Medeshamstede Academy

City of Peterborough Academy, Special School Reeves Way, Peterborough, Cambridgeshire PE1 5LQ

p.1

Overall effectiveness

Previous inspection: Not previously inspected 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

p.1

Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

This is a good school.  Senior staff, the trust and the advisory council have high aspirations for pupils’ academic and personal development, and insist on high levels of performance from staff.  As a newly-opened academy, the strategic decisions taken over the initial 18 months have systematically developed teaching and strengthened leadership, placing the academy in a good position to fulfil future plans.  Pupils’ participation in lessons is good because teachers and support staff make sure that some pupils’ more difficult behaviour does not get in the way of learning.  Support staff make a significant contribution to good teaching.  Pupils of all ages make good academic progress from their individual starting points.  Pupils understand how to keep themselves safe and calm.  Pupils and parents are very positive about how the staff help them to improve their learning and behaviour.

p.1

It is not yet an outstanding school because

 Pupils’ personal development is not targeted rigorously enough.  Checks on pupils’ learning and personal development are not always carried out systematically by teachers.  A few pupils are not yet fully integrated into their class group.

p.1

Information about this inspection

 The Principal was notified of this inspection on the afternoon before the inspection started.  Meetings were held with the Principal, Deputy Principal, the Assistant Principal, teaching assistants, learning mentors, teachers, the bursar, the occupational therapist, the Chief Executive Officer and Executive Principal of Greenwood Dale Trust, pupils and parents.  There is no online Parent View questionnaire for the academy, so a paper copy was circulated and 13 parents responded. Their views were considered alongside the 27 responses to the questionnaire for staff.  Parts of 16 lessons were observed, 14 jointly with senior staff.  The academy’s monitoring of teaching and pupils’ learning, and pupils’ books were scrutinised.  A range of policies, plans and minutes of meetings were scrutinised, including the academy’s evaluation of its performance and the school improvement plan.  The single central record was checked.

p.2

Inspection team

Heather Yaxley, Lead inspector Her Majesty’s Inspector Kathleen Yates Additional Inspector

p.2

Information about this school

 The Department for Education has conducted four monitoring visits and the most recent visit was in December 2013.  The academy opened as a free school in September 2012 in temporary accommodation, and moved into purpose-built premises in June 2013 on the same site as City of Peterborough Academy.  The academy is one of 23 run by Greenwood Dale Foundation Trust.  The trust is responsible for governance and statutory responsibilities, and an advisory council provides non-statutory challenge and support.  The Principal was appointed in February 2013, the Assistant Principal in June 2013 and the Deputy Principal in January 2014.  There are currently pupils from the Reception Year to Year 8.  Each pupil has a statement of special educational needs for autism.  Almost half of the pupils are known to be eligible for support through the pupil premium (additional funding for pupils known to be eligible for free school meals, in local authority care or

p.3

Information about this school

with a parent in the armed services), which is much higher than the national average.  The school has only received its primary school sport funding allocation recently.  Very few pupils speak English as an additional language and a below average proportion of pupils are from minority ethnic groups.  Boys outnumber girls nine to one.  The academy does not make use of off-site alternative provision.

p.3

What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Improve the quality of assessment within teaching by:  using individual targets for pupils’ learning and behaviour in lesson plans so that activities and resources stretch pupils according to their needs and starting points  providing pupils with helpful written information about how teachers expect them to improve their work in subsequent lessons  making good use of the classroom environment to prompt and support pupils’ learning.

p.3

What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Improve the quality of assessment within strategic leadership by:  using targets for pupils’ academic and personal outcomes in improvement plans to carefully measure the impact of the actions taken  targeting, monitoring and tracking pupils’ personal development systematically, including their communication skills  extending tracking and evaluating pupils achievements to all subjects  making behaviour plans easier to use and easier for staff to check their effectiveness.

p.3

What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Improve the curriculum by:  using data to identify and plan additional support for those individuals and groups who are not making as much progress as they could  making sure pupils practise their academic, social and communication skills in relevant real-life settings more often  completing teaching and learning plans in preparation for Key Stage 4 students.

p.3

What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Make sure that all pupils integrate with their class groups successfully for as much time as possible.

p.4

The achievement of pupils is good

 Over the past 18 months, pupils have made good academic progress from their individual starting points in reading, writing and mathematics.

p.5

The achievement of pupils is good

 Improvements in pupils’ behaviour, alongside high aspirations from staff for them to do well, help pupils focus on learning and make up for past underachievement.

p.5

The achievement of pupils is good

 Data for the autumn term show that pupils who are at the academy for the longest time make the most progress.

p.5

The achievement of pupils is good

 Some pupils attain as highly as those in mainstream schools and most work at National Curriculum levels close to those expected for all pupils nationally within each key stage for literacy and numeracy.

p.5

The achievement of pupils is good

 Targets for pupils’ achievements in reading, writing and mathematics are challenging and tracked well but information for other subjects is not yet as thorough.

p.5

The achievement of pupils is good

 Pupils are keen and confident when reading aloud in all lessons. Pupils often read accurately but, in keeping with their learning needs, do not always have a good understanding of what they read.

p.5

The achievement of pupils is good

 Systematic teaching of phonics (the sounds that letters make) helps almost all pupils reach the nationally expected level in the phonic check.

p.5

The achievement of pupils is good

 Pupil-premium funding and Year 7 catch-up funding are used to give additional support for reading. These funds help eligible pupils make good progress, including applying their reading skills more generally in lessons. It is too early to judge the impact of the primary school sport funding on eligible pupils’ achievement.

p.5

The achievement of pupils is good

 Pupils speak very positively about having to work hard and do things without adults helping them all the time. They can explain what they have learned and how they approach tasks.

p.5

The achievement of pupils is good

 Scrutiny of pupils’ past work, observations of pupils learning in lessons by inspectors and by academy leaders, show over time that pupils make good progress in most lessons.

p.5

The achievement of pupils is good

 Parents who expressed a view believe that their children achieve well, but have mixed views on how well academic achievements are communicated to them.

p.5

The quality of teaching is good

 Teaching is good because, as a team, teachers and support staff are well prepared so that pupils learn well. Teachers and other adults manage behaviour sensitively so that learning is not disrupted.

p.5

The quality of teaching is good

 Occasionally, pupils learn less because they do not build on what they know at a fast enough rate. In such instances, the teacher has planned activities that are too easy, or too difficult, for some.  Many pupils are taught in small groups. This approach is successfully helping those pupils who were taught in their previous schools though one to one teaching or had part time timetables.

p.5

The quality of teaching is good

 In the Early Years Foundation Stage, the staff, the Deputy Principal and the occupational therapist has recently changed the layout of the room and organise activities differently. These changes are leading to some impressive improvements in children’s learning.

p.6

The quality of teaching is good

 Access to teaching and learning outside the classroom for children in the Early Years Foundation Stage is hampered by the limited covered area.

p.6

The quality of teaching is good

 The teaching of physical education, most of which takes place in the mainstream academy’s gymnasium and is taught by a subject specialist from the special academy, is particularly strong.

p.6

The quality of teaching is good

 Teachers’ marking, the use of personal targets and displays of work have improved as a result of recent training but do not yet provide all pupils with good quality information on how to improve academic and personal skills.

p.6

The quality of teaching is good

 An over-use of worksheets means that pupils do not record enough of their work for themselves.

p.6

The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

 The behaviour of pupils is good because staff work systematically and collaboratively to reduce pupils’ anxieties. As a result, learning generally takes place in a calm, purposeful atmosphere.

p.6

The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

 Pupils are given time and space to manage their own behaviour when things become difficult and are taught how to spot the early warning signs. This supports them well to return to learning quickly, and to think about their behaviour.

p.6

The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

 Some of the pupil premium funding is used to support pupils’ emotional and social development, such as mentoring for achievement and attendance. This helps those eligible pupils to be ready to learn and make up for lost learning.

p.6

The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

 The complex behaviour of a few pupils means that they are taught for most of the time away from the class. There is a plan for each pupil to reintegrate with their class but these plans are not put into action quickly enough.

p.6

The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

 The Deputy Principal has identified improvements needed in planning and tracking pupils’ personal development, particularly their behaviour, and is revising the policy and plans.

p.6

The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

 Parents and pupils say that swearing is sometimes a concern, but agreed that this is usually a problem for individuals and is not widespread.

p.6

The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

 The academy’s work to keep pupils safe is good because pupils are effectively supervised by well-trained staff. Pupils are encouraged to think about the impact that their behaviour has on others and they are taught about potential dangers.

p.6

The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

 Pupils know about internet safety and how to use equipment safely both in class and on the playground. They know that bullying of any kind is wrong.

p.6

The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

 Pupils have a very mature sense of their own behaviour and that of others. As a result when individual pupils struggle to behave well, others do not join in the poor behaviour and feel safe and confident to stay out of the way or seek support from staff.

p.6

The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

 Attendance, currently at 97%, is higher than the national average for mainstream schools.

p.7

The leadership and management are good

 The Principal sets high expectations and has a very clear vision for the future of the academy.

p.7

The leadership and management are good

 From a newly-formed group of staff who had not worked together before, the Principal has developed a strong team of dedicated, happy and confident professionals.

p.7

The leadership and management are good

 The new Deputy Principal has made a good start in taking the lead for improving teaching and pupils’ learning. Although too early to see the full impact, this is already making a difference to staff confidence and pupils’ achievements.

p.7

The leadership and management are good

 The Assistant Principal is sensibly concentrating on developing appropriate schemes of work and resources, particularly for literacy and mathematics, which will grow as the academy expands.

p.7

The leadership and management are good

 Plans for teaching and learning are strong in their focus on age-appropriate content and resources across the full range of National Curriculum subjects. Plans for when pupils reach Key Stage 4 are still being developed.

p.7

The leadership and management are good

 Pupils’ access to learning is enhanced by the enthusiasm of staff to collaborate with other professionals, such as the occupational therapist, the speech and language therapist and advisers from the trust.

p.7

The leadership and management are good

 Academy staff at all levels benefit from professional contact with other academies in the trust and from specialist advisers employed by the trust. These links are particularly valuable as the academy develops and currently support developments in special educational needs, literacy, numeracy and attendance.

p.7

The leadership and management are good

 Parents are very appreciative of how staff work with them on the things that are important to them in supporting their children at home.

p.7

The leadership and management are good

 Although well-trained and confident in managing pupils’ behaviour, some staff would like more training to manage the complex behaviour of individual pupils.

p.7

The leadership and management are good

 Staff and parents rightly point out that pupils have limited opportunities to practise their skills in a range of real-life situations, such as within the community.

p.7

The leadership and management are good

 Strategic plans lack a sharp focus on what pupils, including groups of pupils, will achieve as a result of planned improvements. This makes it difficult to evaluate whether the actions make enough positive difference to pupils’ achievements.

p.7

The leadership and management are good

 The system for tracking pupils’ achievements is relatively new and is being developed by leaders to suit the needs of their pupils. Targets for pupils are challenging, mostly based on expectations for mainstream pupils. However, the school’s data tracking system has only recently been able to identify accurately and with confidence who needs additional support.

p.7

The leadership and management are good

 Pupils’ emotional, social and behavioural development is not tracked systematically enough for leaders and teachers to have a clear view about how well pupils develop personal skills.  Detailed financial planning by the Principal and bursar put the academy in a good position to move ahead with long-term plans and improvements. These include resources for information and communication technology, teaching and learning plans for Key Stage 4 and the long-term maintenance of the site. The academy has already invested in high quality resources, such as sensory rooms and play equipment.

p.7

The leadership and management are good

 The governance of the school:  The trust demands high performance and commitment from staff. It monitors the academy’s performance frequently from a range of sources. Consequently the trust is well informed about the academy’s work, including the use and impact of additional resources, such as the pupil premium funding. Arrangements to safeguard pupils meet requirements. Staff’s performance is monitored frequently in collaboration with the Principal and performance is linked appropriately with pay.  The Principal, Deputy Principal and Assistant Principal welcome the considerable accountability that the trust requires. They benefit from the frequency of the professional challenge and the timeliness with which the trust can offer advice and support to staff at all levels. The advisory council helpfully adds an additional source of challenge and support from parents and professionals.  The trust provides generic policies for all of its academies. These are not tailored sufficiently

p.8

The leadership and management are good

well to give staff at this academy specific guidance to deliver what their particular pupils need, such as the policies for special educational needs, safeguarding pupils and behaviour management.

p.8

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

p.9

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.

p.9

School details

Unique reference number 138271 Local authority Peterborough Inspection number 425152

p.10

School details

This inspection of the school was carried out under section 5 of the Education Act 2005.

p.10

School details

Type of school Special School category Academy free school Age range of pupils 4–18 Gender of pupils Mixed Number of pupils on the school roll 57 Appropriate authority Greenwood Dale Foundation Trust Chair Barry Day (Chief Executive Officer of the trust) Principal Sue Bailey Date of previous school inspection Not previously inspected Telephone number 01733 821403 Email address admin@copaspecialschool.org 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 .

p.10

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.

p.11

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

p.11

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

p.11

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’.

p.11

School details

T: 0300 123 4234 Textphone: 0161 618 8524 E: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk W: www.ofsted.gov.uk

p.11