Forest Moor School

121780 Unique Reference Number North Yorkshire Local Authority 314096 Inspection number 14 °15 January 2008 Inspection dates Arif Hussain Reporting inspector

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

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Special Type of school Community special School category 11 °16 Age range of pupils Boys Gender of pupils Number on roll 37 School The governing body Appropriate authority Dr Hilary Hodge Chair Mr Drew Anderson Headteacher 27 June 2003 Date of previous school inspection Cautley Road School address Sedbergh Cumbria LA10 5LQ 01539 620232 Telephone number 01539 621275 Fax number

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11-16 Age group 14 °15 January 2008 Inspection dates 314096 Inspection number .

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This document may be reproduced in whole or in part for non-commercial educational purposes, provided that the information quoted is reproduced without adaptation and the source and date of publication are stated.

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Further copies of this report are obtainable from the school. Under the Education Act 2005, the school must provide a copy of this report free of charge to certain categories of people. A charge not exceeding the full cost of reproduction may be made for any other copies supplied.

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Introduction

This inspection was carried out by one Additional Inspector.

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Description of the school

The school caters for boys with extreme behaviour, emotional and social difficulties. Many boys also have other learning difficulties and/or disabilities including complicated medical needs. All the boys have experienced major difficulties in mainstream and other educational settings and many have been excluded. The socio-economic background of many of the boys is one of disadvantage. All the boys are of White British heritage. The great majority are eligible for free school meals. Around 5% of the boys are in the care of local authorities. The school has residential provision for up to 32 boys during term time. Around two thirds of the boys are currently boarding. The most recent report on the residential provision may be obtained at http//www.ofsted.gov.uk/report.

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Key for inspection grades

Outstanding Grade 1 Good Grade 2 Satisfactory Grade 3 Inadequate Grade 4 3 of 11 Inspection Report: Baliol School, 14 °15 January 2008

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Grade: 2

This is a good school with some outstanding features. It provides good value for money. Representative views from parents include, 'The decision for my child to attend this school has been very worthwhile. I have noticed very positive changes in my son's attitude, behaviour and sticking to boundaries.' Though attainment on entry to the school is very low, achievement is good, given the severity of the boys' learning difficulties and/or disabilities. Outstanding care, guidance and support ensure that boys make up for the lost ground that has resulted from their previous disengagement in education. Achievement is good across the school because the quality of teaching is good. Teachers establish excellent relationships with the boys and this helps them to settle into the learning routines very well. Stimulating presentation of work in lessons captures the boys' interest well and so they enjoy working hard. However, there is

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Grade: 2

some variation in the quality of planning for lessons which occasionally restricts learning to only satisfactory. The school has developed a good curriculum which is in the process of even further development. Boys enjoy especially the chances to learn through practical experiences. All the boys gain a good number of external awards and national accreditations of subjects during their time at this school. The school works effectively with outside agencies to ensure the boys' welfare and there are very strong links with other schools and colleges. For instance, all boys in Year 10 and Year 11 attend colleges regularly to undertake vocational training courses which include construction skills, car mechanics, catering, outdoor pursuits and sports-related courses. These factors contribute to boys becoming well prepared for the future. Personal development is good. Parents are very pleased, saying, for example, 'my son's

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Grade: 2

confidence and behaviour have improved so much. His personality and sense of humour has really come out'. Boys develop into well rounded and mature young people who want to succeed and take advantage of their learning opportunities. Behaviour is good. Enjoyment of school life is reflected in good rates of attendance. Many boys have made very good improvements in their attendance when compared to that in their previous schools. Boys develop positive attitudes towards healthy living. For instance, they show understanding about the risks of smoking and learn much about alcohol and drugs abuse. Participation in sports is good and the establishment of better sports facilities since the last inspection is helping to channel boys' energies positively. Boys' contribution to the community is good. The school council has made several good suggestions leading to school improvement, for instance, regarding school uniform.

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Grade: 2

Leadership and management are good. The impact is seen in the rapidly improving progress made by most boys on many fronts, in their sense of security and well-being, and in the good reputation the school has in the community. The headteacher provides excellent leadership and is instrumental in maintaining the very strong ethos for learning. Governors have an excellent grasp of educational matters and make an exceptional contribution to the school's work. For instance, governors have vigorously pursued improvements in provision including teaching and personal, social and health education. The school knows its strengths and areas for development particularly well. Improvements in several key areas, most notably in boys' care and the range of accredited courses on offer demonstrate an outstanding capacity to improve. 4 of 11 Inspection Report: Baliol School, 14 °15 January 2008

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Grade: 2

Effective leadership and management of the boarding provision ensure provision is good. School and residential managers work effectively together to ensure the progress and well-being of boarders. The residential curriculum makes a strong contribution to boys' personal development and there are a few planned opportunities to support academic learning. Whilst strong links exist between care staff and teachers which foster boys' enjoyment and achievement positively, more could be done within the boarding provision to extend boys' learning from lessons during the school day. The National Minimum Standards for boarders are fully met. The action points identified in the most recent inspection have been fully addressed. There is a good standard of care, and child protection procedures are clear and effective.

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What the school should do to improve further

■ Ensure the quality of planning in all lessons is always effective in ensuring boys of differing abilities are provided with good learning chances. ■ In the case of boarding boys, build even more effectively on their learning during the day within the residential provision.

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Grade: 2

Though standards are low because of boys' learning difficulties and/or disabilities, achievement is good. There is always a strong focus on literacy and numeracy in learning. Every opportunity is taken to promote interest in reading and writing and this has resulted in very good progress in reading. Progress in writing is good. Boys also make good progress in mathematics and science. Most boys make sound gains in their information and communication technology (ICT) skills. Day boys, boarders and boys in local authority care alike make good progress. A good number of boys in all year groups gain accreditation in a wide range of sports and outdoor pursuits including football, rock climbing and canoeing. All the boys leaving school in the last school year were successful in gaining several GCSE entry level passes. The range of subjects passed at this level is much greater than at the time of the last inspection. Also, a significant

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Grade: 2

number of boys now gain relatively good grades at full GCSE level in English and mathematics.

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Grade: 2

Spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is good overall. The boys develop a high level of self-awareness and a determination to work hard and succeed, although taking responsibility for others could be a shade stronger. Attitudes to learning and behaviour are consistently good. Boarders and other boys say that any bullying is taken seriously and dealt with effectively. Boys quickly develop strong values about care, respect and fair play. This is because they have many chances to discuss issues such as poverty, discrimination and human rights in lessons. Older boys express their view of the world very thoughtfully, particularly in the poetry they write. For instance, following a lesson about the cultural influences in the writing of an Asian-British artist, the boys produced good poems. Much spirituality is revealed in this poetry along with the boys' ability to put themselves in 'other people's shoes' and see life from a different point

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Grade: 2

of view. 5 of 11 Inspection Report: Baliol School, 14 °15 January 2008

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Grade: 2

Boys make good progress and show good attitudes to their work, as a result of effective teaching. Teachers know the boys very well and manage them in lessons very effectively. Characteristics of the teaching are good presentation of work, effective use of resources, and lessons that are full of a variety of learning opportunities. Basic skills are taught well. For instance, in a Year 11 lesson to develop successful examination techniques, the boys reinforced their literacy and concentration skills well as they practiced working accurately under pressure. Teaching and support assistants make a strong contribution to the success of lessons by always playing an active role. On a few occasions, teaching and learning are only satisfactory when lesson planning has not paid quite enough attention to making sure that boys of differing ability have the same chance to learn well. On these occasions teachers do not have specific learning targets for the

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Grade: 2

different ability groups. Assessment is accurate and teachers provide good guidance in workbooks on how to improve.

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Grade: 2

There is good provision for numeracy, literacy and ICT and this helps boys to gain essential and basic skills in readiness for leaving school. Enrichment of the curriculum is provided through many educational visits, for instance, boys recently went to a space observatory as part of their learning about the planets. Visitors also make a positive contribution to learning; a theatrical group regularly works with the boys to support careers education. Participation in sporting activities is good and this makes a significant contribution to improving health and fitness. The residential curriculum includes many chances to develop personal and independence skills but is not yet as effective as it could be in extending learning that is taking place during the school day. The school has extended the range of accreditation opportunities considerably since the last inspection. For instance, older boys have recently started courses on GCSE physical

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Grade: 2

education, National Vocational Qualifications in construction skills and a wide variety of other courses offered by colleges and training providers.

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Grade: 1

Representative views from the boys include, 'I have grown up because of this school, teachers have helped me to buckle down. I am achieving things and I know that staff want me to do well because they go out of their way to help me.' Staff are totally committed to the care and well-being of the boys and encourage hard work, enjoyment and achievement. Good attendance and behaviour is promoted very effectively through rewards. Procedures to ensure health, safety and child protection are clear and regularly reviewed. Pastoral support and guidance is outstanding. The boys know which member of staff is acting as their personal mentor and are confident in approaching them about any problems. In this very supportive environment, the boys reach challenging targets. The school works very well with parents and other agencies to ensure that the boys make good progress. 6 of 11 Inspection Report: Baliol School, 14 °15 January 2008

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Grade: 2

The outstanding leadership and management of the headteacher and governing body have successfully focused staff on improving the school further. Recent improvements in care for the boys and the extent of the curriculum are beginning to build even more on the already good levels of achievement and personal development. Senior leaders have created a common sense of purpose among staff. Other staff with leadership roles including within the residential provision are effective. The boys' performance is monitored well so that any problems are quickly identified and support put in place. The system to monitor boys' enjoyment, achievement, awareness of health and safety matters, and preparation for the future is a model of good practice. Managers evaluate their work particularly well and inspection judgements match the school's self-evaluation exactly. Inclusion lies at the heart of the school's work and the school

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Grade: 2

is effective in addressing individual barriers to learning. Resources are well used to support learning. The school runs very smoothly on a day-to-day basis with office staff making a very good contribution. 7 of 11 Inspection Report: Baliol School, 14 °15 January 2008 .

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Grade: 2

in the guidance 'Complaints about school inspection', which is available from Ofsted’s website: www.ofsted.gov.uk. 8 of 11 Inspection Report: Baliol School, 14 °15 January 2008

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Inspection judgements

School Overall Key to judgements: grade 1 is outstanding, grade 2 good, grade 3 satisfactory, and grade 4 inadequate

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Overall effectiveness

How effective, efficient and inclusive is the provision of education, integrated care and any extended services in meeting the needs of learners? Yes Effective steps have been taken to promote improvement since the last inspection How well does the school work in partnership with others to promote learners' well-being? 2 The effectiveness of boarding provision 1 The capacity to make any necessary improvements

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Achievement and standards

2 How well do learners achieve? 4 The standards 1 reached by learners How well learners make progress, taking account of any significant variations between groups of learners 2 How well learners with learning difficulties and disabilities make progress

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learners?

2 The extent of learners' spiritual, moral, social and cultural development 2 The extent to which learners adopt healthy lifestyles 2 The extent to which learners adopt safe practices 2 How well learners enjoy their education 2 The attendance of learners 2 The behaviour of learners 2 The extent to which learners make a positive contribution to the community How well learners develop workplace and other skills that will contribute to their future economic well-being

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and interests of learners?

1 How well are learners cared for, guided and supported?

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and interests of learners?

Grade 1 - Exceptionally and consistently high; Grade 2 - Generally above average with none significantly below average; Grade 3 - Broadly average to below average; Grade 4 - Exceptionally low. 9 of 11 Inspection Report: Baliol School, 14 °15 January 2008

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and supporting all learners?

How effectively leaders and managers at all levels set clear direction leading to improvement and promote high quality of care and education 2 How effectively leaders and managers use challenging targets to raise standards 1 The effectiveness of the school's self-evaluation How well equality of opportunity is promoted and discrimination tackled so that all learners achieve as well as they can How effectively and efficiently resources, including staff, are deployed to achieve value for money The extent to which governors and other supervisory boards discharge their responsibilities Yes Do procedures for safeguarding learners meet current government requirements? No Does this school require special measures? No Does this school require a notice to improve? 10 of 11 Inspection Report: Baliol School, 14 °15 January 2008

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

Thank you for making me so welcome at your school and for all your help during the inspection. I enjoyed talking with you and learning about your school. The school and boarding provision are good. This is because you make good progress. Your curriculum is strong because there are many chances for you to learn in the way you like. The school provides outstanding care, support and guidance. I was very pleased to talk with members of the school council and I am impressed by the suggestions made by many boys to improve things. I am also pleased to see the good contribution you all make to the community through taking up jobs around the school and in the residential provision. Personal development is good. I can see that you are well prepared for the future through the accreditations you achieve and the work-related experiences you take part in. You show good attitudes to learning and behave well. I am glad to see that teaching

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

and learning in your school is good. Leadership and management of your school and boarding provision are good. The leadership of your headteacher and members of the governing body are excellent. School and care managers are working hard to make sure you carry on doing well. The full report about the school covers all the points in this letter in more detail. In order to improve, the school must:

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

■ make sure that lessons are planned always to allow each of you to learn equally well

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

■ make sure that boarding boys can build even better on their learning during the day within the residential provision. Once again, thank you for the welcome you gave me, it made my visit very enjoyable. 11 of 11 Inspection Report: Baliol School, 14 °15 January 2008

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