Woodstar School

The London School for Children with Cerebral Palsy 143 Coppetts Road, London N10 1JP

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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 Good

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

 Leaders, including trustees, governors and the headteacher have high expectations for pupils’ achievement and personal development. They are fully committed to diminishing any possible barriers so that every pupil achieves well. They have made sure that all the independent school standards are met.  The quality of teaching and learning continues to improve. This is a result of the headteacher’s spotlight on developing and sharing staff’s specialist expertise, reviewing the curriculum, and securing accurate assessments of pupils’ progress.  All pupils have significant and complex physical, learning and behavioural needs. They enjoy all that the school offers them. Strong relationships enable pupils to grow in self- awareness, in confidence and in their ability to interact positively with adults and other pupils.  Pupils are kept safe and secure. Safeguarding is everyone’s responsibly in the school. All staff

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

are vigilant in preventing any forms of abuse. The culture of the school is reflected in the charity’s golden rules, ‘everyone has a duty of care’ where ‘everyone is valued and valuable’.  Trustees have appointed a highly effective headteacher, who is supported and challenged well by the newly formed governing body. As a result, leadership capacity to secure further improvements has been strengthened significantly.  All pupils make good progress in all areas of learning. They make great gains in their physical and personal development.  Learning tasks are not communicated in clear and simple language to pupils. Measurable targets are not set to make sure pupils make rapid progress in all areas of learning. Some staff do not consistently apply the behaviour policy.

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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. Inspection report: The London School for Children With Cerebral Palsy, 7–9 February 2017 Page 2 of 11

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Speed up pupils’ progress by ensuring that: – learning tasks are explained to pupils in clear and simple language – the use of signing is consistently used by all adults to aid pupils’ communication – challenging and measurable targets are set based on pupils’ starting points and reviewed on a regular basis.  Improve pupils’ personal development, behaviour and well-being by ensuring that: – all staff consistently apply the behaviour policy – pupils are taught how to keep themselves safe when using the internet – the outdoor area is well resourced and used to enhance pupils’ well-being and learning experiences. Inspection report: The London School for Children With Cerebral Palsy, 7–9 February 2017 Page 3 of 11

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Effectiveness of leadership and management Good

 Prior to the appointment of the headteacher in September 2016, the school was led by several headteachers for a short period of time. There has also been significant instability of staffing at all levels. The trustees have stabilised leadership and staffing. They have made sure all the independent school standards are met.  The appointment of the headteacher has been a turning point for the school. She has secured effective teamwork, where staff share leaders’ values. Everyone works well together to make sure every pupil achieves and thrives in the school.  The headteacher has created an open and honest culture. She leads by example, and is a proficient role model in promoting good teaching and securing positive behaviour management strategies. Staff are keen to improve their practice and benefit from collaborative professional discussions about their work and areas of expertise. Inspection observations confirm that the headteacher is able to provide staff with strong pointers for

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Effectiveness of leadership and management Good

improvement, which are taken on board enthusiastically. Staff appraisal is embedded in the school’s improvement cycle, and is linked directly to the school’s priorities and individual needs. The headteacher has made sure that all staff have a clear understanding of their roles and responsibilities.  Leaders have a good overview of the school’s strengths and areas for improvement. As a result, planning is focused well on the most important priorities. The headteacher has built on past improvement work, in particular those areas identified as weaknesses at the time of the last inspection. Work has begun to secure accuracy of assessments. Staff gather pupils’ work, including photographs and videos, which are used to exemplify specific levels of learning.  Staff are becoming skilled in tracking pupils’ learning and identifying any gaps in their progress, through half-termly multi-disciplinary meetings. As a result, any pupil at risk of

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Effectiveness of leadership and management Good

underachieving has the right level and type of support from educational staff or therapists to make sure their progress does not slow down. However, leaders do not set measurable targets based on pupils’ starting points. As a consequence, they cannot be confident that pupils are making the progress they are capable of.  A revised curriculum ensures that all the required areas of learning are covered. There is clear progression of skills which are broken down into three distinct levels based on pupils’ capabilities. As a result, pupils’ personal development and learning are promoted well. There is a good balance between the development of pupils’ physical skills, through the principles of conductive education, and learning across the curriculum. Themes provide a relevant context for pupils to develop key skills in all areas of learning. Much work is practical and/or visual where activities are tailored precisely to meet individual

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Effectiveness of leadership and management Good

needs. Pupils’ interests usually determine the context for their learning, which secures their growing perseverance. Adults carefully plan specialist support and therapies both within lessons and on a one-to-one basis. These include occupational, speech and language, music, yoga, dance and movement therapies.  The culture of the school and specific activities promote fundamental British values and pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development effectively. Tolerance and respect for others is continually promoted through adult modelling, and the positive, supporting Inspection report: The London School for Children With Cerebral Palsy, 7–9 February 2017 Page 4 of 11 relationships.

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Governance

 The trustees are keen to ensure that the school continues to go from strength to strength. As a result, they have added an additional layer of accountability, forming a governing body which in turn has boosted capacity to secure further improvements.  The chair and vice-chair are members of the small board of trustees and therefore well placed to communicate to trustees how well the school is performing. Regular meetings are enabling governors to work closely with the headteacher. They are beginning to organise their own methods to monitor all aspects of the school to enable them to be full partners in leading the school forward.  Governors have a good understanding of the school’s strengths, including how well pupils achieve academically and personally, as well as the quality of teaching. They fully support the headteacher’s drive to continue to improve the balance between conductive education

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Governance

and pupils’ learning through an inclusive and exciting curriculum, together with greater accuracy of assessments.  Governors are determined to make sure that all pupils are well prepared for their next stage of education.

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Safeguarding

 The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.  All safeguarding policies and procedures are woven through the work of the school. Staff have a good understanding of all potential dangers because training is up to date. They are vigilant in identifying any potential issues because safeguarding is an agenda item at every staff meeting. As one member of staff explained, ‘safeguarding is a constant discussion’, both with colleagues and other external agencies. The school’s safeguarding policy is available to parents on the school website and takes into account current government requirements. Vetting checks are robust and recorded effectively. This makes sure that adults are suitable to work with children, including staff, trustees and governors.

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Good

 The very small number of pupils enables staff to know each pupil exceptionally well. Staff strike the right balance in nurturing pupils so that they believe in their own capabilities, thus developing a positive self-image, self-esteem and confidence, as well as encouraging pupils to have a go themselves.  All pupils have a physical disability. Most children have severe language and learning difficulties. A multi-disciplinary approach means that adults, from both educational and therapeutic backgrounds, provide a cohesive and clear programme of activities for pupils’ learning. There is a significant focus on developing pupils’ physical skills.  One-to-one or small-group work means that pupils’ behaviour is carefully monitored in lessons. Activities are quickly adapted to sustain pupils’ attention and engagement in their learning. Pupils are beginning to gain greater resilience in their learning.

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Good

 The class teacher plans activities effectively. She makes sure that pupils’ statements of Inspection report: The London School for Children With Cerebral Palsy, 7–9 February 2017 Page 5 of 11 special educational needs or education, health and care plans are translated into meaningful and appropriate learning experiences in the classroom. Activities are tailored to meet individual needs, securing good progress in lessons. This includes those for pupils who are the most able in some subjects, and for those pupils who find learning difficult. The use of intensive support enables pupils to learn about topics at their level of understanding. For example, pupils explore the concept of symmetry physically, as the teacher mirrors pupils’ actions. Most-able pupils paint pictures and explore the line of symmetry through their pictures.  However, the language used to explain to pupils about what they are going to learn is too

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Good

complex. Additionally, the explanation does not reflect the well-pitched differentiated tasks that pupils actually complete. As a result, this lack of clarity sometimes prevents pupils from being able to reflect on their work with adults, thus deepening their understanding further.  Adults promote pupils’ speech and language, and communication through the use of visual images, and paraphrasing pupils’ language. The speech and language therapist works intensively with pupils. She is an excellent role model in class, providing pupils with clear and short instructions. She supports the staff’s ability to use signs when communicating with pupils. The class teacher uses this strategy well in lessons. However, there are times when support staff do not use this to promote pupils’ communication skills well enough.  The culture of the school, reflected in the charity’s ‘golden rules’ which span the organisation, is evident in how staff work together. They willingly share their expertise

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Good

and reflect on what has worked well in lessons.

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Personal development and welfare

 The school’s work to promote pupils’ personal development and welfare is good.  The multi-disciplinary approach provides a range of specialist strategies to enable pupils to learn and develop. As with conductive education, yoga enables pupils to practise their physical skills, as well as to relax, relieving any stress and anxiety. Music therapy is also used to de-stress pupils, as well as extending their listening skills and ability to turn take. Pupils begin to develop a sense of themselves and their self-worth. This is securing their growing confidence and self-esteem.  The longer pupils attend school, the better they are at coping with new situations. As a consequence, pupils enjoy coming to school, with most attending regularly. Pupils are happy, polite and eager to learn. They benefit immensely in their personal development from the strong bonds they form with adults.  Pupils learn about their bodies, including what they should eat to stay healthy. They are

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Personal development and welfare

taught how to keep themselves safe and to recognise potential dangers. However, they have yet to be taught specifically about how to keep themselves safe when using the internet. Inspection report: The London School for Children With Cerebral Palsy, 7–9 February 2017 Page 6 of 11

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Behaviour

 The behaviour of pupils is good.  Staff are good role models for behaviour and manners. They constantly remind pupils to think about their behaviour and the impact this may have on others. They reinforce good behaviour through the appropriate use of verbal praise. Staff adhere to regular routines that engender familiarity for pupils. As a result, the school is a calm and a secure place for pupils to learn and play.  Staff quickly recognise when pupils find certain situations difficult to cope with. They provide effective diversions, refocus pupils’ attention, or take pupils out for some personal space.  The headteacher has coached staff to use calm but firm instructions for those pupils who exhibit physical aggression. She leads by example, demonstrating the effectiveness of providing pupils with empathy, as well as giving them clear boundaries and expectations. Some staff are equally as expert at modifying pupils’ behaviour positively. Case studies

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Behaviour

confirm that the school is successful in modifying the most extreme and challenging behaviours of some pupils so that they are able to access all the school offers. However, there are occasions when some support staff allow pupils to push the boundaries, resulting in some preventable unacceptable behaviour.

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Outcomes for pupils Good

 Both inspection observations and the school’s assessment information confirm that all pupils are currently making good progress, and particularly so in reading and mathematics. Progress is speeding up in other subjects, including pupils’ speaking and listening skills, writing and science.  Daily reading sessions, including listening to adults read, engenders pupils’ love of reading. Pupils are encouraged to read whatever their skills levels are. They read visual symbols, and the most able pupils use their phonics skills to decode unfamiliar words. Adults are proficient in developing pupils’ comprehension skills through effective questioning.  Work in books and pupil progress records demonstrate that pupils’ starting points are exceptionally variable. Each pupil has a wide range of different ability profiles, across different subjects and in their physical, sensory and personal skills. Nonetheless,

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Outcomes for pupils Good

pupils’ achievement is consistently good over time.  The school rightly focuses on continuously developing pupils’ physical skills, resilience and independence. This has a positive impact on pupils’ ability to learn successfully across the curriculum, through thematic and relevant topics.  Pupils make good and often rapid progress in their physical development. Adults who teach conductive education are adept at providing pupils with sequential activities which build successfully on previous learning and skills.  There are many activities in classrooms throughout the day for pupils to practise, consolidate and extend key literacy and mathematical skills, in relevant and stimulating contexts in class. As a result of carefully planned sequences of lessons, Inspection report: The London School for Children With Cerebral Palsy, 7–9 February 2017 Page 7 of 11 all pupils, including the most able, work on activities which are suitably pitched to

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Outcomes for pupils Good

move their learning on at a good pace. Nevertheless, the spacious outdoor area is not used on a regular basis and, as a result, there are lost opportunities to enhance pupils’ learning, and their physical and mental well-being still further. Inspection report: The London School for Children With Cerebral Palsy, 7–9 February 2017 Page 8 of 11

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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

School category Independent special school

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School details

Date of previous inspection 27–28 June 2012

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Information about this school

 The London Centre for Children with Cerebral Palsy is an independent day special school for pupils aged 3 to 11 years. The school moved in April 2015 to a new site, which was approved by the Department for Education in April 2015. It is situated in the London Borough of Haringey in North London.  There is one primary class with eight pupils on roll. A few pupils attend other schools for part of the week.  Almost all pupils have either statements of special educational needs or education, health and care plans, or are placed for assessment. All pupils have physical disabilities, as well as Inspection report: The London School for Children With Cerebral Palsy, 7–9 February 2017 Page 9 of 11 additional learning and communication needs. All pupils who have permanent places are funded by their local authorities.  The school provides a specialist teaching method, known as conductive education, which adopts individual physical learning programmes for each pupil and provides one-to-one

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Information about this school

support throughout the school day.  The centre began operating as a school in 1988 and forms part of the Peter Rigby Trust. The trust also provides advice and guidance for parents, carers and interested professionals on site and through outreach visits.  Since the last inspection, there have been significant changes to the leadership and management of the school, as well as a high turnover of staff. The headteacher took up her post in September 2016. A newly formed governing body was set up in the autumn term 2016; they report directly to the school’s trustees. A new teacher was appointed in September 2016, as well as several members of the support team.  The school’s overarching aim is to ‘inspire children with cerebral palsy to develop independence, confidence and self-esteem and to achieve their full potential’.  The school was last inspected in June 2012. The quality of education was judged to be good,

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Information about this school

and all but one regulation was unmet in relation to an aspect of provision of information in Standard 6 paragraph 24(1)(h). Inspection report: The London School for Children With Cerebral Palsy, 7–9 February 2017 Page 10 of 11

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Information about this inspection

 The inspector undertook a series of short observations of lessons jointly with the headteacher. The inspector also looked at pupils’ work and observed pupils listening to a story read to them by the speech and language therapist.  The inspector held discussions with the headteacher, members of the governing body, including the chair and vice-chair, the lead teacher, speech therapist and senior teaching assistant. She also spoke to one parent.  There were no responses to Parent View, the online Ofsted questionnaire. The inspector took account of 12 responses to the staff questionnaire.

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Inspection team

Mary Hinds, lead inspector Her Majesty’s Inspector Inspection report: The London School for Children With Cerebral Palsy, 7–9 February 2017 Page 11 of 11 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

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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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