Warren School

Inspection of Warren School Clarkes Lane, Oulton Broad, Lowestoft NR33 8HT

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Inspection dates: 26 and 27 November 2024

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

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The headteacher of this school is Kelly Bland. This school is part of the Consortium Multi- Academy Trust, which means other people in the trust also have responsibility for the running of the school. The trust is run by the chief executive officer (CEO), Andrew Aalders-Dunthorne, and overseen by a board of trustees, chaired by Steve Martin. 26 and 27 November 2024

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What is it like to attend this school?

Friendship and kindness are important at Warren School. This makes this a happy place to learn. Pupils’ friendship posters on classroom displays remind them about kindly acts. Pupils show their enjoyment of school using words such as ‘happy’ and ‘friendly’. Pupils have often had difficult starts in their education. Staff understand this. They ensure that pupils receive the care and attention they need to settle quickly.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Clear and established routines provide a calm learning environment. They set consistent expectations across the school. Staff know pupils well. Pupils form strong and nurturing relationships with adults who know them best. Adults understand how to act if a pupil becomes dysregulated. Adults show patience in caring for pupils. Over time, pupils learn how to manage their own emotions.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils embrace opportunities provided by the ‘Warren Way’. A variety of experiences enrich pupils’ lives and help them discover new interests. Music therapies introduce pupils to ‘finding a voice’ through singing and playing instruments. Pupils take part in sporting tournaments, where they can meet and compete with pupils from other schools. A highlight of their week is the signing choir, performing together through a common form of communication.

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

The curriculum has received a renewed focus under the direction of new leadership. This has led to significant improvements in the quality of education pupils receive. The curriculum has different pathways. Each pathway provides precise steps to build pupils’ knowledge and skills. Staff, including therapists, collaborate to incorporate targets from pupils’ education, health and care (EHC) plans. They make use of smaller steps to develop pupils’ academic and personal programmes. Regular opportunities for revisiting key learning help pupils to achieve well. For example, pupils with profound and multiple learning difficulties receive precise teaching for their physical development. Aspects of posture and movement are broken down and repeated regularly to help build strength and coordination.

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

Staff make careful checks on pupils’ progress. This information helps the school understand the effectiveness of their curriculum. This is not as strong where the curriculum has been introduced recently. This is because the school is in the early stages of checking the impact of recent changes on pupils’ outcomes.

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

Adults receive high-quality training to better understand how they support pupils in class. Clear explanations and models support pupils well in their learning. For children in the early years, key vocabulary is well matched to their play. Positive relationships help children become settled in their new environment. As pupils get older, they develop greater independence in their learning. Sixth-form students develop confidence to express their views and opinions. Occasionally, there are inaccuracies in teaching, which lead to misconceptions in pupils’ understanding. This means that sometimes pupils do not learn as much as they could. 26 and 27 November 2024

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The school prioritises opportunities for pupils’ communication skills. For non-verbal pupils, a range of strategies support their interactions, for example objects of reference, picture representations or learning to sign. Staff use these approaches seamlessly in lessons to ensure pupils access their tasks. Books and daily stories are a feature in all classes. Pupils build their love of reading and become familiar with characters and events. When ready, pupils learn to read using phonics. They practise their sounds daily to help them read with increasing accuracy.

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Pupils listen carefully to their teachers in class. They work hard and try their best. Most pupils attend well. Some pupils often have extended time out of school owing to complex medical needs. Staff are tenacious, pursuing help should pupils have any difficulties coming to school. Collaboration between staff and external partners ensures attendance is improving.

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The school places a priority on personal development and preparation for adulthood by weaving this through the curriculum. This extends from expressing wishes to learning life skills. Pupils learn to be respectful and help one another. They value difference through an understanding of preferences or choices individuals make. Their learning is often placed in a ‘real life’ context. This helps to build their understanding of life beyond school, for example the use of money when shopping or measurement when cooking. Pupils and students in the sixth form receive appropriate information about the world of work. There are opportunities to achieve functional qualifications to prepare students for their next stages.

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New trustees have taken decisive actions that have supported the school’s success. Successful recruitment has established a stable and effective leadership team. Teachers welcome opportunities for professional development. Local partnerships encourage their expertise further. They are mindful of the hard work required to improve the school. Their workload and welfare are well managed.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 In some subjects, there are occasional inaccuracies in what pupils are taught. This leads to pupils developing misconceptions. The school should ensure that all teachers have the expertise required to teach all subjects confidently so that pupils consistently benefit from accurate and high-quality explanations.  The school has not checked that recent changes to the curriculum are having their intended impact in some subjects. This means that leaders do not know how well pupils are remembering key knowledge. Leaders should check that the curriculum is 26 and 27 November 2024

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being delivered as intended and that this is ensuring that pupils achieve well in all subjects.

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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). 26 and 27 November 2024

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School details

School category Academy special sponsor-led

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form

CEO of the trust Andrew Aalders-Dunthorne

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Date of previous inspection 5 March 2024, under section 8 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 The school was re-brokered into a new trust in September 2023. They are now a member of the Consortium Multi-Academy Trust.  The school caters for pupils with profound and multiple learning difficulties, autism spectrum disorder and social, emotional and mental health needs. All pupils have EHC plans.  The current headteacher started her post in April 2024.  The school does not make use of any alternative provision. 26 and 27 November 2024

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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

In accordance with section 13(4) of the Education Act 2005, His Majesty’s Chief Inspector is of the opinion that the school no longer requires special measures.

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Information about this inspection

 Inspections are a point-in-time judgement 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.  During the inspection, the inspectors met with the headteacher, assistant headteachers, subject leaders and other teaching staff. The lead inspector met with two trustees and the CEO.  Inspectors carried out deep dives in these subjects: communication and interaction, early reading, mathematics, personal, social, health and economic education, physical development and physical education. For each deep dive, inspectors held discussions about the curriculum, visited a sample of lessons, spoke to teachers, spoke to pupils about some of their learning and looked at samples of pupils’ work.  Inspectors also discussed the curriculum in creative arts.  To evaluate the effectiveness of safeguarding, the inspector: reviewed the single

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Information about this inspection

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’ interest first.  The lead inspector considered the views expressed through Ofsted Parent View and our survey for staff.  The inspectors spoke with pupils with support from an adult about their experiences of school.

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Inspection team

Steve Mellors, lead inspector His Majesty’s Inspector

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Inspection team

Joanna Pedlow Ofsted Inspector 26 and 27 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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