Wyvern Academy

Inspection of a school judged good for overall effectiveness before September 2024: Wyvern Academy Dorchester Road, Weymouth, Dorset DT3 5AL

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Inspection dates: 19 and 20 November 2024

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Outcome

Wyvern Academy has taken effective action to maintain the standards identified at the previous inspection.

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Outcome

The headteacher of this school is Katherine Seymour. This school is part of the Delta Education Trust, which means other people in the trust have responsibility for running the school. The trust is run by the chief executive officer, John White, and overseen by a board of trustees, chaired by Andy Baker.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Wyvern Academy has a ‘child-centred, family-focused’ approach at the heart of its work. The school provides high-quality pastoral support to pupils and their families. It teaches pupils how to stay safe, healthy and keep active. Pupils talk openly about differences and how they are ‘the same but different’. Pupils flourish because of the nurturing relationships and expert support they receive from staff.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The school has high expectations of pupils. It places high importance on a bespoke curriculum, including individualised therapeutic approaches to meet pupils’ needs. Pupils benefit from a strong focus on communication, early reading, writing and mathematics. They experience success because staff understand their individual needs extremely well.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils’ behaviour in school is impressive. They behave well in lessons and social situations. When pupils struggle with their emotions, staff take effective and supportive action, which enables them to re-engage with their learning.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The provision for pupils’ wider development is well considered. Pupils enjoy the opportunities on offer, such as music, including the open orchestra, and sports. These activities develop pupils’ interests and talents well. 19 and 20 November 2024

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

The curriculum is well designed and sequenced to meet pupils’ needs, including children in the early years and in the sixth form. Staff carefully consider the information in pupils’ education, health and care (EHC) plans. This ensures that provision is in place to meet pupils’ learning, medical and emotional needs. Nonetheless, on occasion, staff’s understanding of the seven areas of engagement for pupils’ learning, such as responsiveness and curiosity, varies. As a result, some teaching does not precisely meet pupils’ needs, which slows their progress across the curriculum.

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

The development of pupils’ independence is a priority. Opportunities for movement are well considered and integral to the development of pupils’ physical independence. Time is allocated every day for pupils to develop core strength, such as being able to sit, stand or walk. This increases pupils’ independence, allowing for a better quality of life.

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

As part of their learning, pupils experience and develop a range of skills, such as travel training and cooking. For example, pupils in key stage 3 demonstrated their early reading skills by successfully following a recipe to make sausage rolls.

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

Pupils have the opportunity to go on trips and into the community. They love going shopping, where they can practise money management and develop communication and social skills further. During the inspection, pupils were delighted to go and purchase the ingredients to make a luxury hot chocolate, which they enjoyed with their friends and staff.

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

Pupils consistently have positive attitudes. They show commitment to their education through regular attendance. Pupils demonstrate resilience and determination when faced with challenges, such as practising their walking and communication skills.

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

The school intertwines careers information, personal development and preparation for life within the curriculum. This helps pupils develop the knowledge and skills they need to pursue their interests, such as playing the piano and art. Though realistic, the school places no ceiling on pupils’ aspirations. It does all it can to encourage and develop pupils’ ambitions. Careers events, work experience, visits and visitors are carefully planned.

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

Pupils have the opportunity to explore and understand the wider world in which they live. They experience a wide range of activities beyond the school, such as participating in adventurous activities and visiting farms, gardens and sporting venues. Pupils take pleasure in the roles and responsibilities on offer. These include being school councillors and having internal work experience. These and other activities help build confidence for life beyond school.

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

The school ensures that the environment is well resourced and looked after. Pupils benefit from great amenities, including a hydrotherapy pool, interactive sensory room and soft- play area. These activities develop pupils’ physical and emotional well-being, along with increasing their self-confidence. 19 and 20 November 2024

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Leaders, including trustees and the local governing body, demonstrate a detailed understanding of the impact of the school’s work. The school is held firmly to account for the quality of care and education pupils receive. Staff speak positively about the support for their workload and well-being. They are tremendously proud to be part of the Wyvern community.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 On occasions, the school does not ensure that teaching is fully informed by an understanding of the assessment of pupils’ engagement. This means that sometimes teaching does not precisely meet pupils’ needs. This hinders their progress across the curriculum. The trust should ensure that all staff know how to use assessment effectively for pupils in the early stages of learning.

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Background

Until September 2024, on a graded (section 5) inspection we gave schools an overall effectiveness grade, in addition to the key and provision judgements. Overall effectiveness grades given before September 2024 will continue to be visible on school inspection reports and on Ofsted’s website. From September 2024 graded inspections will not include an overall effectiveness grade. This school was, before September 2024, judged good for its overall effectiveness.

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Background

We have now inspected the school to determine whether it has taken effective action to maintain the standards identified at that previous inspection. 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’s work has improved significantly or that it may not be as strong as it was at the last inspection, then the next inspection will be a graded inspection. A graded inspection 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 for overall effectiveness in September 2015. 19 and 20 November 2024

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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 November 2024

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School details

School category Academy special converter

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form

Date of previous inspection 18 June 2019, under section 8 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 Wyvern Academy is a special school for pupils with severe or profound and multiple learning difficulties. The school became part of the Delta Education Trust in June 2024. Under the predecessor trust, Wyvern Academy was judged to be good in June 2019.  All pupils have an EHCP.  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.  The school does not use any alternative provision. 19 and 20 November 2024

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Information about this inspection

 Inspections are a point-in-time evaluation 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.  Inspectors visited a sample of lessons, heard pupils read, spoke with pupils about their learning and looked at samples of pupils’ work.  Inspectors met with the headteacher, the deputy headteacher, the assistant headteacher and staff.  The lead inspector met with the CEO and the director of education for the trust.  The lead inspector met with members of the local board of governors and the chair of the trust.  To evaluate the effectiveness of safeguarding, the inspectors: reviewed the single central record; took account of the views of leaders, staff and pupils; considered the

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Information about this inspection

extent to which the school has created an open and positive culture around safeguarding that puts pupils’ interests first.  Inspectors considered key documentation, including the school development plan and governors’ minutes.  Inspectors observed pupils’ behaviour in lessons and around the school site. Inspectors met with school leaders to discuss and review how they respond to behaviour incidents and pupils’ attendance.  Inspectors considered the responses to Ofsted’s online staff and pupil surveys. They considered the online survey, Ofsted Parent View, including parents’ free-text comments. An inspector also spoke to parents on the morning of the first day of the inspection.

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Inspection team

Jen Southall, lead inspector His Majesty’s Inspector

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Inspection team

David Simons Ofsted Inspector 19 and 20 November 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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