Oscott Manor School

Inspection of a good school: Oscott Manor School 290 Reservoir Road, Erdington, Birmingham, West Midlands B23 6DE

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Outcome

There has been no change to this school’s overall judgement of good as a result of this ungraded (section 8) inspection. However, the evidence gathered suggests that the inspection grade might not be as high if a graded (section 5) inspection were carried out now. The next inspection will therefore be a graded inspection.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Leaders are still developing a curriculum which is intended to be ambitious for all pupils. Leaders are deciding what they want pupils to know and the order in which they want them to learn it. In subjects where leaders have identified the content of the curriculum, not all staff are delivering it as planned. As a result, leaders’ ambitions are not being realised. Pupils are not consistently provided with a good education. Pupils are not being helped to learn as well as they could.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils know that reading is an important skill, and staff ensure they have lots of opportunities to read. Pupils can earn ‘golden coins’ to use in a book vending machine. Pupils like this because it helps them to build their own collection of books at home.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils know that the school’s rules are to be ready, respectful and safe, but some pupils do not follow these rules. These pupils receive support, but this extra support is not improving their behaviour. As a result, some pupils disturb the learning of other pupils. Pupils say that they like school and feel safe. Incidents of bullying are sorted out quickly by staff, and leaders follow things up properly.

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What does the school do well and what does it need to do better?

Leaders are making improvements to the curriculum. They have recently appointed some new staff to help them do this. Leaders have begun to identify the sequence of learning using curriculum maps. However, leaders have not consistently considered the sequence in which pupils need to learn new knowledge. Consequently, pupils are not consistently receiving a high-quality education that meets their needs. New leaders are still deciding how to adapt the curriculum for pupils with the most complex learning needs. 6 and 7 December 2022

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Leaders are beginning to take action to improve other weaknesses in the school. For example, leaders have appointed a member of staff to improve attendance. Already, their work is beginning to improve the attendance of some pupils. However, because most of the improvements began at the start of this term, leaders have yet to evaluate the full impact of their actions.

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Leaders are not using assessment carefully enough to ensure that pupils learn as well as they might. As a result, some pupils struggle and are moved mid-term to different classes. These changes are unsettling for pupils. Teachers mostly create lessons that build logically. However, these units of work do not always fit in with the leaders’ intended curriculum. Teachers do not consistently consider how they will use the information in pupils’ education, health and care (EHC) plans and school assessments to help pupils learn.

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Reading and phonics are priorities of the school. A new phonics scheme has been introduced to help pupils at the early stages of reading. Teachers have received training so that they know how to teach phonics.

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The new school has a range of inside and outside spaces to help pupils learn. However, the sixth-form premises are in stark contrast to the new main school. The learning environments in the sixth-form building are not ideal. Teachers plan opportunities to take students off site to access outside spaces because there are no outside spaces for the students at the sixth form. This limits students’ opportunities to develop personal and social skills.

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Leaders have not ensured that teachers have sufficient resources to support their teaching. For example, many classrooms do not have sufficient tables for pupils to work at, nor the mathematics equipment that pupils need. This hinders pupils’ learning.

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Pupils who spoke to inspectors say there can be disruptive behaviour in school. They say that some pupils do not respect staff or other pupils. Leaders monitor the behaviour of pupils and recognise that there is disruptive behaviour in school. Teachers have written behaviour support plans for pupils. However, leaders are not checking these closely enough, and sometimes these plans are incomplete. The behaviour support plans do not always reflect leaders’ knowledge about pupils and the best ways to help them. Pupils are not consistently supported to manage their behaviour and follow the school rules.

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Rights, respect and responsibility are at the heart of the school’s aims. Pupils are helped to develop their understanding of the world through the school’s personal, social, health and economic (PSHE) curriculum. Staff support pupils to access their community and learn to help others. For example, pupils from the school are making rubbish bins for the community hub recreation ground.

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Staff say that, when they ask, leaders provide support to help them manage their workload. 6 and 7 December 2022

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

Leaders have ensured that the safeguarding policy follows the government’s latest guidance. It also reflects the needs of their pupils.

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Safeguarding

A rights respecting approach underpins the school’s work to keep pupils safe. Staff know their safeguarding responsibilities and follow the correct procedures. Staff help pupils learn about safe and unsafe behaviours and their rights and responsibilities. Pupils value having a key worker to communicate with.

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Safeguarding

Leaders identify and secure the early help pupils need. Staff report and record safeguarding concerns, and leaders escalate concerns if they need to.

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Safeguarding

Safer recruitment practices work as they should.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 In most subjects, curriculum design is underdeveloped. Leaders have not yet identified the knowledge they want pupils to know or the sequence in which they want pupils to learn it. As a result, pupils are not consistently helped to know and remember more. Leaders should complete the school’s curriculum guidance and identify the sequence of knowledge that they want pupils to learn.  Teachers do not consistently use assessment, EHC plans and their wider knowledge of pupils to help pupils learn more. As a result, pupils are not as well prepared for the next stage in their education as they could be. Leaders should ensure that teachers use available information to more precisely identify and support pupils’ needs.  Some leaders and staff do not yet have the subject knowledge they need to plan the curriculum to meet the needs of all learners. Leaders have not ensured there are sufficient resources to support teachers to deliver the curriculum. Consequently, pupils

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

are not being supported as well as they could be. Leaders should ensure that staff have sufficient knowledge and resources to provide and teach a curriculum that meets all pupils’ needs.  Staff training and behaviour plans do not provide sufficient guidance to help staff manage the behaviour of some pupils. As a result, pupils are not learning how to respect other people or manage their own behaviour. The behaviour of some pupils disturbs the learning of other pupils. Leaders should ensure that behaviour support plans are up to date, and that staff receive effective guidance in how to implement them consistently. 6 and 7 December 2022

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Background

When we have judged a school to be good, we will then normally go into the school about once every four years to confirm that the school remains good. This is called an ungraded inspection, and it is carried out under section 8 of the Education Act 2005. We do not give graded judgements on an ungraded inspection. However, if we find evidence that a school would now receive a higher or lower grade, then the next inspection will be a graded inspection, which is carried out under section 5 of the Act. Usually this is within one to two years of the date of the ungraded inspection. If we have serious concerns about safeguarding, behaviour or the quality of education, we will deem the ungraded inspection a graded inspection immediately.

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Background

This is the second ungraded inspection since we judged the school to be good in May 2014.

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How can I feed back my views?

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.

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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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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. 6 and 7 December 2022

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form

Appropriate authority The governing body

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form

Date of previous inspection 2 April 2019, under section 8 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 This is a maintained special school for pupils aged 11 to 19 with autism spectrum condition.  Leaders make use of four unregistered alternative provisions.  All pupils who attend the school have an EHC plan.

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Information about this inspection

 This was the first routine inspection the school received since the COVID-19 pandemic began. Inspectors discussed the impact of the pandemic with leaders and have taken that into account in their evaluation of the school.  Inspectors held meetings with a representative from the governing body, the headteacher, the school improvement partner, the inclusion leader for special 6 and 7 December 2022

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educational needs and/or disabilities, curriculum leaders, a representative of alternative provision, teachers and pupils.  The lead inspector reviewed documents on the school’s website and additional documents provided by leaders during the inspection.  Inspectors carried out deep dives in these subjects: English, PSHE and creative learning. For each deep dive, inspectors discussed the curriculum with subject leaders, visited a sample of lessons, spoke to teachers and looked at samples of pupils’ work.  Inspectors also discussed the curriculum and looked at pupils’ work in mathematics.  The lead inspector met with the designated safeguarding lead. Pupils’ case files were reviewed. The single central record of checks on the suitability of staff to work with children was scrutinised.  Inspectors met with staff to discuss their workload and the support they receive to carry out their roles.  Inspectors examined behaviour support plans and incident records. They observed

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pupils at different times of the day to evaluate their behaviour.  Inspectors considered the responses to Ofsted Parent View and the staff survey.

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Inspection team

Amanda Green, lead inspector Ofsted Inspector

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Inspection team

Sarah Ashley Ofsted Inspector 6 and 7 December 2022

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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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