Fortuna School

Inspection of an outstanding school: Fortuna School Kingsdown Road, Doddington Park, Lincoln, Lincolnshire LN6 0FB

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Inspection dates: 19 and 20 September 2023

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Outcome

Fortuna School continues to be an outstanding school.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Nurture and pupils’ well-being are central to everything that happens at Fortuna School. Throughout the day, staff greet pupils with kind words and a smile. Pupils’ love of school is reflected in their excellent attendance. They are happy learning and playing with their friends. Pupils feel safe in school.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The school has the highest aspirations for pupils’ achievement. Pupils flourish as soon as they join Fortuna. This is because of the calm and harmonious atmosphere that exists at the school. Pupils benefit significantly from the caring relationships that they enjoy with staff, who know the pupils so well.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils take pride in living up to the high expectations that leaders have of their behaviour. Staff take the time to develop a deep understanding of each pupil’s feelings and anxieties. Pupils comment that staff are kind and always on hand to help them. Bullying is not tolerated by the school.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils have a wealth of opportunities to play an active role in their school and the local community. Pupils take part in cultural events such as the Lincolnshire Show and going to the theatre. They access music tuition, swimming lessons and outdoor pursuits. Success is celebrated at every opportunity.

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

Leaders at Fortuna have designed a highly effective and ambitious curriculum. It reflects the school’s determination that every pupil should benefit from a rich and engaging learning experience. Pupils study a broad range of subjects and build up their knowledge and skills in a clear and logical sequence. Teachers have a secure understanding of the subjects that they teach. They also know the pupils’ individual needs very well. They deliver lessons that capture pupils’ interests and make learning enjoyable. 19 and 20 September 2023

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Through the play curriculum, pupils learn that the classroom is a safe place to be. Staff and therapists work together to help pupils achieve small but important steps. Adults are highly attuned to how pupils are feeling and responding in lessons. They expertly use this knowledge to maximise moments of engagement.

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Staff use assessment expertly well to ensure that they know exactly where pupils are in their learning. They systematically track the social, emotional and behavioural progress of pupils. Pupils’ education, health and care (EHC) plans are carefully followed to ensure that pupils get the support they need. In lessons, teachers make careful adaptations to enable pupils to learn successfully. As a result, pupils thrive.

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The school places a high priority on reading. Staff teach phonics to pupils who are at the early stages of learning to read. The books these pupils read match the sounds they know. This helps them to grow in confidence in their reading, and pupils develop increasingly secure early reading skills.

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Pupils behave exceptionally well. They never deliberately disrupt learning. Staff support pupils to communicate effectively. They encourage pupils to recognise their own feelings, to understand the impact of their behaviour on others and to develop strategies to manage anxieties and frustrations when they arise.

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The school ensures that all pupils have access to a rich and wide set of experiences that contribute to their personal development. Pupils relish the opportunities that they have to develop their talents and interests. They increasingly recognise and respect difference. Pupils take on responsibilities such as organising collections for the local food bank and being librarians and reading buddies. Pupils celebrate difference and show pride in themselves and all they do.

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Members of the governing body share leaders’ ambition to continue to improve the school and build on its already notable success. Staff value the support they receive for their well-being and workload. They are happy and proud to work at this school and all share a determination to make a real difference to the lives of pupils and their families.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Background

When we have judged a school to be outstanding, we will then normally go into the school about once every four years to confirm that the school remains outstanding. 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 19 and 20 September 2023

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serious concerns about safeguarding, behaviour or the quality of education, we will deem the ungraded inspection a graded inspection immediately.

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This is the second ungraded inspection since we judged the school to be outstanding in December 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’ is used to mean pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND); pupils who meet the definition of children in need of help and protection ; pupils receiving statutory local authority support from a social worker; and pupils who otherwise meet the criteria used for deciding the school’s pupil premium funding (this includes pupils claiming free school meals at any point in the last six years, looked after children (children in local authority care) and/or children who left care through adoption or another formal route). 19 and 20 September 2023

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School details

Appropriate authority The governing body

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School details

Date of previous inspection 26 June 2018, under section 8 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 All pupils at Fortuna School are in receipt of an EHC plan.  The school caters for pupils with social, emotional and mental health needs.  The school is part of the Fortuna Athena Federation. This federation of two special schools was established in 2016. There is one executive headteacher for both schools.  The school does not make use of alternative provision for any pupils.

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Information about this inspection

Inspections are a point-in-time judgement about the quality of a school’s education provision.

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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 this into account in their evaluation of the school.  Inspectors carried out deep dives in these subjects: early reading, the play curriculum, mathematics and history. For each deep dive, inspectors met with leaders to discuss 19 and 20 September 2023

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the curriculum, visited a sample of lessons, spoke to teachers, spoke to some pupils about their learning and looked at samples of pupils’ work.  During the inspection, inspectors met with the executive headteacher, headteacher and other senior and middle leaders.  Inspectors also met with governors and the sensory motor neuropsychotherapist who works at the school.  The lead inspector had a discussion with a representative of the local authority and the school improvement partner.  Inspectors also considered the curriculum and spoke to leaders about some other subjects, including personal, social and health education and communication and science.  Inspectors reviewed the documentation available on the school’s website.  To evaluate the effectiveness of safeguarding, inspectors: reviewed the single central record; took account of the views of leaders, staff and pupils; and considered the extent to which the school has created an open and positive culture around

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safeguarding that puts pupils’ interests first.  Inspectors considered responses to Ofsted Parent View, including the free-text comments. They took account of the responses from staff to Ofsted’s online survey and gathered the views of staff and pupils throughout the inspection.

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Inspection team

Anne Maingay, lead inspector His Majesty’s Inspector

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Inspection team

Matthew Rooney Ofsted Inspector 19 and 20 September 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 looked after children, safeguarding and child protection.

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