Palatine Primary School

PALATINE SCHOOL

Inspection carried out under section 10 of the School Inspections Act 1996 Palatine School - 2 This report may be reproduced in whole or in part for non-commercial educational purposes, provided that all extracts quoted are reproduced verbatim without adaptation and on condition that the source and date thereof are stated.

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PALATINE SCHOOL

Further copies of this report are obtainable from the school. Under the School Inspections Act 1996, the school must provide a copy of this report and/or its summary free of charge to certain categories of people. A charge not exceeding the full cost of reproduction may be made for any other copies supplied. Palatine School - 3

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

School address: Palatine Road Worthing West Sussex

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Appropriate authority: The Governing Body

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Date of previous inspection: 3.3.1997 Palatine School - 4 INFORMATION ABOUT THE INSPECTION TEAM.

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

‘Ibsley’ 4 West Cliff Road Dawlish Devon EX7 9EB

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Any concerns or complaints about the inspection or the report should be raised with the inspection contractor. Complaints that are not satisfactorily resolved by the contractor should be raised with OFSTED in writing to:

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

The Registrar Inspection Quality Division

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Alexandra House 33 Kingsway London WC2B 6SE Palatine School - 5

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PART A: SUMMARY OF THE REPORT 6

Information about the school How good the school is What the school does well What could be improved? How the school has improved since its last inspection Standards Pupils’ attitudes and values Teaching and learning Other aspects of the school How well the school is led and managed Parents’ and carers’ views of the school

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Palatine School is a special school for pupils with moderate learning difficulties. Pupils’ attainment on entry is low. There are currently 157 pupils on roll. There are just over twice as many boys as there are girls. The school has two specialist classes for 12 pupils aged 4-11 with autistic spectrum disorders and there is an assessment class for younger pupils aged 4-7 whose special needs have not been fully determined. Since the last inspection there has continued to be an increase in the number of pupils who have additional special needs which include emotional and behavioural, speech and language, sensory, autism and physical difficulties. Pupils attend from a ten-mile radius and many older pupils travel to school independently. There are currently no pupils from ethnic minority backgrounds and only two pupils with English as an additional language. Thirty five per cent of pupils are eligible for free school meals, which is about average for a school

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

of this type. The school has a clear set of aims that are expressed under the banner headline “I Can and I Will”.

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HOW GOOD THE SCHOOL IS

Palatine is a very good school. It has high but realistic expectations of its pupils. As a result of very good teaching it is successful in improving pupils’ achievements and promoting their personal development. The school is very well led and managed by the headteacher and its governors and provides very good value for money.

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What the school does well

• The headteacher provides outstanding leadership and this, together with the very good support of the senior management team and governing body, ensures that the school is always improving what it offers its pupils. • Very good teaching ensures that all pupils make progress and achieve well. • The teaching of English and mathematics, including literacy and numeracy, is very effective. • The school provides excellent opportunities for pupils’ personal development; they receive high quality support, which ensures that they feel valued members of the school community

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What could be improved

• The school has not formed sufficient links with mainstream schools to extend opportunities for learning, in particular the range of accreditation for the oldest pupils. The areas for improvement will form the basis of the action plan prepared by the appropriate authority.

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HOW THE SCHOOL HAS IMPROVED SINCE ITS LAST INSPECTION

There has been good improvement since the last inspection in 1997. Although the school was described as very good with outstanding features, a number of areas for improvement were identified. The school has effectively addressed all but one of the minor issues. • Planning and management of the curriculum have been improved and pupils’ progress is now assured as they transfer from the primary to the secondary phase of their education. • The role of the form tutor for younger secondary age pupils has been improved. • Science is now being taught to older secondary age pupils and learning in science is now supported effectively with the provision of specialist teaching and accommodation. • Separate vehicle and pedestrian access to the school has been established.

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HOW THE SCHOOL HAS IMPROVED SINCE ITS LAST INSPECTION

• The changing facilities for girls identified as unsuitable at the time of the last inspection have not been improved.

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STANDARDS

Palatine School - 7 The table summarises inspectors’ judgements about how well pupils achieve in relation to their individual targets by the time they leave the school.

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Mathematics A Unsatisfactory D Personal, social and health education A Poor E Other personal targets set at annual reviews or in IEPs* A

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*IEPs are individual education plans for pupils with special educational needs.

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Pupils of all ages and abilities achieve well in all subjects and their achievement and progress in English, mathematics, personal, social and health education and in relation to the targets set for them in their individual education plans is very good. Pupils have a wide range of learning, emotional and developmental difficulties and a significant number have poor language and communication skills. However, the outcomes of key stage teacher assessments, national tests and accredited examinations indicate that pupils’ achievement is significantly higher than for pupils in similar schools. This is particularly reflected in the school’s GCSE results which indicate that in special schools nationally in 1999 17.9% of pupils achieved 1 GCSE pass at grade A* –G; 67% of the pupils at Palatine School achieved this level. The school set realistic targets for improved standards in English and mathematics in 1999 – 2000 which have been achieved, and

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the results of standard assessment tests and external accreditation indicate a trend of continued improvement over the last three years.

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Aspect Comment

Attitudes to the school Very good. Pupils are keen, attentive and interested in their lessons. They sustain high levels of concentration and are prepared to use effort to succeed.

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Aspect Comment

Behaviour, in and out of classrooms Very good. Pupils behave well and are courteous and polite to adults and each other. They respond well to the respect shown to them and the positive and consistent approaches of the staff.

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Aspect Comment

Personal development and relationships Excellent and a strength of the school. Pupils’ self-esteem is high and they work hard to achieve independence. They have a very positive view of themselves as members of their school and the local community. Pupils become mature and sensible, responding very well to opportunities to take responsibility and demonstrate initiative. Pupils face new challenges with confidence.

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Aspect Comment

Attendance Good. Pupils are keen to come to school and are punctual for lessons.

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Aspect Comment

Very good personal development and pupils’ very positive attitudes to learning enable them to make the best of the learning opportunities provided. Palatine School - 8

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Teaching of pupils: Aged 5-11 aged 11-16

Lessons seen overall Very Good Very Good Inspectors make judgements about teaching in the range: excellent; very good; good; satisfactory; unsatisfactory; poor; very poor. ‘Satisfactory’ means that the teaching is adequate and strengths outweigh weaknesses.

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Teaching of pupils: Aged 5-11 aged 11-16

Teaching is very good. During the inspection it was satisfactory in 6% of lessons, good in 45% and very good or excellent in 49%. Excellent teaching was seen for the oldest pupils in mathematics. No unsatisfactory teaching was seen. Teaching of English and mathematics including literacy and numeracy are a particular strength across the school. This is because the National Literacy and Numeracy Strategies have been implemented very well and successfully adapted to meet the particular needs of pupils. As a result pupils make very good progress in developing their skills. Teachers’ planning ensures that all pupils make very good progress in the majority of lessons. Classroom support staff work very effectively with teachers and share the high expectations they have of pupils to achieve. Teachers prepare lessons that have a clear focus, are well ordered and interest pupils. They provide very good levels of support which result in pupils becoming

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Teaching of pupils: Aged 5-11 aged 11-16

confident learners who are prepared to attempt tasks even when they are challenging. The very good teaching and support for pupils’ personal, social and health education enables them to make very good progress and to develop confidence and maturity.

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Aspect Comment

The quality and range of the curriculum Good overall. The school provides a good range of relevant learning opportunities. Very good extra-curricular activities as well as very good residential opportunities make a significant contribution to pupils’ learning experiences and their personal development. However, the school has not developed links with local mainstream schools to extend pupils’ curriculum opportunities, although links with local colleges make a very good contribution to careers education.

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Aspect Comment

Provision for pupils’ personal, including spiritual, moral, social and cultural development Very good. The school is a community where every pupil is valued. Teachers are very good role models and the school provides a secure and supportive community in which pupils develop a very good understanding of right and wrong. The personal, social, health and citizenship programme is very effective in supporting pupils’ social development and their spiritual and cultural awareness are well promoted throughout the curriculum.

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Aspect Comment

How well the school cares for its pupils All staff demonstrate through their relationships with pupils that they have a very high regard for pupils’ well-being, health and safety. Staff continually consider how best pupils may be helped and supported. Very good assessment and monitoring systems enable teachers to plan work that meets pupils’ needs, and very well focused individual education plans help pupils to make progress because they concentrate on their needs in both class work and personal development.

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Aspect Comment

There have been good improvements to the provision for information and communication technology since the last inspection. The curriculum is being developed appropriately following the introduction of new computers, and the development of staff skills has been suitably addressed. Resources are not fully developed to support learning for primary age pupils and there is currently limited use of control technology for pupils of all ages. The school provides very good opportunities for pupils to take part in activities in and out of the classroom. Pupils’ learning opportunities are enhanced by visitors to the school and by visits to places of interest such as an Islamic Mosque and a Sikh temple. These opportunities make a significant contribution to the development of pupils’ spiritual and cultural awareness. There is a very close partnership with parents and this contributes effectively to pupils’ learning and enables parents to have confidence in the

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Aspect Comment

provision made for their child. Palatine School - 9

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Aspect Comment

Leadership and management by the headteacher and other key staff The headteacher provides outstanding leadership and is very well supported by his senior management team. There is a shared vision for the school and staff contribute effectively to the continuous improvement of provision. Planning for development is very good and is linked very clearly to very good financial planning.

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Aspect Comment

How well the appropriate authority fulfils its responsibilities The school is well served by its very good governing body, which has a very good understanding of the work the school does. It works effectively with the school to sustain and improve the current high standards.

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Aspect Comment

The school’s evaluation of its performance Monitoring of all aspects of the school is good. This enables the school to successfully identify its strengths and areas for development. However, subject co-ordinators have not had sufficient opportunities to monitor teaching although they do very effectively monitor teachers’ plans. Appropriate and ambitious targets are set for all aspects of the school’s work.

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Aspect Comment

The strategic use of resources Very good use is made of staff, resources and the limited accommodation to support pupils’ learning. The school ensures that it gets best value from purchases and investments by evaluating their impact on teaching and learning and it effectively compares itself with other similar schools to ensure that it gives value for money.

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Aspect Comment

Daily organisation, administration and financial control are very efficient and the school runs very smoothly. The school plans development carefully and makes very good use of its finances and the other resources available to it. There are too few classrooms and no suitable accommodation for members of the senior management team, meetings with parents or other professionals. The school library accommodation is unsuitable to support pupils’ learning, particularly those engaged in accredited coursework. Despite these shortcomings the school makes very good use of the space available. The quality and range of learning resources is good and the school makes very effective use of the grounds to extend pupils’ learning opportunities further.

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What pleases parents most What parents would like to see improved

• That teaching is good and their children are expected to work hard and achieve their best. • That the school helps their children to become mature and responsible. • That the school works closely with parents. • That the school is well led and managed. • The accommodation for private meetings. • The changing facilities for girls.

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What pleases parents most What parents would like to see improved

The inspection team fully supports parents’ very positive views about these aspects of the school’s work and with their concerns about the accommodation. Palatine School - 10

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support of the senior management team and governing body ensures that the school is

always improving what it offers its pupils.

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support of the senior management team and governing body ensures that the school is

1. The headteacher provides outstanding leadership for the school. He has a clear vision for the future and this has resulted in a sense of common purpose amongst staff. The aims of the school are clearly stated and pupils’ needs are the most important consideration in school development planning. A very good emphasis is placed on creating a positive educational environment of learning and care and as a result pupils feel valued, are confident and work hard to achieve. Pupils’ education and well being are very effectively addressed because all staff are working towards the same goals and expect high standards.

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support of the senior management team and governing body ensures that the school is

2. The headteacher is clear what he expects from staff and very effectively supports and encourages them to fulfil their roles and responsibilities. Because they understand what they are expected to do staff are able to take a very effective role in the continuous improvement of provision. Professional development is clearly based on the priorities identified for the school and the development needs of teachers and classroom assistants are reviewed regularly. They are met through good quality training and this ensures that staff have the information and skills they need to carry out the roles and responsibilities they have been given and successfully meet the needs of pupils. A culture of continual professional development has been established and has a significant and positive impact on ensuring high quality provision.

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support of the senior management team and governing body ensures that the school is

3. The leadership of the headteacher has enabled the weaknesses identified at the time of the last inspection to be successfully addressed and has also enabled the school to maintain areas of strength and to develop and improve all aspects of its work.

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support of the senior management team and governing body ensures that the school is

4. The headteacher, senior staff and governing body work very successfully together to improve what the school offers to its pupils. Very effective systems for school development have been established which involve all staff and governors and have enabled parents to contribute as well. Very effective planning clearly outlines priorities for the school as a whole and for each age group and subject. All subjects have good development plans which identify appropriate and challenging targets. There are good opportunities for debate about the school’s work through department, subject and whole school meetings which results in an openness about issues and ensures that the school works effectively to meet its priorities. Very good financial planning makes sure that all available resources are focused to support the school’s targets so that its aims are successfully met. Development and financial planning, and resource management are effectively linked to ensure that the best

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support of the senior management team and governing body ensures that the school is

value is achieved from initiatives and investments in training and resources.

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support of the senior management team and governing body ensures that the school is

5. The school has established very good systems to monitor its work and developments take good account of the findings. The progress the school makes towards its targets is effectively measured. This is because ways in which success can be judged are agreed, and there is proper evaluation of the impact that developments have on pupils’ achievement. Continuous and end of module assessment, along with a wide range of evidence such as reading and spelling tests and standardised tests in mathematics, are evaluated very well and help the school to recognise and measure the quality of its provision in terms of pupils’ progress and in relation to the performance of other similar schools. The school has a very clear commitment to self-evaluation and continual improvement which results in the school community setting itself challenging targets for development which are effectively met. Palatine School - 11

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support of the senior management team and governing body ensures that the school is

6. Recent staff shortages have resulted in the head and deputy headteacher having considerable teaching responsibilities and they have not been able to provide time for co- ordinators to monitor teaching in their subjects. Through very good financial planning the headteacher and the governing body have identified funds to enhance the number of staff for next term. This will enable the head and deputy headteacher to resume their own monitoring commitments and enable them to release co-ordinators, who already monitor teachers’ planning very well, to extend their monitoring to the teaching of subjects.

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support of the senior management team and governing body ensures that the school is

7. The very good governing body offers well focused support to the school and there is a particularly successful and productive partnership between the chairman and the headteacher. The governing body has implemented good systems to gather information about the life and work of the school which ensures that it is very aware of the school’s strengths weaknesses and is able to contribute effectively to managing and shaping the future direction for the school. For example, teachers keep the governing body up to date about initiatives and progress through regular written reports and presentations at governors’ meetings. The governing body, through its monitoring systems, is well informed about school matters and it also ensures that it is very visible in the school. Members of the governing body, in particular the chairman, are well known to staff, pupils and parents because they take time to seek their opinions and build effective relationships with them.

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support of the senior management team and governing body ensures that the school is

Very good teaching ensures that all pupils make progress and achieve well.

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support of the senior management team and governing body ensures that the school is

8. Lesson observations during the inspection, teachers’ planning and records as well as pupils’ work indicate that teaching is very good overall. Teaching is a strength of the school and ensures that all pupils are able to make progress. Teachers set high but realistic and achievable targets for pupils in lessons and in their individual education plans. Careful planning and very good assessment results in high standards of teaching. Because of the very good assessment procedures, all teachers have high but realistic expectations of what pupils can achieve, which enables them to provide work which challenges pupils. Teachers monitor pupils’ work carefully and plan activities to ensure that they have good opportunities to make progress. Because teachers have a good understanding of pupil’s needs they are able to provide good support. This helps pupils to make progress because work and teaching methods are adapted effectively to take account of their achievements and

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support of the senior management team and governing body ensures that the school is

9. Lessons are very well planned and in the most effective lessons teachers carefully explain to pupils the purpose of activities and tasks so that they understand what they are going to learn about. Because pupils are provided with good information and teachers encourage them to think about what they need to do to achieve, pupils make good progress. There is a particularly good emphasis on helping pupils to relate what they have learned in past lessons to the tasks they are set. For example, in a science lesson for pupils in Years 5 and 6 the teacher, through good questions, linked pupils’ work on developing the school gardens to the classroom investigation and this helped them to understand more effectively what plants need to enable them to grow.

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support of the senior management team and governing body ensures that the school is

10. Teachers plan interesting activities, pupils are keen to participate and this helps them to pay attention. A lesson about mini-beasts motivates pupils in Year 4 well during a science lesson about animal habitats, and they make good progress in their understanding that animals have preferences for where they live. The lesson also teaches pupils to take care of living things. They understand that they must handle the mini-beasts carefully and return them to the school grounds because the teacher places a very good emphasis on this element of their learning. In an English lesson for pupils in Years 5 and 6 the teacher effectively gains their attention by involving them in a game to use adverbs when they talk about their weekend news. Pupils explain what an adverb is and lower attaining pupils give examples; they are keen to share their understanding with the teacher because they enjoy the activity.

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support of the senior management team and governing body ensures that the school is

Palatine School - 12 11. Resources are used effectively to support learning and teachers provide pupils with good opportunities to select and use the resources they need independently. Teachers have good subject knowledge and make sure that pupils know how to use the resources they are given. A good demonstration in an art lesson for pupils in Year 7 enables them to use oil pastels confidently to obtain different effects, but the teacher also places a good emphasis on pupils investigating what they can achieve independently and this gives them the confidence to try out different techniques. During a careers education lesson for pupils in Year 9 the teacher provides them with good opportunities to consider gender issues when they discuss if certain jobs can be done ‘only’ by men or women. Very good use of photographic resources helps pupils to realise that men and women can do the same jobs. The teacher links this

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support of the senior management team and governing body ensures that the school is

well to discussion about the type of employment pupils want when they leave school.

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support of the senior management team and governing body ensures that the school is

12. Pupils are supported to achieve well because teachers have high expectations and plan work which matches their ages and abilities. For example during an English lesson about adverbs there is a clear difference in the work planned for younger and older primary age pupils. Pupils in Year 6 are expected to identify the adverbs used by others and are set a challenge to use adverbs in their own descriptions. They enjoy seeing who can spot and use the most; because they are keen to participate pupils make very good progress.

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support of the senior management team and governing body ensures that the school is

13. Good relationships and the sensitive way in which teachers invite pupils to participate during discussion enables them to listen well to each others’ contributions and in a Year 6 English lesson, pupils recognise the different emotions expressed when they talk about their weekend experiences and the group responds appropriately to a pupil who has had an unhappy experience. These opportunities make a significant contribution to pupils’ personal development as they learn to become aware of others’ needs and how to respond to them. The relationships teachers have with pupils are positive and develop their confidence because the contributions they make are clearly valued by teachers.

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support of the senior management team and governing body ensures that the school is

14. Classroom support staff work very effectively with teachers to offer support and guidance to pupils and they make a significant contribution to the high quality of teaching. Opportunities for pupils in Years 5 and 6 to work with an assistant during an English lesson help them to concentrate on their written work and the very good level of support enables them to be successful because their mistakes are quickly recognised and they have opportunities to correct their work. Pupils’ progress is also supported by good reminders about punctuation and praise for their handwriting encourages them to try hard with the presentation of their work.

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support of the senior management team and governing body ensures that the school is

The teaching of English and mathematics including literacy and numeracy is very effective.

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support of the senior management team and governing body ensures that the school is

15. The teaching of English and literacy is very good. Pupils start school with very low levels of achievement working within or at Level 1 of the National Curriculum. They make very good progress and in 1999 almost half of the pupils achieved a pass in the General Certificate of Secondary Education English examination. Lessons are interesting and very well prepared to reflect the National Literacy Strategy. Teachers take good account of pupils’ abilities and expectations of learning and participation are high. The teaching methods outlined by the strategy are understood by teachers and the strategy as a whole has been very effectively adapted to reflect the needs of pupils in the school. The school also provides a very good focus on English topics, drama and handwriting which effectively extends pupils’ learning experiences.

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support of the senior management team and governing body ensures that the school is

16. Teachers are very supportive of pupils and this helps them to feel confident to participate and contribute well to lessons. Teaching is brisk and pupils’ attention is gained quickly; they concentrate well working hard to complete the tasks they are given. Pupils have very positive attitudes to their lessons and respond well particularly when teachers help them to identify their achievements. Palatine School - 13 17. The school also places a very good emphasis on teaching English through topics. During these sessions older pupils, who are grouped by ability for literacy lessons, work within their class groups and they are given very good opportunities to develop their skills through project work. For example, secondary age pupils are asked to make a book about their recent residential experience which involves them in discussion, writing and word processing. The teacher places a very good emphasis on encouraging pupils to undertake

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support of the senior management team and governing body ensures that the school is

extended pieces of writing when they describe their experiences. Very good use of ‘examples’ by the teacher helps pupils to identify how they can make their writing interesting for the reader. Pupils also have very good opportunities to take part in drama activities and the teacher encourages pupils in Year 8 to develop a role play about ‘survival after an air crash’ . Very sensitive support and lots of encouragement enables pupils to make very good progress as they begin to work together, building on each others’ ideas to develop the plot.

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support of the senior management team and governing body ensures that the school is

18. The teaching of mathematics and numeracy is very good. Pupils begin school with low levels of achievement working within or at Level 1 of the National Curriculum. They make very good progress and in 1999 almost one quarter of pupils achieved a pass in the General Certificate of Secondary Education mathematics examination. The National Numeracy Strategy has been implemented very well and has been effectively adapted to reflect the needs of pupils. Teachers have very good subject knowledge which is reflected in their planning and in well organised lessons. The numeracy strategy has been used effectively to develop teaching methods throughout the school which allow pupils to make very good progress.

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support of the senior management team and governing body ensures that the school is

19. Teachers plan activities that are well matched to the abilities of pupils and because they give clear instructions they ensure that pupils know what they have to do which helps them to settle quickly and make progress. During a very good mathematics lesson for pupils in Year 10 the teacher challenges them to make four-sided shapes by halving numbers. Pupils understand what they have to do because the task is closely related to their last lesson and because the teacher clearly identifies for them the elements of past learning they will need to use in order to complete the task successfully. Very calm and sensitive support is provided for pupils who are unsure and this enables them to make very good progress. There is a very good emphasis on pupils’ personal development when they are expected to work independently and when higher attaining pupils are asked to show others what to do.

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support of the senior management team and governing body ensures that the school is

20. Teachers’ good subject knowledge is demonstrated in a mathematics lesson for pupils in Year 11. Outstanding activities motivate pupils well and there are lots of opportunities for them to practise their skills, which helps them to understand better. Because the tasks are challenging, pupils maintain their concentration throughout the lesson and they are absorbed in creating 20 using two dominoes. The teachers’ high expectations are reflected in the way higher attaining pupils are expected to work independently, enabling the teacher to effectively support other pupils to make as much progress. Pupils respond well to the opportunities provided for them to be responsible when they record the answers on the whiteboard.

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support of the senior management team and governing body ensures that the school is

21. Very good planning and a very good understanding of the teaching methods recommended by the National Numeracy Strategy ensure that pupils in Year 6 have very good opportunities to develop an understanding of money. The teacher plans work effectively to match pupils’ abilities so that higher attaining pupils make sums up to £5 while others use coins to make 50 pence. In a numeracy lesson for the youngest pupils, classroom support staff effectively help pupils to achieve because they are aware of each pupil’s target and know how to support them to make progress. Palatine School - 14

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The school provides excellent opportunities for pupils’ personal development, they receive

high quality support, which ensures that they feel valued members of the school community.

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The school provides excellent opportunities for pupils’ personal development, they receive

22. The school is a positive and supportive learning environment. All staff demonstrate considerable respect for pupils and the way they work with them shows how much they value each pupil as an individual. Because of this pupils learn to treat each other with respect and they demonstrate a good awareness of others’ needs. Teachers place a significant emphasis on encouraging pupils to respond positively and they help them to develop a growing awareness of themselves. These positive and supportive relationships enable pupils to demonstrate a mature awareness of the needs of others and their place in the school and wider community.

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The school provides excellent opportunities for pupils’ personal development, they receive

23. Teachers provide pupils with very good opportunities to take responsibility. For example, pupils in Year 6 confidently show visitors the Millennium garden and explain their part in its development. Opportunities such as the school council enable pupils to develop their responsibilities further in terms of the school community, and outstanding opportunities for work experience help pupils develop into responsible young adults.

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The school provides excellent opportunities for pupils’ personal development, they receive

24. The school’s personal, social, health and citizenship programme and the outstanding programme of careers education and guidance make a very significant contribution to pupils’ personal development and prepares them very well for the next stage of their life. There is a very good programme of extra-curricular activities which also contributes very effectively to pupils’ personal and social development. It includes excellent residential experiences as well as very good lunchtime activities and opportunities for pupils to take part in sporting events. The residential experiences provided for pupils make a significant contribution to their increasing maturity, and the opportunities pupils have to meet and work with a variety of people from outside the school effectively help them to make positive relationships, preparing them well for the future.

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The school provides excellent opportunities for pupils’ personal development, they receive

25. The very good opportunities for spiritual, moral, social and cultural development provided by the school make a significant contribution to pupils’ personal development. Pupils’ learning opportunities are enhanced by visitors to the school and by visits to places of interest such as an Islamic Mosque and a Sikh temple. These opportunities make a significant contribution to the development of pupils’ spiritual and cultural awareness.

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The school provides excellent opportunities for pupils’ personal development, they receive

26. The school is a community in which pupils become confident learners and develop their ability to take responsibility and demonstrate initiative. Pupils are effectively supported to develop a very good understanding of right and wrong because staff provide good role models and there are very good opportunities to learn about and discuss moral issues during lessons, circle time and assemblies. The positive and consistent approaches of staff and their high expectations help pupils to behave appropriately, and the simple school and class rules which have been developed with pupils’ full involvement are respected and understood, making a significant contribution to pupils’ growing awareness of appropriate behaviour. Pupils’ self-esteem and their value as members of the school community are very effectively promoted during ‘Champagne Moment’ assemblies which are used to celebrate achievements they have made during the week.

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The school has not formed sufficient links with links with mainstream schools to extend

opportunities for learning, in particular the range of accreditation for the oldest pupils.

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The school has not formed sufficient links with links with mainstream schools to extend

27. There are very good opportunities for pupils to take part in sporting events with other special and mainstream schools and for them to meet and work with a variety of people from outside the school. However, the school does not work with local mainstream schools to extend pupils’ opportunities for learning. Although individual pupils have been offered inclusion experiences in the past, the school does not actively plan for pupils to return to mainstream education and it cannot offer its pupils the wide range of accredited examination opportunities available in a mainstream secondary school.

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WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

28. In order to further improve the already very good achievement and progress of pupils and the provision the school makes, the headteacher, senior management team and governors should:

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WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

• Explore, with the local education authority, ways of developing and supporting links with mainstream schools which will provide inclusion opportunities to further enhance pupils’ curriculum opportunities.

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WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

29. Four minor points, relating to the continued development of information and communication technology, the library provision and the accommodation are considered worthy of further attention. The school needs to explore with the local education authority ways of providing additional accommodation to better meet the needs of teachers, parents and pupils.

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WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

♦ There have been good improvements to the provision for information and communication technology since the last inspection. The curriculum is being developed appropriately following the introduction of new computers and the development of a computer suite. The development of staff skills in the use of computers has been suitably addressed. However, the number of computers available to support learning for primary age pupils needs to be increased and the control technology element of the curriculum needs to be developed further for pupils of all ages. This is already acknowledged as an area for development and is identified as a priority in the school development plan.

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WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

♦ The school does not have an adequate library. It is currently housed in one of the classrooms and is too small and not readily available to support pupils’ work. Opportunities to research information are restricted to timetabled sessions because use of the library at other times during the day interrupts teaching.

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WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

♦ The school does not have any suitable accommodation for meetings with parents. The headteacher’s office is the only available space in the school and it is not always possible for him to vacate it so that parents can meet with staff in private. In addition, senior staff do not have suitable office space to support them to carry out their responsibilities.

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WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

♦ The changing facilities for girls, identified as unsatisfactory at the time of the last inspection, have not been improved yet. The school does not have separate changing and shower facilities for boys and girls and this restricts the teaching of some aspects of personal and health care. Palatine School - 16

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Summary of the sources of evidence for the inspection

Number of discussions with staff, governors, other adults and pupils 18

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Summary of teaching observed during the inspection

Excellent Very good Good Satisfactory Unsatisfactory Poor Very Poor

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Summary of teaching observed during the inspection

3 46 45 6 0 0 0 The table gives the percentage of teaching observed in each of the seven categories used to make judgements about lessons.

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Information about the school’s pupils

Pupils on the school’s roll No of pupils

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Information about the school’s pupils

Number of pupils on the school’s roll 157

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Information about the school’s pupils

Number of full-time pupils eligible for free school meals 49

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Information about the school’s pupils

English as an additional language No of pupils

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Information about the school’s pupils

Number of pupils with English as an additional language 2

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Information about the school’s pupils

Pupil mobility in the last school year No of pupils

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Information about the school’s pupils

Pupils who joined the school other than at the usual time of first admission 3

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Information about the school’s pupils

Pupils who left the school other than at the usual time of leaving 1

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Attendance

School data 6.4 School data 1.6 Both tables give the percentage of half days (sessions) missed through absence for the latest complete reporting year. Palatine School - 17

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Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

Black – Caribbean heritage 0 Black – Caribbean heritage 0 0

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Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

Black – African heritage 0 Black – African heritage 0 0

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Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

Any other minority ethnic group 2 Other minority ethnic groups This table gives the number of exclusions, which may be different from the number of pupils excluded.

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Qualified teachers and classes: YR – Y11

Total number of qualified teachers (FTE) 18 Financial year 1999 -

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Qualified teachers and classes: YR – Y11

Number of pupils per qualified teacher 8.7:1

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Qualified teachers and classes: YR – Y11

Education support staff: YR – Y11 Total expenditure 907811

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Qualified teachers and classes: YR – Y11

Total number of education support staff 16 Expenditure per pupil 5895

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Qualified teachers and classes: YR – Y11

Total aggregate hours worked per week 394 Balance brought forward from previous year FTE means full-time equivalent. Balance carried forward to next year 18852 Palatine School - 18

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Attainment at the end of Key Stage 1

Due to the small number of pupils entered for these tests it is inappropriate to publish the results. However, teacher assessments and tests for 1999 – 2000 indicate that the majority of pupils were at level W in English, mathematics and science. However, a small percentage of pupils attained Levels 1 and 2 in English and mathematics and Level 1 in science.

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The outcomes of National Curriculum teacher assessments and tests for 1999- 2000 indicate that:

The majority of pupils were at Level 1/ 2 in English and mathematics. The majority of pupils were at Level 2 / 3 in science.

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The outcomes of National Curriculum teacher assessments and tests for 1999 – 2000 indicate that :

The majority of pupils were at Level 2 in English. The majority of pupils were at Level 2/ 3 in mathematics and science.

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Certificate of Educational Achievement

Mathematics 2 pass 3 merit 2 distinctions Science 5 pass 5 merit 4 distinctions

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GCSE

English 6 passes Grades E/F/G Mathematics 4 passes Grades F Art 8 passes Grades C/ D Palatine School - 19

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Percentage of responses in each category

Strongly agree Tend to agree Tend to disagree Strongly disagree Don’t know

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Percentage of responses in each category

My child is making good progress in school. 47 53 0 0 0

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Percentage of responses in each category

Behaviour in the school is good. 39 58 0 0 3

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Percentage of responses in each category

My child gets the right amount of work to do at home. 34 47 6 6 8

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Percentage of responses in each category

I am kept well informed about how my child is getting on. 58 42 0 0 0

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Percentage of responses in each category

I would feel comfortable about approaching the school with questions or a problem. 63 37 0 0 0

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Percentage of responses in each category

The school expects my child to work hard and achieve his or her best. 63 37 0 0 0

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Percentage of responses in each category

The school works closely with parents. 66 31 3 0 0

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Percentage of responses in each category

The school is well led and managed. 71 29 0 0 0

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Percentage of responses in each category

The school is helping my child become mature and responsible. 78 21 0 0 0

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Percentage of responses in each category

The school provides an interesting range of activities outside lessons. 34 53 6 0 3

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Other issues raised by parents

Parents expressed concerns about the lack of accommodation for private meetings and the inadequate changing facilities for girls. Palatine School - 20 Palatine School - 21

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