Oswaldtwistle White Ash School

Inspection of a school judged outstanding for overall effectiveness before September 2024: Oswaldtwistle White Ash School Thwaites Road, Oswaldtwistle, Accrington, Lancashire BB5 4QG

p.1

Outcome

Oswaldtwistle White Ash School has taken effective action to maintain the standards identified at the previous inspection.

p.1

What is it like to attend this school?

Oswaldtwistle White Ash is an exceptional school. Staff place the needs of each pupil at the forefront of everything that they do. This helps pupils to flourish in a nurturing and caring environment. They are proud to be part of their school. Staff create an atmosphere that is warm and supportive. Pupils receive the utmost care and attention to their particular special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). The school is laser-focused on ensuring that pupils’ achievement is the very best that it can be. From their own individual starting points, pupils make astonishing progress. Parents and carers recognise and reflect this in their feedback.

p.1

What is it like to attend this school?

Staff build incredible working relationships with pupils. They get to know every detail of pupils, understanding their behavioural and emotional needs. This helps staff to support pupils to manage and control their own emotions and behaviour extremely well.

p.1

What is it like to attend this school?

Provision for pupils’ wider development is remarkable. Pupils take part in a rich range of activities that promote their independence and prepare them very well for life beyond the school. For example, pupils experience a significant amount of outdoor learning alongside learning life skills such as shopping and cooking.

p.1

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

There is no ceiling placed on what pupils can achieve at Oswaldtwistle White Ash. The school truly lives out its motto ‘Together, anything is possible.’ It ensures that from pupils’ very first day in school, they receive a curriculum which is broad, ambitious and allows them to develop important knowledge and skills. Throughout the different learning 23 and 24 April 2025

p.1

2

pathways, the school dovetails the different subjects and topics that pupils learn. There remains a clear focus on pupils achieving the targets set out in their education, health and care (EHC) plan. Staff are skilled at ensuring that the small targets which they set are exactly right for each pupil.

p.2

2

Staff demonstrate an exceptional understanding of the school’s curriculum. They have very secure subject knowledge. They are highly skilled at delivering the curriculum and choose suitable activities which enable pupils to learn new knowledge or skills. The checks that teachers make on pupils’ learning have clear focus and purpose. This allows them to completely understand what pupils know or might need further help with. This culminates in the outstanding progress which pupils make across different areas of the curriculum.

p.2

2

Developing pupils’ communication is a fundamental part of the school’s curriculum. The school has a very-well-thought-out communication curriculum. Pupils learn to use different communication aids, such as symbols, to ensure that they can express their wishes or feelings. Where it is appropriate, pupils access lessons which develop their ability to read and their comprehension skills. These pupils are very successful in reading. They can read texts fluently. Often, they can discuss what they have read with confidence and secure understanding.

p.2

2

The school ensures that pupils attend regularly. This is a key priority for the school as they recognise that pupils have a right to access the curriculum on offer. Currently, pupils’ attendance is very positive. The school takes sensitive, effective action to ensure that pupils’ attendance, where it needs to, improves over time. Governors keep a close check on pupils’ attendance and challenge the school appropriately on the impact of its actions. Within lessons, pupils demonstrate incredible resilience. They persevere with activities, showing admirable commitment to their education.

p.2

2

The school has a clear focus on promoting pupils’ wider development. It has put tremendous effort into ensuring that pupils develop healthy living habits. For example, the school’s ‘five healthy aims’ have brought a focus to this. Pupils enjoy opportunities to visit places in the local community to help prepare them for future life. These include visiting a shop with a shopping list that they have prepared, to learn how to buy food. Pupils go on overnight stays that help to develop their independence. The school ensures that pupils develop their understanding of different fundamental British values. For example, pupils are very proud to be members of the ‘Pupil Parliament’.

p.2

2

The school is not complacent. It continuously seeks ways to make further improvements to the education and care that it provides to pupils. This self-reflection and the subsequent actions have ensured the continuing success of the school. Staff are incredibly proud to work at the school. The school puts significant emphasis on developing its workforce. Staff appreciate the support that they get from the school to manage their workload. 23 and 24 April 2025

p.2

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

p.3

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 to be outstanding for its overall effectiveness.

p.3

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.

p.3

Background

This is the second ungraded inspection since we judged the school to be outstanding for overall effectiveness in January 2015.

p.3

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.

p.3

How can I feed back my views?

The Department for Education has further guidance on how to complain about a school.

p.3

Further information

You can search for published performance information about the school.

p.3

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, 23 and 24 April 2025

p.3

4

looked after children (children in local authority care) and/or children who left care through adoption or another formal route). 23 and 24 April 2025

p.4

School details

Appropriate authority The governing body

p.5

School details

Date of previous inspection 6 March 2019, under section 8 of the Education Act 2005

p.5

Information about this school

 All pupils at the school have an EHC plan. The school caters for pupils with profound and multiple learning difficulties, severe learning difficulties and/or autism.  The school does not use any alternative provision.

p.5

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 lessons, spoke to pupils about their learning and looked at samples of pupils’ work. They also listened to a few pupils read to a familiar adult.  Inspectors met with the headteacher and other senior leaders to discuss pupils’ wider development. 23 and 24 April 2025

p.5

6

 The lead inspector met with members of the local governing body, including the chair of the governing body.  The lead inspector spoke with a representative of the local authority.  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 observed pupils’ behaviour during lunchtime and as pupils moved around the school. They reviewed leaders’ records of pupils’ behaviour.  Inspectors reviewed a range of documents, including the school’s self-evaluation document, analysis of pupils’ behaviour and attendance and minutes from governing board meetings.  Inspectors spoke with pupils about their experiences at the school.  Inspectors spoke with staff about their workload and well-being. They took account of

p.6

6

the responses to Ofsted’s online survey for staff.  There were no responses to Ofsted’s online survey for pupils.  Inspectors took account of the responses to Ofsted Parent View, including parents’ free-text responses.

p.6

Inspection team

Stuart Perkins, lead inspector His Majesty’s Inspector

p.6

Inspection team

Tracy Beaty Ofsted Inspector 23 and 24 April 2025

p.6

7

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.

p.7

7

If you would like a copy of this document in a different format, such as large print or Braille, please telephone 0300 123 1231, or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk .

p.7

7

You may reuse this information (not including logos) free of charge in any format or medium, under the terms of the Open Government Licence. To view this licence, visit www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open- government-licence/ , write to the Information Policy Team, The National Archives, Kew, London TW9 4DU, or email: psi@nationalarchives.gsi.gov.uk .

p.7

7

Interested in our work? You can subscribe to our monthly newsletter for more information and updates: http://eepurl.com/iTrDn .

p.7

7

T: 0300 123 1231 Textphone: 0161 618 8524 E: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk W: www.gov.uk/ofsted

p.7