Greenwood School

Inspection of a good school: Greenwood School Cabot Drive, Dibden, Southampton, Hampshire SO45 5UQ

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Inspection dates: 13 and 14 December 2022

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Outcome

Greenwood School continues to be a good school.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils thrive at Greenwood School. Most have had a turbulent time in education and often join the school feeling that education has little to offer. Staff work hard to change this view. They provide high-quality support for pupils and this, combined with an effective curriculum, helps pupils to make the progress needed to move forward, both personally and academically. Successes in learning help to build pupils’ confidence and self-esteem. They begin to believe that education might, after all, have something to offer, and they leave the school with brighter futures. One parent said: ‘I don’t want to think about what life would have been like if my child had not been at Greenwood.’

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What is it like to attend this school?

Staff build strong and trusting relationships with their pupils, who feel secure and valued. All those pupils who completed Ofsted’s survey said that they feel listened to and respected. Pupils want to do well. They understand the school’s rules, move around the school sensibly most of the time and settle to work quickly in lessons. Some find it hard to behave as well as they should. Adults are skilled in helping pupils to do what is right. Leaders take suitable action where any concerns about bullying arise.

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

The school’s values, ‘Ready – Respectful – Safe’, lie at the heart of the school’s work. The school’s calm, purposeful atmosphere supports learning well. All those pupils who spoke with inspectors during the inspection did so politely and respectfully. Pupils can usually get on with their work in lessons without being disturbed by the misbehaviour of others. However, sometimes pupils become frustrated or angry, and need support to manage their behaviour. They respect staff but find it hard to follow their positive lead all the time. Staff respond patiently, quietly and with understanding when this is the case.

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

The school prepares pupils very well for the next stage of their education. For some, this means keeping up with studies that they will return to once back in their mainstream schools. For others, it means completing a substantial part of their studies while at Greenwood. There is a sense of urgency about getting pupils’ education back on track. 13 and 14 December 2022

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Often, pupils have had extended periods of time outside the education system before joining the school, leading to significant gaps in their learning. Staff use a raft of assessments to gauge pupils’ needs when they join the school. They adjust the curriculum carefully to focus on key gaps in learning. This works well. The school equips pupils with some of the fundamental knowledge and skills they need to be successful learners in the future. They study a wide range of subjects and qualifications, including vocational and GCSE courses. Leaders work with a range of alternative providers to give pupils opportunities to pursue personal interests, such as fishing, sports or mechanics.

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The complexity of pupils’ special educational needs has increased in recent years. The special educational needs coordinator ensures that pupils are well supported. A small number of pupils work from home. Leaders work closely with an online learning provider to ensure that the curriculum is suitably matched to pupils’ needs where this is the case.

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Leaders give reading a high priority. Pupils read often as an everyday part of school life. Most are proficient readers, and an element of highly effective teaching means that some pupils make impressive progress. However, some could achieve more. Leaders know this and have begun to strengthen the reading curriculum. The school provides highly effective support for those pupils who find reading hard. These pupils make impressive progress in reading as a result.

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The headteacher has secured important improvements since her appointment, including the development of a valuable outreach programme which provides specialist advice for mainstream schools. She and her leadership team provide clear, compassionate and effective leadership for the school. Leaders are ably supported by knowledgeable governors who are committed to providing the best for pupils.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

The school’s personal, social and health education (PSHE) programme includes suitable coverage of safety issues. Strong relationships mean that pupils feel confident about asking for help. Leaders use training well to make sure that staff and governors are knowledgeable about safeguarding policies and procedures. Concerns are reported and logged carefully. The school’s safeguarding team meets regularly to review individual cases and to make sure that follow-up actions have been completed properly. Leaders maintain constructive relationships with families and agencies, such as children’s services and the police. Governors have appropriate systems in place to assure themselves that their statutory safeguarding responsibilities are met.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 Reading is not always promoted as strongly or taught as effectively as it could be across the curriculum. This means that some pupils do not make the progress in 13 and 14 December 2022

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reading that they could. Leaders have already identified reading as a priority for development. They have set up a working party to review what is working well and where improvements are needed. Staff training in the teaching of reading has been scheduled for the coming months. Leaders should implement their plans to develop this aspect of the school’s work.

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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 2013.

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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. 13 and 14 December 2022

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School details

Inspection number 10228013 Type of school Pupil referral unit

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School details

Appropriate authority The governing body

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School details

Chair of governing body David Morley-Davies

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School details

Date of previous inspection 26 April 2017, under section 8 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 Greenwood School caters for pupils with social, emotional and mental health difficulties and/or medical needs from schools in the New Forest area of Hampshire. Some pupils have an education, health and care plan.  The headteacher was appointed in September 2018.  The school uses one registered alternative provider and eight unregistered alternative providers.

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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 met with the headteacher, deputy headteacher, assistant headteacher, special educational needs coordinator and other senior leaders. They also spoke with a range of staff at different times during the inspection.  The lead inspector held an online meeting with five governors, including the chair of governors. 13 and 14 December 2022

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 Inspectors carried out deep dives in these subjects: reading, art and PSHE. Deep dives included visiting a range of lessons, looking at pupils’ work and talking with leaders, teachers and pupils.  Inspectors spoke with pupils in lessons, during breaktimes and at other times during the school day.  The views of staff, pupils, parents and carers were gathered through a range of sources, including Ofsted’s surveys and informal discussions.  Inspectors assessed the school’s culture of safeguarding throughout the inspection. Inspectors checked the single central record and reviewed a wide range of safeguarding documents and records.

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Inspection team

Julie Sackett, lead inspector His Majesty’s Inspector

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Inspection team

Alan Johnson Ofsted Inspector 13 and 14 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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