Warren Wood - A Specialist Academy

Inspection of Warren Wood - A Specialist Academy Middlefield Lane, Gainsborough, Lincolnshire DN21 1PU

p.1

Inspection dates: 16 and 17 November 2021

p.1

Overall effectiveness Good

The quality of education Good Behaviour and attitudes Outstanding Personal development Outstanding Leadership and management Good Early years provision Good

p.1

Overall effectiveness Good

Previous inspection grade Good 16 and 17 November 2021

p.1

What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils love attending this caring and supportive school. Parents and carers say that their children are safe and happy at the school. Many said that the care their children receive is exceptional. One parent reflected the views of the others when they said, ‘This school is the best thing that has ever happened for my daughter’.

p.2

What is it like to attend this school?

Staff know the pupils well. Relationships are very positive. Pupils know staff will support them to learn and keep them safe. All the staff at the school are highly trained. They are very skilled in meeting the complex needs of the children.

p.2

What is it like to attend this school?

The behaviour of the pupils at the school is exemplary. They are polite and considerate of each other. Pupils engage very well with their learning. They have positive attitudes to their education; they are always trying their hardest. During the inspection, no lessons were affected by any kind of disruption. Pupils are certain that if bullying happens, staff will deal with it quickly and effectively.

p.2

What is it like to attend this school?

The personal development of pupils is excellent. School leaders have high ambitions for all pupils and want the very best outcomes for them.

p.2

better?

Leaders have developed suitable ‘pathways’ to meet the varied and complex needs of the pupils who attend the school. There is a system that assesses the starting points of pupils when they join the school. This system links with each pupil’s education, health and care plan. This allows staff to place pupils in groups that best support their learning. Leaders have made sure that in assessing what pupils know and can do, teachers take into account pupils’ additional needs. Teachers use these assessments to plan the next steps that challenge pupils to learn and develop further. Leaders have yet to ensure that all curriculum pathways have an ambitious end point.

p.2

better?

The curriculum delivery enables pupils to build on their very early learning experiences. The school’s early years foundation stage prepares children well for their next steps. Leaders have focused on providing experiences that will have the greatest impact on pupils. Therapies like ‘rebound’ and activities such as ‘sensory circuits’ provide excellent opportunities to develop pupils’ interaction, communication and physical health.

p.2

better?

Staff think carefully about how to plan activities that will interest the pupils and help them to learn. In subjects like mathematics, pupils can move from the informal to semi-formal and then formal learning when it is right for them to do so.

p.2

better?

Leaders ensure that pupils’ learning is not limited to the classroom. Pupils spoke enthusiastically about the many different trips they had been on, including visits to a 16 and 17 November 2021

p.2

3

local church and a mosque. They also talked about the opportunities they have to be involved in local and national charitable activities.

p.3

3

There is a range of lunchtime clubs for pupils, including music and art. These clubs broaden pupils’ learning and support their physical development. Pupils also spoke about ‘Well-being Wednesday’ afternoon and how the activities they do help them feel better.

p.3

3

Pupils get a lot of help to improve their language and communication. Staff are skilled at helping pupils to get better at explaining how they are feeling. Pupils learn to do this by using objects or a picture exchange system. This helps pupils let staff know what they like and want to do. Because pupils have been helped to communicate their needs, they are less frustrated and so remain calm and focused on their learning. Helping to improve pupils’ communication also assists staff in helping pupils understand daily routines, like ‘now’ and ‘next’.

p.3

3

Leaders have thought carefully about how best to develop pupils’ ability to read. There is a stepped approach to help pupils understand sounds and link them to letters. This then builds to developing early reading using a suitable phonics scheme that is regularly reviewed and updated. The pupils who can read do so with increasing confidence. They use their phonics skills to decode unfamiliar words. Reading is a focus for leaders. Pupils develop their love of reading through high- quality books that are right for their age and ability. Staff build enjoyment for reading by being excited themselves when they read to pupils.

p.3

3

The school is well led. Staff say that leaders care about their well-being as well as that of the pupils. They value the support leaders give them and the opportunities they have to develop their knowledge and skills. Staff are proud to work at the school.

p.3

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

p.3

Safeguarding

There is a strong safeguarding culture within the school. Staff and governors receive high-quality safeguarding training. Staff understand their responsibility to report any concern and use their training to identify quickly any potential issues. Leaders keep accurate records. They use what they know about pupils and their families to provide comprehensive support for them. They are quick to act, involving other agencies when needed. Leaders go above and beyond to secure the support that families need. They have appropriate procedures in place to manage any allegations. 16 and 17 November 2021

p.3

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 Leaders have not clearly defined the curriculum end points for all the pathways in the school. This can make it difficult for teachers to be certain that all pupils are making the best possible progress. Leaders need to implement their plans fully to ensure that all curriculum pathways have ambitious end points.

p.4

How can I feed back my views?

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

p.4

How can I feed back my views?

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

p.4

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 .

p.4

Further information

You can search for published performance information about the school.

p.4

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. 16 and 17 November 2021

p.4

School details

Inspection number 10200227 Type of school Special

p.5

School details

School category Academy special converter

p.5

School details

Appropriate authority The governing body

p.5

School details

Website www.warrenwoodspecialistacademy.co.u k Date of previous inspection 10 July 2018, under section 8 of the Education Act 2005

p.5

Information about this school

 Warren Wood is a specialist academy that has nearly doubled in size since it opened in 2015.  The academy provides education to pupils aged two to 11 years with a wide range of special educational needs and/or disabilities. These include: specific learning difficulty; moderate learning difficulty; severe learning difficulty; profound and multiple learning difficulty; speech, language and communication; autism spectrum disorder; multi-sensory impairment; physical disability; visual impairment; and hearing impairment.  The school does not make use of any alternative provision .

p.5

Information about this inspection

The inspector(s) carried out this inspection under section 5 of the Education Act 2005. 16 and 17 November 2021

p.5

6

 This was the first routine inspection the school received since the COVID-19 pandemic began. Inspectors discussed the impact of the pandemic with school leaders and have taken that into account in their evaluation.  Inspectors carried out deep dives in reading, mathematics, and the semi-formal curriculum. For each deep dive, inspectors met with subject leaders, looked at curriculum plans, visited a sample of lessons, spoke to teachers, spoke to some pupils about their learning and looked at samples of pupils’ work.  Inspectors also looked at the curriculum plans, spoke to leaders and visited lessons in the sensory pathway and looked at the provision for communication and interaction.  Inspectors spoke to the leaders of the early years provision and visited the early years foundation stage classroom.  Inspectors heard children in different year groups read books.  Inspectors met with representatives of the local governing body and two

p.6

6

representatives from The Mayflower Specialist School Academy Trust. Inspectors spoke with the special educational needs coordinator.  Inspectors considered a wide variety of school documents, including the school development plan.  Inspectors took note of the responses received on Parent View and considered the results of the Ofsted staff questionnaire. Inspectors also looked at the responses to the adapted pupil questionnaire that the school had produced.  To judge the effectiveness of safeguarding, inspectors read the school’s relevant policies, scrutinised the single central record, checked the school’s procedures for the safe recruitment of staff and met with the designated lead for safeguarding. Inspectors also spoke with staff and pupils.

p.6

Inspection team

Dave Gilkerson, lead inspector Her Majesty's Inspector

p.6

Inspection team

Clive Lawrence Ofsted Inspector 16 and 17 November 2021

p.6

7

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.

p.7

7

If you would like a copy of this document in a different format, such as large print or Braille, please telephone 0300 123 1231, or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk .

p.7

7

You may reuse this information (not including logos) free of charge in any format or medium, under the terms of the Open Government Licence. To view this licence, visit www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence/ , write to the Information Policy Team, The National Archives, Kew, London TW9 4DU, or email: psi@nationalarchives.gsi.gov.uk .

p.7

7

Interested in our work? You can subscribe to our monthly newsletter for more information and updates: http://eepurl.com/iTrDn .

p.7

7

T: 0300 123 1231 Textphone: 0161 618 8524 E: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk W: www.gov.uk/ofsted

p.7