Lakeside School

Inspection of an outstanding school: Lakeside School Winchester Road, Chandler’s Ford, Eastleigh, Hampshire SO53 2DW

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Inspection dates: 14 and 15 November 2023

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Outcome

Lakeside School continues to be an outstanding school.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils often join Lakeside feeling deflated and with little hope for their future education. Step by step, the exceptional work of the talented staff team transforms pupils into confident, resilient and educated young people. As a result, nearly all pupils leave Year 11 to go on to further education. Parents and carers are astonished by what the school does for them and their children.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The school sets high academic ambition. Pupils access a broad curriculum which results in relevant qualifications to pursue their aspirations. Teachers expect the best from pupils and they forge relationships grounded in trust, respect and care. Pupils develop confidence in their abilities to learn and remember what they have been taught.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils behave very well. The school rules are consistently applied across all year groups. Pupils are enthused by the school’s rewards system, where they seek to score the maximum points. Pupils show a mature understanding of bullying and the school teaches them how to speak and be kind to each other.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Lifelong memories are created through the many valuable experiences provided. Pupils go on field trips and mental health walks, undertake food shopping, compete in sports matches and learn how to navigate public transport. Consequently, pupils get the support they need to be exceptionally well prepared for adulthood.

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

Lakeside is a flourishing school for pupils. An inspiring staff and wider team work to provide a bespoke, effective educational package that expertly meets the needs of individual pupils. Meticulous work around education, health and care (EHC) plans ensures that key objectives are translated exceedingly well into classroom practice. Each pupil’s ‘passport’ gives staff a clear steer on the educational and mental health needs of pupils. 14 and 15 November 2023

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Pupils have an excellent curriculum entitlement. In each subject, the knowledge and vocabulary that pupils will learn through the key stages are precisely identified. Underpinning each subject’s design is a sharp focus on communication and language. This helps to ensure pupils are highly engaged in lessons and that they are confident to explain what they have learned.

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The teaching of the curriculum is consistently strong across year groups. Staff are experts in how they translate key content in an accessible and meaningful way for pupils. There are many chances for pupils to recall what they know, for example multiple-choice quizzes which enable teachers to reteach any gaps pupils have in their understanding. Assessment practices are well crafted, with effective baselines established so that staff know pupils’ starting points.

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The core skills of literacy are actively promoted throughout each day. There is a continued focus on reading fluency and writing transcription. Across subjects, staff utilise teaching time so pupils can regularly read aloud. Staff actively source books that hook pupils’ interests, alongside accessing exploring texts by many different authors. An ambitious and expertly designed phonics programme ensures pupils learn to read quickly.

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Inspirational outreach work helps pupils and their families as soon as they join the school. This includes providing support at home so that pupils feel safe and secure to attend school, particularly during transition. Since the disruption caused by COVID-19, the school has been tenacious in its work to ensure pupils have high attendance and are keen to attend.

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Intelligent analysis of each pupil’s emotions and possible triggers enables calm and purposeful classrooms. The high level of adult-to-pupil supervision successfully supports pupils’ self-regulation. As a result, learning is rarely disrupted because pupils work hard in class and feel safe to share their views.

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Careers advice is exceptionally well planned and staff do all they can to guide pupils successfully towards their future aspirations. The school thinks smartly about adapted work experience placements. Pupils see what other former pupils have achieved after they have left school and this motivates self-belief. The school’s personal development programme instils lifelong values in pupils, for example inclusion, respect and tolerance.

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Governors are deeply committed and bring great experience and knowledge. They have had a huge impact on why the school remains outstanding. They skilfully challenge the school and cover all areas to assure themselves of what they are told. They seek out the views of staff and hear from a range of subject leaders to get a full picture of the quality of education.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective. 14 and 15 November 2023

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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 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 the school to be outstanding in March 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’ 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). 14 and 15 November 2023

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School details

Appropriate authority The governing body

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School details

Chair of governing body Dianne Chamberlain

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School details

Website www.lakesideschoolchandlersford.co.uk

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School details

Date of previous inspection 21 November 2017, under section 8 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 Lakeside School is a maintained local authority residential special school for boys with social, mental health and/or emotional needs. Many also have associated needs, including autism and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder.  Within the school, the ‘Horizons’ provision gives some pupils with autism a more tailored and specialised education.  The school is currently using six unregistered alternative providers.  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 educational qualifications and apprenticeships.

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Information about this inspection

 Inspections are a point-in-time judgement about the quality of a school’s education provision.  This was the first routine inspection the school received since the COVID-19 pandemic began. Inspectors discussed the impact of the pandemic with the school and have taken that into account in their evaluation of the school. 14 and 15 November 2023

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 Inspectors met with senior leaders and staff. The lead inspector met five governors, including the chair; representatives from the therapy team; a behaviour lead from the adjacent secondary school and a school improvement adviser from the local authority. In addition, he spoke with one alternative provider on the telephone.  The inspection team carried out deep dives into these subjects: English, science and food technology. Further curriculum sampling happened in mathematics, art and design, and personal, social, health and economic education. To do this, they met with leaders, looked at curriculum plans, had discussions with staff and pupils, visited lessons and looked at pupils’ work.  To evaluate the effectiveness of safeguarding, inspectors reviewed the single central record; took account of the views of leaders, staff and children; and considered the extent to which the school has created an open and positive culture around

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safeguarding that puts children’s interests first.  Inspectors talked to pupils about their learning and experiences at school.  The views of staff and parents were gathered through discussions, Ofsted’s online surveys and the school’s internal processes for gathering parents’ feedback.  Inspectors scrutinised a range of documentation provided by the school. This included the school’s self-evaluation and school improvement priorities, policies, curriculum documents, behaviour and attendance records, pupil profiles, EHC plans, governing body minutes and reports from the local authority’s visits.

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Inspection team

James Broadbridge, lead inspector His Majesty’s Inspector

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Inspection team

Alan Johnson Ofsted Inspector 14 and 15 November 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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T: 0300 123 1231 Textphone: 0161 618 8524 E: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk W: www.gov.uk/ofsted

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