Springside

Springside Albert Royds Street, Rochdale, Manchester OL16 2SU

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Effectiveness of leadership and management Good

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Good

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Personal development, behaviour and welfare Good

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Overall effectiveness at previous inspection Requires improvement

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

 The headteacher and her leadership team have set a clear direction and vision for the school which are shared by staff and governors. The school has made good progress since it was last inspected.  The quality of teaching, learning and assessment is now good because senior leaders check lessons and provide effective challenge and support. Middle leaders have just started to develop their skills in reviewing learning and providing feedback to colleagues.  Planning for school improvement is now much more robust. Governors ask searching questions of leaders about the work of the school and request progress reports on a regular basis. As a result, the school continues to improve.  The provision for early years is good. There is strong teamwork and good links with parents before children start. Children make good progress from their starting points.  Pupils, including different groups in the school, make expected or better progress from their

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

starting points. Progress in pupils’ speech and communication skills are particular strengths. Pupils do not have enough opportunities to practise their key skills in literacy and numeracy in all subjects, however.  Pupils behave well in all areas of the school. Their spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is good, as is their understanding of the British values of tolerance and respect.  Staff provide skilled and sensitive care for pupils, enabling them to develop independence while ensuring they keep safe at all times.  Partnerships with parents and the co-located primary school are particular strengths of the school.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Further improve outcomes for pupils by: – ensuring that curriculum plans include activities that will enable pupils to practise and further improve taught skills in reading, writing, spelling, number and problem- solving – ensuring that teachers make a clear link in their work in other subjects to pupils’ agreed learning targets and that this information is used to further challenge pupils in their learning.  Further improve leadership and management by: – ensuring that middle leaders develop their skills in reviewing learning and providing effective feedback to staff about the quality of teaching, learning and assessment – ensuring that subject leaders promote the teaching and support of pupils’ reading, writing, spelling, number and problem-solving through all subjects – ensuring that pupils’ learning targets extend into other subjects.

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Effectiveness of leadership and management Good

 The headteacher and her leadership team have successfully addressed the areas for improvement from the previous inspection so that the school is now good. This judgement accurately reflects the view of leaders and governors.  When asked their opinion, staff, parents, governors and pupils all said that the school is a good place to be – parents actually said, ‘It’s fantastic!’ Teachers and support staff ensure that classrooms are welcoming, nurturing and supportive of individual pupils’ needs.  There is now a new leadership structure which includes clear roles and responsibilities for staff involved. The headteacher has ensured that teaching and support staff have been able to contribute to and formulate the school’s development plan. The plan has related actions to outcomes that can be, and are being, measured for their effectiveness.  Key staff report regularly to governors about the progress being made in school

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Effectiveness of leadership and management Good

development, for example in how well the school’s arrangements for assessing pupils are proceeding. Governors have specific areas of interest which they follow up with school visits, asking challenging questions but providing strong support to staff.  Senior leaders have developed good skills for reviewing learning and provide effective feedback to their teacher colleagues. Teachers are good at reflecting on their classroom practice and then discussing their strengths and areas for improvement.  The school’s performance management procedures enable teachers to develop professionally and to be aspirational or to be supported and challenged if required. As a result, the quality of teaching, learning and assessment is good. Middle leaders are in the early stages of developing their skills in reviewing learning and providing feedback, with support from their senior colleagues.  The school’s curriculum is broad and enriching. Pupils have focused lessons in speaking

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Effectiveness of leadership and management Good

and listening, reading, writing, spelling and basic numeracy skills. They also enjoy opportunities to study topics such as ‘toys and games’ or engage in an enterprise day with their peers in the primary school next door. These occasions contribute greatly to pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development as well as promoting the British values of tolerance and respect for different faiths, religions and cultural backgrounds. A member of the support staff is deployed to guide pupils through the election of officers for the school council. She also enables school council members to make decisions when organising events with the co-located primary school.  Subject leaders have produced curriculum plans to cover subjects such as science, history, geography and computing. These are detailed and result in good provision and outcomes in different subjects. Pupils’ literacy and numeracy skills are not developed as

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Effectiveness of leadership and management Good

well as they could be in different subjects, however, because there is no specific focus on these aspects in curriculum plans.  The curriculum is enriched with an after-school activity club which is open to all pupils. They are able to socialise and enjoy sports, computing, music, cooking and a range of other activities. Parents say that the teaching and support provided have led to their children becoming more confident and sociable and that they have flourished in terms of their speech, communication and physical skills.  Partnership working with local special schools has brought about a sharing of best practices between staff, such as the joint checking of pupils’ work to agree levels of ability or progress being made in learning.

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Governance of the school

 Following their review of governance after the last inspection, governors provide stability, knowledge, skills and understanding to support leaders and hold them to account.  Governors have set up committees to look at particular aspects of the school’s work. Minutes of meetings indicate that the focus is always upon school improvement through agreed ‘project plans’.  Governors have a clear view of the impact of pupil premium funding on outcomes for pupils. They have published detailed information on the school’s website which indicates that the great majority of pupils with additional speech and language difficulties (including a proportion who are disadvantaged, most-able or who are less able) make expected or better than expected progress in their communication skills and in English. Funding was directed towards additional speech therapy and training for teaching and support staff as well as additional resources.

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Governance of the school

 Governors know that the impact of additional physical education (PE) and sport premium funding has been targeted towards meeting the needs of pupils with physical difficulties and those who are non-swimmers. Funding has been invested in a PE specialist to oversee training for staff and providing additional swimming and trampoline sessions to cater for pupils’ physical needs. As a result, the great majority of non-swimmers have become confident in the water and pupils’ physical skills have improved. Staff are more knowledgeable and confident in their teaching of PE.

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Safeguarding

 The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.  All staff and governors have received safeguarding training, including regular updates. Governors have completed safer recruitment training. ‘Prevent’ duty training has been provided to staff and governors so that provision to support pupils away from radical views or actions is strengthened.  There is a named governor for safeguarding. There are named staff on site through which referrals are made in line with the school’s agreed policy on safeguarding.  Staff are knowledgeable about the school’s procedures for safeguarding, including child protection. The school maintains records of referrals appropriately and safely.  Related policies and procedures are in place, for example ‘safe handling’, ‘anti-bullying’ and the school’s behaviour policy. Staff follow agreed procedures correctly.  The attendance of all groups has improved as a result of the targeted support by

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Safeguarding

pastoral leaders for pupils and their families.  Parents say that the school’s communication systems are ‘excellent’. They know that their children are safe through home-school books and regular telephone contact.  The responses from questionnaire surveys of parents, staff and pupils indicate that stakeholders are happy with safeguarding arrangements.

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Good

 The quality of teaching, learning and assessment has improved since the last inspection because of tighter checks and clearer policies that have been introduced. Teachers and support staff have taken on board these changes and are keen to talk about their classroom practices with each other and with other schools. The regular checking of pupils’ work and learning experiences by all staff has led to a clearer picture about the progress pupils are making in their learning.  Teachers and support staff work well together. They make continual reference to pupils’ education, health and care plans (EHCPs) when planning and providing lessons. As a result, pupils with barriers to learning gain increasing access to the work and experiences enjoyed by their peers. Classrooms are welcoming and safe. The school’s equal opportunities policy is well promoted in lessons.  The newly introduced assessment system for agreeing and recording pupils’ ability

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Good

levels in different subjects is being used consistently. Teachers and support staff set targets for pupils against agreed descriptors in English, mathematics, science, computing and personal and social education. This information is used skilfully alongside the EHCPs to provide a sharp focus on individual needs in lessons. However, opportunities for pupils to practise and improve their reading, writing, spelling, number and problem-solving are sometimes lost because planning in other subjects does not yet include links to these skills.  Teachers know their pupils well. They pitch teaching and support sensitively and with good impact. Teachers and support staff challenge the most able pupils by giving more complex instructions, for example ’Can you get me three whiteboards?’ Staff understand how their pupils learn. They follow agreed whole-school approaches to planning when using signing, picture symbols, audio and visual resources or

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Good

deployment of support staff to fully include all class members.  Key stage 1 pupils, who were learning about numbers from one to five, enjoyed linking numbers to pictures when counting down from five to one. The teacher and support staff used skilled explanations and follow-up questions to establish how well each pupil had grasped the concept. Occasionally, teachers say that they ‘take the learning to the child’ if they are unable to interact fully with their peers. For example, a pupil may have access to a visual or audio resource so that learning can take place.  Teachers bring stories to life in classes where pupils have extreme barriers to learning. They, use appropriate visual and auditory resources to engage pupils fully in lessons. Occasionally, teachers ask the most able to assist less able pupils in their work, which helps in promoting good spiritual, moral, social and cultural development.

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Good

 Teachers are skilled in adapting their work to include the needs of the most able pupils, for example in geography work. They pitch questioning and explanations at a higher level so that pupils learn to make links with the environment in which they live and the wider world. Follow-up work does include speaking, listening and reading and writing activities, but pupils’ progress in these skills is not always explicit when teachers collect and annotate evidence in other subject areas. There are also occasions when the most able pupils engage in work similar to their less able peers so that opportunities for more challenging work are missed.  Reading is well taught. Teaching support staff have used their training to good effect to provide focused sessions when teaching phonics skills.

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Personal development and welfare

 The school’s work to promote pupils’ personal development and welfare is good.  Pupils spoken to, and those who completed the online questionnaire about the school, said that their teachers provide good support in their learning and give them challenging work to do. Pupils respond very well to rewards which reflect their attitudes in class, for example a ‘concentrating crocodile’ sticker!  If they have a problem, pupils say that they have an adult they can go to so that they can share their concerns.  Pupils spoken to explained that there are one or two occasions when fighting or bullying happens, but that any problems are soon sorted out well by staff.  The school provides an effective programme for personal and social development (PSD) for all classes. Teachers keep regular checks on pupils’ progress towards their targets.  The school makes use of detailed individual behaviour plans or positive handling plans

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Personal development and welfare

which are referred to consistently in and out of lessons. These arrangements help to support pupils’ physical and emotional well-being.  Parents say that they are delighted with how the school supports their children’s personal development and welfare.  Any pupils educated at home due to their health or medical needs are well supported by different agencies in partnership with the school with reference to their EHCPs.

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Behaviour

 The behaviour of pupils is good  The inspector observed pupils’ behaviour in a number of contexts, including classrooms, when pupils got off transport in the morning and at lunch and breaktimes. In each of these contexts, pupils’ behaviour is invariably good. Staff provide good, sensitive supervision, encouraging greater independence for pupils where appropriate.  School records on behaviour are consistently maintained through a class-based approach. These records show that any concerns are followed up, including where there has been a need for safe handling. Parents say that they are extremely happy with the way staff report any behaviour incidents. Fixed-term exclusions are rare.  The school has worked hard to improve attendance for all groups, notably reducing the percentage of persistent absence over the past year. Records of attendance and learning are maintained for pupils educated at home and are included in the whole

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Behaviour

school’s analysis of attendance which is still below national averages for all schools but is catching up.

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Outcomes for pupils Good

 Since the last inspection, the majority of pupils now make expected or better progress from their starting points. There are no groups of pupils who are falling behind unless they have had to contend with very extreme barriers to their learning or attendance.  School leaders have ensured that pupils’ abilities and learning targets are assessed carefully and recorded. Teachers update these records termly alongside other special school staff in order to ensure accuracy. The progress of pupils is tracked in all subjects, but there is a greater emphasis upon English, mathematics, PSD and computing.  The school’s records show that most pupils across the school are making expected or better progress in English. Pupils with additional speech and language needs have made particular improvements in English because of the school’s prudent use of pupil premium funding. At key stage 2, the picture is similar in mathematics. Disadvantaged

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Outcomes for pupils Good

pupils overall are making very similar progress in English, mathematics, PSD and computing to their peers, particularly in English. The most able pupils, including those who are disadvantaged, also make good progress from their starting points in these four subject areas.  Teachers check the work of all pupil groups in different subjects. However, the detailed analysis of pupil progress that is apparent in English, mathematics, PSD and computing is not consistently evident in other subjects.  Pupils at key stage 1 show great enjoyment when responding to lessons about numbers. The most able pupils are beginning to make a link between objects and the numbers they represent.  In English lessons, pupils with extreme barriers to learning engage well. For example, following a story, they explored the texture of jam and bread and then attempted to follow the rhythm of a song by tapping a metal pan.  The most able pupils at key stage 2 are developing more fluent reading skills and are

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Outcomes for pupils Good

able to talk about what they read with some understanding. Their writing is printed, regularly spaced and legible. They spell words that occur frequently in the English language and attempt to spell short, tricky words. Pupils of differing abilities enjoy reading and respond well to the support provided by well-trained support staff. They make good use of phonics skills to help them to read new words.  In other subjects, for example science, pupils have the opportunity to use and apply mathematical skills when making a tally chart to record different objects. Pupils enjoy music sessions when beating out the rhythm of well-known tunes. Pupils with physical needs improve their balance through regular sessions doing ‘rebound therapy’ on the school trampoline. Swimming sessions are provided regularly for non-swimmers. The vast majority of these pupils are now confident in the water.  Pupils receive very good support when moving on to the next class or when leaving at

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Outcomes for pupils Good

the end of Year 6. Staff hold regular pupil-progress meetings to determine the next steps for their learning and other needs. As a result, pupils quickly settle into new classes because of consistent and sensitive management by all staff. Good reference is made to pupils’ EHCPs during these occasions.

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Early years provision Good

 The early years provision continues to be good and is in line with the rest of the school. The staff team work effectively together. Much of the success lies in the close links established with the parents and carers of new children before they enter the provision.  Leadership and management are effective because agreed systems, policies and procedures are followed consistently. As a result, new children starting in the early years class become well versed in how to take turns and share with their peers. For example, all children moved safely from an indoor to an outdoor activity and back again with no disruption. They were able to sit down together for ‘snack time’ and share drinks and biscuits over an extended period.  The staff team respond sensitively and calmly to any upsets, for example when providing emotional support for new arrivals.  Constant records are kept by staff during the school day. These observations are

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Early years provision Good

shared at the end of the day to inform the next day’s activities, both for the group or the individual child. Staff transfer their assessments into the whole-school system for checking on pupils’ progress. It is clear, when looking at the previous year’s children’s learning journals, that children make good progress from their starting points in most development areas, but especially in personal, social and emotional development.  Children respond well to the learning and social opportunities provided by staff. Much of the provision relies upon short but focused work because of the children’s complex needs. For example, staff reinforced the expected routines of being able to sit and engage in a group activity at the start of a lesson. Children showed an ability to take turns in choosing a coloured scarf and then responded enthusiastically when asked to copy certain movements.  Staff provide opportunities for children to explore their outdoor surroundings when

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Early years provision Good

setting up low-level, safe climbing apparatus. Children have the chance to explore foam or coloured chalks. The most able children show perseverance and an emerging ability to make consistent patterns in these materials. Other children show an ability to climb the apparatus and maintain their balance when doing so.  By the time children leave the early years class, the school’s systems for checking progress ensure that the appropriate grouping arrangements are made. For example, the most able children will transfer to a more formal setting with children of similar abilities. They will have developed improved speech and communication skills as well as early reading, writing and number abilities. They are then able to transfer to Year 1 with varying levels of support.  Leaders have ensured that additional funding has been used well to ensure that disadvantaged pupils and those with additional speech and communication difficulties

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Early years provision Good

make similar levels of progress from their starting points as their peers.  The arrangements for safeguarding in the early years class are effective and mirror those for the whole school. Staff have undergone appropriate training in safeguarding and receive update training.

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School details

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

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School details

Appropriate authority The governing body

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School details

Email address office@springside.rochdale.sch.uk

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School details

Date of previous inspection 24–25 September 2014

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Information about this school

 The school meets requirements on the publication of specified information on its website.  Springside is a small school which provides education for a wide range of pupils who have special educational needs and/or disabilities.  The proportion of pupils of minority ethnic heritage is well above average, as is the proportion learning to speak English.  The proportion of disadvantaged pupils supported through the pupil premium is well above average.  The large majority of pupils have severe or profound and multiple learning difficulties that affect their physical abilities, speech and communication. Many pupils have health or medical needs and some have autism spectrum disorder.  The school is co-located with a mainstream primary school, Hamer Community Primary School.  The school is now part of the Learning For All Teaching Alliance group of which Newbridge Special School is the lead school. The school partakes in the Greater

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Information about this school

Manchester Challenge meetings and events.

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Information about this inspection

 Observations were made by the inspector in lessons across the school, including the early years class, and in different subjects. The headteacher, director of learning and assistant headteacher completed joint observations with the inspector.  Observations were made in different areas of the school, including the arrivals area, classrooms and on the playground, and at different times, including breaktimes and lunchtimes.  Meetings were held with the headteacher and her senior team about the school’s work. The inspector met with the school’s improvement partner who is also a local authority officer and with seven members of the governing body to discuss the school’s work.  The inspector met with 17 parents during their weekly school-based meeting.  The inspector met with three members of the school council along with a support assistant.  The inspector heard three pupils read to a support assistant.

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Information about this inspection

 The inspector took account of 10 responses to the pupil online questionnaire.  The inspector took account of 23 responses to the staff online questionnaire.  The inspector took account of online texts from six parents. There were insufficient responses to the online questionnaire, Parent View.  The inspector considered a range of documents, including the school development plan; safeguarding, behaviour and attendance policies and records; information about pupils’ progress in their learning; and policies relating to teaching, learning and assessment. Governors’ documents and minutes were also considered.

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Inspection team

Jon Ashley, lead inspector 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

In the report, 'disadvantaged pupils' refers to those pupils who attract government pupil premium funding: pupils claiming free school meals at any point in the last six years and pupils in care or who left care through adoption or another formal route. www.gov.uk/pupil-premium-information-for-schools-and- alternative-provision-settings .

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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 children looked after, safeguarding and child protection.

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Inspection team

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Inspection team

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Inspection team

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Inspection team

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

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