Marjory Kinnon School

Inspection of Marjory Kinnon School Hatton Road, Bedfont, Feltham TW14 9QZ

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Overall effectiveness Good

The quality of education Good Behaviour and attitudes Good Personal development Outstanding Leadership and management Good Early years provision Good Previous inspection grade Good 7 and 8 December 2022

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What is it like to attend this school?

Leaders strive to provide pupils with a high-quality education, therapies and enrichment experiences. They are adept at making timely amendments to staffing and the curriculum to make sure that pupils’ additional needs are met successfully. Pupils gain the social and academic skills that they need to lead meaningful, independent adult lives.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils are safe and happy here. This is because they know that staff care for them and will always help them if they have worries. From Reception onwards, children and older pupils behave well. Staff are experts in helping pupils to calm down if they get overwhelmed. Often, staff anticipate that a pupil may be getting anxious and about to struggle with their behaviour. They step in early to help pupils to manage their feelings, for instance by taking them out for a short movement break. When pupils have disagreements or should there be bullying, staff deal with concerns effectively. They support the pupils to understand their behaviour and the impact it has on others. This helps the pupils involved to reconcile.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils take part in an extensive and well-planned range of enrichment activities. For example, they love using their art, instrumental, singing and drama skills to put on theatrical presentations. The school’s ‘village’ helps pupils to gain the experience, social communication skills and confidence to go shopping independently.

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better?

Leaders, staff and therapists work in collaboration to identify and assess all pupils’ needs. They use this information carefully, providing learning, additional support and therapeutic provision in a bespoke manner. Leaders’ and staff’s holistic way of working enables pupils to achieve well.

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better?

Leaders prioritise the teaching of reading. All staff have been trained in the school’s chosen phonics programme. They apply their expertise consistently, with the development of pupils’ reading threaded through the curriculum. Staff also use a range of other communication tools and strategies to help pupils to express themselves. For example, due to the changing needs of pupils joining the school, staff are trained in communication approaches using signing, pictures and images. Staff make sure that pupils practise their reading often. Books are matched to the sounds that pupils have learned. Staff give effective extra help to those pupils who fall behind. Pupils enjoy listening to stories that their teachers read to them. They take home books from the school’s well-stocked libraries. Leaders have also linked up with a charity to provide free books to families. All of this helps pupils to develop a love of reading. Over time, they become confident and fluent readers.

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better?

Subject leaders have thought carefully about what they want pupils to know and remember. They break down learning into small logical steps. Pupils build up their 7 and 8 December 2022

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knowledge over time well. Children in Reception acquire the foundational knowledge that they need to succeed in Year 1. In a few subjects, however, leaders have not fully considered all the knowledge that they want pupils to understand and remember. As a result, in those cases, pupils do not gain as much new knowledge as they could.

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Teachers and support staff are skilled in catering for pupils’ specific needs. They make appropriate adaptations to their teaching to enable pupils to meet their individual targets. Staff check on pupils’ learning. They give them many opportunities to consolidate what they have been taught. This helps pupils to build up and recall key knowledge over time.

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Staff create a welcoming and supportive environment in classrooms. They use a range of quality resources that engage pupils’ interests and meet their needs. This helps pupils to enjoy learning new things. Children in Reception are supported to develop positive learning behaviours such as curiosity and concentration.

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Leaders provide pupils with a comprehensive programme of impartial careers guidance. The different curriculum pathways cater for pupils’ needs and aspirations. This includes pathways which support pupils to achieve various accreditations, including GCSEs and BTEC National Diplomas. Through careers education, pupils meet representatives from a range of different industries. They have opportunities to undertake work experience.

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Staff teach pupils about how to form healthy relationships and how to stay safe online. Older pupils run a café. They take lunch orders, collect money and manage the budget. Through the horticulture curriculum, primary-age pupils grow food and flowers. Pupils take part in many visits. These include outings to the local lido, Kew Gardens and residential team-building activities. Clubs on offer are varied, and include Brownies and The Duke of Edinburgh's Award programme. These opportunities form part of leaders’ high-quality work to prepare pupils for their future adult lives.

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Leaders show consideration for staff well-being. For example, staff have access to an employee assistance programme. The vast majority of staff appreciate the things that leaders have done to reduce their workload. Staff value the collaborative approach in the school. They like working with colleagues across phases and often draw on each other's areas of expertise.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

Staff receive frequent safeguarding training and updates. They build strong working relationships with pupils and are vigilant. Staff are aware of the potential extra vulnerabilities that pupils in this school may have. They are quick to spot and report any concerning incidents or changes in pupils’ behaviours. Leaders respond promptly 7 and 8 December 2022

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to any concerns, including arranging support from the range of internal therapists or external agencies to support pupils’ safety and well-being.

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Pupils learn about risks and how to seek help. Staff arrange workshops for parents and carers to help them understand potential safeguarding issues and how to support their children in understanding and avoiding risk.

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There are robust practices in place to vet applicants’ suitability to work with pupils before they are appointed to work in the school.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 In a few subjects, curriculum thinking is not fully developed across the phases of the school. As a result, pupils do not deepen their knowledge and learn as successfully as they could in those subjects. Leaders should ensure that, in all subjects, they identify the key knowledge that they want pupils to know and remember, and plan how that builds year on year from Reception to Year 11.

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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.

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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. 7 and 8 December 2022

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School details

Inspection number 10240938 Type of school Special all-through

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School details

Appropriate authority The governing body

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School details

Date of previous inspection 30 April 2019, under section 8 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 Since the previous inspection, there has been a large increase in the number of pupils on roll. As a result, staffing has increased. The new chair of governors took up his post in November 2021.  All pupils have education, health and care plans. The school caters for pupils with complex learning needs, moderate learning difficulties and severe learning difficulties. Most have autism spectrum disorders and, increasingly since the previous inspection, associated speech, language and communication needs.  Leaders use two registered alternative providers to support a very small number of pupils with their behaviour.  The school meets the requirements of the Baker Clause, which requires schools to provide pupils in Years 8 to 13 with information about approved technical qualifications and apprenticeships. 7 and 8 December 2022

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Information about this inspection

The inspectors carried out this graded inspection under section 5 of the Education Act 2005.

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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 carried out deep dives in these subjects: reading and communication, mathematics, history and geography, music, and personal, social and health education. Inspectors held discussions with leaders and teachers, visited lessons, looked at examples of pupils’ work and held discussions with pupils. Inspectors also considered other subjects as part of the inspection.  Inspectors spoke with the headteacher, other senior leaders, the chair of governors and two other governors. They also spoke with a representative of the local authority, the local authority’s designated safeguarding officer and a member of the school effectiveness team.  Inspectors reviewed a range of documentation, including information related to

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Information about this inspection

safeguarding and the checks carried out before the appointment of staff. Inspectors looked at records of pupils’ behaviour.  Inspectors had formal meetings with staff and with pupils. They spoke with parents in the playground and took account of the responses to the Ofsted Parent View survey. They also considered the responses to the staff survey.

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Inspection team

David Radomsky, lead inspector His Majesty's Inspector

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Inspection team

Phil Garnham His Majesty's Inspector 7 and 8 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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