John Jamieson School

John Jamieson School

Address: Hollin Hill Drive, Leeds, West Yorkshire, LS8 2PW Unique reference number (URN): 108119

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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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Achievement Strong standard

Leaders ensure that pupils gain the skills they need in communication and the early stages of reading, writing and mathematics. This helps pupils to express their thoughts, feelings and ideas and interact with other people with increasing confidence.

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Achievement Strong standard

Leaders maintain a sharp focus on the achievement of pupils. They regularly review the progress that pupils make to ensure that the school’s curriculum pathway enables them to be successful in their learning. Leaders ensure that, where appropriate, pupils, including those who are disadvantaged, benefit from additional support and intervention. This enables pupils to achieve very well, access their learning and be prepared for the next stage of their education.

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Achievement Strong standard

Leaders have increased opportunities for pupils to successfully gain qualifications and accreditation. Most notably, in recent years, there has been an increase in pupils being entered for, and achieving grades in, GCSE English and mathematics.

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Attendance and behaviour Strong standard

Leaders have implemented clear processes to ensure that pupils attend school regularly and are safe. They have successfully developed an approach to identify barriers to pupils’ attendance and implement appropriate actions to address these. Leaders and family support workers work closely with professionals, parents and carers to provide the support needed to improve pupils’ attendance. Leaders routinely review the actions they have taken to ensure that they are having the intended impact. As a consequence of leaders’ highly- effective actions, over time, most pupils attend school regularly.

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Attendance and behaviour Strong standard

Leaders have ensured that routines in class, and around school, are well established and known by staff and pupils. This provides pupils with a sense of security. It helps them to feel safe. They know what is expected of them and respond well to leaders’ high expectations. The school is a calm place to be. In class, pupils remain on task during lessons. They respond well to staff’s instructions and guidance. Around school, pupils are supported very well by staff to develop appropriate levels of independence. Staff skilfully address behaviour that falls below the school’s high standards, including bullying, promptly. This provides a safe and supportive environment for pupils.

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Curriculum and teaching Strong standard

Leaders have an astute understanding of the quality of the curriculum across the school. They have successfully developed a consistent approach to teaching, taking account of the wide range of pupils’ needs.

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Curriculum and teaching Strong standard

Leaders ensure that pupils learn the important knowledge that they need as they progress through the school. Teachers expertly support pupils to develop, and build upon, skills in communication and the early stages of reading, writing and mathematics. They provide frequent opportunities for pupils to revisit and consolidate their learning. Consequently, pupils gain confidence in the knowledge that they need to support their future learning. Leaders routinely check that pupils’ learning and development needs are appropriately supported through high-quality teaching. They work closely with teachers to make sure that the curriculum enables pupils to achieve the actions identified in their education, health and care plans. Where necessary, staff provide pupils with appropriate and timely support to address any gaps in their learning.

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Curriculum and teaching Strong standard

Leaders are relentless in their focus to provide high-quality training to staff. This ensures that staff understand the ways in which to support pupils’ learning within the school’s four curriculum pathways. Consequently, staff adapt learning consistently well so that pupils gain the skills and knowledge they need.

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Early years Strong standard

Leaders have designed and implemented a carefully considered curriculum. It builds the knowledge and skills that children must learn in a logical and systematic way. This supports children’s diverse range of needs extremely well.

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Early years Strong standard

Staff maintain a sharp focus on developing children’s communication and language skills through carefully designed daily routines. Their high-quality interactions help children to expand their vocabulary and manage their thoughts and feelings effectively.

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Early years Strong standard

Staff skilfully guide children to articulate their thoughts and feelings. They provide regular opportunities for children to participate in songs and rhymes. This enables children to develop skills in language and the articulation of sounds and words as well as explore their own voices.

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Early years Strong standard

Leaders have developed well-established routines for children. This provides a clear structure to the school day. They have ensured that care practices support children consistently well. This helps children to feel safe and develop a sense of belonging.

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Early years Strong standard

Staff ensure that children benefit from activities that develop their learning. They regularly review the progress that children make and provide activities that consolidate and develop their learning further. As a result, children achieve well from their starting points. This supports them to successfully move onto the next stage of their education.

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Inclusion Strong standard

Leaders have established highly effective processes to ensure that they develop a deep understanding of pupils’ individual needs. They use the actions set out in pupils’ education, health and care plans to establish the support that pupils require. Leaders work in partnership with parents and carers, the school’s therapeutic team and other professionals to ensure that pupils’ learning and broader development needs are supported appropriately.

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Inclusion Strong standard

The school works with a range of therapists who enable staff to confidently provide bespoke support to meet pupils’ learning and development needs. Through this, staff develop pupils’ communication, speech and language as well as their physical development. This helps to build pupils’ confidence and enables them to actively participate in the life of the school. Leaders systematically assure the quality of the support they provide. They use their findings to accurately inform subsequent actions. This cohesive approach ensures that pupils, including those who are disadvantaged, benefit from the rich curriculum offer and broader opportunities available to support their development.

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Inclusion Strong standard

Leaders, including those with responsibility for governance, regularly review the impact of pupil premium funding. They ensure that pupils who are disadvantaged receive the support they need to make progress from their starting points.

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Leadership and governance Strong standard

Leaders, including those with responsibility for governance, know their school well. They have ensured that actions taken to provide a high-quality curriculum successfully support pupils in their learning and development. Leaders regularly review the impact of their actions to ensure that pupils consistently benefit from appropriate levels of support. Leaders are extremely knowledgeable about their areas of responsibility. They use their insightful knowledge to analyse and evaluate the quality of provision. This ensures that leaders’ high standards are maintained across the school. Leaders regularly share their knowledge and expertise with the wider leadership team. Over time, this has led to consistently positive outcomes for pupils. While this is the case, some of the strategies used to share information are not as efficient as they might be. Where this is the case, they would benefit from further

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Leadership and governance Strong standard

Governors fulfil their statutory duties. They ensure that the school is providing a consistently high-quality education for all pupils, including those who are disadvantaged. Governors are a visible presence in school. They successfully support leaders to promote and develop strategies that build positive relationships with parents and carers. Governors ensure that the decisions they make do not adversely impact on staff workload. They gather a range of appropriate data and ask questions about potential indicators for concern, such as staff absence rates or feedback from staff, to inform their future actions.

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Leadership and governance Strong standard

Staff feel well supported in their roles. They are proud to be part of the school. Morale is high. Staff benefit from regular, high-quality professional learning and training opportunities. These help them to carry out their roles consistently well and with confidence.

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Personal development and wellbeing Strong standard

Leaders have ensured that the personal development curriculum, including relationships and sex education, is carefully sequenced. It sensitively takes into account the needs of pupils. Pupils speak knowledgably about the strategies that they have learned, and use, to keep themselves safe, including online. They recognise that these skills are important outside of school. Pupils confidently demonstrate their understanding of consent in different contexts, such as in relationships or when taking photographs of people.

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Personal development and wellbeing Strong standard

Leaders are resolute in their ambition to prepare pupils for adulthood and life beyond the school. Teachers and staff skilfully enable pupils to build confidence in their interactions with other people when meeting visitors or during school visits. They provide regular opportunities for pupils to learn about the world of work and the skills required in different jobs. As pupils progress through the school, staff ensure that pupils encounter experiences that build their independence. Residential visits to local, national and European destinations enrich pupils’ lives. They help pupils to develop the skills needed to move onto the next stage of their education, employment and training. This was exemplified during the inspection when a pupil proudly explained to inspectors how the school has taught them to successfully use public transport to travel to their post-16 setting.

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Personal development and wellbeing Strong standard

Leaders provide a range of purposeful clubs and activities for pupils to participate in during the school day. They ensure that pupils who would benefit the most from these take part. Pupils enjoy the school’s broad offer of sport, music and creative clubs. These foster opportunities for pupils to learn about, and benefit from, keeping physically and mentally healthy. Members of the school council carry out their role with pride. They make valuable contributions to support the development of the school. This positively promotes pupils’ voice and enables them to understand the importance of democracy.

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Post 16 provision Strong standard

Leaders have established a purposeful curriculum in which students successfully build upon prior learning. Over time, leaders have increased the range and breadth of accreditation available for students. This supports students well to successfully move onto the next stage of their education and/or training. As a consequence, in recent years, the vast majority of students have successfully gained and sustained routes into education, employment or training.

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Post 16 provision Strong standard

Leaders have implemented a comprehensive careers programme. This aligns closely with the school’s curriculum pathways. It enables students to gain purposeful experience and learn about the world of work.

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Post 16 provision Strong standard

Wider opportunities, such as the Duke of Edinburgh award scheme, residential visits and enterprise projects broaden students’ independence and confidence to develop the skills to interact and engage with other people.

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Post 16 provision Strong standard

Teachers’ thorough knowledge of the curriculum enables them to teach with confidence. They support students extremely well to participate in lessons and maximise opportunities to meaningfully engage with their learning.

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Post 16 provision Strong standard

Leaders and staff know students well. They ensure that students benefit from the high- quality curriculum and that their curriculum pathway meets their needs appropriately. Over time, there has been an increase in the proportion of students achieving appropriate nationally recognised awards and accreditation.

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

This is a school with high expectations and ambition for all of its pupils. Across its main school sites and partnership schools, pupils are very well supported. Warm, caring and positive relationships between staff and pupils are evident throughout the school. Pupils know that there is always a member of staff that they can go to if they are worried about something.

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

Leaders have developed a culture in which pupils are listened to and their thoughts are valued. This enables pupils to express how they feel and share their views about their experience of school. Pupils consider themselves to be treated fairly. They recognise that sometimes their peers require additional support to manage their thoughts, feelings or behaviour. Pupils appreciate the help that they receive from staff with this. Pupils behave very well. They know what is expected of them and live up to the high standards that leaders and staff have established. They trust that staff will deal with any incidents of poor behaviour, including bullying, promptly.

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

As they progress though the school, and commensurate with their individual needs, pupils learn to work cooperatively and become active members in the school and local community. Staff skilfully support pupils to learn how to manage their own safety and risk. Pupils benefit from regularly participating in purposeful activities, such as walking safely around school and on pavements, learning to cross the road and buying items in a shop. These develop pupils’ confidence and independence. This helps pupils to build the skills that they need for adulthood and beyond the school. Pupils recognise that this is important and that they will use what they have learned in their future.

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

Pupils enjoy learning and their experiences in school. The school’s well-designed curriculum pathways ensure that pupils study the skills and knowledge that they need in line with their stage of development. This helps pupils to be successful. It prepares them well for the next stage of their education, training or employment.

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About this inspection

The chair of the board of governors in this school is Russell Trigg.

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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 (HMI) or by Ofsted Inspectors (OIs) who have previously served as HMIs.

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About this inspection

Inspectors spoke with the executive principal, heads of school from the three main sites and other leaders during the inspection.

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About this inspection

Meetings were held with a representative from the local authority and the school’s improvement partner.

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About this inspection

The lead inspector met with representatives from the governing board, including the chair of governors.

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About this inspection

Inspectors visited each of the three main and two partnership sites, as well as the alternative provision commissioned by the school.

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Lead inspector:

Matthew Harrington, His Majesty's Inspector

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Team inspectors:

David Penny, Ofsted Inspector Christina Jones, Ofsted Inspector Dennis Ley, Ofsted Inspector

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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 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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What does this mean?

The inspectors confirmed the following information about the school:

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What does this mean?

The school is a special school and caters for pupils with severe learning difficulties, complex medical needs, physical difficulties, Down’s Syndrome, hearing and/or visual impairments, language and communication needs, global delay and autism. All pupils have an education, health and care plan.

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What does this mean?

There are three main school sites: John Jamieson, Roger Cannon and Jack Clark. The school also works with two partnerships, one with a local mainstream school, Temple Moor High School, and a post-16 partnership at the Bridge Community Church.

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What does this mean?

The school uses 1 alternative provision. It is unregistered.

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What does this mean?

Executive principal: Louise Quinn 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

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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