Lakeside School

Inspection of Lakeside School Naylors Road, Liverpool, Merseyside L27 2YA

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Overall effectiveness Outstanding

The quality of education Outstanding Behaviour and attitudes Outstanding Personal development Outstanding Leadership and management Outstanding Overall effectiveness at previous inspection Outstanding

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Overall effectiveness Outstanding

Does the school meet the independent school standards?

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils enjoy their time at Lakeside School. They settle into school life quickly when they arrive. For some pupils, who have been out of education for a period of time prior to joining this school, this represents a positive achievement. Staff place pupils’ emotional well-being front and centre of every decision made about an individual’s education. Staff provide an encouraging, serene environment which helps pupils to flourish.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils behave remarkably well. Despite some pupils having occasional upsets, staff are highly skilled in supporting pupils to regulate their own emotions and behaviour. Pupils become increasingly able to manage their emotions over time. This has a considerable impact for the pupils who have spent more time at the school. Pupils support each other well. They are respectful of other pupils’ individual needs. Classrooms are calm and orderly. This gives pupils the best chance to learn.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The school directs its attention on giving pupils the knowledge and skills to enable them to build independence and be prepared for adulthood. The teaching, support and clinical teams work in harmony to deliver their high ambition for pupils’ achievements with great success.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The school has an extensive programme to promote pupils’ wider development. For example, the school works with a local charity to support pupils’ understanding of the effects of racism on society. This is just one way in which the school supports pupils to develop their tolerance and understanding of different cultures, faiths and beliefs.

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better?

Staff work closely with pupils’ previous schools and parents and carers to understand pupils’ additional needs. As all pupils have special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), this is essential. The school puts in place a tailored, well- considered transition programme for new starters. This helps the school to meet pupils’ needs very effectively.

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better?

The meticulously designed curriculum provides pupils with the skills and knowledge that they need to thrive socially and academically. The school has given careful thought and consideration to tailoring the curriculum to pupils’ needs and aptitudes. In each subject, the school has precisely identified the knowledge and vocabulary that pupils should learn and the order in which this should be taught.

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better?

Staff have received highly effective training to ensure that they deliver the curriculum successfully. They have the required expertise to deliver the key content in a way which helps pupils to learn remarkably well. Assessment practice across different subjects is well crafted. Teachers use the school’s assessment strategies with precision to identify any potential gaps in pupils’ knowledge and understanding in different topic areas. This allows staff to ensure that, over time, these gaps 25 to 27 June 2024 diminish. Pupils’ knowledge and understanding therefore improves through their time in school.

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better?

Reading is a high priority for the school. Pupils find the texts that they read in class to be engaging and exciting. The school’s new library, as well as individual reading corners in classrooms, help to promote a wide range of literature to pupils. Staff have specialist training to ensure that they have the skills to teach reading consistently well. This includes for pupils who are still learning phonics. Over time, pupils become more confident, fluent readers.

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better?

Routines are exceptionally well established across the school. Pupils know what is expected of them. Careful analysis of each pupil’s emotions and potential triggers enables staff to support them well. The high level of adult-to-pupil supervision positively supports pupils’ self-regulation. Attendance is given a high priority by the school. The school has a clear strategy to support pupils who have previously found attending school to be challenging. This is proving to be successful. Pupils attend school more often. In lessons, pupils display enthusiastic attitudes towards their learning. Staff use a range of successful strategies to encourage these positive attitudes.

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better?

The school supports pupils’ wider development through exceptionally well-thought- through provision. It gives pupils many opportunities to develop their talents and interests in different areas such as horse riding, photography or breakdancing. Pupils can think about their own mental health and wellbeing through conversations with the school counsellor or during the pupil coffee mornings. Pupils learn about different fundamental British values such as democracy and the rule of law. The school plans opportunities to bring these values to life for pupils. For example, pupils visit a real-life court and they also have the opportunity to take part in a mock court case.

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better?

The school provides pupils with comprehensive, impartial careers guidance. The school ‘futures’ programme ensures that pupils are encouraged to think about their next steps in employment, education or training. This is supported by visits to various colleges and universities.

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better?

The school is relentless in its determination to ensure that pupils receive the highest quality of education. The proprietor and regional directors both support and challenge the school in equal measure. The vast majority of parents hold the school in very high regard, with many recognising how well the school supports their child’s personal and academic achievements.

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better?

The school is mindful of staff’s workload. Staff value the training that they receive, particularly to help them adapt their teaching approaches to ensure that pupils can access the school’s curriculum successfully.

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better?

The proprietor ensures that the independent schools standards (‘the standards’) are consistently met. Thorough and regular checks help to keep the premises 25 to 27 June 2024 maintained to a very high standard. The school complies with schedule 10 of the Equality Act 2010.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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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.

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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. 25 to 27 June 2024

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School details

Unique reference number 133262 DfE registration number 341/6082

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School details

Inspection number 10322493 Type of school Other independent special school

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School details

Website www.witherslackgroup.co.uk/lakeside- school Email address lakeside@witherslackgroup.co.uk

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School details

Date of previous inspection 3 to 5 December 2019 25 to 27 June 2024

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Information about this school

 The school is located at Naylors Road, Liverpool, Merseyside L27 2YA.  The school’s previous standard inspection took place from 3 to 5 December 2019.  All pupils who attend the school have an education, health and care plan. The school caters for pupils with autistic spectrum disorder.  The school uses three registered alternative providers.  The school is registered to admit up to 114 pupils.

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Information about this inspection

Inspectors carried out this inspection under section 109(1) and (2) of the Education and Skills Act 2008. The purpose of the inspection is to advise the Secretary of State for Education about the school's suitability for continued registration as an independent school.

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Information about this inspection

The school meets the independent school standards. These are the requirements of the schedule to the Education (Independent School Standards) Regulations 2014.

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Information about this inspection

 Inspections are a point-in-time judgement about the quality of a school’s 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.  Inspectors met with the headteacher, a regional director and the chair of the proprietor body.  Inspectors carried out deep dives in these subjects: early reading, mathematics and personal, social and health education. For each deep dive, inspectors held discussions about the curriculum, looked at curriculum plans, visited a sample of lessons, spoke to teachers and looked at samples of pupils’ work.  The lead inspector listened to a few pupils read to a familiar adult.  Inspectors observed pupils’ behaviour at lunchtimes and as pupils moved around the school building. They scrutinised leaders’ records of pupils’ behaviour.

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Information about this inspection

 Inspectors spoke with groups of pupils about their experiences at the school. They spoke with staff about their workload and well-being.  To evaluate the effectiveness of safeguarding, the inspectors: reviewed the single central record; took account of the views of the school, staff and pupils and considered the extent to which the school has created an open and honest culture around safeguarding that puts pupils’ interests first.  Inspectors examined school policies and other documents to check the school’s compliance with the standards and other requirements. These included: minutes from the proprietor body meetings; information on pupils’ progress; the school’s 25 to 27 June 2024 evaluation of its own performance and its development plan. Behaviour and attendance records were also scrutinised.  Inspectors took account of the responses to Ofsted Parent View, including the free-text responses.  Inspectors took account of the responses to Ofsted’s online survey for staff. There

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Information about this inspection

were no responses to Ofsted’s online survey for pupils.  As part of their checks on the standards, inspectors made a tour of the school premises, accompanied by the headteacher.

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Inspection team

Stuart Perkins, lead inspector His Majesty's Inspector

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Inspection team

Tim Sherriff Ofsted Inspector 25 to 27 June 2024 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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Inspection team

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Inspection team

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Inspection team

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Inspection team

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