Jane Lane School

Inspection of The Jane Lane School, A College for Cognition & Learning Churchill Road, Bentley, Walsall, West Midlands WS2 0JH

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Overall effectiveness Requires improvement

The quality of education Requires improvement Behaviour and attitudes Good Personal development Good Leadership and management Good Previous inspection grade Inadequate 14–15 July 2021

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What is it like to attend this school?

The school has been transformed since its last inspection and pupils now enjoy a much better quality of education. Pupils learn well in many subjects. There is more to be done before the quality of education is good. Learning in some subjects is not planned as well as in other subjects. Teaching does not always help pupils to learn as effectively as they could.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Most pupils enjoy school. They feel safe and are well cared for by staff. Pupils describe the school as ‘a family’. Pupils trust staff to give them the help they need. They know that staff will deal with problems, such as bullying, quickly and effectively.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The school is calm and orderly throughout the day. Pupils behave well. They are polite and friendly. Staff deal with any inappropriate behaviour skilfully so that it causes minimum interruption to pupils’ learning.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Leaders and staff want the very best for all pupils. Their work to encourage pupils’ personal development is a strength of the school. Pupils benefit from well-planned personal, social and health education (PSHE) lessons and a strong careers education programme. The school provides many activities that help to prepare pupils for life after school.

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better?

The interim headteacher and senior leaders provide strong leadership. As a result, the school has improved considerably in all respects in the last two and a half years. It is unrecognisable from the school that was inspected in 2018.

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better?

Pupils’ learning is planned well in most subjects. For example, in English and mathematics, teachers are clear about what pupils should know and remember. Leaders have adapted the subject content to take into account pupils’ abilities. Teachers revisit subject content to help pupils remember what they have been taught. Teachers use assessment well in order to spot and address gaps in pupils’ learning.

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better?

In some subjects, including history, geography and science, pupils are learning less well than they should. In these subjects, leaders have not adapted subject content well and pupils do not master important concepts as a result. Additionally, teaching does not always take into account pupils’ needs and abilities.

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better?

Leaders provide a wide range of appropriate training for staff. Much of this is highly effective. For example, training in managing behaviour has led to good behaviour in the school. The use of physical intervention and exclusion have decreased dramatically. Both are now rare. Similarly, all staff have been trained in teaching phonics. As a result, the teaching of reading is now effective throughout the school. 14–15 July 2021

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Leaders have placed less emphasis on training staff to teach different subjects to pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). Some staff lack the expertise to make sure that pupils can learn as effectively as they could.

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Pupils enjoy school. Several pupils told us how happy they are to be back at school, having not attended during recent national lockdowns. Most now attend school regularly. Leaders are working hard to support a small number of pupils who do not attend as regularly as they should.

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The school’s work to promote pupils’ personal development is highly effective. The PSHE programme helps pupils to learn how to stay safe and keep themselves healthy. All pupils learn to cook and practise basic first aid. Pupils learn about the law, democracy and the importance of showing respect for others, especially those with protected characteristics.

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Careers education prepares pupils well for life after school. Before the pandemic, pupils in Years 10 and 11 spent one morning each week in a local college, accompanied by their teachers. Here they gained valuable vocational qualifications as well as important life skills. Pupils benefit from a wide range of activities, including a careers fair and one-to-one careers advice.

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Governance is strong. Members of the interim executive board (IEB) possess considerable expertise and are committed to the school’s continued improvement. They provide effective challenge and support for leaders.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

All staff understand that keeping pupils safe is their top priority. Leaders provide regular, high-quality training. As a result, staff know the signs that pupils might need extra help. They are alert to the particular safeguarding risks faced by young people with SEND, living in Walsall.

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Safeguarding

Staff readily pass on to leaders any concerns they have about pupils. Leaders deal with these speedily and appropriately. They work closely with outside agencies to ensure that pupils get the help they need. Leaders are tenacious. They challenge and pursue outside agencies when they believe that pupils are not getting timely support.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 The curriculum in some subjects is not as well planned as it needs to be. In these subjects, the curriculum does not take into account the abilities and needs of pupils as well as it should. Consequently, pupils are not learning as well as they 14–15 July 2021

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ought to be learning. Leaders should ensure that the curriculum is equally well planned and adapted, taking into account pupils’ abilities and needs, in all subjects.  Some staff lack sufficient subject and/or pedagogical knowledge to help pupils with SEND learn as effectively as they should. Consequently, although pupils make progress, they could and should make better progress in what they know and can remember. Leaders should ensure that all staff possess sufficient subject and pedagogical knowledge, so that pupils learn as well as they should.

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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 are the school and you are 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. 14–15 July 2021

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School details

Inspection number 10184717 Type of school Special

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School details

Appropriate authority Interim executive board

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School details

Headteacher Christine Fraser (interim headteacher)

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School details

Dates of previous inspection 27–28 November 2018

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Information about this school

 The interim headteacher joined the school in February 2019. She is the headteacher of another local special school.  The school’s governing body was replaced by an IEB in February 2019. At that time, an academy order was issued.  The school’s sixth form closed in September 2019.  There have been numerous changes of staff since the school’s last inspection. It is now fully staffed.  The school does not use alternative provision.

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Information about this inspection

We carried out this inspection under section 8 of the Education Act 2005. We deemed the inspection a section 5 inspection under the same Act.

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Information about this inspection

In accordance with section 13(4) of the Education Act 2005, Her Majesty’s Chief Inspector is of the opinion that the school no longer requires special measures. 14–15 July 2021

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 This was the first routine inspection the school received since the COVID-19 (coronavirus) pandemic began. Inspectors discussed the impact of the pandemic with the school leaders and have taken that into account in their evaluation of the school.  Inspectors met with the headteacher, senior leaders, middle leaders and members of the IEB.  Inspectors considered safeguarding by meeting with the designated safeguarding lead, scrutinising policies and records relating to child protection and examining the safeguarding checks made on staff before they join the school.  Inspectors scrutinised several documents, including the school’s self-evaluation, its improvement plan, minutes of IEB meetings and several policies.  Inspectors spoke informally with pupils at lunchtime. They met more formally with two groups of pupils.  Parents’ views were taken into account by considering the 15 responses to Parent

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View, Ofsted’s online inspection questionnaire, including the 11 written contributions.  Inspectors considered the 29 responses from staff to their online inspection questionnaire.  As part of this inspection, particular consideration was given to English, mathematics, history, geography, computing and PSHE. In these subjects, inspectors met with curriculum leaders and staff, looked at pupils’ work and scrutinised curriculum plans.

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Inspection team

Alun Williams, lead inspector Her Majesty’s Inspector

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Inspection team

Chris Pollitt Her Majesty’s Inspector 14–15 July 2021

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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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