Tuke School

Tuke School

Address: Daniel Gardens, Peckham, London, SE15 6ER Unique reference number (URN): 100880

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Safeguarding standards met

The safeguarding standards are met. This means that leaders and/or those responsible for governance and oversight fulfil their specific responsibilities and have established an open culture in which safeguarding is everyone's responsibility and concerns are actively identified, acted upon and managed. As a result, pupils are made safer and feel safe.

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How we evaluate safeguarding

When we inspect schools for safeguarding, they can have the following outcomes:

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How we evaluate safeguarding

Met: The school has an open and positive culture of safeguarding. All legal requirements are met. Not met: The school has not created an open and positive culture of safeguarding. Not all legal requirements are met.

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Attendance and behaviour Strong standard

The school monitors pupils’ attendance robustly. If attendance rates fall, the school acts swiftly. Leaders seek to understand the reasons behind any absences and to find solutions to improve attendance. For example, they put in place bespoke packages of support, such as adapting learning spaces and provision to appeal to pupils’ motivations. This enables pupils to settle and build trusting working relationships with adults who support them. As a result, attendance has risen positively over the last 4 years and is above the national average for similar schools.

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Attendance and behaviour Strong standard

All staff have high expectations for pupils’ behaviour. Staff work collaboratively with the school’s behaviour experts and broader network of therapists and educational psychologists. They share expertise and devise personalised plans to meet pupils’ needs. These plans help inform adults about how to support pupils if they become upset or unsure. Pupils are helped to understand and recognise their own emotions. They are taught strategies to help themselves remain calm, focus or ask for help or space. Pupils learn about respecting one another and are encouraged to value other people’s beliefs and differences. Consequently, learning spaces and social times are orderly; pupils are engaged and participate. Furthermore, incidents of unwanted behaviour reduce over time.

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Inclusion Strong standard

The school’s inclusive practice is of high quality. The school identifies pupils’ needs swiftly and accurately. Staff work collectively with a broad range of experts, such as social workers, health professionals, parents and carers, to co ‑ produce structured plans. Leaders meet regularly with each pupil’s support network to amend and refine provision as needed. This ensures that all strategies used to reduce pupils’ barriers to learning are precise and effective.

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Inclusion Strong standard

Professional development for staff is deliberately planned and highly effective. Inclusive approaches are well embedded and understood by all staff. Staff proficiently tailor provision to meet pupils’ individual needs. For example, the school is determined to enable all pupils to communicate. They ensure all pupils, regardless of need, have the means to participate meaningfully. Staff apply their expert knowledge effectively. This ensures pupils are able to make decisions for themselves and are included in all aspects of their schooling and care.

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Inclusion Strong standard

Pupil premium funding is used to enhance the school’s offer. The school works collaboratively with the virtual school to ensure pupils who are looked after achieve well, academically and personally. Leaders and staff monitor the effectiveness and impact of their work closely.

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Personal development and wellbeing Strong standard

The school prepares pupils, including disadvantaged pupils, well for adulthood. Pupils are encouraged to develop their confidence and resilience. Physical development is core to the curriculum. Movement is integrated thoughtfully and appropriately into the school day and includes learning to stand, frame walking or navigating obstacles. Other examples include the school’s extensive creative arts offer, such as working with theatre companies and art workshops to deliver dance and multisensory experiences for pupils. This further enhances pupils’ independence and enables them to broaden their talents and interests.

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Personal development and wellbeing Strong standard

Leaders have carefully mapped out a range of cultural experiences to develop pupils’ understanding of fundamental British values and modern Britain. For example, pupils have the opportunity to attend galleries, fundraise for charity and visit local cafés. Pupils celebrate a range of festivals and cultural events. They attend social activities in school, which include friendship club, yoga and a Friday disco. Pupils, regardless of any disadvantage, have access to and take advantage of this offer.

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Personal development and wellbeing Strong standard

The teaching of relationships education is delivered sensitively and is mindful of each pupil’s context. The school adapts resources, such as social stories, to logically order important information. This helps pupils to know and remember essential knowledge, such as how to give consent and how to make choices about their care.

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Personal development and wellbeing Strong standard

The school offers a carefully considered careers programme. Pupils in all key stages learn about careers through the curriculum. This learning is supplemented by thoughtful work ‑ experience placements in school and with external partners. For example, pupils have the opportunity to support the school’s reception, deliver food to the local food bank and work at a local allotment. When pupils and post-16 students leave the school, they are supported well to attend their next destination. Transitions are thoughtfully considered and implemented. This means many students successfully maintain their next placement.

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Post 16 provision Strong standard

The post-16 provision offers a well ‑ structured and ambitious curriculum that prepares students well for adulthood. Students benefit from personalised support and a strong focus on developing independence. Teachers know their students very well. They make careful decisions about what to teach and how, so that students’ needs are met consistently. As a result, most students make secure progress from their starting points.

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Post 16 provision Strong standard

Students have regular opportunities to apply their learning in meaningful, real ‑ life contexts. They run small enterprises, such as preparing meals for staff, which help them develop practical skills, confidence and independence. Students also access vocational learning beyond the school. For example, through work ‑ experience placements at London Zoo. Students have the opportunity to experience a range of roles, such as animal care, maintenance and working in the shop. This allows students to practise their learning in real ‑ life situations.

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Post 16 provision Strong standard

Students in post 16 are able to complete awards and accreditations that ready them for their next steps in education, employment or training. Students learn about daily living skills, functional independence and their community. Additionally, students are taught about personal safety. This includes safely using the internet and understanding the role of the emergency services. Sensitive and contextual learning is creatively adapted and provided

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Expected standard

through personal approaches, when the need arises. Typically, students remain in education when they leave the school at 19.

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Achievement Expected standard

The staff team identifies personalised goals drawn from pupils’ education, health and care plans. Teachers segment outcomes into logical steps. Pupils typically achieve these goals well. They make progress through the curriculum from their starting points. Leaders have rightly identified the need to teach pupils phonics. Pupils who are at the early stages of learning to read have been identified through initial assessments. Their starting points are well understood. However, as the phonics curriculum is still not fully embedded a small number of pupils do not progress their learning knowledge as well as they could.

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Achievement Expected standard

When pupils leave the school, they typically leave with the knowledge and skills they need for their next steps in education, employment or training. This includes some accreditations and awards, but more importantly, the skills they need to live their lives as independently as possible. For example, pupils leave with the ability to communicate their wants and needs. They develop important self ‑ help skills, such as being able to give consent, as well as practical life skills, such as cooking and doing the laundry.

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Leadership and governance Expected standard

Leaders, including governors, are aware of and understand what is working well and the school’s areas for development. This is because there are embedded systems to check on the quality of the provision. Leaders are taking action to strengthen the school’s work further. Some of these actions are at the early stages of implementation and, as such, it is too early to evidence the impact of this work.

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Leadership and governance Expected standard

Staff are very proud and extremely positive about working in this school. They value how leaders manage their workload and support their wellbeing. Staff receive extensive professional learning delivered by a range of school and external experts. The professional learning programme includes theoretical understanding of the particular needs of pupils. It also provides staff with the practical knowledge they need to carry out their roles effectively. Additionally, staff are encouraged to broaden their practice and professional understanding through qualifications. For example, staff have trained to become qualified teachers or have undertaken leadership development. As such, staff feel well equipped and supported to make decisions that are in the best interests of their pupils.

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Leadership and governance Expected standard

Governors provide the school with scrutiny and challenge. They understand the contextual needs of the school well. They have an awareness of the school’s strategic direction and provide appropriate support to leaders. Many governors have supported the school for a long time and are, therefore, very well aware of the vulnerabilities of the pupils who attend. This supports them to consistently and confidently meet their statutory duties.

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Curriculum and teaching Needs attention

The recently introduced phonics programme is not embedded into the curriculum. This means that some pupils who are ready to learn the sounds that letters make are not supported to learn early reading knowledge as swiftly as they should. Teachers check that pupils and post-16 students have the knowledge and skills in writing, communication and mathematics before moving on to new or more complex learning. However, newly implemented assessment systems are still embedding. As such, pupils’ progress from their starting points in some curriculum areas is not as robustly well known. Consequently, sometimes gaps in pupils knowledge and skills are not identified or addressed.

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Curriculum and teaching Needs attention

Leaders are well informed about the quality of the curriculum and have made recent changes to enhance it further. The curriculum is carefully designed to meet pupils’ needs. It carefully balances academic achievement with crucial independence, personal and social skills. The curriculum is logically ordered to help pupils learn key knowledge and prepare them for their next stage of learning. Staff have the expertise needed to teach pupils with complex learning needs. They deliver learning creatively, ensuring pupils are motivated to learn. Teachers emphasise the importance of key vocabulary. Staff understand the communication needs of pupils and carefully model well-chosen vocabulary to help them understand. Teaching and resources are carefully adapted. Staff are responsive to pupils’ physical, medical and wellbeing needs. This flexible approach enables pupils to access learning confidently and ensures that provision is inclusive and supportive.

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What it's like to be a pupil at this school

As pupils arrive each morning, staff greet them with genuine warmth and enthusiasm, setting a positive tone for the day ahead. Pupils settle quickly because they are familiar with the routines and because they have built positive working relationships with staff.

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What it's like to be a pupil at this school

The staff team get to know pupils very well. They take time to understand each pupil’s interests, preferences and individual ways of communicating. As a result, learning inside and outside of the classroom is motivating for pupils. Pupils typically enjoy their learning. They are keen to participate and have the resources they need to engage meaningfully. Furthermore, this deep knowledge enables staff to recognise subtle nuances in pupils’ behaviour. As a result, pupils’ behaviour is supported and managed effectively, helping them to feel safe, settled and happy in school.

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What it's like to be a pupil at this school

The school places great emphasis on nurturing pupils to become confident and resilient. Pupils learn to be as independent as possible, which is preparing them well for adulthood. For example, pupils have many opportunities throughout the day to practise and develop their mobility skills. They do this through a range of creative learning, such as dance and art activities. Pupils and students in the post-16 provision regularly extend their learning into the local community, including how to travel independently. Pupils’ learning, care and wellbeing needs are supported very well. Staff, including specialist teachers, therapists and health professionals, work collectively to identify and implement strategies to reduce pupils’ personal barriers. As a result, pupils generally achieve well academically, personally and socially.

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What it's like to be a pupil at this school

The school fosters strong relationships with parents and carers. Leaders communicate with them regularly. Many parents appreciate this. The school’s work goes beyond supporting pupils who attend the school. For example, leaders deliver training to parent volunteers on how to support young people with varied needs to access events and enrichment activities outside of school.

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Next steps

Leaders should ensure that the newly introduced systematic synthetic phonics programme is implemented consistently and effectively for pupils who are at the early stages of learning to read. Leaders should ensure that assessment systems of the taught curriculum are embedded robustly to help teachers identify where pupils need support to address gaps in their knowledge and make strong progress from their starting points across all areas of the curriculum.

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About this inspection

The chair of the board of governors in this school is Elinor Perry-Smith.

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About this inspection

Inspectors carried out this full inspection under section 5 of the Education Act 2005.

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About this inspection

Following our renewed inspection framework, all inspections are now led by His Majesty’s Inspectors (HMIs) or by Ofsted Inspectors (OIs) who have previously served as HMIs.

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About this inspection

Inspectors held meetings with the headteacher and other members of the senior leadership team. Inspectors spoke with members of the local governing body, including the vice chair of governors. An inspector also spoke with representatives from the local authority and the virtual school. Inspectors spoke with staff about their workload and well-being. They also took account of the responses to Ofsted’s online survey for staff.

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About this inspection

The inspectors confirmed the following information about the school:

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About this inspection

This is a secondary special school for pupils with a range of profound and complex needs. Every pupil has an education, health and care (EHC) plan. The school uses no alternative provision.

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Facts and figures used on inspection

The data was used by the inspector(s) during the inspection. More recent data may have been published since the inspection took place.

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What does this mean?

The total number of pupils currently at this school and how this compares to other schools of this phase in England.

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What does this mean?

The total number of pupils who can attend the school and how this compares to other schools of this phase in England.

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What does this mean?

The proportion of pupils eligible for free school meals at any point in the last six years.

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What does this mean?

The proportion of pupils with an education, health and care plan. This covers pupils with more support than is available through special educational needs support.

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What does this mean?

The proportion of pupils with reported special educational support needs at the school.

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What does this mean?

Based on the English Indices of Deprivation (2019) and the school's location, we have calculated whether the school is located in a more or less deprived area.

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What does this mean?

Whether school has Resourced Provision or SEND unit (if applicable).

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What does this mean?

The type of Special Educational Needs provision provided at the school (if applicable).

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Destinations after 16

Percentage of pupils staying in education or employment for at least 2 terms after the end of secondary school (key stage 4).

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Overall absence

The percentage of all possible mornings and afternoons missed due to absence from school (for whatever reason, whether authorised or unauthorised) across all pupils.

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Persistent absence

The percentage of pupils missing 10% or more of their possible mornings and afternoons.

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Exceptional

Practice is exceptional: of the highest standard nationally. Other schools can learn from it.

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Strong standard

The school reaches a strong standard. Leaders are working above the standard expected of them.

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Expected standard

The school is fulfilling the expected standard of education and/or care. This means they are following the standard set out in statutory and non ‑ statutory legislation and the professional standards expected of them.

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Needs attention

The expected standards are not met but leaders are likely able to make the necessary improvements.

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Urgent improvement

The school needs to make urgent improvements to provide the expected standard of education and/or care. services providing education and skills for children and learners of all ages, and inspects and regulates services that care for children and young people.

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Urgent improvement

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Urgent improvement

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Urgent improvement

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Urgent improvement

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

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