Alfreton Park Community Special School

Alfreton Park Community Special School

Address: Alfreton Park, Wingfield Road, Alfreton, Derbyshire, DE55 7AL Unique reference number (URN): 113040

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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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Early years Strong standard

The early years provision is vibrant and nurturing and provides children with a highly positive start to their education. Leaders have a clear understanding of children’s complex needs and starting points. Nonetheless, their expectations for what children can achieve are very high. These expectations are reflected consistently in staff's daily teaching and care practices. Leaders ensure that staff receive regular, high-quality professional development that helps to maintain these high standards.

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Early years Strong standard

The curriculum is ambitious and carefully designed to build the foundational knowledge and skills children need. Communication is prioritised throughout the day. Staff consistently use signs, symbols, songs and visual prompts to support understanding and reduce anxiety, enabling children to express themselves and make choices. There is a clear focus on emotional regulation and readiness to learn. Learning is structured through embedded routines and predictable experiences, which help children feel safe and secure.

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Early years Strong standard

Staff are knowledgeable about how very young children learn, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities. They use this knowledge to support children well. For example, they allow children the time that they need to think and process new knowledge and information. This enables children to feel confident to respond at their own pace. Staff's interactions with children are routinely calm, responsive and purposeful. The learning environment is carefully planned to promote independence and curiosity and to develop children's early literacy, mathematics and physical development. Leaders and staff ensure that rules and routines are simple and consistent. This helps to ensure that transitions such as arriving each day, or moving between rooms, are smooth and well managed so that children feel calm, secure and ready to learn.

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Early years Strong standard

Staff are adept at making accurate assessments of children's progress and development. They use the well-established assessment processes to identify children's strengths and needs quickly. This enables staff to make adjustments to their teaching and classroom provision in order to support children's learning. Children make very positive progress from their very low starting points. This is particularly the case in communication and language, in their ability to listen attentively, and in managing their own behaviour. All children are included and can participate fully in the learning and activities on offer. As a result, children are well prepared for the next stage of their learning.

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Inclusion Strong standard

The school's inclusive approach is a strength of its work. Leaders and staff have an expert understanding of pupils’ starting points. They use a wide range of information to identify pupils' needs accurately. For example, they make detailed assessments, gather specialist advice and communicate effectively with families. This information helps leaders and staff to provide well-considered support for pupils that reduces barriers to learning and wellbeing. Consequently, pupils are enabled to engage meaningfully in all aspects of school life.

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Inclusion Strong standard

Disadvantaged pupils, including those eligible for pupil premium funding, are supported effectively. Funding is used strategically to improve attendance, wellbeing and access to learning. For instance, this might include breakfast provision, therapeutic support, outreach help for families and provision for pupils to participate fully in enrichment activities. This support has a positive impact for disadvantaged pupils, who attend well, feel included and make positive progress from their starting points. Pupils known to social care benefit from well-coordinated multi ‑ agency working and pastoral care. This helps these pupils to remain settled in school and to engage in learning.

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Inclusion Strong standard

All pupils at the school have special educational needs and/or disabilities. Some of these needs are highly complex. Regardless of their needs, the quality of support that pupils receive is extremely high. Staff use their professional knowledge to make skilful and effective adaptations to teaching. They ensure that the learning environments that they provide promote pupils' communication development very well. Leaders ensure that there are sufficient staff to meet pupils' needs. All staff understand pupils' clear, individual learning plans and implement them consistently. As a result of this high standard of support, pupils feel safe, understood and ready to learn.

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Personal development and wellbeing Strong standard

The provision for pupils' personal development and wellbeing is a strength of the school. Leaders ensure that pupils’ emotional wellbeing, communication, independence and preparation for adulthood are central to the curriculum.

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Personal development and wellbeing Strong standard

The personal development programme is carefully sequenced and rooted in real ‑ life experiences, such as those related to the world of work. This helps pupils, including those with complex needs, to develop confidence, resilience and a strong sense of identity. The programme is highly inclusive and meets the needs of all pupils. Leaders ensure that pupils with the most complex needs can participate fully through well ‑ planned adaptations, specialist support and appropriate staffing. Pastoral support for pupils is highly effective. Staff know pupils extremely well. They work closely with families and external professionals to support pupils' emotional regulation, mental health and wellbeing. As a result, pupils feel valued and supported and that their voice is heard.

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Personal development and wellbeing Strong standard

Leaders have ensured that through the curriculum and through enrichment activities, pupils have opportunities to develop spiritually and culturally. Pupils develop a sense of right and wrong through the school's rules and when they learn about British values, such as the rule of law, respect and individual liberty. There is a suitable programme for relationships, health and, where appropriate to pupils' age, sex education. This programme begins in early years and builds pupils' knowledge progressively. Pupils learn about choices, consent, personal safety and forming respectful relationships. Pupils learn about online and offline risks in ways that they can understand.

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Personal development and wellbeing Strong standard

There are many opportunities for pupils to learn about and contribute to their community. Pupils relish these opportunities and thrive on them. For example, pupils participate regularly in community visits and work ‑ related learning. These experiences help them to practise their developing social skills and build independence and confidence in real ‑ world settings.

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Personal development and wellbeing Strong standard

Preparation for adulthood is particularly positive for pupils of secondary age. They benefit from well-planned careers education that meets statutory requirements. Pupils gain meaningful work experience through the school's coffee bar and through local businesses.

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Expected standard

Residential visits and independent travel training develop pupils' resilience and self-reliance further. Overall, pupils are very well prepared for their next steps and increasingly see themselves as active members of their community.

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Achievement Expected standard

Pupils' starting points are typically low, with the majority of pupils working well below national curriculum expectations for their age. Leaders and staff work together to monitor the progress that pupils make in the short and longer term. They draw upon a wide range of information from assessments as well as pupils' individual learning targets and accreditation in qualifications where appropriate. This approach helps leaders and staff to understand pupils’ strengths and successes and identify next steps.

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Achievement Expected standard

Published information from public examinations is not appropriate for the majority of pupils. However, information from the school's own assessments and from accredited qualifications, where appropriate, shows that pupils typically make very positive progress from their individual starting points. This includes in the early years and post-16 provisions. Pupils achieve well towards the targets in their education, health and care plans. Their progress is particularly positive in communication skills, emotional regulation and readiness to learn. Leaders rightly prioritise securing pupils' foundational knowledge and skills, recognising their importance for pupils with complex needs to engage meaningfully with learning and to develop the skills that they need for independent adult life. Consequently, pupils are generally well prepared for their next steps in education, employment or training.

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Achievement Expected standard

While there is a rigorous approach to the assessment of pupils' learning and development, leaders sometimes use this information less effectively to inform their strategic work. This limits their ability to understand how progress develops across the school over time or which approaches are most effective, especially for post-16 students.

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Attendance and behaviour Expected standard

Attendance is a clear strategic priority for leaders. Overall attendance is consistently positive, given pupils’ complex medical, emotional and sensory needs. Leaders understand the barriers some pupils face, including medical needs and emotionally-based school avoidance. They work closely with families and external professionals to reduce these barriers and support pupils to attend regularly. Systems are robust and include prompt contact and regular communication with families where concerns arise. Leaders do not tolerate avoidable absence. They work methodically with families to secure improvements, including measures such as personalised timetables for pupils and flexible support where needed. As a result, attendance for vulnerable pupils, including those who are disadvantaged, is improving over time.

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Attendance and behaviour Expected standard

Pupils typically behave calmly and engage positively with learning. Staff understand that pupils' behaviour can be a form of communication. They respond consistently with patience, care and clear routines. This inclusive approach helps pupils to regulate their emotions and feel safe. Pupils’ attitudes to learning are positive because relationships with staff are trusting and supportive. Bullying, discrimination and any form of harassment are taken seriously and are dealt with compassionately. There are appropriate systems in place for recording behaviour incidents. On a very small number of occasions, these records are not sufficiently precise. This limits leaders’ ability to analyse patterns fully and make further refinements to behaviour support.

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Curriculum and teaching Expected standard

Leaders have designed a broad and inclusive curriculum that reflects the needs of pupils with complex needs. For instance, it places an appropriate emphasis on communication, personal development and preparation for adulthood. The curriculum is designed to ensure that all pupils secure the important foundational knowledge that they need. Reading has a high priority. All pupils access reading daily in ways that match their needs and starting points. This includes sensory stories, the teaching of phonics and comprehension where appropriate. Leaders ensure that teaching follows agreed routines and structures so that pupils know what to expect. Teaching is typically calm and supportive. This enables pupils to gain confidence and to develop positive attitudes to learning.

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Curriculum and teaching Expected standard

Leaders use a range of information to evaluate the impact of the curriculum on pupils' learning over time. This helps them to identify where the curriculum is working well and where they can make further improvements if needed. For instance, leaders have made some recent changes to the content of the curriculum in some subjects, including mathematics. This helps to ensure that pupils learn all of the key knowledge that leaders intend in each subject.

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Curriculum and teaching Expected standard

Staff typically use their skills and subject knowledge to teach the curriculum effectively. They provide lessons that engage pupils' interests and help them to learn. When necessary, staff make adaptations to their teaching that are usually effective in meeting individual pupils' needs. Consequently, in general, pupils understand new knowledge and learn well. However, on a few occasions, in some lessons and subjects, learning is less well designed. This includes in mathematics. For example, in some lessons, staff do not make clear the key mathematical vocabulary or terminology that they want pupils to learn. This sometimes risks the development of misconceptions. In a few lessons, opportunities are missed to extend or deepen learning for some pupils. When this happens, these pupils do not learn as well as they could.

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Leadership and governance Expected standard

Leaders have a clear understanding of the school's context. They evaluate the school's effectiveness accurately and have a clear understanding of its strengths, as well as where it can improve further. This has enabled leaders to identify appropriate priorities for improvement that are focused on improving pupils’ outcomes and the quality of their experiences. Leaders seek to improve practice through productive engagement with external partners. This helps them to ensure that decisions continue to be made in the best interests of pupils, particularly those with complex needs.

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Leadership and governance Expected standard

Leaders have established systems to monitor the quality of the teaching that pupils receive and its impact on pupils' learning and wellbeing. Staff benefit from a range of regular training, for example, to enhance their teaching of the curriculum, develop inclusive practice and support pupils' behaviour. Leaders gather a range of appropriate information that helps them to understand and evaluate pupils’ progress. However, on occasion, leaders do not use this information as effectively as they could to evaluate the wider impact of the curriculum over time.

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Leadership and governance Expected standard

Staff's wellbeing and workload are prioritised. Leaders are mindful of the demands of working in a complex special school and have created a supportive culture. Staff feel valued, report high morale and speak positively about leadership support, flexibility and opportunities to share concerns. This contributes to strong retention of staff and continuity for pupils.

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Leadership and governance Expected standard

Those responsible for governance know the school well and fulfil their statutory duties effectively, such as in their oversight of safeguarding. Governors are well informed. They provide leaders with appropriate challenge and support.

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Leadership and governance Expected standard

Leaders engage productively with parents, carers and external professionals. Communication is open and responsive, and families feel listened to and involved. Robust partnerships with health, care and community organisations further enhance support for pupils and their families.

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Post 16 provision Expected standard

Post-16 students benefit from provision that is well designed. The curriculum covers a suitable range of subjects, with a focus on functional skills, personal development and work ‑ related learning. Leaders have made some improvements to the organisation of learning in the school's post-16 provision. These improvements have ensured that there are now clear and appropriate learning pathways that build on pupils’ earlier learning and reflect students' individual needs and aspirations. This is helping to prepare pupils effectively for adulthood.

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Post 16 provision Expected standard

Leaders ensure that staff usually teach the curriculum well. Students typically receive teaching that is both effective and inclusive. For instance, staff usually make adaptations that enable students with complex needs to engage and to learn well. Staff carefully monitor students' progress and achievement through a range of approaches to assessment. The majority of students make steady progress from their starting points. This is particularly evident in their development of independence, their ability to communicate clearly, and in their confidence. However, on occasion, in some subjects, there are inconsistencies in the way that the curriculum is taught. For example, in a few lessons, students receive work that does not challenge them sufficiently. Where this happens, students' learning is more limited.

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Post 16 provision Expected standard

Students benefit from meaningful work experience, supported internships, community ‑ based learning and independent living activities. These opportunities support students' learning and help them to apply their skills and knowledge in real ‑ world contexts. Wider experiences, including residential visits and enrichment activities, further develop resilience and self ‑ esteem in readiness for adult life.

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

Pupils receive a warm welcome each day in the school's calm, caring environment. Their day begins smoothly through the school's well-organised routines. Many pupils have complex needs, including significant medical needs, communication difficulties or emotional challenges. Pupils know that staff understand these individual needs well. This helps pupils to feel safe, settled and ready to learn. Parents and carers speak very positively about the difference the school has made to their children’s confidence, wellbeing and engagement with education.

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

Pupils enjoy learning. They feel motivated to participate in lessons because activities are usually adapted carefully to their needs. Pupils receive support to communicate effectively. For instance, pupils learn to use and understand communication methods such as symbols, signing and assistive technology. This helps pupils to express their thoughts and ideas, share their feelings and make choices. Over time, pupils develop independence and recognise that their voice matters to staff.

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

Relationships between pupils and staff are a clear strength of the school. Pupils trust adults to look after them well. Pupils typically behave calmly and purposefully and show positive attitudes to learning. They learn to regulate their emotions through the sensitive care and support they receive from staff. When concerns arise, staff act quickly to support pupils, particularly where communication might present as bullying. This helps pupils to remain safe and feel secure.

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

Pupils experience a broad curriculum alongside enriching activities such as outdoor learning, music, trips and work ‑ related learning. These experiences help them to build confidence and to prepare for life beyond school. Pupils develop a real sense of belonging. They feel, and are, included in all aspects of school life, supported to build friendships and encouraged to celebrate their achievements. As a result, pupils are happy at school, develop confidence over time and are well prepared for their next steps.

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Next steps

Leaders should ensure that the content of lessons is consistently well matched to intended learning outcomes, so that pupils build knowledge and skills securely over time across all pathways. Leaders should strengthen teaching so that pupils and students, including those who are more able, are routinely provided with activities and adaptations that are suitably challenging, that deepen their understanding and that support them to make the progress of which they are capable. Leaders and governors should develop more strategic use of the information that they gather about pupils' progress in order to evaluate the impact of the curriculum and the support that pupils receive.

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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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About this inspection

The chair of the board of governors in this school is John Glasby.

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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 spoke with pupils, students, leaders, staff and parents during the inspection.

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About this inspection

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.

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About this inspection

Alfreton Park Community School is a special school for pupils aged 2 to 19 who have complex needs, including severe learning difficulties, autism spectrum disorder, visual impairment, multi-sensory impairment and multiple and profound learning difficulties.

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About this inspection

The school currently uses no alternative provision.

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About this inspection

At the time of inspection, there were 167 pupils on roll.

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About this inspection

Headteacher: Josie O'Donnell 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

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 .

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Urgent improvement

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 .

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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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