Baginton Fields School

Inspection of a good school: Baginton Fields School Sedgemoor Road, Coventry, West Midlands CV3 4EA

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Outcome

Baginton Fields School continues to be a good school.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Baginton Fields School offers pupils a wide range of experiences. Pupils enjoy and flourish from these. They are eager to talk about them with visitors and to each other. Pupils are happy and safe here.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Relationships between pupils are positive and respectful. They behave well around school. At breaktime pupils appreciate the sensory garden. This is a little haven for them to enjoy some quiet time. Come rain or shine, pupils play on the school field every day. Muddy boots line the corridors after breaktime each day.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The school has its own small farm. Pupils learn how to care for the goats, chickens and rabbits. They learn how to keep the area clean. This teaches pupils how to be responsible and caring.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The school carefully considers pupils’ next destinations. There are high aspirations for pupils’ lives after Baginton Fields School. The curriculum supports pupils towards their next destinations, such as supported employment, further training or independent living.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils know how to ask for help. Pupils who do not use words to communicate are taught how to sign and use symbols. They can name adults who will help them when they are worried. Staff know how to spot the signs of potential abuse for all pupils.

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

The school has recently revised the curriculum offer. It is ambitious for all pupils, including those in the sixth form. The curriculum sets out clearly the key knowledge and skills pupils will learn. This includes the key vocabulary for individual subject areas. Many pupils can explain what they are learning now and what they have learned previously. The school is currently embedding the revised curriculum. This means leaders do not yet fully 19 and 20 October 2023

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know the impact of these changes on pupils’ learning. Nevertheless, the school has systems in place to evaluate these changes. Most staff use assessment during lessons consistently well. They check pupils’ understanding and provide clear feedback. Lessons are mostly adapted to support pupils’ learning successfully.

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Teaching pupils how to read is a high priority. Pupils talk about their favourite books and stories. Pupils listen to stories and read regularly to adults and each other. Pupils are assessed often, and additional support is put in place when required. This helps pupils to catch up quickly. However, there is some variability in the implementation of the phonics programme. This means that for a small number of pupils their progress in reading is slower. Pupils who are not yet using phonics are taught pre-reading skills such as following a rhythm, rhymes and sounds.

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All pupils have an education, health and care (EHC) plan. These cover a broad range of special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). There are clear systems in place to identify pupils’ SEND needs accurately. Pupils arrive from a range of different settings, including mainstream and other special schools. Their needs are regularly reviewed with the support of parents, carers and external agencies. Provision is then adapted to meet pupils’ SEND needs.

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Pupils are well behaved in class. The school carefully checks patterns across school for changes in behaviour. Support is then quickly identified for individual pupils when required. This helps pupils to improve the behaviours they display. Staff understand that some less positive responses from pupils is a form of communication. They take time to understand what pupils are communicating and will support them appropriately.

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The careers information, education, advice and guidance programme effectively supports pupils to their next destinations. Pupils are provided work placements with local businesses. Speakers visit the school often. This helps pupils understand wider opportunities available to them. Pupils learn skills towards developing their independence. They visit local shops and run the school café. This teaches them how to handle money, prepare food and serve customers.

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Pupils are offered a range of extra-curricular activities. The school carefully matches these to pupils’ interests. All pupils are supported to join a club. These include sports, drama and the popular lunchtime karaoke club.

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The curriculum teaches pupils about consent and relationships effectively. This is taught in an age appropriate and developmentally appropriate way. Pupils have a strong understanding about difference. They understand and show the importance of tolerance and kindness to others.

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The school has implemented many positive changes and initiatives across school. All staff have worked together tirelessly to implement these changes. However, staff have expressed concerns about the impact of these changes to their workload and well-being. The school is beginning to understand this impact and the effect it has on staff morale. 19 and 20 October 2023

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 There is some variability in the teaching of phonics. For a small number of pupils, this affects their progress in reading. The school should ensure that all staff have the appropriate knowledge and skills to deliver the phonics scheme effectively.  The school has recently introduced a newly revised curriculum and does not yet know the impact of these changes on pupils’ learning. Leaders need to continue their work to embed the new curriculum and ensure that plans are having the desired impact on improving pupils’ knowledge.  The school has implemented a number of new initiatives and changes. Staff have expressed concerns about the impact of these changes to their workload and well- being. The school should take action to promote staff well-being and take account of any additional workload.

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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 November 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. 19 and 20 October 2023

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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 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 October 2023

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form

Appropriate authority The governing body

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form

Website www.bagintonfields.coventry.sch.uk

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form

Date of previous inspection 27 June 2018, under section 8 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 Two assistant headteachers have been appointed since the last inspection.  The school does not make use of any alternative provision.  All pupils have an EHC plan. These plans cover a broad range of SEND. These are mostly severe learning difficulties, autism, moderate learning difficulties and other complex needs. Pupils also have additional needs such as sensory and medical needs.  The school meets the requirements of the provider access legislation, which requires schools to provide pupils in Years 8 to 13 with information and engagement about approved technical education qualifications and apprenticeships. 19 and 20 October 2023

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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 school leaders and have taken this into account in their evaluation of the school.  The inspectors met with the headteacher, deputy headteacher, assistant headteachers, chair of the governing body, subject leaders, teachers and pupils. They also talked informally with parents, carers, transport escorts, drivers and staff.  The lead inspector spoke with a representative of the local authority.  Inspectors carried out deep dives in early reading, communication, personal, social and health education and computing. For each deep dive, inspectors discussed the curriculum with areas of learning leaders, visited a sample of lessons, spoke to teachers, spoke to pupils about their learning, and looked at samples of pupils’ work. Inspectors also looked at additional areas of learning.

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Information about this inspection

 Inspectors looked at a sample of pupils’ EHC plans.  The lead inspector observed pupils reading to a familiar adult.  Inspectors spoke to groups of pupils formally and informally about their learning and experiences at school.  Inspectors observed informal times to evaluate safeguarding and pupils’ behaviour.  Safeguarding documents were reviewed, including the checks that leaders make on staff’s suitability to work with children. The inspectors examined how staff implement safeguarding policies and procedures effectively across the school. They also considered the extent to which the school has created an open and positive culture around safeguarding that puts pupils’ interests first.  Inspectors considered responses to the online questionnaire for parents, Ofsted Parent View. This included free-text comments. Inspectors also looked at responses to Ofsted’s online staff survey.  Inspectors looked at a range of documentation provided by the school. This included

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Information about this inspection

the school’s self-evaluation, school policies, curriculum documents and SEND records.

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Inspection team

Anna Vrahimi, lead inspector His Majesty’s Inspector

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Inspection team

Gwen Onyon Ofsted Inspector 19 and 20 October 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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