Turney Primary and Secondary Special School

Inspection of Turney Primary and Secondary Special School Turney Road, London SE21 8LX

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Inspection dates: 10 and 11 December 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 Outstanding 10 and 11 December 2024

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils like coming to this school. This is evident in the relaxed and cheerful way that they enter in the morning and their positive engagement with learning throughout the day. Pupils enjoy their lessons. They commit to learning and take pride in their work. All staff work together to make sure that pupils are safe and that they feel safe at school. Any unkind behaviour is dealt with quickly.

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What is it like to attend this school?

At times, some pupils need some extra help to manage their emotions and behaviour. This is provided in a calm and sensitive way. Pupils learn how to get on well with their friends and others around them. The regular routine and familiar faces help pupils to stay calm so that they can learn better in lessons. Pupils like their regular visits to the local area, including when they travel on the local buses. Pupils hardly ever miss school.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The school has high expectations. Pupils are expected to come to school every day, to do their best in lessons and to be kind to each other. Pupils meet these expectations and achieve well. From early on, there is a sharp focus on getting pupils ready for life as independent and confident adults.

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

The school has ensured that there is an ambitious curriculum in place that meets the needs of all pupils. Leaders have constructed the curriculum so that pupils can access it at the right level for them. It teaches them the essential communication and literacy skills they need to access the rest of the curriculum and to be able to have a fulfilling life. The curriculum has a positive impact on pupils’ educational, social and emotional development. Pupils who are at the early stages of learning to read have regular lessons to help them build the phonics knowledge that they need. Mathematics is taught in a systematic way, with each new piece of learning building on the one before. This helps pupils to develop skills and acquire knowledge in a logical order. The school has a systematic way to check that pupils are progressing through the curriculum.

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

The curriculum has had significant revision over the last year. Leaders have put in place a well-thought-out strategy to support teachers to implement the new curriculum. This includes regular visits to classrooms and tightly focused feedback to teachers on how to deliver the curriculum well. Leaders are aware that, occasionally, the specific knowledge that pupils should learn is not as clear as it could be, and they are working on this.

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

Pupils learn a broad curriculum, which includes creative subjects such as art and music. The physical development curriculum helps pupils to keep active and healthy and to build positive habits for their future life, including healthy eating and exercise. For each subject, teachers carry out regular checks on pupils’ journey through the curriculum. The school is currently exploring and refining its approaches and is mindful of the implications for teachers’ workload.

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

All pupils at the school have complex needs and autism. The school uses information from pupils’ education, health and care (EHC) plans to tailor its approach around their needs. 10 and 11 December 2024

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Lessons are adapted sensitively to ensure that pupils can stay engaged in their learning and enjoy school. There are times when pupils might need movement breaks, or activities that help them to regulate their behaviour. This is done in a sensitive and seamless way so that pupils can get back to their lessons as soon as possible. The school is calm and orderly. Staff know the needs of the pupils very well and they can quickly spot if a pupil needs extra help or support. They are also alert to any unkind behaviour, and this is dealt with quickly. Pastoral support for pupils is a strength of the school.

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The curriculum includes opportunities for pupils to learn about the difference between right and wrong and the different ways that people may live their lives, for example by learning about different cultures, religions and families. Pupils learn about safe and healthy relationships and the changes that happen to them as they become adults. The curriculum includes learning how to stay safe, including how to use the internet safely.

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In the early years, the curriculum prepares children well for the next stage of their education. Activities enable children to explore the world around them and to develop their curiosity, concentration and enjoyment in learning. Children begin to learn how to manage their own behaviour and emotions and to develop important social, communication and language skills.

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Students in the sixth form follow a curriculum that is focused on preparing them for adult life. This includes learning about the world of work and important life skills such as travelling on public transport, shopping and cooking. Students learn how to keep themselves safe in the community and are well prepared for the next stage of their life when they leave the school.

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Staff enjoy working here. They work hard and are invested in the school. They find working with the pupils very rewarding. Overall, staff feel well supported. They welcome the school’s ongoing work to reduce and streamline their workload.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 In some aspects of the curriculum, the school is not clear enough about what it wants pupils to learn. As a result, teachers do not have enough guidance about the most important knowledge that pupils need to learn and remember. The school needs to refine its curriculum to make more explicit what pupils should learn. It also needs to ensure that staff are supported to implement this effectively. 10 and 11 December 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). 10 and 11 December 2024

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Appropriate authority The governing body

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Website www.lansdowneturneyfederation.co.uk

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Dates of previous inspection 13 and 14 September 2023, under section 8 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 The school is part of a federation with Lansdowne School in Brixton. They share the same executive headteacher.  The school caters for pupils with SEND. Most pupils have cognition and learning needs and autism.  The school uses no alternative provision.  All pupils have an EHC plan.

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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 10 and 11 December 2024

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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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 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 met with the executive headteacher, the head of school, the deputy head of school and other senior and middle leaders.  Inspectors met with the chair of the governing body and other governors.  The lead inspector met with a representative from the local authority.  Inspectors carried out deep dives in these subjects: reading, mathematics, personal, social and health education, and ‘The World Around Me’ (humanities). For each deep dive, inspectors held discussions about the curriculum, visited a sample of lessons, spoke to teachers, spoke to some pupils about their learning and looked at samples of pupils’ work. Inspectors also discussed the curriculum in some other subjects.

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 To evaluate the effectiveness of safeguarding, the 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 took account of the responses to the online survey, Ofsted Parent View. They considered the responses to Ofsted’s confidential survey for staff.

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Inspection team

Gary Pocock, lead inspector Ofsted Inspector

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Inspection team

Barney Geen Ofsted Inspector 10 and 11 December 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 looked-after children, safeguarding and child protection.

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