Keyham Lodge School

Inspection of a school judged outstanding for overall effectiveness before September 2024: Keyham Lodge School Keyham Lane, Leicester, Leicestershire LE5 1FG

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Inspection dates: 19 and 20 November 2024

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Outcome

Keyham Lodge School has taken effective action to maintain the standards identified at the previous inspection.

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Outcome

The executive headteacher of this school is Victoria Edwards. This school is part of Discovery Schools Academies Trust Ltd, which means other people in the trust also have responsibility for running the school. The trust is run by the chief executive officer, Paul Stone, and overseen by a board of trustees, chaired by Richard Bettsworth.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils who start attending Keyham Lodge School have usually had negative experiences of education in their previous schools. Staff welcome pupils with warmth, nurturing kindness and care. They rapidly establish positive relationships with pupils. As a result, pupils are happy and feel safe and they re-engage with their learning. Pupils enjoy the social times in the ‘heart’ area of the school, where they share meals together with staff.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The school expertly considers each pupil's barriers to learning, special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) and gaps in knowledge to put in place education that will help each pupil better self-regulate and catch-up on previous missed learning. An essential part of this is the strong therapeutic approach to the curriculum. Highly skilled therapeutic staff support pupils within and outside of lessons and co-develop the curriculum with staff. As a result, pupils’ behaviour and attendance improve rapidly. Pupils develop very positive attitudes to their education and rise to the school’s high expectations of them. Pupils achieve exceptionally well and leave with qualifications that enable them to achieve their goals. They are prepared very well for adulthood. 19 and 20 November 2024

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The school has two horses, Fly and Tarka, who live out their retirement being pampered by pupils as well as providing a source of therapy and opportunities for learning. A highlight for pupils, parents and carers, and staff is the annual celebration day of pupils’ talents and skills.

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

The school builds excellence into all it does. From promoting pupils’ social and emotional well-being, and helping them manage their own behaviour, to the curriculum, everything is centred on the preparation for adulthood. At key stage 4, pupils study a range of entry level to level 2 qualifications, including GCSEs. The school uses information contained in pupils’ education, health and care (EHC) plans to set precise targets in pupils’ ‘passports’. Staff use these effectively alongside input from therapists and external professionals. This collaborative approach means pupils achieve the outcomes in their EHC plans.

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

The school has refined how teachers check on pupils’ learning. This is highly effective and ensures that staff know exactly what pupils know and can do and what they need to next. The school has provided effective training to staff to embed this practice and to check the precision of the learning plans that staff produce for each pupil. This ensures that pupils move on to new learning when they are ready and that any gaps close quickly.

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

The school continues to train teachers to use the most effective teaching methods. Therapists support this professional development. This means staff are extremely knowledgeable about the special educational needs of pupils and how to adapt their teaching to meet these needs. Teachers demonstrate strong subject knowledge and present information clearly, using appropriate resources alongside engaging teaching activities. Consequently, pupils try hard in lessons.

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

There is a sharp focus on assessing pupils’ reading ability so that those who need support with reading quickly gain the knowledge and skills they need to become confident, fluent readers. The school ensures that pupils get ample opportunities to practise reading and to develop comprehension skills.

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

Pupils’ behaviour transforms because of the intelligent and effective action that the school takes. Integral to this is the school’s therapeutic approach. There is a well-established therapy team, which includes speech and language therapists and counsellors. The therapeutic staff work alongside teachers to ensure that pupils receive the precise support they need in a timely way. Therapists work alongside staff in the classroom and support teachers with adapting the curriculum for individual pupils. This means pupils’ needs are exceptionally well met.

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

Pupils’ attendance history prior to arrival at Keyham Lodge can be very poor. The school works highly effectively with pupils and families to ensure that barriers to attendance are identified and overcome. This, alongside the therapeutic approaches in this school, results in strong improvements in attendance from pupils’ starting points. 19 and 20 November 2024

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The school has an exceptional strength in building pupils’ character and resilience. The ‘CORE’ curriculum is at the heart of this work. For example, pupils go on trips on the bus to open bank accounts, take part in the ‘three peaks challenge’ and visit places of worship such as the local mosque and mandir. Work experience is a key part of preparing pupils for adulthood. The school is part of the ‘FareShare’ initiative . Pupils learn how to cook and sell the food they prepare in the school kitchen at breaktime and lunchtime, giving them valuable experience in running a small business and supporting catering qualifications.

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Those responsible for governance carry out their roles effectively. A strong team spirit supports staff well-being.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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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 outstanding 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 first ungraded inspection since we judged the predecessor school, Keyham Lodge School, to be outstanding for overall effectiveness in March 2017. 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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School details

Headteacher Victoria Edwards (Executive Headteacher) Website www.keyhamlodgeschool.co.uk

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School details

Date of previous inspection Not previously inspected

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Information about this school

 This is a special school for pupils between the ages of 9 and 16 years. The school caters for pupils who have social, emotional and mental health (SEMH) needs. Some pupils have autism. All pupils have an EHC plan.  The school is part of the Discovery Schools Academies Trust Ltd.  Keyham Lodge School converted to become an academy school in September 2021. When its predecessor school, Keyham Lodge School, was last inspected by Ofsted, it was judged to be outstanding for overall effectiveness.  The chair of governors took up role in August 2024.  The school currently uses nine 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 education qualifications and apprenticeships. 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. The inspectors discussed the impact of the pandemic with the school and have taken that into account in their evaluation of the school.  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 visited a sample of lessons, spoke to some pupils about their learning and looked at samples of pupils’ work.  Inspectors observed pupils’ behaviour during lessons and at social times.  Meetings were held with the headteacher, the deputy headteachers, the assistant headteachers and members of the extended leadership team. Inspectors also met with

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Information about this inspection

teachers and other staff, including the leader of the therapy department.  Inspectors met with representatives of the governing body, including the chair of governors. The lead inspector also met with a trust representative and had a discussion with a representative of the local authority.  Inspectors considered responses to Ofsted Parent View survey, including the free-text comments. They also considered the responses to Ofsted’s staff survey.  While this school caters for primary pupils from age nine, no pupils in this phase of education were on roll during this inspection.

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Inspection team

Anne Maingay, lead inspector His Majesty's Inspector

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Inspection team

Caroline Barton 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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