The Waterloo School

The Waterloo School Warfield Avenue, Waterlooville, Hampshire PO7 7JJ

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Overall effectiveness Good

Effectiveness of leadership and management Good

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Overall effectiveness Good

Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Good

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Overall effectiveness Good

Personal development, behaviour and welfare Outstanding

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Overall effectiveness Good

Overall effectiveness at previous inspection Requires improvement

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This is a good school

 The school’s vision of ‘Create, Belong and Achieve’ is shared and understood by all.  The school is improving under the direction of the calm and determined guidance of the headteacher.  Senior leaders ensure that every pupil is cared for as an individual and feels safe at school.  Pupils make good progress in reading, writing and mathematics from their different starting points.  Teaching is good and is characterised by effective questioning by teachers and learning support assistants.  Safeguarding pupils from harm has the highest priority in this school. The procedures in place are extremely effective.  There have been significant improvements in governance since the previous inspection. Governors now hold school leaders to account rigorously.  The school’s actions to promote pupils’ personal development and welfare are outstanding.  Behaviour is managed extremely well. There have been clear improvements in behaviour over time

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This is a good school

for individual pupils since they joined the school.  Pupils enjoy school. As a result, attendance has risen and is above national averages.  The school’s curriculum is well planned and interesting. It promotes pupils’ well-being and prepares them well for the next stage of their education.

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It is not yet an outstanding school because

 On some occasions too much emphasis is on managing behaviour and well-being and this can sometime reduce valuable learning time.  Not all leaders have the opportunity to impact on improving teaching and outcomes across the school.  There are too few opportunities for pupils to apply their problem-solving and reasoning skills in mathematics and to use these in other areas of the curriculum.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Build on the successes of improving behaviour over time so that all staff and pupils now maximise the opportunities for learning.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Develop leadership further so that it is shared among all staff, so that teaching, learning and outcomes become typically outstanding, by: providing more opportunities for middle leaders to monitor and help improve the quality of teaching increasing opportunities for pupils to use their problem-solving and reasoning skills in mathematics and across the curriculum.

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Effectiveness of leadership and management is good

 The Waterloo School is characterised by the clear vision of ‘Create, Belong and Achieve’ with belonging being the strongest element. This is because leaders ensure that the school’s pupils, who all have social, emotional and mental health needs, have found a place where they belong, can learn safely and thrive.  There have been significant improvements in the leadership and governance of the school since the previous inspection. These improvements have been led by the headteacher who, since her appointment two years ago, has fostered a culture of higher expectations and developed a strong senior leadership team with a broad range of skills and experience. As one staff member said ‘The headteacher has picked this school up and put it back on its feet and now makes it a wonderful place to work.’  Staff, pupils and parents understand how the senior leaders work together with clear roles and responsibilities to oversee and ensure the well-being, attendance, behaviour and progress of pupils.

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Effectiveness of leadership and management is good

 Senior leaders have implemented comprehensive systems to support improvements in learning, behaviour and emotional well-being for each individual pupil. They reflect on and refine these systems regularly to make them increasingly effective.  Those leaders with responsibility for English and mathematics regularly check the quality of teaching by visiting lessons and looking at pupils’ work. This allows them to share what works well with other staff. As a result, leaders have an accurate view of the strengths and weaknesses of the school. There have been fewer opportunities for other middle leaders to check the effectiveness of teaching in their areas of responsibility.  Staff work well together as a team and benefit from a wide range of developmental and training activities. For example, middle leaders are completing national training programmes while all staff, including learning support assistants, receive weekly training. Leaders ensure that there are opportunities to work with other

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Effectiveness of leadership and management is good

schools to share experiences and to check that Waterloo pupils are performing well.  With the ambition of improving teaching and outcomes to make them even better, leaders have plans in place for teachers to work together to improve their practice. For example, by exploring how mathematics is taught in different classes throughout the school, and learning from existing best practice.  The school has been proactive and innovative in improving communication and engagement with parents. For example, school leaders complete home visits before pupils start at the school and regularly travel around the area to meet with parents in their own localities. As a result, attendance by parents at annual reviews, parent consultations and information sessions has improved significantly. A few parents have some concerns about the support they receive from the school. These mainly relate to communication and the

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Effectiveness of leadership and management is good

way other agencies work together with families and the school to support their child. In some cases, the school could be more proactive in communicating with parents, especially to explain or re-explain the roles of other professionals.  The curriculum is well thought out and meets the needs of pupils. It is dynamic and responds to the needs of pupils. Interesting topics such as ‘Gadgets, gizmos and gaming’ and ‘Rumble in the jungle’ are studied throughout the school and inspire the pupils to develop and deepen their knowledge, skills and understanding across a range of subject areas. Specific learning about personal development makes pupils aware of dangers such as drugs and alcohol. Opportunities to understand what it is like to live as a responsible citizen in modern Britain are spread throughout the curriculum and modelled by staff, helping pupils to understand their rights and responsibilities.

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Effectiveness of leadership and management is good

 Additional pupil premium funding is used well, for example through the set-up and organisation of a nurture room. These developments while targeted at the majority of pupils who are disadvantaged also benefit other pupils in the school.  The primary sports grant is spent effectively. It is targeted at the needs of pupils and responds to their views. Some of the funding has allowed teachers to share expertise in teaching physical education. Some pupils have benefited from the opportunity to compete against pupils from other schools in a range of sports while, innovatively, others have been given technological aids to improve their own personal health and fitness.  The governance of the school Governance has improved and is now strong. Governors are well informed and qualified and hold the school to account. Following a detailed audit of their skills and experience, the governing body recruited additional governors with the expertise needed to drive future improvements, especially in terms of

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Effectiveness of leadership and management is good

behaviour and safeguarding. Governors now have clear roles and responsibilities and monitor the school’s actions robustly. Governors are not complacent and when leaders present them with positive information about improvements in behaviour or outcomes for pupils, they are quick to ask what more could be achieved to make it even better. Governors ensure that performance management systems reward the best teachers for their work. They check that pupil premium funding improves the outcomes for disadvantaged pupils and the primary sports grant improves participation rates in physical education.  The arrangements for safeguarding are effective. Keeping pupils safe from harm of any kind receives the highest priority in this school. There are five members of staff trained as designated safeguarding leads, known to the pupils as ‘Spotty Dotties’ by way of their spotty lanyards. Pupils know they can talk to these

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Effectiveness of leadership and management is good

key members of staff about any concern at any time. Checks on the suitability of staff are carried out prior to appointment and are updated regularly. The school comprehensively risk assesses all aspects of school life, such as the administration of medicines and off-site visits. Staff receive regular training to ensure that they are vigilant and can spot any concerns. The school works extremely well with other professionals and agencies. Recently, the school has made staff and parents aware of the dangers of radicalisation. As a result of these stringent measures, pupils say they are safe and feel safe in school.

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment is good

 Classrooms at The Waterloo School are characterised by positive relationships between adults and pupils. Teachers have high expectations about behaviour and learning, and set up structured activities that allow pupils to achieve success.  Teachers know each pupil as an individual because they care about them, have carried out accurate assessments and produced personalised learning and behaviour plans. Teachers are acutely aware of each pupil’s next steps in learning, and which strategies are likely to be effective and plan work accordingly.  Pupils are set a personal learning target each Monday to work towards and then complete a series of short learning activities through the week to help them achieve it.  Pupils clearly understand what is expected of them in terms of their learning. For example, a pair of pupils worked well together to organise printed statements about the rainforest into those that were facts and

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment is good

those that were opinions. They were proud of their work and photographed the completed chart to demonstrate their success. School leaders have correctly identified that pupils need more opportunities to record their learning in writing.  Teachers have high expectations and often ask excellent questions to make pupils think hard and give reasons for their answers. They are very skilled at redirecting tasks to keep pupils motivated. Where teaching is strongest, there is a relentless focus on learning and every interaction the teacher has with pupils deepens their learning.  When work is going less well, staff intervene skilfully and professionally and in a timely manner to improve pupils’ well-being and get behaviour back on track. However, on some occasions too much time is allowed for free time after these incidents before pupils return to their learning activities.  Support from learning support assistants is effective. They give pupils the right amount of support, but not

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment is good

enough to discourage them from working on tasks independently.  Pupils’ books show that teachers use the school’s marking policy consistently to record how pupils have been successful and the next steps that they should take in their learning. Work books demonstrate the good progress that pupils are making from their starting points and provide documentary evidence of good spiritual, moral, social and cultural development.  In mathematics, teachers regularly annotate work to show how pupils have shown fluency in different methods of calculation. However, they sometimes miss opportunities to extend pupils’ learning by providing problem-solving and reasoning tasks, to challenge their thinking.  Classrooms are well organised and arranged in such a way that pupils can work individually, in pairs or in small groups, in different zones in the room. There is consistency in terms of the prompts, advice and

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment is good

vocabulary displayed on the walls that pupils can use to help them with their learning. This organisation allows teachers to adapt to the changing needs of pupils. For example, one boy chose to work independently in a quiet zone of the classroom and produced some impressive writing showing the product of his research about sloths.  Precise teaching of phonics (the sounds that letters make) enables pupils to develop the skills necessary to be a successful reader. Pupils are able to use phonetic strategies to try and read unfamiliar words. For example, one pupil was observed joyfully discovering and understanding alliteration for the first time.  School leaders and teachers are quick to respond when pupils are not making the progress they would expect. Specific teaching interventions are put in place to successfully close gaps in achievement.  Parents who completed the Ofsted Parent View survey or spoke to inspectors felt that their children were

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment is good

taught well and that they were well informed about the progress their child was making.

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Personal development and welfare

 The school’s work to promote pupils’ personal development and welfare is outstanding.  The school’s culture supports pupils in keeping safe and healthy. Their emotional and mental well-being has the highest priority and every pupil is respected as an individual. Staff all agree that pupils are safe in this school.  Attendance has improved and is now above the national average, showing pupils feel safe and enjoy being in school.  The curriculum contributes exceptionally well towards pupils’ personal development and welfare. For example, during the inspection pupils were being taught to recognise hazards in the home by the fire service and took part in safeguarding workshops led by the NSPCC. Pupils are taught, and understand, how to stay safe when working or playing online.  Pupils’ views are sought regularly, including at the time of annual reviews. Pupils feel listened to and valued at this school.

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Personal development and welfare

 Pupils earn and are given very real responsibilities such as becoming junior road safety officers or learning detectives. As a learning detective, pupils visit other classrooms and carry out observations to identify the strengths and weaknesses in behaviour and learning. They report back directly to the headteacher and revisit classes at a later date to see if their recommendations have been implemented.  Pupils report that if any bullying occurs it is dealt with swiftly by leaders and quickly stops. There is work to be done with some pupils to help them understand the difference between a one-off incident of unkind behaviour and bullying. The school has implemented a new system to record incidents of bullying in addition to the already comprehensive systems for tracking behaviour.  The school’s work with other agencies is exemplary. They work seamlessly with a range of other professionals to protect the welfare of pupils and to support their families.

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Personal development and welfare

 The school’s transition work is excellent. Pupils are very well prepared for the next stage of their education at secondary school or, in an increasing number of cases, when they are reintegrated into mainstream primary schools. School leaders are determined that pupils will continue to succeed after they leave Waterloo.

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Behaviour

 The behaviour of pupils is outstanding.  Pupils who have found placements in other schools challenging or have been out of school for a period of time are helped to settle well at Waterloo and begin to make progress. As one parent wrote about their child, ‘I know he is safe and is getting all the help he needs to be able to achieve. It’s a fantastic school.’  Pupils understand the systems used to reward positive behaviour and the sanctions that are in place when behaviour falls short of what is expected. Pupils are able to self-evaluate their behaviour throughout the day against the agreed expectations. They are encouraged to take ownership of, and responsibility for, their behaviour. They are respectful to visitors.  Information about each pupil’s behaviour is shared with parents on a daily basis through the home school link card.  Pupils are often excited about their learning and are able to measure their own success. Most notably, where

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Behaviour

strategies have been successful, they are becoming increasingly reflective and able to self-regulate their behaviour.  At lunchtimes, pupils eat together with staff and their peers. The school is well ordered and calm at this time. Pupils can choose a healthy school dinner or eat their own packed lunch.  Pupils enjoy playtimes. Staff are deployed very effectively to play alongside or supervise pupils so that everyone can enjoy their free time calmly.  Challenging behaviour is managed exceptionally well by highly effective and skilful staff. The use of physical intervention is reducing as is the use of fixed-term exclusion. De-escalation techniques are used very well. As one pupil honestly explained, ‘They know what to do to help me when I am angry.’  School leaders have agreed that because behaviour incidents are managed so effectively, pupils should now be encouraged to return to their learning as soon as they are calm and ready.

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Behaviour

 Parents and pupils who completed online questionnaires or spoke to inspectors were generally positive about how well behaviour is managed.  Staff are universally positive in their view that their colleagues manage pupils’ behaviour well. They feel extremely well supported by leaders when it comes to managing challenging behaviour and state that leaders also care for the well-being of the whole team.

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Outcomes for pupils are good

 Very few pupils attend the school for a whole key stage so comparisons with other schools nationally are not reliable. However, from their often very low starting points, pupils make good progress in their learning across the curriculum.  Many pupils arrive in the school towards the end of key stage 2. After carrying out initial assessments, the school works tirelessly to close gaps in their knowledge, skills and understanding and prepare them to be successful in the next stage of their education.  Highly personalised behaviour and learning plans based on accurate assessment allow staff to target pupils’ learning effectively. Pupils make good progress in lessons due to short focused activities that are needs-led.  Pupils develop their skills, knowledge and understanding through quick sequential teaching and short tasks. For example, in one session observed by inspectors pupils completed a short picture-sorting activity to

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Outcomes for pupils are good

secure and build on their understanding of fractions. However, there was a missed opportunity to solve problems or apply this new-found understanding  Pupils’ books show good progress over time. For example, English books show the development of legible handwriting, a range of interesting vocabulary and increasingly accurate spelling.  The school’s detailed tracking system allows them to check the attainment and progress of all pupils. It shows that current pupils are generally attaining higher standards in English than in mathematics. However, observations in lessons and looking in pupils’ books shows that the rates of progress pupils are currently making in English and mathematics are similar.  Highly individualised, targeted teaching means that no groups achieve more or less favourably than others. Every pupil, including those who are disadvantaged, has an equal opportunity to succeed. This approach

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Outcomes for pupils are good

also means that the most able make as much progress as their peers in the school.  Younger children read with enjoyment. Pupils who are new to reading gain phonics skills through effective, targeted teaching. While the school encourages pupils to read often, some older pupils have variable attitudes towards this.  Nearly all parents who completed the Parent View questionnaire believe that their child is making good progress.

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School details

Unique reference number 116633 Local authority Hampshire Inspection number 10002384

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School details

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

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School details

Type of school Special School category Community special Age range of pupils 5–11 Gender of pupils Mixed Number of pupils on the school roll 54 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Kathy Medlow Headteacher Kirsty Roman Telephone number 02392 255956 Website www.waterloo.hants.sch.uk Email address adminoffice@waterloo.hants.sch.uk Date of previous inspection 20–21 November 2013

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Information about this school

 The Waterloo School is a community special school for pupils with social, emotional and mental health needs. All of the pupils have an education, health and care plan or a statement of special educational needs. A small group of pupils also have autistic spectrum disorders while other individual pupils have a range of other additional needs.  The overwhelming majority of pupils are boys, there are only a very few girls. Pupils join the school at different times in their school career, but mainly in Years 5 or 6. There are fewer pupils in Years 1, 2, 3 and 4.  Nearly all pupils are of White British background. All pupils have English as their first language.  About two thirds of pupils are entitled to additional funding through the pupil premium. A small number of children are looked after by the local authority.  Almost all pupils travel to school by taxi or minibus. Some travel for more than an hour to get to school.

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Information about this school

 The current headteacher has been in post since April 2014.  The school is part of the Cowplain collaboration of schools.

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Information about this inspection

 Inspectors observed learning in all classes. Most of the observations were carried out together with the headteacher or deputy headteacher.  Inspectors held meetings with the headteacher, deputy headteacher, other school leaders and six governors (including the chair of governors). The lead inspector spoke to a representative of the local authority by telephone.  Inspectors spoke to pupils informally in class and around the school. They also met a group of pupils more formally to discuss many aspects of school life. They considered 11 responses from the online pupil questionnaire.  An inspector heard a few pupils from Year 2 and Year 6 read.  Inspectors scrutinised and evaluated the school website and a range of school documents, including behaviour and safeguarding records, assessment information, minutes of governors’ meetings and the school’s improvement plans.  Inspectors considered the 11 responses to the Ofsted online Parent View survey, including nine free text

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Information about this inspection

comments. They also spoke to parents in school during the inspection, spoke to one parent by telephone and considered comments sent by another parent by email.  Inspectors took account of the 18 questionnaires completed by members of staff.

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Inspection team

Lee Selby, lead inspector Ofsted Inspector Jennifer Boyd Ofsted Inspector guidance 'Raising concerns and making a complaint about Ofsted', which is available from Ofsted’s website: www.gov.uk/government/publications/complaints-about-ofsted . 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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Inspection team

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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Inspection team

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.gov.uk/government/organisations/ofsted

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Inspection team

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, further education and skills, 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. If you would like a copy of this document in a different format, such as large print or Braille, please telephone 0300 123 1231, or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk . You may reuse this information (not including logos) free of charge in any format or medium, under the terms of the Open Government Licence. To view this licence, visit www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence , write to the Information Policy Team,

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Inspection team

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Inspection team

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Inspection team

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