Dukes Wood School

Wings School Notts c/o Kedleston Group Limited, Office Suite 1, Ansell Gardens, Holloway Lane, Harmondsworth, Middlesex UB7 0AE

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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 Inadequate

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

 The broad curriculum provides all pupils with access to a suitably wide range of subjects.  The quality of teaching and assessment is good and enables pupils to make good progress from their mostly low starting points.  Disadvantaged pupils make strong progress towards challenging targets and begin to close the gaps in their knowledge, understanding and skills.  All pupils who left the school at the end of Year 11 in the last two years moved on to suitable destinations in further education or training.  Staff work very effectively with pupils’ homes to ensure that they are safe in school. Arrangements for all aspects of safeguarding are robust and effective.  Pupils’ attendance and behaviour demonstrate strong improvements, once they have settled into the expectations of the school.  The recently formed senior leadership team has accurately evaluated the school’s strengths and planned well for improvement, including for the

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

expansion of vocational subjects.  Senior leaders act decisively and intervene to tackle any perceived underperformance.  Senior leaders inform governors appropriately about all aspects of the school’s provision. Governors hold school leaders to account through robust questioning and analysis of the school’s outcomes.  Leaders are ambitious for the continuous improvement of teaching, learning and pupils’ progress. Their achievements to date demonstrate good capacity to implement and embed further improvement.  The school’s evaluation of pupils’ progress does not focus precisely enough on comparisons with that of other pupils nationally with similar starting points.  The quality of teaching is not outstanding because not all teachers evaluate pupils’ learning consistently, and re-shape tasks and activities to ensure that pupils take responsibility for improving their own work.  The proprietors and senior leaders have

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

ensured that the school meets all the independent school standards.

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

 The school meets the requirements of the schedule to the Education (Independent School Standards) Regulations 2014 (‘the independent school standards’) and associated requirements.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Enable all pupils to meet their learning targets, across the full range of subjects studied, by ensuring greater consistency in following school policies in relation to: – the quality of teachers’ monitoring of progress through oral questioning and discussion with pupils – teachers’ verbal feedback to pupils about their successes and how to improve their written work – the level of challenge in writing tasks and the accuracy of pupils’ written responses – the extent to which pupils are expected to take responsibility for improving their own work.  Ensure that senior leaders and governors have a good understanding of how pupils’ progress from their different starting points compares with that of other pupils nationally.

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Effectiveness of leadership and management Good

 School leaders set high expectations for the quality of teaching and for pupils’ responses to the opportunities provided for them.  There are positive relationships between leaders, staff and pupils throughout the school. Despite their individual social and emotional difficulties, pupils enjoy attending school and engage successfully in the range of activities provided.  Leaders are ambitious for the continuous improvement of the school’s provision. They demonstrate a secure understanding of the school’s strengths and have drawn up appropriate plans for improvement. Leaders have identified, for example, the need to ensure the consistent use of information from assessment and the continuous scrutiny of pupils’ work to secure further improvements in teaching and learning.  The curriculum enables pupils to experience all required areas of learning. Pupils benefit from the breadth and variety of learning opportunities provided and they achieve success

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Effectiveness of leadership and management Good

in a range of academic and practical subjects. School leaders have produced plans for the introduction of further vocational courses to prepare key stage 4 pupils, and potential post-16 students, for future college placements or employment.  The concerted efforts and dedication of the staff enable pupils who have complex social and emotional needs to improve their behaviour and personal relationships. The school development plan rightly includes arrangements for increased monitoring and review of how well pupils engage in their learning and the use of physical restraint in the management of any extreme behaviour.  Staff who completed the inspection questionnaire believe that the school is well led and managed, and they feel well supported in their work. They all agree or strongly agree that they are proud to be a member of staff at the school.  The school places a strong focus on the spiritual, moral, social and cultural development

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Effectiveness of leadership and management Good

of pupils, including their understanding of British values. Staff have audited the inclusion of these areas of experience across the curriculum, and displays of pupils’ work and activities demonstrate a clear commitment to their personal development.  Pupils experience equality of access to all areas of the curriculum. A number of themes in assemblies and classroom activities make a strong contribution to pupils’ awareness of diversity, and rights and responsibilities within the school and in the wider community.  Senior leaders and teachers use information gained from the assessment of pupils’ progress effectively to plan appropriate next steps in pupils’ learning. They do not regularly check and report to governors on how pupils’ progress, from their different starting points, compares with that of other pupils nationally.  The proprietors and senior leaders have ensured that the school meets all the

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Effectiveness of leadership and management Good

independent school standards. Their achievements to date, together with their accurate evaluation of the school’s quality, demonstrate good capacity to improve further the provision and outcomes for pupils.

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Governance

 Governors provide strong support and accountability for the work of leaders and teachers through their understanding of the school’s improvement priorities and the deployment of suitable resources to ensure implementation.  The chief operations officer and the safeguarding representative are regularly present in school. They engage in productive dialogue with senior leaders and raise appropriate questions about pupils’ attendance, behaviour and learning outcomes.  The proprietor also provides regular scrutiny of all aspects of human resources, health and safety, and education. Representatives of the proprietor evaluate all aspects of the school’s provision and raise recommendations for any required actions.  Governors oversee appropriate procedures for the appraisal of the principal, and ensure that similar effective arrangements are in place to agree and evaluate annual targets for all members of staff.

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Governance

 Governors ensure that staff fulfil their mandatory training requirements, and they provide access to additional training for individual staff members.

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Safeguarding

 The arrangements for safeguarding are effective. The school’s safeguarding policy has regard to the latest statutory guidance. A copy of the policy is available to download from the school’s website.  Leaders and staff have a detailed understanding of the needs of vulnerable pupils and of the risks to which they may be exposed. Staff provide high levels of supervision and pupils know whom they can talk to about any concerns. Pupils who completed the Ofsted survey state that they feel safe in school.  Members of the senior leadership team rigorously investigate and record any incidents or safeguarding concerns. The school has developed strong and effective relationships with pupils’ homes and with the range of external agencies that contribute to pupils’ well- being.

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Good

 The quality of teaching is good because teachers plan and provide learning tasks based on a good understanding of pupils’ individual learning characteristics and needs. Staff demonstrate secure subject knowledge and understand how to communicate their expectations clearly.  Teachers assess pupils’ starting points accurately when they join the school. They use this information to set appropriately challenging targets for each pupil. Pupils understand their targets and the learning objectives set for each lesson.  Teachers ensure that there is a good level of challenge in the tasks and activities provided in lessons. In a key stage 4 science lesson, for example, pupils enjoyed predicting and measuring the rates of diffusion in liquids. They engaged in practical experiments and contributed well to discussion as they analysed their results and responded accurately to the questions set by the teacher.

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Good

 In a key stage 2 English lesson, pupils demonstrated their enjoyment of reading. They listened intently as others read aloud and encouraged each other to take part. The teacher ensured that all pupils took an active part in the discussion and analysis of what they had read, including finding deeper meanings in the text.  Teachers manage pupils’ behaviour well. They plan activities that will engage and interest pupils and make excellent use of the expertise and support of learning assistants to motivate, encourage and challenge pupils to sustain their concentration.  Typically, teachers monitor pupils’ progress continuously by questioning them about their achievements and challenging them to extend their written and practical responses. Most teachers and learning assistants provide effective verbal feedback to pupils during lessons, enabling them to understand how they can improve their work.  Teachers also mark pupils’ work effectively. They mostly follow the school’s marking

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Good

policy carefully and ensure, through their written comments, that pupils know how to extend and improve their work.  In a key stage 4 history lesson, pupils enjoyed a practical activity that vividly illustrated the symptoms of the Black Death in medieval Britain. The teacher used high-quality questioning to extend and deepen pupils’ understanding. Pupils also demonstrated the ability to think for themselves and to take responsibility for researching their own answers.  Pupils who have had significant disruptions to their previous learning demonstrate the ability to sustain their concentration and to complete tasks diligently, as in the use of coordinates in a key stage 3 mathematics lesson.  Teachers provide regular opportunities for pupils to learn through practical activities, working either individually or in small groups. Pupils accepted responsibility for the management of their own activities, while developing basketball skills, cooking breakfast

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Good

muffins and producing mosaics and graffiti art.  The quality of education for the small number of the most able pupils is good. Teachers identify their abilities on entry and set challenging targets for them. Teachers apply their subject expertise and understanding of how children learn to provide appropriate GCSE courses through which pupils may achieve higher level grades.  The school provides appropriate progress information for parents, carers and placing local authorities at regular intervals.  Pupils believe that teaching at the school is good, that teachers explain how they can achieve more, and that the school prepares them well for the future.  There is much good and effective teaching across the curriculum. However, there is some inconsistency in teachers following the school’s policy in: the use of effective questioning skills and verbal feedback; the level of challenge in writing tasks and accuracy in their

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Good

completion; and the extent to which pupils are encouraged to take responsibility for the quality of their own work.

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Personal development and welfare

 The school’s work to promote pupils’ personal development and welfare is good.  Pupils enter the school with significant emotional and social barriers to learning and, for the majority, the development of self-esteem is a gradual process, supported well by the patience and perseverance of staff. Teaching staff contribute to excellent teamwork together with care workers, therapists, the school nurse and external agencies.  Pupils develop self-confidence and the belief that they can succeed because of the faith in them shown by the staff. Pupils’ attitudes to education improve as they begin to recognise that the staff value the efforts that they make.  Pupils demonstrate respect for the staff and for the contributions of their peers.  Staff implement the school participation charter consistently and teach pupils to demonstrate positive attitudes to others, within the school and in the wider community.

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Personal development and welfare

Pupils participated with enthusiasm in the preparation of activities to collect money for a national charity at the end of the inspection week.  Pupils have good opportunities to develop well-considered views and opinions through the school’s pupil voice council. Staff take pupils’ views seriously and these contribute to the development of the school.  Pupils state that they feel safe in school. The curriculum includes well-planned events and activities that address safe lifestyles, including alcohol and substance misuse, healthy eating, sexual health, and online safety.  The school has a clear commitment to equality of opportunity and respect for all pupils, and staff expect that pupils will demonstrate similar consistency in their responses, including the use of respectful language.

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Behaviour

 The behaviour of pupils is good. Over time, they develop positive attitudes to learning and show marked improvements in their behaviour. They demonstrate the ability to engage willingly and to sustain their concentration.  Lessons proceed in an orderly manner. Incidents of serious misbehaviour do occur. These are managed well by staff, who ensure that any challenging behaviour has a minimal impact on the learning of others.  Pupils’ attendance is in line with the national average. The school implements appropriate and rigorous strategies to tackle and improve the attendance of a small number of persistent absentees.  Behaviour around the school is good, including in the dining room and at morning assemblies. Pupils enjoy mature relationships with staff and with each other.  A small number of pupils attend alternative provision for part of their timetable. School records demonstrate that pupils respond appropriately to these opportunities to study

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Behaviour

vocational courses and to develop work-related skills, and are kept safe and behave sensibly.  These pupils are motivated by the opportunity to take part in practical, vocational activities and this has had a positive impact on improved behaviour and attendance in school.

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Outcomes for pupils Good

 The majority of pupils make consistently strong progress in English and mathematics, mostly from low starting points on entry to the school.  Disadvantaged pupils and those who have special educational needs and/or disabilities make good progress and begin to close the gaps in their previous learning. They make good progress towards the standards achieved by other pupils with similar starting points.  Pupils make strong progress in reading because of the wide range of opportunities to read in a number of subjects. These include reading works of fiction in English lessons and the development of technical vocabulary related to a variety of subjects, including mathematics and science.  Pupils’ progress from their starting points is at least in line with, and sometimes above, national expectations. Progress is strongest in English, mathematics and science.  All pupils who completed Year 11 in 2015 or 2016 achieved foundation or higher level

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Outcomes for pupils Good

GCSE grades in at least five subjects. For the majority of these pupils, this represented at least good progress as they exceeded the challenging targets set for them.  The small number of most-able pupils made exceptional progress, including achieving at least five grades A* to C at GCSE.  Pupils have gained increasing success across a range of additional subjects. The majority of pupils at key stage 4 in 2016, for example, met or exceeded their target grades in art, food technology and history.  The majority of current pupils at key stages 3 and 4 are meeting or exceeding their target grades across the full range of subjects studied.  The small numbers of pupils who attend courses with alternative providers are making good progress with their work in core subjects and have achieved certification in vocational areas, such as bicycle maintenance.  The school prepares pupils well for the next stage of their education or training. All pupils

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Outcomes for pupils Good

who left the school in the last two years overcame significant barriers to successful learning and moved on to further study at college or into training courses.

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School details

This inspection was carried out under section 109(1) and (2) of the Education and Skills Act 2008, the purpose of which is to advise the Secretary of State for Education about the school’s suitability for continued registration as an independent school.

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School details

Type of school Other independent special school

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School details

Email address info@wingsnottsschool.co.uk

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Information about this school

 Wings School Notts provides full-time education for pupils with social, emotional and mental health difficulties aged between nine and 17 years old.  The school is registered to admit up to 54 pupils. There are currently 25 pupils on the school roll.  The large majority of pupils are looked after by their local authorities. Currently, the school has pupils from 12 local authorities across England.  All pupils at the school have had significant disruption to their education prior to arriving at the school. Nearly all pupils have an education, health and care plan or a statement of special educational needs.  The headteacher took up his post in June 2016 and a new principal was appointed in August 2016.  Although the school is registered to admit students up to the age of 17 years, there are currently no post-16 students in attendance.  The previous standard inspection of the school was in May 2013 and a progress

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Information about this school

monitoring inspection took place in May 2014.  The school uses the following alternative provider to contribute to the education of a small number of current pupils: Groundwork, Bolsover, Derby.  The school’s stated vision is to ‘create a safe and caring community where there is a passion for learning and mutual respect for all. Young people have the opportunity to develop to their full potential in preparation for their future life.’

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Information about this inspection

 The inspector observed teaching and learning in seven subjects and across the full age- range of the school. He scrutinised examples of pupils’ work in a variety of subjects.  The inspector held meetings with two representatives of the proprietor, the principal and headteacher, senior leaders and teachers. In addition, he considered responses to inspection questionnaires submitted by 19 members of staff.  The inspector considered 11 responses to Ofsted’s annual questionnaire for pupils. There were insufficient responses to Ofsted’s online questionnaire, Parent View, for these to be taken into consideration.  The inspector scrutinised a number of school policies, procedures and records in order to check the school’s compliance with the independent school standards.

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Inspection team

David Young, 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

Parent View 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

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

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 .

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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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