Wyre Forest School

Inspection of Wyre Forest School Habberley Road, Kidderminster, Worcestershire DY11 6FA

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Overall effectiveness Good

The quality of education Good Behaviour and attitudes Outstanding Personal development Outstanding Leadership and management Good Early years provision Good Sixth-form provision Outstanding Overall effectiveness at previous inspection Good 10–11 December 2019

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils in this school are happy. The school’s vision, ‘We Foster Success’, is at the heart of everything they do. Pupils succeed in many ways. This includes riding a bike for the first time, using communication aids to ask for a snack at breaktime and successfully applying for a college place.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The school is calm and orderly. Pupils help and respect each other. Relationships between staff and pupils are exceptional. Staff go the extra mile to care for the pupils. For example, staff give up their time willingly to run holiday clubs throughout the year.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Bullying is rare. If pupils are unkind to each other the staff deal with it quickly.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils enjoy the different activities available to them. These include the sign-along choir, swimming at the local leisure centre and horse riding.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Teachers want all pupils to be the best they can. They enter them for a range of qualifications. As a result, pupils achieve to the best of their ability. They also help them to become more independent. For example, students in the sixth form value the chance to take on roles in the school, such as fridge monitor and helping in class with younger pupils.

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better?

Leaders have thought carefully about the subjects that pupils study. They think about how they can prepare pupils for adult life. This means getting the qualifications they need. It also means giving them the life skills to be independent.

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better?

The curriculum in early years is well designed. Teachers’ planning effectively meets children’s specific needs. Staff know the children well. Strong relationships mean that children settle quickly and are ready to learn. The school has good relationships with parents and carers. Leaders organise sessions for groups of parents so that they can share their parenting experience and support each other. However, the learning environment in the Reception classes is not as appealing as the rest of the school. The sensory room and parts of the outdoor area do not support learning as well as they might.

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better?

Leaders understand the importance of pupils being able to read. Staff are well trained and supported by leaders to deliver effective programmes. The teaching of reading starts in early years and continues throughout the school. As a result, pupils are developing a love of reading. They enjoy choosing books from the library.

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better?

Developing communication skills is a strength of the school. Appropriate resources are used well. These include the use of a range of communication aids that are closely matched to pupils’ needs. Every chance is used to develop pupils’ communication. For example, pupils use their communication aids at lunchtime to let 10–11 December 2019

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the supervisors know what they would like to eat.

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In subjects such as English, mathematics and personal, social, health, careers and economic (PSHCE) education, teachers plan the work well. Topics are planned in a way to help pupils know more and remember more. However, in the creative curriculum, planning is not as effective. The knowledge and skills leaders want pupils to learn is not yet clear nor planned for in a logical way.

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The sixth-form provision is exceptional. Students are highly successful. Almost all go on to appropriate provision. This includes college or an apprenticeship. The pathways offered to students are carefully planned to meet an individual’s needs. Students value the support they get. One student spoke about how staff had given him the confidence to apply to college. Two years ago, this would not have been possible. The development of employability skills is given high priority. Students enjoy the chance to work in the café in the local park or on the school’s allotment.

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Pupils’ behaviour is exceptional. Strong relationships between adults and pupils support this. The PSHCE education curriculum teaches pupils how to be thoughtful and kind to each other. Staff helps pupils to manage their own behaviour. As a result, there is very little learning time lost.

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Pupils are well prepared for their future. The careers programme is well led. Pupils have many opportunities through the curriculum and beyond, to think about what they want to do when they leave school. This includes trips to local skills shows and employers coming into school to lead workshops. For example, key stage 3 pupils worked with staff from a fast-food chain to make takeaway food boxes.

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Pupils learn how to stay healthy. Additional funding has been used well to improve the outdoor facilities such as the bike track. As a result, 24 pupils have recently been awarded a Bikeability certificate.

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The governing body is ambitious for the school and for what the pupils can achieve. They play an active role in the school. For example, the link governor for safeguarding regularly attends the weekly safeguarding meeting. This is to offer support and to check that the school supports the most vulnerable pupils effectively.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

Staff take pupils’ welfare seriously. They report any concerns immediately. Staff are confident that leaders will take the right action.

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Safeguarding

Staff are trained in the risks that pupils face. These include those related to e-safety and child sexual exploitation. In PSHCE education lessons pupils are taught how to keep themselves safe. They talk confidently about how to stay safe in relationships. Pupils say that they feel safe. Leaders work well with external agencies. This includes the police. Leaders ensure 10–11 December 2019

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that pupils and families get extra help when they need it. Parents value this.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 The creative curriculum is not as coherently planned and sequenced as it is in other subjects. Consequently, pupils do not do as well as they could in this area of the curriculum. Senior leaders need to support phase leaders to develop this aspect of the curriculum to ensure that pupils cumulatively develop the knowledge and skills they need for future learning. Leaders need to support teachers with its implementation.  The environment in the Reception classes does not support learning as well as it might. Leaders need to monitor the quality of the environment in Reception to ensure that it matches the high quality of provision found in the rest of the school.

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How can I feed back my views?

or to find out what other parents and carers think. We use Ofsted Parent View information when deciding which schools to inspect, when to inspect them and as part of their inspection.

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How can I feed back my views?

The Department for Education has further guidance on how to complain about a school.

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How can I feed back my views?

If you’re not happy with the inspection or the report, you can complain to Ofsted .

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Further information

You can search for published performance information about the school.

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Further information

In the report, ‘disadvantaged pupils’ refers to those pupils who attract government pupil premium funding: pupils claiming free school meals at any point in the last six years and pupils in care or who left care through adoption or another formal route. 10–11 December 2019

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sixth form

Appropriate authority The governing body

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sixth form

Date of previous inspection 13 March 2018

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Information about this school

 The school caters for pupils with a range of special educational needs and/or disabilities. These include profound and multiple learning difficulties, severe learning difficulties, physical disabilities, autism spectrum disorder, multi-sensory impairment and social, emotional and mental health needs.  All pupils who attend the school have an education, health and care plan.  The school uses Abberley Care Farm to offer alternative provision on a part-time basis.

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Information about this inspection

We carried out this inspection under section 5 of the Education Act 2005.

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Information about this inspection

 The inspection was aligned with social care.  Inspectors met with the headteacher, other senior leaders, the school 10–11 December 2019

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improvement adviser, members of the governing body including the chair, and the office manager.  The inspection focused on reading, English, communication, mathematics, PSHCE and physical education. We met with subject leaders and teachers. We visited lessons and looked at pupils’ work. We talked to pupils about their learning.  An inspector checked the single central record and the procedures for the recruitment of staff. An inspector met with the designated safeguarding lead and checked pupils’ records.  Inspectors reviewed the 48 responses from staff and the 35 responses to the pupil questionnaire. They also considered the 14 responses to Parent View, including the nine free-text responses.

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Inspection team

Lesley Yates, lead inspector Her Majesty’s Inspector

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Inspection team

Jonathan Keay Her Majesty’s Inspector 10–11 December 2019

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regulates and inspects to achieve excellence in the care of children and young people, and in education and skills for learners of all ages. It regulates and inspects childcare and children’s social care, and inspects the Children and Family Court Advisory and Support Service (Cafcass), schools, colleges, initial teacher training, further education and skills, adult and community learning, and education and training in prisons and other secure establishments. It assesses council children’s services, and inspects services for children looked after, safeguarding and child protection.

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