John Grant School, Caister-on-Sea

Inspection of John Grant School, Caister- on-Sea St George’s Drive, Caister-on-Sea, Great Yarmouth, Norfolk NR30 5QW

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Inspection dates: 15 and 16 October 2024

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The quality of education Good Behaviour and attitudes Outstanding Personal development Good Leadership and management Good Early years provision Good Sixth-form provision Outstanding Previous inspection grade Outstanding

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Until November 2020, the school was exempt from routine inspection because it was judged as outstanding for overall effectiveness at its previous inspection under section 5 of the Education Act 2005. The school has not been inspected under section 5 of the Act since October 2017. The school received an ungraded inspection under section 8 of the Act on 4 and 5 May 2023. Since September 2024, schools have not been awarded an overall effectiveness grade. 15 and 16 October 2024

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What is it like to attend this school?

Warmth and kindness shine through as pupils and adults enjoy one another’s company. Smiles are aplenty in classrooms, playgrounds and corridors. Pupils develop strong friendships with one another. All receive high-quality support to meet their physical and social needs. Much is expected of pupils. They step up to meet these expectations, working hard and learning well.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils’ behaviour is exemplary. They show consistently high levels of respect for each other, and for adults. Adults provide well-tailored support to help pupils self-regulate. Pupils have well-rehearsed strategies they can draw on if they feel stressed, angry or upset. Those who need more help with behaviour receive highly effective support from skilled adults. Over time, pupils who receive this extra help improve their behaviour considerably.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Students in the sixth form develop high levels of resilience and independence to prepare them for adulthood. Many go on to college places because of the high-quality guidance they receive when deciding their next steps. Pupils across the school benefit from a range of wider opportunities. Whether trips, activities or time in the forest area, pupils develop their confidence, communication and resilience. Adults know pupils’ needs well and tailor many of these opportunities to pupils’ individual needs.

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

Pupils learn and develop well. This is because the school’s curriculum has been carefully designed to meet the differing needs of pupils. Adults regularly make careful checks on what pupils know and can do. This ensures pupils follow the right curriculum pathway for them as they move through the school. As children join in early years, adults get to know them well. These youngest children become comfortable in their new surroundings. Children in early years develop strong relationships with adults, learning and developing well.

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

Pupils learn to communicate well. They develop appropriate and secure communication skills and knowledge for their stage of development. For some pupils, this is non-verbal communication using aids or devices to express their needs and feelings. For others, it is through verbal or written communication. Pupils learn to read well as a result of the school’s well-taught phonics programme. This has been skilfully adapted to suit the differing special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) of pupils. They read books that help them apply their growing knowledge of sounds. This helps many become accurate and confident readers.

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

Adults receive high-quality guidance and training to help them keep their practice sharp. They explain new ideas clearly and skilfully model language for pupils. They make effective use of well-chosen resources to support pupils in their work and thinking. At times, though, adults have not had sufficient training to help them to guide pupils well enough to apply what they know when they work independently. This is particularly the case when younger pupils choose which activities they want to undertake. 15 and 16 October 2024

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Pupils with profound and multiple learning disabilities receive the right education and care. Their physical and emotional needs are well met. Pupils benefit from the use of the therapy pool, along with regular swimming lessons for all. Splashes, laughter and fun run alongside high-quality swimming teaching. The school provides effective support for pupils’ medical needs, working closely with external professionals where needed.

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The school’s fine work over the past few years to improve attendance is bearing fruit. Pupils attend extremely well. If a pupil starts to miss too many lessons, the school follows this up quickly with parents and carers. The school provides extremely helpful advice and support to ensure a pupil’s attendance will bounce back to what it was.

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From youngest to oldest, pupils’ well-being is at the heart of the school’s work. Pupils learn from a young age to express their feelings; the delivery of the ‘self-regulation’ curriculum plays a significant role in this. Adults and pupils work together to ensure that all in school are kind to themselves and others. This well-established culture leads to pupils’ behaviour being exceptional. Adults develop expertise in how best to help pupils behave well, and how to help those with particular behavioural difficulties.

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The curriculum encourages the development of social and personal skills. Pupils have a well-developed understanding of right from wrong. They learn about the lives of people from different cultures and those with different beliefs. Older pupils benefit from opportunities such as travelling on public transport, using money in shops and having work experience sessions in the local supermarket. Sixth-form students apply their developing social skills through regular enterprise projects. These rich opportunities provide sixth-form students with both the experiences and social skills they need to successfully move into adulthood. The oldest students take great pride in the qualifications they achieve. These are as a result of much hard work and highly positive attitudes from students. Students leave the school at the end of sixth form ready to face their next steps in life with confidence, resilience and growing independence.

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Governors provide unwavering support for leaders. While this is the case, they do not shy away from asking probing questions of leaders around areas such as resources or finance. Staff are proud to be part of the school. They are well supported by leaders because the well-being of adults remains high on the agenda.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 At times, adults do not have the depth of knowledge they need to skilfully guide younger pupils to apply what they know in different activities and contexts. This means some pupils do not learn as well as they could. The school should ensure that they fully 15 and 16 October 2024

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implement the planned training to provide all staff with the knowledge and skills they need to deepen pupils’ learning effectively

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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). 15 and 16 October 2024

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form

Appropriate authority The governing body

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form

Dates of previous inspection 4 and 5 May 2023, under section 8 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 The headteacher took up the role in January 2024.  This school provides education for pupils with a wide range of complex SEND. It has specialisms in visual impairment; profound and multiple learning difficulty; hearing impairment; speech, language and communication needs; autism; multi-sensory impairment; physical disability; moderate learning difficulty; and severe learning difficulty.  All pupils have an education, health and care plan.  The school currently makes use of one unregistered alternative provision.  The number of pupils in school has risen significantly over the past few years. Many of these pupils join the school as a result of a SEND tribunal. 15 and 16 October 2024

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 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 apprenticeship.

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Information about this inspection

The inspectors carried out this graded inspection under section 5 of the Education Act 2005. During a graded inspection, we grade the school for each of our key judgements (quality of education; behaviour and attitudes; personal development; and leadership and management) and for any relevant provision judgement (early years and/or sixth form provision). Schools receiving a graded inspection from September 2024 will not be given an overall effectiveness grade.

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Information about this inspection

 Inspections are a point-in-time evaluation about the quality of a school’s education provision.  Inspectors discussed any continued impact of the pandemic with the school and have taken that into account in their evaluation of the school.  Inspectors held meetings with the headteacher, the deputy headteacher and a range of other school staff. The lead inspector held a meeting with members of the local governing board and held a telephone conversation with a representative of the local authority.  Inspectors carried out deep dives in these subjects: communication and language, mathematics, personal, social and health education, and design and technology. For each deep dive, inspectors discussed the curriculum with subject leaders, visited a sample of lessons, spoke with teachers, spoke with pupils about their learning and looked at samples of pupils’ work. Inspectors also discussed the curriculum in some

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Information about this inspection

other subjects.  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 safeguarding that puts pupils’ interests first.  Inspectors reviewed a range of documents, attendance records, pupil records, records of trustee meetings, school development plans and school self-evaluation documents.  Inspectors considered the responses to the online survey for parents, Ofsted Parent View, and Ofsted’s online staff survey. The pupil survey was not used in this inspection. Inspectors spoke with a wide range of pupils, both formally and informally during the inspection.

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Inspection team

Nathan Lowe, lead inspector His Majesty’s Inspector

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Inspection team

Nicola Shadbolt Ofsted Inspector 15 and 16 October 2024

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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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