Woodley School and College

Inspection of a good school: Woodley School and College Dog Kennel Bank, Huddersfield, West Yorkshire HD5 8JE

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Outcome

Woodley School and College continues to be a good school.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Leaders have high aspirations for pupils. They want pupils to communicate well, to be independent and to achieve. Leaders have redeveloped the curriculum. This is to ensure that it meets pupils’ special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). Leaders adapt the curriculum to meet the needs of pupils. This includes students in the sixth form. All pupils follow a learning pathway that takes account of their individual SEND. They learn life skills to prepare for adult life. Leaders place great emphasis on developing pupils’ reading skills. They have prioritised phonics for pupils who need support to improve their reading. Most pupils engage well with reading.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The school is well resourced with specialist staff and equipment. All pupils can access a range of therapeutic and sensory resources. There is a well-used sensory gym with trampoline therapy and ball pool. Leaders have designed each area of the school site for specific purposes. Pupils use these dedicated areas of the school purposefully. Each area is matched to support pupils’ academic needs and specific SEND.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Most pupils feel happy at school. Relationships between staff and pupils are secure. They are built on respect. Leaders are further developing behaviour management systems. Staff proactively manage pupils’ behaviour. They model the behaviour they expect of pupils. They teach pupils good manners. Pupils engage with lessons positively. Pupils say that bullying does not happen. They know that staff would support them if they needed help.

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

Leaders have redeveloped the curriculum to engage pupils. This curriculum is being embedded. Pupils follow one of four learning pathways. These pathways match pupils’ SEND and academic ability. The curriculum is clearly mapped, and subject plans are well sequenced. Leaders ensure that lessons build pupils’ knowledge and skills over time. Pupils’ education, health and care (EHC) plan targets are carefully considered in lessons. Teachers make appropriate adaptations to meet pupils’ needs when necessary. Pupils are 21 and 22 March 2023

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well supported. Their learning is personalised. Learning matches the ambitions of the curriculum.

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Leaders prioritise reading. Pupils read daily. Pupils who need support to develop their reading skills are taught phonics. Leaders have launched a new phonics programme. It is in the early stages of implementation. Leaders are developing strategies to build pupils’ comprehension skills. Lessons develop pupils’ phonic knowledge and reading skills well. Pupils who cannot access these lessons learn pre-phonics. Books generally match pupils’ reading ability well. Pupils are confident to read in front of visitors. They use learned phonic strategies to help them work out unfamiliar words.

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Sixth-form students follow one of two curriculum pathways. Pathways focus on developing independence and preparing for employment. Students pursue a range of appropriate entry-level and work-related qualifications. These prepare students well for the next steps to college and work. Staff have a deep understanding of students’ needs. Students are well supported. For example, students who are learning about living independently are taught how to travel independently to buy recipe ingredients. All students develop their cooking skills in the class kitchen.

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There has been a large change in behaviour management practice across the school. The school has recently moved to a proactive behaviour management system. This promotes positive behaviour by establishing routines and identifying triggers. Pupils behave well around school. They are polite. Staff speak positively about pupils’ behaviour. They teach pupils how to behave well. Staff are now more responsible for the behaviour of the pupils in their class. This focus has had a beneficial impact on staff, who now set clear expectations of behaviour during lesson delivery. However, leaders have yet to see the wider impact of this improved behaviour on pupils’ learning outcomes.

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There is a comprehensive personal development offer. It enables pupils to develop in a range of areas beyond the curriculum. Pupils engage with people from many different communities. They visit a range of places of worship. Pupils have cultural experiences that include museum visits. They celebrate national events that promote British values. Leaders are developing a school shop to ensure that pupils gain valuable work experience. External providers discuss post-16 and post-19 options with pupils. Pupils meet further education providers individually and take part in careers events. This area of the school’s work is well developed. There is more work needed to strengthen life-skills learning as pupils progress through school. Leaders recognise that more can be done to prepare pupils for adult life.

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Governors share leaders’ high ambitions for all pupils. They are actively involved in school life. They see their role as being ‘eyes on, hands off’. Governors are keen to ensure that leaders’ actions are having an impact. Staff recognise that there has been lots of change in school. They welcome leaders’ prioritisation of work to help them manage their time. Assessment is well organised. Staff say that it is not burdensome. They believe that their workload is improving. Early career teachers feel well supported by their mentors. They receive regular coaching. They say that they have the support and resources to deliver the curriculum effectively. 21 and 22 March 2023

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

Leaders have created a strong culture of safeguarding. Checks on adults are undertaken prior to their employment. These are thorough. There is a large safeguarding team available to support pupils. All staff receive broad safeguarding training. This includes supply staff. Staff receive safeguarding updates in weekly meetings. The updates include information on local safeguarding issues and online safety. Staff are aware of pupils’ additional vulnerabilities due to their SEND. Referrals to external agencies are prompt and well managed. This ensures that pupils receive the correct support.

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Safeguarding

Pupils feel safe in school. They know how to keep themselves safe while online.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 Leaders are embedding a proactive behaviour management system across the school. Leaders’ monitoring indicates that it has a beneficial impact for staff in the delivery of the curriculum. However, they have yet to see a wider impact on pupils’ learning outcomes. Leaders should further develop staff’s knowledge and skills to support pupils to maximise learning opportunities in order to ensure that this raises outcomes for all pupils.  Pupils experience opportunities to develop independence and life skills as they progress through school. This is particularly evident in the sixth form. However, more can be done to prepare pupils for adult life. Leaders should further develop the wider curriculum to ensure that pupils are well prepared for adulthood with a rich set of experiences and skills that enable them to be active members of the community.

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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 first ungraded inspection since we judged the school to be good in October 2017. 21 and 22 March 2023

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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. 21 and 22 March 2023

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form

Appropriate authority The governing body

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Date of previous inspection

31 October and 1 November 2017, under section 5 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 Woodley School and College is a special school for pupils aged between 5 and 19 years.  The school makes provision for pupils with autism spectrum disorder. All pupils have an EHC plan.  The school does not use any providers of alternative education provision.  The school measures itself against the Gatsby benchmarks to ensure that pupils receive high-quality careers advice.  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. 21 and 22 March 2023

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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, members of the senior leadership team, subject leaders, teachers, early career teachers and support staff.  The lead inspector met with members of the governing body. They also met the local authority associate learning partner.  Inspectors carried out deep dives in reading, mathematics and computing. For each deep dive, inspectors discussed the curriculum with subject leaders, visited a sample of lessons, spoke to teachers, spoke to pupils about their learning and looked at samples of pupils’ work.  The lead inspector met with the school’s designated safeguarding lead. The inspector reviewed the school’s safeguarding records, relevant policies and other safeguarding

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Information about this inspection

documentation. The inspector reviewed the processes that leaders use to identify and help pupils who need support. In addition, the inspector scrutinised the school’s records of checks carried out on adults who work at the school.  The lead inspector observed pupils reading to a familiar adult.  Inspectors spoke to pupils formally and informally, including pupils who receive support to improve their reading.  Inspectors reviewed a range of school documents, including the school’s self-evaluation and improvement plans.  The inspection team spoke to staff about their workload and pupils’ behaviour in the school.  Inspectors considered the responses to Ofsted’s surveys for pupils, staff, and parents and carers. This included any free-text comments.

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Inspection team

David Mills, lead inspector His Majesty’s Inspector

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Inspection team

Michael Wardle Senior His Majesty’s Inspector 21 and 22 March 2023

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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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