Pontville School

Pontville School Black Moss Lane, Ormskirk, Lancashire L39 4TW

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Effectiveness of leadership and management Outstanding

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Outstanding

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Personal development, behaviour and welfare Outstanding

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Overall effectiveness at previous inspection Outstanding

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

 The headteacher is highly ambitious, determined and innovative. She ensures that leaders, teaching staff, therapists and support workers are trained well and are effective. She also ensures that pupils receive excellent care and support to achieve their absolute best.  The headteacher, supported by her highly capable senior leadership team, works closely with governors and senior leaders from the Witherslack Group to ensure that all the independent school standards are met.  Across the main school and post-16 provision, teaching is exemplary. As a result, pupils make excellent progress. They attain highly in subjects including English, mathematics, science and various vocational studies.  Pupils behave outstandingly well. They are caring, active, responsible citizens who love coming to school and are proud to wear the Pontville badge.  Senior leaders’ excellent work to enhance pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

understanding, as well as their appreciation of British values, is highly effective.  Despite pupils’ barriers to learning, they are determined to succeed. The exemplary, tailored clinical and therapeutic support that pupils receive furnishes them with numerous coping strategies and insights into their behaviour.  Pupils and students benefit from a highly stimulating personalised curriculum. This secures their interests and prepares them well for future education and employment.  The school’s outstanding post-16 courses are closely tailored to students’ interests. Students are entrepreneurial, have positive attitudes to learning and are excellent role models.  Pupils have access to an award-winning forest and farm school. This deepens their understanding of the natural world and provides pathways to further education, training and employment.  Parents and carers are fully involved in the life of the school. Typically, they commented that

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

their children make ‘unbelievable progress’. Parents, and representatives from local authorities, say that children are safe and well cared for.

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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?

 Further improve the health and fitness of the small minority of pupils who are reluctant to participate in physical activities.

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Effectiveness of leadership and management Outstanding

 The headteacher is highly ambitious for the school. She has great expectations of both staff and pupils. She ensures that the school is ever-evolving and well poised to benefit from new and effective practices and approaches to learning. The school is highly aspirational. It has achieved most aspects of one of its key objectives, which is to: ‘Develop a nationally recognised centre of excellence supporting children and young people with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) conditions, Asperger’s and speech, language and communication needs.’  The headteacher and senior staff lead by example. They teach, work closely with parents and are fully connected to the schools and other services within the Witherslack Group. Leaders also work in partnership with outside organisations, including schools, colleges and local authorities. The school regularly shares best practice and hosts thematic workshops at various events. These include national conferences and seminars. Pontville

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Effectiveness of leadership and management Outstanding

has won several national awards, including for its unique and innovative clinical and therapeutic services.  The proprietor, governors and regional directors have an exact understanding of the school’s strengths and priorities. They work closely with senior leaders to ensure that all aspects of provision at Pontville are outstanding and that all the independent school standards are met.  Senior and middle leaders closely monitor the quality of teaching through various teaching and learning teams. Leaders regularly scrutinise teachers’ and teaching assistants’ planning, as well as work in pupils’ books and folders. In their desire to continually improve, leaders invite consultants and colleagues from other schools to observe teaching and share their views. Newly qualified teachers are highly complimentary of the mentoring support and extensive training programmes available, all of which, they said, are highly effective in helping them to improve their teaching

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Effectiveness of leadership and management Outstanding

practice.  A very high proportion of staff completed the inspection survey. Staff morale is exceptionally high. This is very evident when talking to staff, who are positive and buoyant. Staff say that they feel valued and proud to be part of the forward-thinking, highly-driven learning community that characterises Pontville. All staff said that leaders use professional development to encourage, challenge and support their improvement. Typically, staff commented: ‘Pontville is a family and we work tirelessly to achieve the best outcomes for every pupil.’  Pupils benefit from a wide and varied curriculum which is tailored to their interests, skills and abilities. All pupils engage in various enrichment activities. They can follow their interest in music, outdoor activities, linked to the Duke of Edinburgh’s Award, the forest and farm school, photography and various sports. All of these broaden pupils’ experience

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Effectiveness of leadership and management Outstanding

and furnish them with the skills needed for the next stage of their learning after school. However, a small minority of pupils are averse to engaging in physical activities, including sports. Staff work closely with these pupils to develop their appreciation of the importance of physical exercise and to encourage them to take their first tentative steps in sporting activities.  Promoting pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is an integral part of school planning and is outstanding, as is its work to promote British values. As a result, Pontville pupils are broad-minded, empathetic and active citizens. They raise money for an array of charities. They do this by holding cake sales, providing a car valeting service and setting up and selling various items at Pontville’s post-16 market. Recently, pupils worked in partnership with a local farmer to sell pumpkins. With their ‘cut’, they set up an

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Effectiveness of leadership and management Outstanding

enterprise fund.  Pupils have an in-depth understanding of the major world faiths, festivals and traditions and the culturally diverse nature of British society. Pupils like to have their say. They put democratic principles into practice through various groups, including the school council. They are environmental ambassadors who collect and recycle waste products. As ‘mini bloggers’, pupils report on topical events and celebrate the achievements of their peers. For example, bloggers recently reported on pupils’ success in raising money for charity through running 10 miles around the school’s ‘walk a mile’ track.  Parents are wholly positive about the school. They praise the work of the headteacher and senior leaders highly. Parents are appreciative of the many opportunities available for them to be directly involved in the life of the school. For example, the school’s special educational needs coordinator (SENCo) recently delivered a training session to the parent

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Effectiveness of leadership and management Outstanding

voice group, focusing on the school’s special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) code of practice. Pontville also has a siblings’ group, ‘which provides the siblings of pupils (at the school) opportunities to meet with others in similar situations.’ All parents said that their children are happy, safe and making good progress. Typically, they commented: ‘This school has been the making of my child, I cannot fault its hard work.’  Representatives from local authorities are also highly positive about the school. They indicate that communication is excellent and that pupil placements are successful. In addition, local authorities are satisfied that pupils are safe, well cared for and making good progress at Pontville.

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Governance

 The proprietor, who is the director of the Witherslack Group, has a thorough knowledge and understanding of the school’s strengths and priorities. Clear lines of accountability and communication are in place for the headteacher and senior leaders to report to the governing body. They report on issues such as pupils’ progress, staff well-being and teaching and learning. In addition, the headteacher provides comprehensive reports directly to the proprietor and various boards, including those for finance and operations.  The headteacher regularly meets with other headteachers in other Witherslack schools and shares excellent practice in areas such as vocational training and developing clinical support.  The director of operations is very positive about all aspects of the school’s provision, which she describes as ‘exemplary’. The director knows the school well because she is in school regularly and works closely with senior leaders.

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Governance

 The regional director, responsible for four local Witherslack schools, knows the school exceptionally well. As a member of the governing body, he has direct oversight of the school and is responsible for managing the headteacher’s performance. In relation to safeguarding matters, he works directly with the school’s designated safeguarding leaders and designated staff within various local authorities. The highly effective ‘chain of command’ at Pontville School holds senior leaders to account in relation to their various responsibilities.

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Safeguarding

 The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.  All safeguarding arrangements are fit for purpose. There is a strong culture of safeguarding in the school.  The school has a comprehensive and current safeguarding policy on its website. All staff sign declarations to say they have read the school’s safeguarding policy and associated polices. Staff have had ‘Prevent’ duty and Channel training, both of which are part of the government’s agenda for tacking radicalisation and extremism. In addition, staff are familiar with the latest government guidelines on keeping children safe in education. Staff know exactly what to do if they have a concern about a pupil’s safety and/or welfare.  The school leaves absolutely nothing to chance when it comes to safeguarding. This is evident in its intense and comprehensive induction procedures. These enhance new employees’ understanding of safeguarding matters, the precise needs of Pontville pupils

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Safeguarding

and the school’s extensive range of health and safety policies and procedures.  The school has several designated safeguarding leaders, all of whom are highly trained and at the ‘cutting edge’ of developments relating to children’s safety and welfare. Safeguarding training is available for parents and awareness sessions are regularly delivered to pupils. As senior leaders put it, ‘Safeguarding is the thread that goes through everything we do.’  The school has a full-time safeguarding leader, who ensures that all updated safeguarding knowledge and information is captured and shared with staff through regular briefings. The leader works closely with designated safeguarding leads in other Witherslack schools, and further afield, as well as parents and pupils. The school has close links with the Child Exploitation and Online Protection service (CEOP), and the government-sponsored counter-terrorism team, which works to eliminate radicalisation.

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Safeguarding

 All appropriate checks are made on staff to ascertain their suitability to work with children. Risk assessments are regularly carried out to make sure that school premises are safe and secure. In addition, school trips and educational visits are risk assessed, helping to ensure pupils’ safety.

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Outstanding

 Across the school, teaching over time is outstanding. Teachers have exceptionally high expectations of pupils. Teachers plan activities to ensure that pupils enjoy learning, make excellent progress and attain highly. The clinical and therapeutic support available is highly effective, helping pupils to remove barriers to their learning. It also gives pupils coping strategies use when they find it difficult to engage in classroom activities.  Teaching assistants are trained to an exceptionally high standard. They form highly productive partnerships with teachers. They are also expert at working with small groups of pupils and delivering one-to-one teaching sessions. Teaching assistants’ knowledge of pupils’ different skills and learning styles is outstanding. As a result, they are well placed to support pupils of all abilities in any subject.  Science teaching is highly effective. This was very evident during an upper-school science

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Outstanding

lesson. Aware of safety, all pupils donned their protective goggles before placing small pieces of marble into a jar containing a small quantity of acid. Pupils patiently weighed the jar at short, timed intervals and recorded their findings. They noted that the weight of the jar decreased over time. They deduced that this was probably due to the minute amounts of gas permeating and escaping through the cottonwood stopper on the top of the jar.  Music teaching is outstanding. It develops pupils’ keen interest in music and supports their aspirations. For example, the school has enhanced the talents and aspirations of pupils, now confident guitarists, drummers and keyboard players. They regularly perform at public events as members of the school band. Pupils read music and enjoy creating their own compositions. In a key stage 4 class, pupils experimented with major and minor chords to create atmospheric sounds to compliment the grand facade of the Tajh Mahal

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Outstanding

and the intelligent and playful nature of a pod of dolphins.  Across the school, mathematics teaching is highly effective. Pupils have a thorough understanding of the importance of good calculation and problem-solving skills in the ‘real world’. This was evident in a key stage 2 class, as pupils engaged in an activity which not only tested their mathematical skills, but also developed their understanding of life in Britain after World War Two. Pupils refined their good calculation skills as they converted ounces to grams and kilograms. They worked out how much produce different families could purchase with their ration coupons.  Across the school, English teaching is outstanding. Teachers and teaching assistants concentrate on improving pupils’ speaking and listening skills, as well as their spelling, grammar and punctuation, particularly in key stages 1 and 2. Pupils are encouraged to use ‘adventurous language’, which they demonstrate in their well-crafted discursive and

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Outstanding

creative writing.  Teachers consistently engage pupils in learning. This was exemplified in a key stage 2 class when pupils were learning about postcards, a means of communication new to most. The teacher and teaching assistant were highly aware of pupils’ different special educational needs. However, they skilfully eased all pupils into the activity. Pupils quickly realised that all postcards require a stamp and contain space for a limited amount of text. This they held in mind as they wrote cards in their best handwriting to their friends from an extra-terrestrial location.  Pupils love drama. After a warm-up team activity for a rehearsal of an alternative production of ‘Hansel and Gretel’, the teacher reinforced pupils’ understanding of stage directions. The pupils then set about reading scripts. The teacher was very sensitive to pupils’ different special educational needs. She secured their involvement by reading and

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Outstanding

singing some of the script. This inspired pupils with supreme confidence as they went on to read and sing in different characters and voices.

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Personal development and welfare

 The school’s work to promote pupils’ personal development and welfare is outstanding.  Pupils’ personal development and welfare is at the forefront of everything that staff at Pontville do. As appropriate, staff are aware of targets in pupils’ education, health and care (EHC) plans. Staff work tirelessly to ensure that targets are met. Ingenious techniques are in place to reduce unnecessary anxiety. For example, pupils’ stress dissipates in the school’s award-winning forest and farm school when they feed the sows and weaners, ponies and rabbits, groom the ornamental chickens, and spend time with the therapy dog, who is an integral part of the school team.  Pupil voice is highly valued at Pontville. Pupils are consulted regularly on school matters through pupil council meetings. The council has organised various fundraising events for charities. It has also raised money for the ADHD (attention deficit hyperactivity disorder)

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Personal development and welfare

Foundation. Such activities help to develop pupils’ empathy for others and enables them to become active members of the local community.  Pupils are both cooperative and competitive. They compete in various football leagues and have been top of the leader board on several different occasions in various age categories. Pupils also compete with teams in other Witherslack schools. They have won many trophies and accolades in recognition of their sporting excellence, of which they are quite rightly very proud.  Pupils know that regular physical exercise and healthy eating are important. Teachers impart this crucial message in various ways. For example, in physical education, teachers engage pupils in discussions around the importance of stamina, healthy eating and ‘working out’. Teachers do this when discussing the attributes of top football players and sports personalities.  Once each week, pupils have free time to engage in activities of their choice. Many select

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Personal development and welfare

to trampoline, play various team sports or improve their fitness on the running track. Pupils have many eating options at lunchtime, all of which are healthy. Staff, including members of the therapy team, work closely with ‘fussy eaters’ and those averse to physical activity because of their specific educational needs.  Pupils say that they always feel safe in school. They are adamant that bullying rarely, if ever, happens. They have an excellent understanding of different kinds of bullying. For example, they say that racism is when you do not like someone and ‘treat them badly because of the colour of their skin’. They indicate that racism is not tolerated and ‘never funny’. Pupils learn about different types of relationships and family structures. As a result of excellent teaching in this area, pupils have an in-depth understanding of homophobic bullying, which they say never happens in school.  A strong culture of safety is evident in the school. Pupils know that they can approach any

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Personal development and welfare

adult at any time and secure an immediate response to their concerns. The school’s own surveys, and the inspection survey, indicate that most pupils always feel safe at school. Pupils are taught about different potential dangers. The school has an award-winning personal, social health and citizenship curriculum. Pupils learn about bullying and internet safety, the dangers of extremism and radicalisation, and child exploitation.  Pupils benefit from highly effective and impartial careers advice. This ensures that they are aware of training and employment opportunities after they leave Year 11. At the end of the academic year in 2018, all pupils went on to either education, employment or further training. The school ensures that parents are aware of the different pathways available to their children after they transition from key stage 3 to key stage 4. ‘Generalisation skills’ are taught at key stages 3, 4, and 5, to ensure that pupils gain the

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Personal development and welfare

necessary skills to function effectively when not in school.

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Behaviour

 The behaviour of pupils is outstanding.  Pupils are armed with different strategies which support them exceptionally well in regulating their own behaviour. Because of the exemplary therapies they receive, pupils can successfully interact with their peers and are fully engaged in a wide range of activities.  Pupils welcomed inspectors into the school. They were curious, very courteous and well- mannered. It was very apparent to inspectors that many pupils were trying, and succeeding, in overcoming significant communication barriers. They were able to talk about their learning and experiences in school.  Pupils’ behaviour is outstanding. This was evident when they were learning and as pupils moved around the school. The school’s recent annual parent and carer questionnaire rates pupils’ behaviour highly. All parents would recommend the school to another parent. Those who completed Parent View, Ofsted’s online survey, were overwhelmingly positive

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Behaviour

about pupils’ behaviour. Typically, parents stated: ‘My child has made excellent progress academically, behaviourally and emotionally and very importantly he’s very happy here.’  Staff are of the view that behaviour is outstanding. All who completed the staff survey indicate that the school has a culture that encourages calm and orderly conduct and is aspirational for all pupils. The school’s own records show that there have been significant improvements in pupils’ behaviour over time, with a decrease in the severity and frequency of infringements of the rules. Inspection evidence indicates that behaviour has improved significantly since the previous inspection and is outstanding.  Pupils enjoy coming to school. They rarely miss a day of school because they know that their absence will adversely impact on their learning. It is not unusual for attendance to be 100%. All pupils’ attendance rapidly improves once they start at the school.

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Outcomes for pupils Outstanding

 At the end of each key stage, outcomes for pupils are exceptionally strong. At the end of Year 11 in 2018, pupils’ GCSE results were outstanding, and much better than at the time of the previous inspection. For example, a sizable proportion of the cohort gained passes in ten GCSEs. In addition, a larger proportion than previously attained at grade 5 and above in many different subjects. All pupils attained a qualification in mathematics. The overwhelming majority attained highly in science and English.  In Years 2 and 6, pupils are exceptionally well prepared for their examinations in reading, writing and mathematics. Key stage 1 pupils are well supported in gaining the phonics skills they need to become confident and fluent readers.  Pupils make outstanding progress in a wide range of subjects. These include English, mathematics, science, music, art, history and land-based studies (farming and

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Outcomes for pupils Outstanding

agriculture). In addition, pupils in Years 9, 10, and 11 sample various courses in the school’s vocational centre. This has opportunities to do catering and hospitality, painting and decorating, and mechanics. Pupils make excellent progress in developing a range of practical skills.  Pupils excel in a wide range of activities in the school’s forest and farm school. This is where they care for, feed and nurture the school’s animals. They develop their ‘green fingers’ in various horticultural activities, including planting and weeding. They also fine- tune their carpentry and building skills.  Highly effective and efficient systems are in place to assess pupils’ skills and abilities on entry to the school, in areas including reading, writing and mathematics. Teachers and senior leaders meet regularly to assess pupils’ progress against their personalised targets. Where a pupil is in danger of not making at least good progress, measures, including

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Outcomes for pupils Outstanding

specialist interventions, are put in place to prevent pupils from falling behind their peers.  All pupils at Pontville have an EHC plan. The school’s own records show that pupils routinely meet, and in most cases exceed, their personal targets, developing strong speaking, listening, reading and writing and calculation skills. The school’s excellent clinical team and specialist special educational needs practitioners know that there is always a strategy to engage pupils with complex learning needs. The success of their work is evident in the excellent progress and participation in learning of these pupils.  In 2018, Pontville won the national ‘SEN School of the Year Award’ in recognition of its tireless work, innovation and determination to ensure that pupils with SEND are not disadvantaged because of their individual learning needs. Evidence of this is found in the high-quality work that pupils produce and also in their attainment in national

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Outcomes for pupils Outstanding

examinations.  Pupils’ progress in history and geography is outstanding, as seen in well-presented and well-researched work on subjects such as the life and times of Henry VIII. It is also evident in cross-curricular themes linked to England in Tudor times. Pupils enjoy writing about popular culture and politics, for example in their work on the development of Carnaby Street in the 1960s and politics and the Conservative Government from 1979 to 1983.  Pupils make outstanding progress in developing their fine motor skills, as seen in the vast improvements in the quality of their written work over time. Younger pupils enjoy ‘messy play’, which limbers them up and vastly improves their coordination. Exemplary occupational therapy delivered by highly trained staff reaps remarkable results, such as improved mobility and strengthened muscles. Such sessions link to pupils’ EHC plans and are planned jointly with pupils.

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Outcomes for pupils Outstanding

 Pupils receive comprehensive independent careers advice, which makes them aware of different career and training paths and helps them to make the right choices. In partnership with school staff, advisers ensure that pupils are equipped with the necessary skills to write high-quality personal statements and perform well in interview situations.

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Sixth form provision Outstanding

 All aspects of provision in Pontville’s 16 to 19 vocational centre, including leadership and management, outcomes and the quality of teaching, are outstanding. The same stringent safeguarding procedures implemented in the main school are in operation at the centre. Staff pay attention to ensuring that students always operate machinery and tools safely and behave sensibly. As a result, the centre is a calm and industrious place, where students are fully engaged in their learning.  At the end of key stage 3, three distinct pathways are available to pupils, one of which is the functional skills pathway. Several key stage 4 pupils follow tailored programmes of study at the centre. Typically, programmes include functional skills in English and mathematics, introductory level science and ‘digital employability’ in computing. In addition, various vocational programmes are available in areas such as vehicle

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Sixth form provision Outstanding

maintenance and construction.  Students attend discrete life skills or ‘preparing for transition’ courses, as well as ASDAN ( Award Scheme Development and Accreditation Network ) classes, which prepare them for independent living. Students engage in activities to develop their household management, budgeting and communication skills. For example, students regularly look after the model living quarters at the centre, making the bed, hoovering and keeping rooms neat and tidy. In addition, they organise events, hone their telephone communication skills and make bookings for leisure activities and various events.  Mathematics and English are usually practically focused. When students explored money management and employment, they focused on matching professions and occupations to different salaries. Examples included a police officer, a tradesperson, a doctor and a nurse. Thereafter, they were asked to consider the qualifications and skills needed for

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Sixth form provision Outstanding

such jobs. Similarly, in life skills, students discussed the knowledge and understanding needed to successfully interact with the public and persuade them to purchase different services, such as car valeting.  Students are very attentive and always aware of the importance of safety. They benefit from outstanding instruction from highly skilled tutors and teachers. In motor vehicle maintenance, students were stripping down an engine block. They identified the main parts of the engine, including the cylinder-head, cylinders, engine block and sump. They could explain how the engine powers both the crank and prop-shafts, and ultimately the car. The most able could not only reassemble the engine, but also install it in a car and turn the engine over.  Outstanding instruction ensures that students make exceptionally strong progress in food technology. This was evident in a class where students prepared a three-course meal for

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Sixth form provision Outstanding

their peers and staff. Students proved their excellent appreciation of the importance of using oven gloves and placing pans correctly on the hob. They gave a first-class demonstration of the correct way to hold knives and other sharp objects.  All pupils and students embark on a thorough induction before entering the workshop areas at the centre. During the inspection, a large group of pupils set about finding different items/places in the workshop using a map. Students successfully identified the symbols for stairs, fire extinguishers and exits, and then located them.  A suite of non-examined subjects is available in areas including citizenship and physical education. Some students follow a mixed vocational and academic programme. As yet, few students have graduated from the centre, which has been open for 18 months. However, the most able students are very well prepared for their future destinations,

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Sixth form provision Outstanding

which include colleges and universities. Other students move on to apprenticeships or go directly into employment and/or further training.

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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 Independent day and residential special school School category Independent school

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School details

Gender of pupils in the sixth form Mixed

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School details

Of which, number on roll in sixth form 15

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School details

Annual fees (day pupils) £ 54,743 to £85,266

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School details

Website https://witherslackgroup.co.uk/pontvilleschool

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School details

Date of previous inspection 5–7 July 2016

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Information about this school

 Pontville School is part of the Witherslack group of schools and is located on the outskirts of Ormskirk in Lancashire. The School opened in 1995.  ‘Pontville provides a holistic package of education and care for pupils with social communication difficulties.’ The school currently serves over 20 different local authorities. All pupils have an EHC plan. They are all placed in the school and funded by their local authority.  Pontville provides for pupils who have conditions including ASD, Asperger’s syndrome, ADHD and behavioural, emotional and mental health difficulties.  In September 2018, a material change inspection was commissioned by the Department for Education (DfE) because the school requested an increase in the number of pupils it is registered for, from 105 to 130.  The school opened a 16 to 19 vocational centre, which is based in Skelmersdale in Lancashire, in September 2017. It currently caters for 20 students, as well as pupils from

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Information about this school

key stage 4.  A small number of pupils are educated in the key stage 1 and 2 primary school. Most pupils are in key stages 3 and 4 and are boys. A small number of pupils are from minority ethnic groups. At the time of the inspection, a total of 112 pupils were on roll.  The school works with one external provider, Myerscough College.

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Information about this inspection

 Inspectors observed learning in a range of subjects, including English, science, mathematics, music and drama, as well as the teaching of small groups of pupils. Inspectors observed teaching in the forest and farm school and at the 16 to 19 vocational centre. All lessons were observed jointly with senior leaders. Pupils’ workbooks and assessment folders were scrutinised during observations and separately with senior leaders.  Meetings were held with the head of operations and the regional director from the Witherslack Group.  Meetings were also held with the headteacher, deputy headteachers and a range of other senior leaders, including those responsible for safeguarding, clinical services, assessment and data management, special educational needs, work with parents and families, and attendance and behaviour.  Telephone conversations were held with representatives from various local authorities.

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Information about this inspection

Inspectors held a formal discussion with a small group of pupils and held informal discussions with pupils and students throughout the course of the inspection.  Inspectors read the 24 free-text responses submitted by parents during the inspection and considered the 27 responses to Ofsted’s online survey, Parent View. Responses to the inspection questionnaires by 84 members of staff and 52 pupils were also considered, as were the school’s own surveys of parents’ and pupils’ views.  Inspectors examined a range of documentary evidence. This included checks on the quality of teaching, safeguarding documentation, including risk assessments, various records of pupils’ achievement, attendance and behaviour, development plans and the school’s records and checks on the suitability of staff to work with children. In addition, inspectors scrutinised the school’s development plans and reviews of its own performance.

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Inspection team

Lenford White, lead inspector Ofsted Inspector

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Inspection team

Linda Griffiths 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

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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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