Heritage Park School

Inspection of Heritage Park School Norfolk Park Road, Sheffield, South Yorkshire S2 2RU

p.1

Inspection dates: 10 and 11 January 2023

p.1

Overall effectiveness Requires improvement

The quality of education Requires improvement Behaviour and attitudes Good Personal development Requires improvement Leadership and management Requires improvement Previous inspection grade Requires improvement 10 and 11 January 2023

p.1

What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils enjoy attending this school. They feel safe. They have good relationships with teachers and trust them to help them. Pupils told inspectors that they are confident that teachers will deal with any problems that arise. For most pupils, bullying is not an issue. Where it is does happen, adults deal with it quickly. The school is calm and purposeful. Pupils enjoy positive and respectful relationships with their teachers.

p.2

What is it like to attend this school?

Opportunities for pupils to develop their independence are limited. There is no clear plan to help pupils take on more responsibility as they move through the school and become older. All pupils can engage in extra-curricular activities. However, some pupils do not take up these opportunities. The taught curriculum does not ensure that pupils’ knowledge of life in modern Britain improves well enough.

p.2

What is it like to attend this school?

The curriculum that pupils study is still in development. Pupils’ experiences in lessons vary as a result. Leaders are in the process of enacting ambitious plans to ensure that all pupils study lessons which help them to prepare for life after they leave Heritage Park School. They are designed to take account of pupils’ special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). Leaders have a methodical approach to ensure that older pupils study qualifications appropriate to their needs, abilities and future plans.

p.2

better?

New leaders have a clear vision of the curriculum they want pupils to study. They have acted decisively to strengthen subject leadership in subjects that they are prioritising. There is further work to do. Leaders at all levels, including members of the interim executive board, share a clear vision. In art and design, the curriculum makes end-points clear, and detailed planning helps non-specialists to teach the subject. Other subjects are not as well developed. In science and mathematics, for example, new leaders are at the early stages of developing the sequence of learning that they want pupils to follow. The variability in planning means that the delivery of the planned curriculum is inconsistent from lesson to lesson and subject to subject.

p.2

better?

Staff do not have the subject knowledge they need to deliver some parts of the curriculum effectively. Leaders are aware of this. Training plans are in place to develop this.

p.2

better?

Leaders have prioritised reading. Staff have received recent training in the school’s phonics programme. This is helping to ensure that similar routines are embedded across the curriculum. However, further staff training is required to build confidence so that all adults become expert in the delivery of phonics. Assessment is used well in reading to identify the starting points of pupils and to ensure that the books they read are appropriately challenging. Leaders have recently secured funding to improve the library facilities in the school. 10 and 11 January 2023

p.2

3

In other subjects across the curriculum, assessment is not used well. Often, assessment systems do not enable teachers to accurately check whether pupils are learning the planned curriculum. This is because the curriculum planning is not complete. Leaders are prioritising the development of the curriculum.

p.3

3

Pupils’ behaviour is a strength of the school. Leaders have embedded a new behaviour system based on ‘unconditional positive regard’ of pupils. There is a focus on pupils having positive experiences of school and positive relationships with adults. This is bringing rewards. For example, pupils’ attendance improved significantly last year and continues to improve this year. Social times are characterised by adults and pupils interacting warmly. They enjoy spending time together. Pupils are very positive about their relationships with adults.

p.3

3

On rare occasions, there are unkind comments between pupils. Leaders work with pupils to help them understand how this might make people feel. Leaders are aware of the specific needs of the pupils. They create time and opportunity for pupils to speak to others about how they feel in certain situations. This helps pupils to better understand their emotions and build positive relationships. Pupils understand the need to be respectful of others but their knowledge of different faiths is underdeveloped. The curriculum does not provide clear opportunities to develop pupils’ cultural capital and understanding of different faiths. However, pupils do enjoy clubs and activities at lunchtimes. When inspectors visited, for example, pupils were enjoying the competitive nature of dodgeball. Some pupils told inspectors about games clubs that they enjoy attending. Leaders provide support to help pupils apply to colleges and to experience the world of work. This is successfully helping

p.3

3

pupils on to college courses and into employment.

p.3

3

Leaders have carefully considered the ways in which change is introduced in the curriculum. Staff appreciate this approach. They understand leaders’ plans to improve the school and feel that leaders consider workload when introducing changes. Leaders make regular contact with parents to inform them of potential issues arising and to encourage good attendance. Leaders know there is more work to do to communicate effectively with parents. Members of the interim executive board hold leaders to account effectively. They understand the need to convene a regular governing body and are seeking to bring this about quickly.

p.3

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

p.3

Safeguarding

Leaders keep clear records. They work closely with outside agencies to ensure that pupils get the support they need and to deliver important safeguarding messages to pupils and staff. During the inspection, pupils told inspectors they found an assembly on the ‘Prevent’ duty to be informative and useful.

p.3

Safeguarding

Adults understand the heightened risks that pupils with SEND face because leaders ensure that all staff receive updates and training on their first day at the school. Reflection meetings at the end of the day ensure that any safeguarding issues are 10 and 11 January 2023

p.3

4

followed up quickly and understood by staff who work with particular pupils. The personal, social and health education (PSHE) curriculum is adapted so that pupils learn about relevant risks.

p.4

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 Curriculum plans are not fully developed in all subjects. Detailed content knowledge in topics is not clearly outlined in curriculum planning in some subjects. This means that it is not always clear to teachers what the most important knowledge that pupils need in each subject is. Leaders should ensure that they develop curriculum plans with clearly defined end-points for all subjects.  Teachers do not have the subject knowledge they need to confidently teach all the subjects they are required to. This means that, in some subjects, curriculum delivery is varied. Leaders should ensure that they help teachers to develop the key knowledge they need to confidently deliver the range of subjects they teach.  The development of pupils’ cultural capital is not clearly planned for. This means that pupils miss out on opportunities to experience the ways in which the curriculum they are taught may be relevant beyond the classroom. Leaders

p.4

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

should ensure that they make links between the extra-curricular programme and the curriculum to provide a rich range of experiences to pupils.  Pupils have a limited range of opportunities to develop leadership skills and take on responsibilities as they move through the school. This means that pupils will miss chances to develop independence and confidence in dealing with unknown situations. Leaders should ensure they provide meaningful opportunities for pupils to develop independence.

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

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. 10 and 11 January 2023

p.4

School details

Appropriate authority Interim executive board

p.5

School details

Date of previous inspection 14 June 2022, under section 8 of the Education Act 2005

p.5

Information about this school

 Since the last monitoring inspection in June 2022, new subject leaders have been appointed to lead many subjects.  Heritage Park School is a special school for pupils with social, emotional and mental health needs. All pupils have an education, health and care plan.  The school uses five unregistered alternative providers.  The school meets the requirements of the provider access legislation, which requires schools to provide pupils in Years 7 to 13 with information and engagement about approved technical education qualifications and apprenticeships. 10 and 11 January 2023

p.5

Information about this inspection

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

p.6

Information about this inspection

 This was the second routine inspection the school received since the COVID-19 pandemic began. Inspectors discussed any continued impact of the pandemic with leaders and have taken that into account in their evaluation of the school.  Inspectors spoke with the headteacher and other senior leaders. They also met with the chair of the interim executive board and representatives from the local authority.  Inspectors carried out deep dives in reading, science, mathematics and art and design. They met with subject leaders to discuss the curriculum. Inspectors talked with pupils about what they had learned in these subjects. Inspectors visited lessons, talked with teachers and looked at pupils’ work. Inspectors listened to pupils read and looked at strategies to support pupils at the early stages of reading.  Inspectors met with leaders for attendance and behaviour. They also met leaders of PSHE and careers provision.

p.6

Information about this inspection

 Inspectors spoke to leaders with responsibility for safeguarding and scrutinised safeguarding records. They spoke with staff about how they keep children safe and looked at training records. Inspectors also scrutinised the single central record.  Inspectors met with groups of pupils both formally and informally, including single-sex groups of pupils.  Inspectors met with the special educational needs coordinator to look at how information about pupils is shared with, and used by, teachers.  The views of parents, staff and pupils were considered through surveys, including Ofsted Parent View.

p.6

Inspection team

Matthew Vellensworth, lead inspector His Majesty’s Inspector

p.6

Inspection team

Pauline Rowland Ofsted Inspector 10 and 11 January 2023

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