents, attendance figures and examples of work around the school.  Inspectors took account of the 42 responses in a recent school questionnaire to parents, as there were insufficient responses to the online questionnaire (Parent View) for these to be displayed.

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Inspection team

Ronald Hall, Lead inspector Additional Inspector Carol Deakin Additional Inspector

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Information about this school

 Sherbourne Fields School is a smaller than average-sized special school for pupils with physical disabilities.  Over the past several years, the school has increasingly admitted pupils with far more complex learning difficulties, including those with autism and behavioural and social difficulties.  All pupils have a statement for special educational needs.  There are more boys than girls in the school.  Most pupils are White British.  Almost half the pupils are eligible for the pupil premium funding, which in this school provides extra funding to the school for pupils known to be eligible for free school meals.  The school is organised into 17 classes which are grouped by ability.  A large proportion of pupils join the school other than at the usual times.  The school is no longer part of a federation and has its own governing body.  The school has Lead School Status in the Achievement for All Award.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Improve the quality of teaching further by making sure that teachers make it clear to other adult helpers what they should do to help pupils in lessons, and checking that they carry out the teacher’s instructions.

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The achievement of pupils is outstanding

 Achievement for all pupils in this school is outstanding. From very low starting points, pupils make at least good and, for many, outstanding progress in English and mathematics, and in their physical, social, language and communication skills.

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The achievement of pupils is outstanding

 The proportion of pupils making and exceeding expected progress in English and mathematics and other learning and social skills compares favourably with that found nationally for pupils with similar disabilities and special educational needs. For those who can read, progress is at least good across the school, and the teaching of letters and the sounds they make (phonics) is good.

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The achievement of pupils is outstanding

 The large proportion of pupils who join the school at times other than those normally expected make at least good progress. This is due to the swiftness with which the school assesses their needs and puts into place provision to allow them to rapidly progress.

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The achievement of pupils is outstanding

 There are no differences in the progress made by different groups in the school, including those from minority ethnic groups and those for whom the school receives pupil premium funding.

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The achievement of pupils is outstanding

 Pupils’ excellent achievement is also seen in other activities in which they participate. For example, pupils recently took part in a conquering Snowdon event, in which they were highly successful.

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The achievement of pupils is outstanding

 As all staff have a high focus on building language and communication skills, pupils quickly gain confidence in a range of communication methods, including signing, electronic aids, pictorial symbols and verbal communication. All of these successfully feed into the pupils’ academic, physical and social achievements. This was clearly seen in a mathematics lesson, where a range of communication aids from interactive whiteboards, electronic switches, pictorial symbols and signing were used to enthuse pupils and aid their learning of simple counting skills.

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The achievement of pupils is outstanding

 The Early Years Foundation Stage provides a superb start to the children’s lives in school. Well- established routines provide structure and timings to the school day. Children quickly settle into the school and begin to make rapid progress.

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The achievement of pupils is outstanding

 The sixth form is outstanding due to exceptional teaching and the wide range of opportunities available to the pupils. The outstanding care and welfare arrangements staff provide set up the pupils well for their lives after school.

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The quality of teaching is outstanding

 Teaching across the school is consistently good and there is a high proportion that is outstanding. Teachers have high expectations and know their pupils exceptionally well. They make first-class use of the information they have about what pupils know and can do in order to meet pupils’ needs in the most effective way.

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The quality of teaching is outstanding

 The senior leadership team and all subject leaders participate fully in the development of teaching. This has led to year-on-year improvements in teaching and learning. The school also uses external checks to monitor pupils’ progress and make sure that the Teachers’ Standards are being fully met. Pupils and parents both rightly agree that teaching in the school is at least good.  In lessons, teachers and the other adults who support learning use a variety of methods and resources to make sure that pupils reach their full potential. They also make lessons as practical as possible, and relevant to the needs and abilities of each individual pupil. This was shown well in a science lesson related to animal hygiene, where pupils learnt about what animals ate. This provided excellent opportunities for pupils to develop their emotional skills and physical development as they handled a range of animals, and social skills as they worked together.

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The quality of teaching is outstanding

 Despite many pupils having severe physical difficulties, pupils are punctual to lessons. If any behavioural issues arise, they are tackled sensitively and effectively by staff, and no learning time is lost.

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The quality of teaching is outstanding

 In the Early Years Foundation Stage, teaching is consistently outstanding. It is characterised by staff providing a rich variety of suitably challenging experience, both indoors and outside, that enthuse children. Many of these are very practical in order to provide tactile experiences and opportunities for children to develop motor skills and to encourage social interaction. Staff monitor even the smallest examples of progress and this allows them to adapt their lessons to ensure that children are always making progress.

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The quality of teaching is outstanding

 Teachers in the sixth form have very high expectations. This has led to an increasing number of pupils taking a wider choice of vocational courses, including motor mechanics, food hygiene and information and communication technology courses. Teachers make sure that the transition into further education is a smooth one, and all but a few pupils successfully move onto and complete their courses.

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The quality of teaching is outstanding

 In all lessons observed, pupils were treated with great respect by all the adults, and this was reciprocated by the pupils. This is a key reason why pupils always want to do as well as they can. For example, in an English lesson, pupils were observed learning about how to create instructions. Due to the adults’ excellent skills, pupils quickly became fully engaged in the topic, fired-up to attempt the very challenging work set, and they worked at a rapid rate.

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The quality of teaching is outstanding

 The partnership between classroom teachers and the other adults who support learning is mostly excellent. In a small number of lessons, teachers do not always tell these adults what is expected of them, so time may be lost and pupils’ progress reduced. In a very small minority of lessons where the teacher has explained their expectations, the other adults who support learning do not always carryout these instructions fully, and again pupils’ progress is slowed.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are outstanding

 The behaviour of pupils is outstanding. Pupils start at the school with a wide range of learning difficulties and many have emotional, behavioural and social difficulties. All the staff in Sherbourne Fields School tackle these difficulties with sensitivity, compassion and understanding. This results in pupils quickly being able to control their behaviour and so little or no time is lost in lessons.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are outstanding

 Both pupils and parents say that behaviour in school is excellent. During the inspection, the inspectors found nothing but highly welcoming and polite pupils who often asked how they were and whether they were enjoying their visit to the school.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are outstanding

 Pupils develop confidence, self-esteem and a keen desire to learn, and this was seen in all the lessons observed. This is created through the excellent relationships between the pupils and the staff. Pupils are motivated to try hard because they like and are keen to please their teachers.  Pupils help each other across the school. This is seen in the daily reading sessions. In these, older pupils help the younger ones in their reading and encourage them to look at books and other reading materials. Break times and lunchtimes are highly sociable occasions.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are outstanding

 Progress in behaviour is seen in many ways at Sherbourne Fields, but none more so than in the significantly increasing number of occasions parents reported that they can take their child out for dinner, to a film, the theatre and other places for the first time with no issues arising.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are outstanding

 Pupils’ attendance in the school is high compared to that of other special schools, and this has improved steadily as teaching in the school has improved.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are outstanding

 The school’s work to keep pupils safe and secure is outstanding. Parents rightly feel the school is a safe and happy environment in which their children thrive. Pupils are clearly of the view that the school is a safe and secure place, and stated that they always had someone to talk to when needed. They felt that all the staff really cared for them and looked after all their needs.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are outstanding

 Pupils have an excellent understanding of the various types of bullying, e-safety and how to stay safe and healthy in general. They enjoy physical activity and pupils appreciate that this is an important part of being healthy.

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The leadership and management are outstanding

 The senior leadership team, subject leaders and other managers, and governors have constantly changed and improved the school since the last inspection.

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The leadership and management are outstanding

 All leaders and managers have high expectations. Senior leaders’ plans for the future development of the school are shared by all involved. Each leader and manager is held accountable for their areas of responsibility, which has helped to support the improvements throughout the school.

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The leadership and management are outstanding

 The partnerships the school has with the local authority, its local partnership schools and regional partnerships are excellent. These have played an important role in moderating and evaluating the work of the school at all levels. Their excellent partnership with specialist agencies makes sure that pupils’ physical, emotional, social and medical needs are fully met.

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The leadership and management are outstanding

 The school is developing the range and quality of the subjects taught to make sure that, at every age group, learning is relevant, fun and engaging. The older pupils are also being given a greater range of work experience and vocational skills opportunities.

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The leadership and management are outstanding

 Self-evaluation is highly robust and based solidly on accurate information collected through rigorous monitoring and tracking of all aspects of the school. All staff have high expectations and these, in turn, drive future developments and improvements, including the new primary curriculum and 14–19 provision.

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The leadership and management are outstanding

 The leadership and management of the Early Years Foundation Stage are outstanding. Excellent monitoring of teaching has resulted in teaching being consistently outstanding. The tracking and monitoring of children’s progress is highly effective and used to inform future planning and so ensure outstanding progress for pupils.

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The leadership and management are outstanding

 The leadership of the sixth form is outstanding due to the high calibre teaching, the excellent subject range provided for the pupils, and the continual development of the vocational subjects for the school’s oldest pupils. Pupils are well prepared for the next stage of their education and adult life through daily opportunities for shopping, cooking for themselves and managing money. The school ensures that they have independent information, advice and guidance in planning their next steps in education.

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The leadership and management are outstanding

 The various funding the school receives is used very well to develop the pupils as fully as possible. The primary sports funding is used to provide specialist training for staff as well as a greater range of sporting opportunities for the pupils. The pupil premium funding is used to provide specialist support for eligible pupils, resources to suit individual needs and extra staff to ensure that all pupils can and do participate fully in the life of the school. The Year 7 ‘catch-up’ funding has been effectively used to raise pupils’ achievement in Year 7, especially so for those who join the school at this point.

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The leadership and management are outstanding

 The performance management of teachers has been very effectively used to raise teaching standards. The senior leadership team and governing body link this rigorously to pupils’ progress and teachers’ pay and progression.

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The leadership and management are outstanding

 Pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is outstandingly developed through a wide range of visits and visitors to the school, as well as a well-constructed programme of study on different religions and cultures.

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The leadership and management are outstanding

 Links with parents are highly effective. This was clearly shown in the numerous positive comments regarding leadership and management in the school questionnaire.

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The leadership and management are outstanding

 All safeguarding elements meet requirements. All staff are provided with regular training. They know and follow procedures effectively and consistently.

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The leadership and management are outstanding

 The governance of the school:  Governance has improved markedly since the previous inspection, and governors now robustly challenge and support the school effectively. Since its return as the sole body governing the school in September 2013, members have carried out extensive training in order to make sure that they can fulfil their duties as effectively as possible. This has resulted in the governing body being much more competent and challenging in its role. Since the previous inspection, the governing body has made sure that it has full and accurate information on the school. It uses this to set challenging targets. The quality of teaching is monitored carefully and performance management systems are used effectively to decide on teachers’ pay and progression. All statutory duties are carried out effectively. The governing body has an excellent understanding of the school’s information on pupils’ progress and monitors the

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The leadership and management are outstanding

application of pupil premium funding and Year 7 ‘catch-up’ funding to make sure that these are spent effectively.

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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 103760 Local authority Coventry Inspection number 440501

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School details

This inspection was carried out under section 8 of the Education Act 2005. The inspection was also deemed a section 5 inspection under the same Act.

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School details

Type of school Special School category Community special Age range of pupils 2–19 Gender of pupils Mixed Gender of pupils in the sixth form Mixed Number of pupils on the school roll 125 Of which, number on roll in sixth form 32 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Jayne McNulty Headteacher Shivaun Moriarty Date of previous school inspection 28 November 2011 Telephone number 024 7659 1501 Fax number 024 7659 0517 Email address smoriarty@sherbournefields.coventry.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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