John Grant School, Caister-on-Sea

John Grant School, Caister- on-Sea St George's Drive, Caister-on-Sea, Great Yarmouth, NR30 5QW

p.1

Overall effectiveness

Previous inspection: Requires improvement 3 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.  Children in the Early Years Foundation Stage, pupils across the school and students in the sixth form make good progress in their learning over time. They make good progress in communication, literacy numeracy and personal, social and health education.  Many pupils with autism make outstanding progress in speaking and in personal social and health education.  The impact of teaching on pupils’ learning over time has improved significantly since the previous inspection and is good.  Pupils benefit from the effective use of signing, symbols and well-chosen practical resources to stimulate their learning.  The overall effectiveness of the sixth form is good.  Teachers and teaching assistants work well together to ensure pupils’ good learning and progress. Relationships with pupils are good and behaviour is managed well.  Behaviour is good and the school’s efforts to ensure pupils are safe are also good. Parents

p.1

Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

confirm that behaviour and safety are good.  Good leadership form the headteacher and deputy headteacher have ensured that the school has made good progress since the last inspection, especially in raising pupils’ achievements by improving the quality of teaching.  Governors hold the school to account for its work and are contributing positively to school improvement.

p.1

It is not yet an outstanding school because

 Teaching is not consistently good across the school and not enough is outstanding.  Pupils do not always know what they are expected to achieve in lessons.  Pupils’ work is not consistently annotated so that the progress they make over time and their next steps for learning are clearly seen.  Subject leaders do not regularly check that teachers always inform pupils of what they are expected to achieve in lessons or consistently record the small steps of progress pupils are making when their books are marked.

p.1

Information about this inspection

 Inspectors visited 12 lessons and saw nearly all teachers. Nine of these were joint observations with senior leaders.  Inspectors looked at children’s work in the Early Years Foundation Stage, pupils’ work across the school jointly with subject leaders and students’ work in the sixth form. They also heard pupils read.  Meetings were held with different groups of pupils and informal discussions took place at break time and at lunch time with other pupils. Meetings were also held with senior leaders, the Early Years Foundation Stage teacher, the sixth form leader, subject leaders and three governors. A telephone discussion was held with the local authority representative.  Inspectors considered the views of parents. They met 20 individual parents and took account of the school’s surveys of parents’ views as there were too few responses to the online parent questionnaire Parent View. Inspectors also looked at questionnaires returned by staff.

p.2

Information about this inspection

 Inspectors observed the school’s work and looked at a range of documentation, including the summary self-evaluation, school improvement plan, the outcome of the HMI monitoring visit, local authority and challenge partner reviews of the school’s work, minutes of governing body meetings, safeguarding policies, records of behaviour, attendance figures and information about pupils’ progress over time.

p.2

Inspection team

Declan McCarthy, Lead inspector Additional Inspector Debra McCarthy Additional Inspector

p.2

Information about this school

 John Grant school caters for pupils with complex disabilities and special educational needs relating to severe learning difficulties, profound and multiple learning difficulties and autism.  All pupils have a statement of special educational needs.  The proportion of pupils for whom the school receives pupil premium funding is well above average. This is additional government funding for pupils entitled to free school meals or who are looked after by the local authority.  Most pupils are White British and very few speak English as an additional language.  No pupils attend alternative provision for part of their education.  Since the last inspection, the school has had three visits by HMI to check the progress made against the areas for improvement identified at the previous inspection.  In November 2013, the school changed its status from a community special school to a foundation special school, becoming part of Trust Norfolk SEN in partnership with other Norfolk

p.3

Information about this school

special schools. The accommodation has been extended with a new swimming pool and a new reception area. The leadership team has been extended with the appointment of a new assistant headteacher and a new Chair of the Governing Body is in post.

p.3

What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Ensure that all teaching is at least good and increase the proportion of outstanding teaching in order to raise achievement by making sure that:  pupils always know what they are expected to achieve during lessons  pupils’ work is consistently annotated so that their progress they make over time and their next steps for learning are clearly identified  subject leaders regularly check that teachers always inform pupils of what they are expected to achieve in lessons and consistently record the small steps of progress pupils are making when their work is marked.

p.3

The achievement of pupils is good

 The school’s information about the progress pupils are making, evidence from their books and learning seen in lessons show that pupils make good progress over time from their very low staring points on entry to the school. This represents good improvement in pupils’ achievement since the previous inspection.

p.4

The achievement of pupils is good

 Children in the Early Years Foundation Stage get off to a good start and make good progress, particularly in communication, because staff work effectively as a team and maintain close links with parents.

p.4

The achievement of pupils is good

 Pupils across the school make good progress in communication, literacy, numeracy and personal social and health education. The proportions of pupils making expected and more than expected progress has risen since the previous inspection. Nearly all are now making at least expected progress and almost a third of pupils are making more than expected progress.

p.4

The achievement of pupils is good

 Many pupils with autism make outstanding progress in speaking and personal social and health education. This is because staff are well trained in the using structured systems to support communication and implement these consistently across the school.

p.4

The achievement of pupils is good

 Other pupils, including the more able and those with profound and multiple learning difficulties, are making equally good progress as their classmates because learning tasks, teaching methods and resources are matched to their different needs.

p.4

The achievement of pupils is good

 Pupils eligible for the pupil premium also make equally good progress as their classmates in communication, reading, writing, mathematics and personal social and health education because they benefit from good support for their learning.

p.4

The achievement of pupils is good

 Pupils are taking part in a wide range of sporting activities, regular exercise and staying healthy because primary sports funding is used well to support these activities.

p.4

The achievement of pupils is good

 Students in the sixth form make good progress in developing work-related learning and independence skills and are well prepared for the next stage of their lives. Since the previous inspection, all sixth form students successfully transferred to further education or day care provision and have sustained these places one year on.

p.4

The quality of teaching is good

 Evidence from pupils’ books, school data and looking at learning in lessons shows a significant improvement in the quality of teaching since the last inspection. This is confirmed in the ongoing checks of the impact of teaching on pupils’ learning over time by the school, and through external monitoring and local authority visits. These all show that teaching is mainly good, some is outstanding and only occasionally does it require improvement. In discussion, parents also confirmed that teaching is good.

p.4

The quality of teaching is good

 Pupils are able to learn effectively and complete the tasks set for them because teaching assistants work well with teachers to ensure that learning tasks are matched to different levels of ability. For example in one lesson where the least-able pupils were linking letter sounds, teaching assistants systematically recorded the small steps of progress pupils made in developing listening and communication by linking a sound to a specific object, such as a closing door or a photocopier. At the same time, another teaching assistant used letter blocks and flash cards to encourage recognition of letter sounds while the class teacher worked with a group of more-able pupils in writing words beginning with the ‘ch’ sound. This good support for the least- able pupils and for those eligible for pupil premium is also evident in their work and in the school’s data on pupils’ progress. In these, symbols are used as an aid to understanding and

p.4

The quality of teaching is good

sequences of photographs of their learning activities show they are achieving well.

p.5

The quality of teaching is good

 Teachers make good use of signing, symbols, pictures, communication switches, references to real-life objects, soft toys and practical resources to ensure that all pupils develop new skills. For example, pupils saw real-life examples and pictures of proteins carbohydrates and fats to develop their skills in selecting different foods for a well-balanced meal.

p.5

The quality of teaching is good

 Staff in the Early Years Foundation Stage make good use of symbols and signing, and work closely together to ensure that children make good progress in learning.

p.5

The quality of teaching is good

 All staff maintain good relationships with pupils and manage their behaviour well. As a result, pupils make every effort to do their best and work hard in lessons.

p.5

The quality of teaching is good

 Teaching in the sixth form is good because it focuses on the application of literacy and numeracy skills to real-life situations and develops independence skills. For example, in horticulture students estimated and measured the height and width of fences, and painted the names of garden herbs on tyres so that they were clearly visible.

p.5

The quality of teaching is good

 The basic skills of literacy numeracy and communication are well taught. This is reflected in the good progress pupils are making in these areas, the good quality presentation of their work and the pride they take in their books.

p.5

The quality of teaching is good

 Assessment is used well to set individual targets for pupils. Usually, pupils’ work is annotated so that they and others can clearly see the progress they are making and what they will move onto next. However, this is not always the case. Pupils do not always know what they are expected to achieve by the end of the lesson because it is sometimes not made clear enough to them.

p.5

The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

 The behaviour of pupils is good and has improved significantly since the last inspection. Pupils and parents confirm that behaviour is typically good, and there have been no exclusions in the last reporting period. Pupils respond well to the system of rewards and sanctions in the school, and to the good management of behaviour by staff. There are few disruptive incidents and, when these occur, they are dealt with quickly and effectively. Pupils with the most challenging behaviours make good progress over time, which was confirmed in discussion with some parents.

p.5

The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

 Pupils are polite and enjoy talking to visitors. They are helpful towards one another and show respect for staff.

p.5

The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

 Pupils have good attitudes to learning and take a pride in their achievements. They enjoy all that the school offers and this is reflected in the high participation of pupils in after-school and lunchtime clubs, as well as improvements in their attendance.

p.5

The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

 Children in the Early Years Foundation Stage develop an increasing awareness of their routines and settle into school as a result of good teamwork among staff who work closely with parents.  In discussion, different pupils said that bullying was rare and is usually dealt with effectively by staff. The more-able pupils showed an awareness of different types of bullying and how it affects others.

p.5

The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

 The behaviour of students in the sixth form is good and they have an awareness of the importance of good behaviour in school and when going on schools trips.

p.6

The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

 The school’s work to keep pupils safe and secure is good. All potential risks in school and when going on school trips are rigorously assessed. Pupils abide by the rules of safety in the playground; they handle equipment carefully and move safely from one area of the school to another. Students in the sixth form discussed safe travel during the inspection before they went on the train to Norwich, demonstrating an acute awareness of the importance of staying behind the yellow line on the station platform, and knowing to only enter the carriage when the train was stationary and when other passengers had disembarked.

p.6

The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

 The vast majority of pupils, except those who need additional therapy or hospitalisation, attend regularly and on entering school are happy and eager to start learning.

p.6

The leadership and management are good

 The headteacher and deputy headteacher are working effectively together to drive improvements forward. Since the previous inspection, their close monitoring and support for teaching has seen a rise in the proportion of good and better teaching, the eradication of inadequate teaching and a significant reduction in the proportion of teaching which requires improvement. This reflects good management of staff performance, which has raised achievement and improved teaching. This has also been recognised in the various monitoring visits by external consultants, the local authority and HMI.

p.6

The leadership and management are good

 Self-evaluation is accurate and used well to drive improvements forward. For example, the school identified that pupils with autism were not successfully developing their communication and social interaction skills. Leaders put in place additional specialist training to ensure greater consistency in using pictures, signing and visual materials to improve communication. As a result, there has been a marked improvement since the previous inspection in the progress these pupils are making in communication.

p.6

The leadership and management are good

 Senior leaders look at the information about pupils’ progress on a termly basis. They use this alongside their observations of learning in lessons to identify strengths in teaching and flag up any weaknesses. Senior leaders have modelled good teaching and mentored staff that were identified as needing additional support, which has had a significant impact on improving the quality of teaching.

p.6

The leadership and management are good

 Subject leaders are developing their roles and have a good understanding of how teaching is impacting on pupils’ learning over time within their subjects. However, they are not checking that teachers are consistently making clear to pupils what they are expected to achieve in lessons. Also, they are not checking the quality of teacher’s annotations in pupils’ work to show the progress made and the next steps for learning.

p.6

The leadership and management are good

 Leadership of the Early Years Foundation Stage and leadership of the sixth form are good. This ensures that children develop their skills securely and that sixth form students are well prepared for the next stage of their lives. Close links with Yarmouth College and enterprise initiatives, such as the café and the poly tunnel, facilitate smooth and successful transfer to college and the development of independence skills for when students leave school.

p.6

The leadership and management are good

 There is a strong emphasis on developing pupils’ basic skills of communication, literacy, numeracy and their personal, social and health education across the school. This has resulted in good achievement in these areas together with good opportunities to enrich pupils’ learning. The wide range of after-school clubs, lunchtime clubs and visits to places of interest increase enjoyment and enrich learning.

p.7

The leadership and management are good

 Pupils’ spiritual moral social and cultural development is enhanced through the many opportunities for reflection, considering issues of right from wrong, and by developing an awareness of different cultures and trading through subjects such as art, music and food technology.

p.7

The leadership and management are good

 Leaders have ensured that the pupil premium funding is used well to provide additional individual support for learning where needed. This has resulted in there being no significant difference in the progress these pupils make compared to their classmates.

p.7

The leadership and management are good

 Good use of primary school sports funding to improve teaching skills and provide extra sporting activities has also had a positive impact on pupils’ fitness, well-being, exercise and increased participation in competitive sports.

p.7

The leadership and management are good

 The local authority is providing good support and challenge for the school through regular termly visits to review and support the school’s work in bringing about improvement and in setting clear targets for further improvement. It has provided good support for governors in developing their role, which governors have welcomed

p.7

The leadership and management are good

 The governance of the school:  Governors are committed to school improvement; at their request, the local authority is undertaking a full review of governance early in September. They have a good understanding of the quality of teaching and the journey the school has made in improving teaching and learning. This is based on their developing knowledge of whole-school data, regular visits to the school and examination of reports from the headteacher and school leaders. They have good oversight of the performance management arrangements in the school and ensure that the procedures for setting the objectives for the headteacher are robust. They are also ensuring that all legal requirements for safeguarding are met. Governors are holding the school to account for its additional spending on pupil premium and primary sports funding to achieve value for money.

p.7

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.8

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.8

School details

Unique reference number 121265 Local authority Norfolk Inspection number 442039

p.9

School details

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

p.9

School details

Type of school Special School category Foundation special Age range of pupils 3–19 Gender of pupils Mixed Gender of pupils in the sixth form Mixed Number of pupils on the school roll 128 Of which, number on roll in sixth form 22 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Tim Lane Headteacher Pamela Ashworth Date of previous school inspection 2 October 2012 Telephone number 01493 720158 Fax number 01493 728616 Email address head@johngrant.norfolk.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 .

p.9

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.10

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.10

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 and 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.10

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.10

School details

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

p.10