Kingsley High School

KINGSLEY HIGH SCHOOL

Dates of inspection: 26 th – 29 th January 2004

p.1

KINGSLEY HIGH SCHOOL

Inspection carried out under section 10 of the School Inspections Act 1996 Kingsley High 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.

p.1

KINGSLEY HIGH 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. Kingsley High School - 3

p.2

INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Type of school: Special School category: Community special Age range of pupils: 11 – 19 years Gender of pupils: Mixed Number on roll; 46

p.3

INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

School address: Whittlesea Road Harrow Weald Middlesex Postcode: HA3 6ND

p.3

INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Telephone number: 020 8421 3676 Fax number: 020 8421 7597

p.3

INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Appropriate authority: The Governing Body Name of chair of governors: Mr Jeff Anderson

p.3

INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Date of previous inspection: No previous inspection. The school opened on 1 st September 2001.

p.3

CHARACTERISTICS OF THE SCHOOL

Kingsley High educates 26 boys and 20 girls aged 11 to 19 years who have severe and profound and multiple learning difficulties. Around 20 per cent of students * have autistic spectrum disorders (ASD). Students come mostly from the borough of Harrow. Forty per cent of students are entitled to free school meals, which is high. Students’ attainment on entry is very low in comparison to their chronological age. Around 35 per cent of students come from a white British background. Just over 50 per cent of students have English as an additional language. For these students, the principal language is Gujararti. They are at the very early stages of communication and language development and as such are at the same level of learning as other pupils. All students have statements of special educational needs with the exception of two who are currently being assessed. The school is involved in a range of initiatives that include

p.3

CHARACTERISTICS OF THE SCHOOL

• Links with the Royal National Institute for the Blind (RNIB) who support staff in providing for students with visual impairment. • Links with a local beacon school for support with developing the curriculum and leadership and management in the school. • A private finance initiative (PFI) to build a new school by February 2006 to replace the premises currently shared with a first and middle school.

p.3

CHARACTERISTICS OF THE SCHOOL

The school opened in September 2001. For the first 18 months, teaching staff were mostly temporary and there was much staff turnover. It is only in the last 12 months that the high majority of teachers have taken up permanent contracts. A fire at the school in December 2003 meant that during the inspection, the school hall and kitchens were out of use. Also, the food technology room was doubling up as a food preparation area for students’ lunches, which curtailed the provision offered. (* The school refers to all pupils as students. The report will use the same convention.) Kingsley High School - 4

p.3

Members of the inspection team Subject responsibilities

21138 Adrian Simm Lead inspector Science, Personal, social and health education and Citizenship, Geography, History, Modern Foreign Language (French) 11575 Catherine Fish Lay inspector 31914 Collette Gribble Team inspector English, Information and communication technology, Design and technology, Religious education 11832 Graham Matthews Team inspector Mathematics, Art and design, Music, Physical education, Special educational needs, English as an additional language

p.4

Members of the inspection team Subject responsibilities

Altecq Education Ltd 102 Bath Road Cheltenham GL52 7JX

p.4

Members of the inspection team Subject responsibilities

Any concerns or complaints about the inspection or the report should be made initially to the contractor. The procedures are set out in the leaflet ‘Complaining about Ofsted Inspections’ , which is available from Ofsted Publications Centre (telephone 07002 637833) or Ofsted’s website (www.oftsed.gov.uk). Kingsley High School - 5

p.4

STANDARDS ACHIEVED BY STUDENTS 8

Standards achieved in areas of learning, subjects and courses

p.5

STANDARDS ACHIEVED BY STUDENTS 8

Students’ attitudes, values and other personal qualities

p.5

QUALITY OF EDUCATION PROVIDED BY THE SCHOOL 10

Teaching and learning The curriculum Care, guidance and support Partnership with parents, other schools and the community

p.5

OVERALL EVALUATION

Kingsley High is a good school with very good and excellent features. Students achieve well as a result of good teaching and learning. The school provides good value for money. Inspirational leadership by the head teacher and her deputy has ensured that the school has improved exceptionally well in the last 18 months since a more permanent team was brought together. The support provided for students is very good. The school is very well set to improve even more.

p.6

The school’s main strengths and weaknesses are

• Outstanding vision, drive and commitment by the headteacher and deputy headteacher ensure all staff are highly committed to moving the school forward and raising achievement. • Students in Post 16 achieve very well as do all students in their art and design and personal and social development. This is as a result of very good teaching and learning with some lessons that are excellent. • Staff have excellent relationships with students. This leads to very good attitudes, behaviour and personal development in students. • The school ensures all staff have very good access to training opportunities that develop their skills and knowledge more and more. • Staff have very good knowledge of the range of students’ special educational needs and have good subject knowledge. In comparison, provision for information and communication technology, whilst satisfactory, could be stronger. • Very good links with other schools, colleges and the RNIB and the constant enrichment of

p.6

The school’s main strengths and weaknesses are

students’ learning through visits out of school and visitors into lessons ensures students have great fun at the same time as learning well. • All staff work very hard to overcome the drawbacks of the unsatisfactory accommodation. The accommodation has a detrimental effect upon students’ learning in most parts of the building. Post 16 is the one exception where accommodation is good.

p.6

STANDARDS ACHIEVED

in relation to individual targets in: Students’ achievement at the end of: Subjects of the curriculum personal and social education Year 9 Good Very good Year 11 Good Very good Year 13 Very good Very good Inspectors make judgements in the range: excellent; very good; good; satisfactory; unsatisfactory; poor; very poor.

p.6

STANDARDS ACHIEVED

Students’ achievement is good . Those in Years 7 to 11 achieve well in English, mathematics, science and religious education. They achieve very well in personal and social development as do Post 16 students in everything they do. This includes in a broad range of nationally recognised courses in which students gain certificates to celebrate their achievement. In all year groups, students achieve very well in art and design. However, achievement is only satisfactory in information and communication technology (ICT) with Years 7 to 11 partly because staff trained in the subject in the past have left the school and not all new staff have been able to catch up on training yet. Achievement in other subjects was not the focus of the inspection. Because staff have first class knowledge of students’ special educational needs and are consistently improving their own teaching expertise, all students achieve well. That is, boys and girls, those students with severe,

p.6

STANDARDS ACHIEVED

more profound and autistic learning disorders and those with English as an additional language. Students’ personal development, including their spiritual, moral, social and cultural development, is Kingsley High School - 7 very good . Their attitudes to school and their behaviour are very good. They try their utmost to do well during lessons and activities. Attendance is good.

p.6

QUALITY OF EDUCATION

The quality of education is good . Teaching is good and results in students learning well. Specialist teaching in art and design is excellent. Students are known to thank their teacher spontaneously at the end of art and design lessons because they enjoy them so much. Teaching and learning are very good in Post 16. They are very good also in the class for students with profound and multiple learning difficulties where staff make sure that every student takes a full part in lessons, for example, by using communication aids. Here, precise targets are set and assessed in each lesson and students are fully involved in this process. On occasions in other lessons and in some students’ individual education plans (IEPs), targets are not as precise as they might be as a way of assessing students’ progress. Also, even where teaching is good or better, the unsatisfactory accommodation inhibits students’ achievement, for example, because of the lack of a specialist room for science, in

p.7

QUALITY OF EDUCATION

the very restricted space for hydrotherapy and in the very small classroom for profound and multiple learning difficulty students.

p.7

QUALITY OF EDUCATION

The good curriculum offers very effective opportunities for enriching students’ learning and providing for their personal and social development, both during the day and in out of school activities. Students do not yet undertake residential experiences, which would improve the provision even more. Links with other schools and colleges are very strong and enhance staff’s expertise and pupils’ learning and achievement. Links are working particularly effectively with the RNIB and a beacon school. School staff, therapists and other professionals such as the educational psychologist and the Connexions advisor are all part of the very effective teamwork that ensures students receive very good support, advice and guidance.

p.7

LEADERSHIP AND MANAGEMENT

Leadership and management are very good . The school is led excellently by the headteacher who is crystal clear about the school’s strengths and what else needs to be done to maintain and continue improvements. Despite early difficulties with temporary staffing, she has built a very keen and effective team whose efforts are now paying off in terms of raising standards. As a consequence, students’ achievement is already good and improving. Teamwork with the deputy headteacher who leads Post 16 provision is outstanding. Management is very good, with regular checks on all aspects of the school’s performance. Governance is good. Governors are committed to the school and provide active support. Governors have plans to embark on more detailed self- evaluation, which will inform them even more about the effectiveness of the school. Governors are fully involved in planning for the school's new accommodation, which is expected to be ready by

p.7

LEADERSHIP AND MANAGEMENT

February 2006. This is part of the local education authority’s successful bid for funding from the government’s Private Finance Initiative (PFI).

p.7

PARENTS’ AND STUDENTS’ VIEWS OF THE SCHOOL

Parents are very satisfied because their children like school, because of the high quality of leadership and management and the arrangements for settling in children when they start. Students are highly satisfied with what the school provides for them.

p.7

IMPROVEMENTS NEEDED

The most important things the school should do to continue its recent impressive work are to

p.7

IMPROVEMENTS NEEDED

• Ensure the planned improvements in accommodation overcome all of the drawbacks of the current buildings. • Improve staff’s expertise and confidence in the use of ICT so as to raise students’ standards even more in all subjects of the curriculum.

p.7

IMPROVEMENTS NEEDED

All statutory requirements are met Kingsley High School - 8

p.7

Main strengths and weaknesses

• Students in Post 16 achieve very well. • Much of the work done by Post 16 students is externally accredited. • All students achieve very well in art and design and personal and social development. • Students achieve well in English, mathematics, science and religious education. • Students’ achievement in ICT is satisfactory rather than good or better in Years 7 to 11. Post 16 students achieve very well.

p.8

Commentary

1. When they join the school, students’ attainment is very low. This is because of their special educational needs. Students in Years 7 to 11 achieve well. They achieve very well in Post 16. This is in line with the overall good quality of teaching in Years 7 to 11 and very good teaching at Post 16. All students do very well in art and design because of the excellent specialist teaching. Although the school offers students a well-resourced specialist art and design room, the teacher and support staff have to work exceptionally well to overcome the drawbacks of the cramped accommodation and condemned pottery kiln. Also, all students do very well in their personal and social development because of the excellent relationships staff develop with students. Student- choice is integral in most activities at a level that staff know is right for each student.

p.8

Commentary

2. Post 16 students achieve very well in most things they do because of high quality teaching that meets their everyday personal and social needs. The rapid achievement in PSHE is the result of the very good opportunities provided for students’ personal development, both throughout the school day and in out of school activities and trips. For example, when visiting theatres, those students able to travel on public transport are expected to do so. Students contributed very positively to the interior design of the Post 16 accommodation, which overall is good.

p.8

Commentary

3. Also at Post 16, students achieve very well in ICT where they use a broad range of equipment and know how to apply it to their learning in food technology, music, English and art and design. Students achieve very well in the nationally recognised courses they take for which they gain certificate passes. Since the school opened, the range of accredited courses offered has increased significantly. In 2003, five students achieved passes in the ‘Towards Independence’ modules of the Award Scheme Development and Accreditation Network (ASDAN). Also, in the Equals ‘Moving On’ accreditation scheme, all students gained passes. Lower attaining students gained passes at Level 4 in modules of world religion, citizenship and leisure whilst higher attaining students gained between Level 6 and Level 9 in the same modules. Four students were also successful in courses on work-related learning, creativity and careers education and

p.8

Commentary

4. In nearly all other subjects inspected, including English, mathematics, science and religious education, achievement is good. The exception is ICT with Years 7 to 11, where achievement is satisfactory. Here, whilst much staff training has been carried out by teachers since the school opened, many staff were temporary. This means that improved expertise was frequently lost as teachers moved on. Now that teacher staffing is more permanent, training in ICT is beginning to have more effect on students’ learning. This has been identified as an issue by the school and is a high priority for improvement. Pockets of expertise already exist such as in the class for students with profound and multiple learning difficulties. Students achieve well here, particularly in Kingsley High School - 9 their use of a broad range of switches to access computers and sensory light and sound equipment. This is because of the very good teaching and teamwork with support staff in this

p.8

Commentary

class, which ensures that students achieve the targets set for them more often than not.

p.9

Commentary

5. The achievement of students with autistic spectrum disorders is good, because they are known well to staff who do their best to ensure that their needs are met. In all year groups, girls and boys achieve equally well. Staff are very careful to plan activities that appeal to all students and to vary the teaching and learning approaches they employ, so the needs of different types of learners are met well.

p.9

Commentary

6. Students with English as an additional language are in the early stages of language acquisition. They benefit as well as all other students from the well thought out teaching methods to improve students’ standards in communication, including in speaking and listening. Whilst students’ achievement is good and some staff speak these students’ main language of Gujararti, the school has not yet tested out if these students’ achievement could be improved even more by use of their home language.

p.9

Pupils’ attitudes, values and other personal qualities

The students’ attitudes and behaviour are very good. Also, their personal qualities, including their spiritual, moral, social and cultural development, are very good. Their attendance is good.

p.9

Main strengths and weaknesses

• Excellent relationships develop between the students and the staff. • The school sets very high expectations for behaviour and provides very good support to help the students achieve this. • The students’ personal development is greatly enhanced because of the wide range of experiences offered to them.

p.9

Commentary

7. The students are helped to develop the very good attitudes they have to school through the excellent relationships, which are built between them and the staff. These have a very positive impact on the students’ learning and achievement. Staff pay meticulous attention to meeting the needs of all students by finding how best to effectively build their self esteem, confidence and independence. As a result they take full advantage of what the school offers. The students show their enthusiasm and enjoyment by fully involving themselves, for example, in assemblies. During the inspection they were highly interested in the telling of the story of Odysseus by some other students. They are also very eager to take part in activities such as school productions and events. All students express preferences and make their views known because they are fully consulted and have confidence in staff. They get on very well together because staff provide

p.9

Commentary

every opportunity to develop relationships and promote social interaction. As students get older their developing independence is promoted very well through the activities organised for them. For example, those able to write a list of ingredients, then shop for them and subsequently produce a cooked meal. Other students use visual prompts to carry out the same activity. The students are eager to learn because they are presented with a variety of work at a pace suitable for them.

p.9

Commentary

8. The behaviour seen during the inspection was very good. Recent training on behaviour management, with support from the educational psychologist, has resulted in a reduction in the number of incidents of inappropriate behaviour being reported. The school has a calm and purposeful atmosphere where the students are expected to behave well and where they are helped and supported very well to meet that expectation. This support is very well tailored to the individual. Exclusions are used only as a last resort and are minimal as shown in the following table. Kingsley High School - 10

p.9

Exclusions

Categories used in the Annual School Census No of pupils on roll Number of fixed period exclusions White – British 12 1 White – Irish 1 White – any other White background 1 Mixed – White and Asian 1 Asian or Asian British – Indian 15 Asian or Asian British – Pakistani 3 Asian or Asian British – any other Asian background 4 Black or Black British – Caribbean 1 3 Black or Black British – African 2 Black or Black British – any other Black background 1 Any other ethnic group 3 No ethnic group recorded 2 (No students were excluded permanently)

p.10

Exclusions

9. The very good quality of spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is present throughout the school day. The students are exposed to a very wide range of experiences that enable them to develop an appreciation of the world around them. During the inspection a religious education lesson about the Jewish Sabbath gave the students with profound and multiple learning difficulties an insight into the celebration of Shabbat through its re-enactment, involving them at every point. All students take part in trips and activities that develop their knowledge and appreciation of their own and others’ cultures through experiences such as visits to art exhibitions and the theatre. Of particular note was the reaction of sheer joy and fulfilment seen in a photograph of two students who staged their own art exhibition at a London gallery. The students are respected by the staff and in return they learn to respect themselves and others.

p.10

Exclusions

10. Students’ attendance is good. They are eager to come to school. The school is well supported by its parents. This was seen during the inspection when a number of parents managed to get their children to school despite the cancellation of the school’s transport because of heavy snow.

p.10

Attendance

Attendance in the latest complete reporting year (%) 2002/2003

p.10

Attendance

Authorised absence Unauthorised absence School data: 8.7 School data : 0.5 National data: 9.1 National data: 0.6 The table gives the percentage of half days (sessions) missed through absence for the latest complete reporting year. Kingsley High School - 11

p.10

QUALITY OF EDUCATION PROVIDED BY THE SCHOOL

The quality of education is good . Teaching and learning and the curriculum are good . Partnership with parents and the community are good. The impact of links with other schools is very good. The standard of care is good whilst the support and guidance students’ receive are very good.

p.11

Teaching and learning

The quality of teaching and learning are good . It is very good at Post 16. The quality of assessment is good.

p.11

Main strengths and weaknesses

• Students’ individual needs are met well and challenging behaviour is effectively and consistently managed. • Exceptionally strong and trusting relationships exist between staff and students. • Teachers use assessment well to plan their lessons, set targets for students and to help students achieve well. • Staff are committed to improving their skills so that the school provides the best it can for all students. • There is a staggered start to lessons first thing in the morning because of school transport delays. Despite this, students still receive an acceptable amount of teaching time in lessons during the rest of each day. • The effectiveness of provision in the first half hour each day is lessened because of the vagueness of some targets in pupils’ IEPs.

p.11

Commentary

11. Teaching and learning are good overall but there is a considerable amount of very good teaching. English language and literacy are taught well. The quality of teaching and learning in mathematics and science are good. In ICT they are satisfactory because some current staff are not as confident as they should be over use of the equipment. The careful planning of lessons and an interesting range of activities contribute to the excellent teaching in art and design and very good teaching and learning at Post 16. The quality of teaching and learning during the inspection is summarised in the table below.

p.11

Commentary

Summary of teaching observed during the inspection in 33 lessons

p.11

Commentary

Excellent Very good Good Satisfactory Unsatisfactory Poor Very Poor

p.11

Commentary

6 (18%) 9 (28%) 14(42%) 4(12%) 0(0%) 0(0%) 0(0%) The table gives the number of lessons observed in each of the seven categories used to make judgements about lessons; figures in brackets show percentages where 30 or more lessons are seen.

p.11

Commentary

12. Teaching and learning are good because teachers know their students very well and know how best to support each one in their learning and in behaviour where this is necessary. Teachers write informative comments on students’ work and also below photographs taken of them doing activities. These comments explain what each student has achieved together with the level of support provided. Students’ understanding of how they can improve is good, for example, in art and design and in the class for students with profound and multiple learning difficulties where teachers evaluate with each student the work done in the subject. All staff know the specific special educational needs, which each student has, the levels at which the students are working and therefore, plan future learning that is just right. Targets are set for students to help in this process. Teachers, teaching assistants and therapists all contribute to the targets set in

p.11

Commentary

individual education plans, which is a very good way of working. Work on IEP targets is set specifically for the start of each day so that individual pupils are supported appropriately whilst waiting for others to arrive on the school transport. However, the written targets are sometimes Kingsley High School - 12 vague. This leads to an inconsistency in recording the reasons why some students’ targets are only partly achieved or not achieved at all. This is to do with the quality of how well the targets are set out and their effectiveness in helping staff to assess the quality of students’ progress. It does not mean that students are not learning well.

p.11

Commentary

13. In the very best lessons of which there were examples with each class of students during the inspection, teachers ensure that students have opportunities to learn in the way that suits them best. At Post 16, a high majority of teaching and learning is very good. Lessons are very well planned and organised and good records are kept of students’ achievements. Teachers and support assistants work as a team and students are encouraged and supported to do tasks for themselves. Staff expect high standards of behaviour and students respond in an adult and mature way. Provision for students’ personal development is very high on the staff’s agenda and they are very successful in this. Although there is no additional specific support for students who have English as an additional language anywhere in school, students are welcomed and valued and fully included in the lessons. They achieve well because they are at the early stages of

p.12

Commentary

language acquisition and the school’s general communication provision is pitched at the right level. However, there is no formal planning to include the use of their home languages as an additional support for their learning in order to see if students’ achievement could be improved even more. The late and staggered arrival of school transport at the beginning of the school day means that students benefit unequally from all the planned activities, which take place first thing in the morning. Also, in a very small number of lessons, there are occasions when students have to wait too long for their turn. This does reduce the quality of what would otherwise be good or very good learning. Learning is however never less than satisfactory.

p.12

Commentary

14. Relationships with students are of a very high quality. This results in students being confident, working hard and learning well. There is a secure, structured and welcoming atmosphere in the classroom and students feel secure. Staff always tell students what they are about to do for example, when physically moving them. There are very good levels of support in lessons and this is deployed very well to ensure that each student gains the maximum benefit from the teaching. Teaching assistants challenge and question students and help them to succeed. Staff manage challenging behaviour calmly and effectively by consistently using agreed strategies. Staff apply their training in the Treatment and Education of Autistic and Communication Related Handicapped Children (TEACCH) and Picture Exchange Communication Systems (PECS) very well. Signs and symbols and communication aids are used effectively as are objects of reference

p.12

Commentary

(items that are always used to alert pupils to the next activity). Teachers are beginning to use Makaton signing well to communicate with individual pupils but Makaton is not being consistently signed during activities when teachers need to address the whole class.

p.12

Commentary

15. The school’s assessment policy is being used well by all staff. Assessment is good throughout the school and very good at Post 16 where the criteria from the externally accredited courses are used effectively to assess and check on the progress the students are making. The school is rigorously using the P Scale Assessment of the National Curriculum from Equals (PACE) and Milestones at Post 16 to assess students’ attainment.

p.12

The curriculum

The quality and range of learning opportunities provided for students are good. They are very good for students at Post 16. There is a very good range of learning activities to enrich the curriculum. Post 16 accommodation is good but it is unsatisfactory for the rest of the school.

p.12

Main strengths and weaknesses

• The high number and quality of teachers and support staff is central to students’ good achievement. • Students with more profound and multiple learning difficulties have very good learning opportunities. Kingsley High School - 13 • Students’ satisfactory standards in ICT are not as high as they could be because lessons throughout the curriculum are not consistently or sufficiently planned to develop skills in this important area. • The good quality of teaching overcomes some of the impact of the unsatisfactory accommodation. However, in other ways, the buildings are currently affecting detrimentally many aspects of students’ learning. • There are very good links with other schools and colleges that impact significantly on students’ learning and achievement.

p.12

Commentary

16. All students receive the full statutory curriculum. The curriculum is good for students in Years 7 to 11 and very good at Post 16. National Curriculum guidelines are carefully and thoughtfully adapted to meet the needs of individual students. Those with more profound and multiple learning difficulties are given a very good range of learning opportunities, which include a well thought out sensory area in the classroom. However, overall, this classroom is very small for the students’ needs.

p.13

Commentary

17. There are some differences in the effectiveness of each subject. English, mathematics, science, religious education and personal and social, health and citizenship are planned for well, providing a good balance of learning experiences. Information and communication technology is only satisfactory as a result of limitations in specialist teaching, resources and accommodation. Art and design and other aesthetic aspects provide an excellent range of opportunities in which all pupils achieve very well. These subjects contribute to the school’s caring ethos and nurture creativity to an extremely high level. In addition, there is a very wide range of visits, visitors and dramatic and musical experiences and performances for all. These provide very good additional enrichment of the curriculum and support the very high standards of behaviour and social competency shown by the students.

p.13

Commentary

18. The Post 16 curriculum is preparing students very well for their lives after leaving school. Learning is made real for students. For example in their work on world religions students prepared and acted out a Hindu wedding. However, they do not have an opportunity to prepare and take part in a residential experience, which would add to their personal development even more.

p.13

Commentary

19. The school is very well staffed. There is evidence of very good teamwork and high levels of support available to meet the needs of all students. The good Post 16 accommodation is located in a separate building from the main school and benefits from a well-equipped kitchen area, ICT room, sensory room and a small library. However, there is no separate common room area for which students can take responsibility. Elsewhere, in spite of the commitment and dedication of all staff, the unsatisfactory accommodation is preventing even better achievements by students across the curriculum. Lack of space in classrooms and corridors hamper many activities and movement around the school. Classroom space for students requiring access to more sensory experiences is poor. Achievement in hydrotherapy is limited as a result of the very small size of the current pool. Specialist facilities do not exist for science and design and technology. Food

p.13

Commentary

technology facilities are in need of upgrading. In inclement weather, there is no covered area for students to alight from school transport. Those students in wheelchairs are particularly susceptible to this problem. A new school building is scheduled for completion on the current site by February 2006. The current plans available show that most of the drawbacks of the present accommodation will be overcome apart from the covered arrival area for school transport. Between now and the opening of the new school, governors are rightly studying how best to use the school’s budget when issues of improvement to the current building arise. They make effective decisions in this respect. Resources are being maintained at a satisfactory level. Kingsley High School - 14

p.13

Care, guidance and support

The school’s attention to the health, safety and welfare of the students is good. Students receive high quality support, advice and guidance from staff. Students’ views are taken into account very well.

p.14

Main strengths and weaknesses

• The very good knowledge that staff have about individual students ensures they receive very good support to reach their potential. • The students are given a very good range of experiences in the work place. • The school has recently formed a school council to help take the students’ views into account. • Good attention is paid to ensuring the health, safety and welfare of the students.

p.14

Commentary

20. Good procedures are in place to assess how the students are doing both academically and in their personal development. This information is used very well to tailor support to meet all their needs. The excellent relationships developed between staff and students mean students are all treated with respect and sensitivity whilst being encouraged to become as confident and independent as possible. They are, for example, encouraged to use the most suitable communication aids, to make choices and where possible, to make their own contribution to their annual review and individual education plans. Very good support is provided either directly, or through the training of classroom staff by outside agencies, for students’ speech, language and physical development. The Connexions advisor provides very good support on options and guidance for the future. When starting school, students make a smooth transition from their

p.14

Commentary

previous school. This is because of the good procedures for introducing them. The school is already planning to prepare students for the move to temporary accommodation as a result of the rebuilding of their own school.

p.14

Commentary

21. The school gives students a very good insight into the world of work through work experiences and lessons on careers. The whole school is involved in a ‘world of work’ day attended by a wide range of organisations from the army and the police to hairdressers and transport providers. Students take part in practical workshops that very effectively give them an insight into what goes on at work. Work experience is provided for those students for whom it is suitable. Placements may be in the form of work shadowing or work experience at such places as a local football club or fast food outlet.

p.14

Commentary

22. Working with some local secondary school pupils, the school has recently set up its own school council. It is in its infancy, but already the school is looking at ways in which it can be used more profitably to gauge the views of the students. During the school day, their views are continually sought through the choices they make as well as their involvement in the assessment of how they have done. For example, in the review periods at the end of the day they are asked to say what they have enjoyed and done well at so it can be recorded for their parents.

p.14

Commentary

23. The school has good procedures to ensure that the students are well looked after whilst in school. The staff are very sensitive to their personal needs. Accidents and the administration of medicines are recorded correctly. The school is vigilant in regard to child protection and the correct procedures are followed should the need arise.

p.14

Partnership with parents, other schools and the community

There are good links between the school and the parents. Links with the community are good; with other schools and colleges they are very good. Kingsley High School - 15

p.14

Main strengths and weaknesses

• The school makes very good use of the links it has with colleges and schools to enhance the provision for its students. • The local community plays an important part in the school’s work. • Links with parents help to promote and support the students’ development.

p.15

Commentary

24. The school had developed a number of very good links with other schools and colleges that greatly enhance the provision for its students. These include curriculum links, such as in science, with other special schools and in the setting up of the school council with two secondary schools. Links with the local college are very good and provide the students with a positive introduction to college life and an insight into what they might be able to do after leaving school.

p.15

Commentary

25. The local community is used well by the school for trips, such as to local shops. These trips provide students with useful learning experiences. The community supports the school in its ‘world of work’ days and with work experience placements. Both are valuable experiences for the students. The Royal National Institute for the Blind (RNIB) provides the school with significant support for its work with visually impaired students. Also, this is often of great benefit for those pupils with sensory development needs. The RNIB’s continued involvement in the plans for the new school has been appreciated by school staff. They give an insight into simple and practical ideas that greatly enhance the environment for everyone.

p.15

Commentary

26. Parents are encouraged to take an interest in their children’s education from the time they enter school. They are provided with good quality information about the school and receive a number of letters and newsletters about what is happening and what their children are involved in. They are fully involved in their children’s annual review for which they receive a very good quality report that gives lots of details of how their children are doing. They are consulted each term about their children’s individual education plan. The school is receptive to parents’ and carers’ suggestions and work with them so their children achieve well. The parents and carers are always welcome in school and are encouraged to attend parents’ evenings and coffee mornings. Daily communication is well supported through home school diaries. These provide a starting point for parents to discuss the day with their children and give them an insight into what their children are

p.15

LEADERSHIP AND MANAGEMENT

Leadership and management are very good . Leadership is excellent. The management of the school is very good . Governance is good .

p.15

Main strengths and weaknesses

• The headteacher is exceptionally thoughtful and clear about how to build a first-class staff team able to offer students and their families the highest possible provision. • In support of this, the deputy headteacher has put together an excellent induction package for staff that is subsequently built upon extremely well in staff training and other incentives to maintain a good quality staff team. • The headteacher seeks out and makes very effective use of expertise outside of the school to ensure that staff are providing as best they can for the broad spread of students’ individual and special educational needs. • There are good systems to check on the quality of the school’s performance. • The governors make a good contribution to the direction of the school. Kingsley High School - 16

p.15

Commentary

27. Very good self-evaluation means the school is clear about what is working well and that the elements of the current accommodation are the biggest barrier to improving students’ achievement further. The new accommodation is due for completion by February 2006. The recruitment and retention of good quality permanent staff was the biggest barrier to learning in the recent past. This has been overcome in a very significant way with the current staffing complement. The headteacher is totally committed to moving the school forward to achieve higher standards. She has established a staff team, which shares her determination that all students will make as much progress as they can, both academically and in broader areas of personal achievement. This team has only come together recently and is beginning to have a real effect upon students’ achievement. Together with the governors, staff have a clear vision of how

p.16

Commentary

the school should develop and improve. This is a long way on from the school’s position of just 18 months ago. The headteacher’s outstanding ability to recognise and build upon staff’s strengths and provide support for them to develop their skills even more is driving the school forward. Another element of the success is the excellent induction package for new staff implemented by the deputy headteacher. This works in both formal and informal ways to ensure staff are clear about what is expected of them and what they can expect in return.

p.16

Commentary

28. The school is ambitious and keen to learn from best practice elsewhere. Links with a beacon school has helped staff to develop ideas for improving the curriculum. The science co-ordinator has worked successfully with staff in other local schools to try and build a curriculum that is similar and will thus ease transfer of students from school to school. A broad spread of expertise has been used from outside of the school to help staff consider more effective ways of setting increasingly precise targets for students to achieve and thus improve their standards. Speech therapists have taken an effective role in this. Also, staff from the RNIB have become partners in improving achievement for those students with visual difficulties. The very strong ethos of ‘analysis and improvement’ to improve students’ standards via improving staff expertise has taken hold throughout the school. The governors appreciate the effectiveness of this through their

p.16

Commentary

own knowledge of the school. They ensure funding is available to maintain this constant drive of training and improving staff’s expertise. Parents are strongly supportive of the way the school is led and managed.

p.16

Commentary

29. Checks on the quality of teaching and learning are carried out by the headteacher, who observes teaching in detail when more informal means of evaluation point to it being necessary. This is a very efficient way to work. Formal feedback is given that identifies the strong elements in lessons and those that require further development. These arrangements are helping to improve the quality of teaching and students’ achievement. The quality of subject co-ordination is good overall. In art and design, students are so effectively encouraged to become ‘artists’ that they ‘live’ the role in lessons. Their work is constantly displayed in school and frequently displayed further afield such as in art galleries, the local teachers’ centre or the town hall. Subject leaders are mostly effective in promoting learning and higher standards in their subjects through formal and informal meetings and, increasingly, through scrutinising teachers’ planning and pupils’

p.16

Commentary

progress. Only in ICT is co-ordination of the subject lagging behind the high quality in other subjects. This is because leadership of the subject has only just been taken over by a permanent member of staff who has already made good inroads into developing the subject of science.

p.16

Commentary

30. The governors make an effective contribution to the direction of the school and have a good understanding of its work. They ensure statutory requirements are met. They are committed to improvement and have considerable empathy with the students and their special educational needs. Governors speak with knowledge of the school and its students and are well informed of its aims and developments. They are fully involved in plans for the improvement of the school through a local authority bid to the government’s Private Finance Initiative. The whole school community is very excited and making plans to ensure that students are not overly affected detrimentally by the temporary change of premises pending the new school build on the same site. Income and expenditure per student is high. The budget is used equally effectively for students in the Years 7 to 11 as it is for those in Post 16. Specialist art and design, music and

p.16

Commentary

Kingsley High School - 17 physical education staff make an outstanding contribution to provision. The costs of educating students who achieve as well as they do and across the broad spread of the curriculum means that the budget is reasonable in offering good value for money.

p.17

Commentary

Financial information for the year April 2002 to March 2003

p.17

Commentary

Income and expenditure (£) Balances (£) Total income 813,817 Balance from previous year 1,000 Total expenditure 813,614 Balance carried forward to the next 1,203 Expenditure per pupil 17,687 Kingsley High School - 18

p.17

SUBJECTS IN KEY STAGES 3, 4 and Post 16

Throughout the following commentary, overall judgements about provision relate to the effectiveness of teaching and learning, curriculum leadership and any other significant aspects that reflect the standards achieved by students.

p.18

English and French

Lessons in English were seen in all classes. French is the modern foreign language taught. It is used in simple conversation and communication from time to time and as a different cultural experience for the students. Judgements about the subject have not been made.

p.18

English and French

Provision in English, including literacy and communication skills is good.

p.18

Main strengths and weaknesses

• Teaching is consistently good. As a result, students are learning well and achievement is good. • The way in which class groups are organised ensures that speaking and listening, reading and writing skills are developing well. • Lack of space and cramped accommodation generally has limited the opportunities for some students to access all the resources, such as library facilities. • There is very good support in lessons provided by a dedicated, well-trained and enthusiastic team. • Whilst ICT is used satisfactorily, it is the least effective part of English provision. • Staff know their students’ needs very well. However, targets set for learning are at times vague and hinder the school’s evaluation of students’ progress. • Students’ achievement benefits well from good literacy and communication provision in a broad range of subjects of the curriculum.

p.18

Commentary

31. Students are consistently achieving well in all aspects of English. Their range of communication skills is good in lessons and in social settings. It is evident that pupils feel confident. They express their views and feelings well when talking and signing. They have access to a good range of additional communication resources. Students’ understanding is not enriched enough by the consistent use of ICT in extending the curriculum and providing more challenge. When it is used well for students with profound and multiple learning difficulties, it helps to improve their listening and concentration skills through sensory stories. Students enjoy lively and stimulating lessons in literacy.

p.18

Commentary

32. Reading skills are developing well. This is due to the good teaching and support in lessons and the group work on sensory stories. All students are given opportunities to listen to and read a range of interesting literature. Students in Years 9 and 10 learn well about following and retelling the story of Gus, the theatre cat in a lively session. A few pupils follow the written word and others sign that they have understood Gus’s characteristics. There are good literacy links across a range of subjects, as themes from a visit to the musical ‘Cats’ are evident in art, music and drama, as well as from students’ previous work, photographs and display around the school. Students are grouped by ability twice a week to extend the challenge for them to improve in lessons based on a nationally recognised language and reading scheme. Higher attaining students listen avidly to the story of Max, the dog. Most students recognise other characters and

p.18

Commentary

put names to these as they recall the story, using words, signs or voice-activated systems. Kingsley High School - 19 There is good evidence that all students follow well known stories. Good use is made of previous knowledge to improve students’ reading skills. Teacher records indicate that students’ are making good progress in reading.

p.18

Commentary

33. All students are making good progress in writing. In particular, students in Years 7 and 8 show good writing skills through guided writing opportunities. Handwriting is improving but for students with more complex needs, presentation and letter formation require more specific support using ICT. However, students with profound and multiple learning difficulties have very clear and specific targets to help improve their skills. These targets are referred to at the start of every lesson and then assessed at the end. This approach is significant in that these students are achieving very well. Older pupils make good progress using hand over hand support to write their names and a few write unaided. Looking at students’ work with them, many discuss the progress they see in their writing and presentation.

p.19

Commentary

34. Teaching and learning are good. They are very good for those pupils with profound and multiple learning difficulties. Lessons are planned and organised well. Very good use is made of support staff who have high expectations of students’ behaviour and attitudes in lessons. Whilst checking on how well students are progressing is effective overall, some targets set by staff are not specific enough and are unhelpful in measuring achievement. Also, targets in some classes are not shared fully with students on a daily basis. Teamwork is very good. Staff feel valued and work well as part of the whole school team. There are very few disruptions in lessons as staff are consistent in their response to students. Students show good enthusiasm for literacy across the range of subjects offered in the school.

p.19

Commentary

35. Leadership and management of English since the school opened are good. A new co-ordinator is in post and her role is developing well. There is now a team approach to improving communication skills across the range of subjects. High quality training is given and staff meet regularly to review planning and share ideas. Effective plans are in place to improve the quality of resources and make sure that literature is stimulating and matches students’ age and ability. Library facilities are limited for some students. This will be rectified in the future as part of the new school buildings.

p.19

Language and literacy across the curriculum

36. Emphasis on the importance of developing students’ literacy skills in all areas of the curriculum is good. This has a positive impact on the way in which students learn. Most lessons provide good opportunities for them to develop their reading, recording, listening and speaking skills. There is particular emphasis in mathematics, art and design, music and science on students increasing their vocabulary and expressing their views and preferences. The way in which students are grouped by ability on two days a week helps to improve their communication skills effectively.

p.19

MATHEMATICS

Lessons were seen with all students in Years 7 to 11 and those in the class for students with profound and multiple learning difficulties.

p.19

Main strengths and weaknesses

• Teaching is good and students achieve well. • Staff work well together and know each student’s needs. • Students are not always engaged in learning all of the time. • Assessment procedures are good. • ICT is not used enough. Kingsley High School - 20

p.19

Commentary

37. Achievement in mathematics is good throughout the school. This is because mathematics is taught well and clear learning targets are set for students. The school has adopted the Equals numeracy strategy. This is having a positive effect on teaching and learning because it ensures teachers provide well-planned experiences and activities for the students. The teaching of the basic skills of number, shape, measurement and data handling is good.

p.20

Commentary

38. Students learn well and achieve effectively in their ability groupings because staff know their level of working and also their special educational needs. For example, a Year 9 student recalled the names for the signs + and = and used them with prompting to accurately add two single digit numbers together. A Year 11 student showed great pride and delight in counting in fives to 100. Students with profound and multiple learning difficulties in Years 8 to 14 achieve very well, for example, in their work on calculations where they experienced and investigated the textures and quantities of different objects held in superbly made bags which had different textured linings. Post 16 students effectively use and develop their mathematical knowledge in everyday situations. They work out the cost of groceries and then find out which aisles to go to at supermarket.

p.20

Commentary

39. Staff work well together. The high quality of teaching assistant support is a strength. Each student receives the help required to learn successfully. Staff manage challenging behaviours calmly, effectively and consistently. Students are always seated so they can see what is happening and have good access to support and to the activity. However, there are instances when staff do not always ensure that all students are working hard all of the time. For example, in one lesson where students were comparing large and small, each had to wait too long for their turn to explore the different sized cubes and balls being used.

p.20

Commentary

40. Staff work out well what students have learned in their mathematics lessons and this information is used effectively to set new targets. Each mathematics lesson is planned in relation to these targets and all staff know what each student is expected to achieve. However, the targets set in students’ individual education plans are not always fully evaluated or made use of. There are very good written assessments recorded on students’ work to explain what they have achieved and also the level of support they have received. Subject reports for the annual review meeting are very detailed.

p.20

Commentary

41. There are too few ICT resources and most teachers do not use ICT regularly in their lessons to support teaching and learning. The long term absence of the mathematics co-ordinator has resulted in limited development taking place although other staff have ensured that students’ achievement has not suffered. As such, leadership and management of the subject has been maintained at a satisfactory level.

p.20

Mathematics across the curriculum

42. Numeracy skills are developed well in most subjects, for example, in art and design as students study the shape, form and textures of shells, also in religious education where students count the number of times in the day that Muslims set aside for prayer. Teachers thoughtfully build in tasks to support and develop number work for example, in physical education where the distance from one mat to another is counted out loud.

p.20

SCIENCE

The subject was only timetabled with two classes during the period of the inspection. These were seen together with a range of students’ work and other evidence of students’ achievement.

p.20

SCIENCE

Provision in science is good. Kingsley High School - 21

p.20

Main strengths and weaknesses

• Teachers present activities that are challenging, relevant and well matched to students’ learning needs. The sensory curriculum is exciting for students with profound and multiple learning difficulties. • On occasions, the way parts of lessons are carried out leaves some students waiting overly long for the next activity. • Students of all abilities achieve well and make good progress despite the unsatisfactory accommodation. The lack of a specialist science room detracts from the practical opportunities that are offered to students. • The school evaluates its success in science well and makes changes to improve provision.

p.21

Commentary

43. Students achieve well by the end of Year 9 and Year 11 because of the good teaching. Lessons are well planned and prepared. Teachers are clear what they want students to get out of lessons. An example of very good teaching and learning was seen with profound and multiple learning difficulty students during the inspection. In this lesson, the targets for learning were shared carefully with the students, which also ensured that support assistants were as clear as they could be about the expectations of the lesson. The subsequent sensory experience whereby students focused one by one on a range of natural and artificial light sources was both fun and exciting. For the most part planning, support and resources take account of the diverse learning needs so that every pupil is included. However, on occasions, because of the organisation of the lesson or the smallness of the teaching space, some pupils wait overly long for their turn in

p.21

Commentary

practical activities such as pushing objects to predict which will go the furthest. Support assistants make a considerable contribution to the quality of learning. They model appropriate behaviour and maintain students on task with timely interventions and prompts. They ensure that students in wheelchairs are comfortable and fully included in all activities. Literacy, communications and numeracy skills are reinforced well and at regular intervals. Staff strive hard to overcome the limitations of the accommodation. Space in classrooms is restricted for practical teaching and there is no specialist room.

p.21

Commentary

44. Staff try different ways to improve students’ provision. For a short time recently, science was taught in ability groupings similar to the current provision for English and mathematics. However, this was judged not to be the most effective way in science because the number of class changes was unsettling students. The subject leader has worked with staff from other schools to produce a scheme of work for teachers to follow that will give good cohesiveness to students’ learning both in the school and should they move from one school to another. This is an example of the good leadership and management in the subject that is prepared to try new things and evaluate their effectiveness.

p.21

INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

Lessons were seen with students in all classes apart from those in the Year 7 and 8 class whose lesson was not timetabled during the inspection.

p.21

INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

Provision for information and communication technology (ICT) is satisfactory.

p.21

Main strengths and weaknesses

• Although teaching is satisfactory, it is good when ICT is used appropriately to raise standards and enhance students’ learning. It is very good in Post 16. • Staff training needs are being addressed but many staff still lack confidence in using ICT as an integral part of their lessons. • Pupils with profound and multiple learning difficulties are benefiting widely from sensory teaching of ICT. Teaching in these lessons is very good. Kingsley High School - 22 • Accommodation is unsatisfactory for ICT in the present main buildings.

p.21

Commentary

45. Satisfactory achievement is evident in ICT with students in Years 7 to 11. Pupils with profound and multiple difficulties achieve well due to the ways that the curriculum has been modified to meet their individual needs. Post 16 students achieve very well. They use a broad range of equipment in a number of different subjects such as food technology, music, English and art and design. There are examples of students successfully using the Internet and creating designs using an art software package. They show interest and imagination in their work and achieve satisfactorily. However, the lack of computers and access to specialist facilities limits the range of experiences available to all students. Use of a range of switches is proving effective for those students with more complex needs.

p.22

Commentary

46. Students with more profound and multiple learning difficulties achieve well. Their tasks are stimulating and the level of challenge and expectation from staff is high. The use of sensory technology is very good and individual achievement is much better. However, in some lessons with Year 11 students, results are variable because not all students are fully engaged. Every effort is made to focus their attention, but limited resources mean that some students have to wait too long and lose interest. Overall, teaching and learning are satisfactory with the exception of Post 16 and with profound and multiple learning difficulty students were they are very good.

p.22

Commentary

47. Although equipment and the accommodation for ICT have improved well since the school opened, there is still limited access to enough equipment for most students. Staff training has been a high priority for the school but staff expertise has frequently been lost as temporary staff have moved on to other schools. Teachers are now gaining in confidence. There are plans to further increase the level of staff competency in ICT, and training needs have been identified. Involvement with the RNIB has provided good advice for ICT particularly in highlighting the next steps for improvement. This progress in provision has stemmed from the satisfactory but improving leadership and management of the subject.

p.22

Information and communication technology across the curriculum

48. Satisfactory use of ICT is enriching the curriculum, particularly in art and design. Pupils use computers to design and print pictures to a satisfactory level. Digital cameras are used well in literacy lessons and art and design to record events and capture the joy and anticipation of students’ achievements as they happen. Personal and social education experiences include students’ awareness of where to access equipment such as photocopiers and show appreciation to others who help them make copies. Not every subject is making as much use as they could in ICT to raise standards.

p.22

HUMANITIES

One lesson was seen in history. Geography was not timetabled during the inspection. Judgements were not made in these subjects. Religious education lessons were seen with students in all classes.

p.22

Religious education

Provision for religious education is good.

p.22

Main strengths and weaknesses

• Good planning and organisation of lessons to cover world faiths and religions. • Links across the subjects are enriching the curriculum. • There is a good range of resources, which are regularly used and updated. Kingsley High School - 23

p.22

Commentary

49. Teaching is consistently good and leads to students achieving well. Evidence from lessons and previous work indicates that students’ individual faiths and beliefs are valued and shared appropriately. Students have covered a wide range of topics over the year and work is well balanced to ensure equality and better understanding. Students have become more aware of the importance of self and their place in the world because of consistently good teaching and high expectations. The curriculum is further enriched by educational visits to places of worship and by visitors to school from different faiths. Lessons are taught according to the locally agreed syllabus and encourage a positive self-image and value for others as students learn about world religions.

p.23

Commentary

50. Students in Year 7 and 8 learn about Islamic traditions and experience praying towards Mecca on a prayer mat, if physically possible. They show respect and listen well to stories from a big book about the Koran, looking with interest at a good range of artefacts. Older students with more complex needs show very good awareness of self through a range of sensory experiences that increase their self-esteem. This theme is carried through other lessons and contributes to very good standards of behaviour and moral awareness throughout the school. Good links with a range of other subjects, such as drama and personal and social, health and citizenship education are contributing to improvements in the subject.

p.23

Commentary

51. There is good leadership and management in religious education and effective plans are in place to develop the subject further. Assemblies are well led. They include opportunities for students to share their individual targets and be rewarded for their achievements.

p.23

CREATIVE, AESTHETIC, PRACTICAL AND PHYSICAL SUBJECTS

One lesson was seen in design and technology. Food technology provision was hindered by the use of the specialist room for serving school lunches following on from the fire in the school kitchen. Two lessons were seen in music, which were very good and excellent. One lesson was seen in hydrotherapy and one in physical education, which were good and excellent respectively. Design and technology, music and physical education were not part of the main focus of the inspection. As a result, no judgements were made about these subjects.

p.23

Art and design

Lessons were seen with students in all classes apart from those with profound and multiple learning difficulties whose lesson was not timetabled during the inspection.

p.23

Art and design

Provision in art and design is very good

p.23

Main strengths and weaknesses

• Pupils achieve high standards. • Excellent and exciting specialist teaching. • Pupils thoroughly enjoy their lessons and have fun. • Effective leadership of the subject. • Displays of students’ work in public places enhances their self-esteem very well and the public’s perception of the school’s effectiveness. • Specialist accommodation has little space for display.

p.23

Commentary

52. Achievement in art and design is very good in all years. This is due to detailed planning to meet each student’s individual needs combined with thoughtful specialist teaching. As an example, pupils in Year 8 have learned to say, sign and recognise red, black, white, grey, yellow and blue Kingsley High School - 24 and then use these colours to imaginatively create an excellent large scale representation of Jackson Pollock’s ‘1948’.

p.23

Commentary

53. Lessons in art and design are exciting. Excellent teaching and support from classroom assistants place a great emphasis on students making choices for themselves. Students are welcomed into the art room and their interest is immediately captured. In a Year 9 lesson on screen printing students became enthralled as they picked up the screen, explored its textures and looked through it. They spoke and signed the word for the screen and made choices on the patterns and colours they would use. As the work progressed students were encouraged, questioned and their work assessed. That this was their own individual piece of work was continuously reinforced.

p.24

Commentary

54. Students laugh and smile and really enjoy their work. They work hard and feel secure as the teacher reminds them that ‘We are artists!’ In a Post 16 lesson, students examined and discussed modern sculpture by Henry Moore and others in preparation for their visit to the Tate Gallery. They then handled and described clay sculptures of animals before moving on to create their own sculptures out of clay. The students became excited as they independently organised their boards and tools and cut their blocks of clay. By the end of the lesson one student had created an amazingly detailed and lifelike sculpture of an Asian elephant while another student created a representation of a rally car with a bonnet that opened. Students applauded each other’s work and before leaving the lesson without prompting applauded the teacher and said ‘Thank you’.

p.24

Commentary

55. Art and design is very effectively and enthusiastically led and managed. Students study and experience a broad range of work in art and design and explore the work of artists such as Monet, Van Gogh, Picasso and Marianne North. Very good assessment and recording is made of what students know, understand and can do and this leads to very informative reporting to parents. Students are also involved in the assessment of their work. They have recently worked with an artist in residence, which offered yet another very effective approach in widening their understanding of the subject. Every opportunity is taken to publicly display students’ work such as at local galleries, museums and the nearby teachers’ centre.

p.24

Commentary

56. Although there is a specialist room for the teaching of art and design there is little wall and floor space to display students’ work. There is no facility for the firing of clay because the kiln is defunct. The heavy tables in the art room mean that the furniture cannot be easily re-arranged.

p.24

PERSONAL, SOCIAL AND HEALTH EDUCATION AND CITIZENSHIP

Lessons were seen with all age groups. A variety of other activities were also observed and contributed to the judgements made.

p.24

Main strengths and weaknesses

• There are very good opportunities for learning during the school day supplemented by very good opportunities outside of school. As a result, students achieve very well. • The school council initiative is beginning to support students' development well. • Good quality programmes of work for PSHE and citizenship have been introduced recently. • Very good day-to-day activities permeate the whole school.

p.24

Commentary

57. All staff are very aware of the importance of promoting students’ personal development. Because they understand the students’ needs very well, they are very good at doing this informally in lessons and in other activities. In most activities, students are encouraged to make choices at a level that staff know they will cope with. Feeding programmes at lunchtime are Kingsley High School - 25 effective for those students who need them. Staff ensure that students are encouraged to do as much as possible for themselves. Each student has a target for personal development on his or her IEP. A strong emphasis is placed on helping them achieve it. Some targets are too vague to show the quality of progress that students make. This is an issue for evaluating progress for those students but does not inhibit the very good quality of staff support. Very good teaching and support promotes the development of social and self-help skills very well. For example, in a Post

p.24

Commentary

16 music lesson, students were totally at ease waiting their turn to sing a duet with the teacher. They were keen to volunteer to join in a different parts of the lesson and extremely supportive of each other in their performances. The contribution of personal, social and health education and citizenship as subjects on the timetable are beginning to contribute well to students overall personal development.

p.25

Commentary

58. The school has begun to run a successful school council where students’ views are taken very seriously. The initial stages of introducing the school council were supported very well by a local secondary school. The school is rightly targeting their council members’ communication skills in order to improve the council’s effectiveness.

p.25

Commentary

59. The school uses a commercial package to track students’ progress. Because this has been in place for only a short time, insufficient information is available yet to allow staff to analyse strengths and weaknesses across the school and adapt the programme as necessary. This is planned for. Good leadership and management of the subject are ensuring that the teaching of PSHE as a subject links seamlessly with the school’s day-to-day support for the students’ personal development. This works very well.

p.25

Commentary

60. By Post 16, students work very well on their courses that lead to nationally recognised certificates in daily living skills, leisure and recreation, citizenship, careers education and guidance, work related learning and PSHE as a specific unit of work. Kingsley High School - 26

p.25

PART D: SUMMARY OF THE MAIN INSPECTION JUDGEMENTS

The overall effectiveness of the school 3 How inclusive the school is 2 How the school’s effectiveness has changed since its last inspection N/A Value for money provided by the school 3

p.26

PART D: SUMMARY OF THE MAIN INSPECTION JUDGEMENTS

Overall standards achieved 3 Students’ achievement 3

p.26

PART D: SUMMARY OF THE MAIN INSPECTION JUDGEMENTS

Students’ attitudes, values and other personal qualities 2 Attendance 3 Attitudes 2 Behaviour, including the extent of exclusions 2 Students’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development 2

p.26

PART D: SUMMARY OF THE MAIN INSPECTION JUDGEMENTS

The quality of education provided by the school 3 The quality of teaching 3 How well students learn 3 The quality of assessment 3 How well the curriculum meets students’ needs 3 Enrichment of the curriculum, including out-of-school activities 2 Accommodation and resources 5 Students’ care, welfare, health and safety 3 Support, advice and guidance for students 2 How well the school seeks and acts on students’ views 2 The effectiveness of the school’s links with parents 3 The quality of the school’s links with the community 3 The school’s links with other schools and colleges 2

p.26

PART D: SUMMARY OF THE MAIN INSPECTION JUDGEMENTS

The leadership and management of the school 2 The governance of the school 3 The leadership of the headteacher 1 The leadership of other key staff 3 The effectiveness of management 2

p.26

PART D: SUMMARY OF THE MAIN INSPECTION JUDGEMENTS

Inspectors make judgements on a scale: excellent (grade 1); very good (2); good (3); satisfactory (4); unsatisfactory (5); poor (6); very poor (7). Kingsley High School - 27 * In a special school such as this, ‘standards achieved’ are judged in relation to students’ individual targets and not in relation to national standards.

p.26