College Park School

College Park School

Dates of inspection: 1 st November 2004 to 4 th November 2004

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College Park School

Inspection carried out under section 10 of the School Inspections Act 1996 College Park 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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College Park 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. College Park School - 3

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Type of school: Special School category: Community special Age range of pupils: 5-16 Gender of pupils: Mixed Number on roll: 78

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

School address: Garway Road London Postcode: W2 4PH

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Telephone number: 020 7641 4460 Fax number: 020 7641 5731

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Appropriate authority: Local Education Authority Name of chair of governors: Ms Kathryn Hoskins

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Date of previous inspection: 02 Nov 1998

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CHARACTERISTICS OF THE SCHOOL

College Park is a day school for boys and girls of primary and secondary age with statements of special educational need for a wide range of difficulties. These include speech and language, emotional and behavioural (EBD), moderate (MLD) and severe learning difficulties (SLD) and autistic spectrum disorders (ASD). Many of the pupils also have specific learning difficulties and English is not the first language of 43 of the present population. Pupils come from a wide range of ethnic backgrounds and 14 pupils are either refugees or asylum seekers. Pupils live either in the Borough of Westminster or the surrounding boroughs and many have lengthy journeys to school.

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CHARACTERISTICS OF THE SCHOOL

The school was the subject of an Ofsted inspection in 1999 but as a result of a number of factors, including staff changes, the school instigated its own external inspection in November 2002. This inspection found the school to be providing an unsatisfactory level of education for its pupils. Since the inspection of 2002 there have been a number of staff changes and new appointments. The present headteacher was appointed to her post in September 2002.

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CHARACTERISTICS OF THE SCHOOL

Although the school is situated in a residential area close to a main shopping area, this locality does not reflect the low socio-economic areas that many of the pupils come from. The school received the Healthy Schools Award in 2003 and is part of the Excellence in Cities project. College Park School - 4

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Members of the inspection team Subject responsibilities

21081 Charles Hackett Lead inspector Physical education, modern foreign language 9173 Sarah McDermott Lay inspector 14691 Jenny Hall Team inspector Science, art and design, music 29452 Christine Emerson Team inspector English, personal, social and health education and citizenship (PSHCE) 28106 Michelle Majid Team inspector Information and communication technology, religious education, history, geography 31914 Colette Gribble Team inspector Mathematics, design and technology 17848 Tina Clark Team inspector EAL provision

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Members of the inspection team Subject responsibilities

Altecq Inspections Ltd 102 Bath Road Cheltenham GL53 7JX

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Members of the inspection team Subject responsibilities

Any concerns or complaints about the inspection or the report should be made initially to the inspection 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.ofsted.gov.uk). College Park School - 5

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STANDARDS ACHIEVED BY PUPILS 8

Standards achieved in areas of learning, subjects and courses

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STANDARDS ACHIEVED BY PUPILS 8

Pupils’ attitudes, values and other personal qualities

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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

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OVERALL EVALUATION

College Park provides an outstanding quality of education for its pupils. Its inspirational headteacher and her very capable deputy ensure that teaching standards are very good and procedures for the care of pupils are excellent. Pupils make very good and in many cases excellent progress and the school provides excellent value for money.

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Main strengths and weaknesses

• The headteacher and her senior colleagues have very high aspirations for what they want the school to achieve. • Pupils make very good or excellent progress, irrespective of their special educational needs or whether English is their first language. • Excellent support, guidance and links with other agencies ensure that pupils receive very high quality support. • There are excellent additional curriculum activities and pupils benefit greatly from a fully integrated range of therapies. • Staff work very effectively together as a team. • Pupils’ personal development is excellent and this contributes to pupils becoming very independent and confident young people.

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Main strengths and weaknesses

Improvement since the previous inspection has been very good. The quality of leadership and management has improved greatly and this has had a very positive impact in improving teaching and learning, the curriculum, assessment and many other aspects of the school’s work. The school development plan shows clearly that the school is forward looking and seeking to play an important part in meeting the special needs of pupils throughout the borough.

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STANDARDS ACHIEVED

Pupils’ achievement at the end of: in relation to individual targets in: Subjects of the curriculum personal and social education Year 6 Very good Excellent Year 11 Very good Excellent Inspectors make judgements in the range: excellent; very good; good; satisfactory; unsatisfactory; poor; very poor

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STANDARDS ACHIEVED

Pupils irrespective of their special educational needs make very good or excellent progress in their time in the school. Progress is excellent in personal, social, health and citizenship education (PSHCE) and very good in English, mathematics, science and religious education. Primary pupils in the class for those with the most complex needs make excellent progress. School data using a national scheme (PIVATs) shows the very good rate of progress that pupils have made and this is reflected in the examination successes of pupils in Year 11. Progress in reading is excellent. The progress of pupils for whom English is an additional language (EAL) is rapid and so effective that these pupils quickly become fully integrated members of their class groups. Progress in information communication technology (ICT) is good because of the opportunities pupils have to practice their skills in many subjects. Pupils’ personal development is excellent . Their spiritual, moral, cultural

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STANDARDS ACHIEVED

and social development is carefully nurtured and as a result they improve their attitudes and behaviour. Pupils’ attendance is very good and above the national average for schools of this type.

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QUALITY OF EDUCATION

College Park School - 7 The quality of education in the school is outstanding . All staff are committed to ensuring that pupils achieve as well as possible. The overall quality of teaching and learning is very good and, in the class for primary pupils with more complex needs, excellent. Teachers are very thorough in their planning of lessons and ensure that they match their knowledge of pupils’ previous learning with what they want pupils to learn. Work in lessons is carefully linked to pupils’ individual learning targets. The systems to check and record pupils’ progress are very good. Classroom assistants have been re-designated as associate teachers and they work very effectively with their teaching colleagues. Staff seek to make learning exciting by using a range of approaches, including very good use of ICT. The curriculum is very good. It meets all national curriculum requirements and the additional activities provided are outstanding. These contribute greatly to pupils’ personal as well as

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QUALITY OF EDUCATION

academic development. Excellent links with therapies such as speech and language, physiotherapy and reflexology complement work in lessons very well. Good progress has been made in developing work related learning and the plans to extend this during the current year are very appropriate. The quality of care and support provided by staff is excellent. They monitor pupils’ progress carefully and go to great lengths to support as much as possible. These arrangements include very effective links with other agencies. Staff make the very best use they can of what is an unsatisfactory building. The accommodation restricts what staff can offer in subjects such as physical education and design and technology. The school has a good range of resources. Links with parents are very good because of the great efforts made by the school to ensure that parents are aware of and involved in their children’s learning. Links with the community are also very good and these are used effectively to

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QUALITY OF EDUCATION

support the work of the school. Links with other schools are good and being developed very well by the deputy headteacher.

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LEADERSHIP AND MANAGEMENT

The leadership and management of the school are very good . The headteacher is an excellent leader and since her appointment she has striven to drive up the standards in the school. Her ambition and vision has contributed greatly to the outstanding quality of education the school now provides. She is very well supported by her exceptional deputy and other senior colleagues. The leadership and management of subjects are very good. Governors are very committed and supportive of the school. They have rigorous systems to monitor its performance and ensure that all statutory requirements are being met.

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PARENTS’ AND PUPILS’ VIEWS

Parents are very positive about the way the school has helped their children. This is exemplified by the trust that Muslim mothers have in allowing their daughters to take part in the school’s residential experiences. Pupils themselves express their appreciation of the school. It is clear from the faces and reactions of the youngest pupils how much they enjoy being at school. Older pupils state clearly their appreciation of what the school has been able to do to help them.

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Improvements needed:

This outstanding school could offer even more if its accommodation was improved. Governors and senior staff should continue their work with the local education authority to resolve the unsatisfactory elements of the school’s accommodation. College Park School - 8

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Standards achieved in subjects and courses

Pupils’ achievement and progress are very good and for many excellent.

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Main strengths and weaknesses

• Pupils make very good progress in English, maths, science, religious education and personal, social, health and citizenship education (PSHCE). • All pupils in the primary group for pupils with more complex needs make excellent progress. • Pupils for whom English is not their first language make rapid progress because of the highly effective support they receive. • Progress in information communication technology (ICT) is good because all staff give pupils opportunities to develop and practice their skills.

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Commentary

1. The school is very ambitious for its pupils to achieve well. Its motto of ‘high challenge - high support’ demonstrates this. Older pupils with moderate learning difficulties are now achieving so well they are able to pass examinations, including GCSE mathematics and art. EBD and ASD pupils are engaging well in lessons and thus making very good progress. These pupils integrate well with their peers, taking a full part in activities. Although pupils with severe learning difficulties make smaller gains this is understandable and many make excellent progress. Pupils with speech and language difficulties benefit greatly from the excellent links with speech therapists and make excellent progress with their communication skills.

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Commentary

2. Good use is made of the national assessment programme (PIVATs) to show the progress that all pupils have made in aspects of English, maths and science. School analysis of the data shows that pupils no matter what their special educational need or their ethnic backgrounds make the same very good progress. The school has produced graphs that show the rates of progress of individual pupils at different times in their school careers. These show the very good or excellent progress pupils have made and demonstrate very high ‘value added’ achievements. For example, many current Year 11 pupils who had considerable difficulties with English when they joined the school are this year entered to take English GCSE. At the other end of the spectrum, pupils, such as a pupil in Year 2 with no verbal skills, are making rapid progress in developing their ability to sign as a means of communicating with peers and staff.

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Commentary

3. This school is highly effective in supporting the many pupils it has for whom English is not their first language. Records show that these pupils make rapid progress in developing their communication skills and extending their vocabularies. It is a result of this that they are able to join their peers in all lessons and activities. Discussions with them show that they have become confident members of the school community. The achievement of pupils in the primary group for pupils with more severe learning difficulties is excellent. These pupils, who include all the pupils in Years 1 and 2 in the school, make very rapid progress in developing their communication skills because of the highly effective teaching methods used by the teacher.

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Commentary

4. Overall progress in individual subjects, with the exception of information and communication technology (ICT), is very good. In English pupils in Year 11 are confident in both speaking and listening and their written work shows very good improvement. The inclusion of the poems of pupils from throughout the school in a recently published book demonstrates the very high quality of their work. Examination successes in mathematics illustrate the high level of progress pupils have made in the subject and these achievements are also likely to be repeated in science this year because Year 11 pupils achieved grades as high as D in the GCSE course modules they undertook last year. College Park School - 9 5. Pupils’ good progress in ICT reflects the work of all staff to develop and extend pupils’ skills and the very effective use of ICT made by staff themselves in their teaching. The temporary staff teaching ICT are striving to cover all the required elements of the subject. For example, a

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Commentary

Year 9 lesson showed how careful planning is seeking to extend pupils’ ability to use technology to issue directions to a mini robot (Roma). However, the current lack of a learning manager for the subject means that there is not a consistent overview of how pupils are achieving as they move through the school.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and other personal qualities

The attitudes and the behaviour of pupils are very good . Their personal development, including spiritual, social, moral and cultural aspects, is also very good . Attendance levels are very good and punctuality is good .

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Main strengths and weaknesses

• Pupils thoroughly enjoy their learning and make the most of the stimulating activities on offer. • The relationships between pupils from many different backgrounds and with differing special needs are very harmonious. • Pupils are mature, sensible and behave very well in and out of lessons. • A wealth of opportunities is provided to promote pupils’ personal development. • The school has worked very effectively to increase attendance levels to well above the average for similar schools.

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Commentary

6. Pupils have very positive attitudes to school life. College Park is a very welcoming and stimulating place where pupils feel enthusiastic about their learning. In lessons pupils know what they must do to improve and work very well to achieve their targets. Good work is always celebrated, so pupils strive to do their best and are extremely proud when their efforts are recognised. Pupils respond very well to the impressive range of school clubs and the extensive range of outings and visitors organised to enliven their education.

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Commentary

7. All pupils get on with each other extremely well. Pupils respect each others’ needs as they learn and socialise together. As the school admits more pupils with complex special needs the established pupils are extremely tolerant of any inappropriate behaviour or activities of the newcomers. Pupils with many different languages and of different religions are on friendly terms and enjoy finding out more about their peers’ home countries and ways of life. The school has zero tolerance of any racism. The reasons for the two recent fixed term exclusions for racist comments are clearly understood by the excluded pupils and the rest of the school.

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White – British 14 White – Irish 1 College Park School - 10 White – any other White background 7 Mixed – White and Black Caribbean 5 1 Mixed – White and Black African 1 Mixed – White and Asian 4 Asian or Asian British – Indian 1 Asian or Asian British – Pakistani 1 Asian or Asian British – Bangladeshi 14 Black or Black British – Caribbean 2 Black or Black British – African 3 Any other ethnic group 22 1 No ethnic group recorded 3 The table gives the number of exclusions, which may be different from the number of pupils excluded.

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8. Pupils behave very well, particularly taking into account that a significant number attend the school because they have emotional and behavioural problems. All pupils move around the school very sensibly. Even if the start of assembly is delayed or they have to wait for lunch, pupils are quiet and patient. Pupils conform very well to the school code, because the rules are simple, understandable and the pupils feel they have ownership of them. Bullying is not a problem. If name calling occurs it is dealt with swiftly and effectively by the staff before it escalates into anything more serious. The attitudes and behaviour of the pupils have improved well since the last inspection.

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9. The school is very successful in cultivating responsible and confident pupils. This aspect of pupils’ personal development has improved significantly since the last inspection. The promotion of spiritual development is very strong. Pupils grow in self esteem and confidence and show belief in their inner selves. They respond very well to the many opportunities to reflect and learn to appreciate beauty in nature and the joy of success. In lessons and activities it is very evident that pupils have respect for people, property and the environment. The development of their social awareness is outstanding. Knowing that many pupils come from impoverished and isolated home lives, the school goes out of its way to provide an extremely comprehensive raft of experiences in school and out.

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10. Pupils’ moral and cultural development are both integral elements of the school’s work. Pupils are taught from an early stage and in ways entirely appropriate to their understanding of the difference between right and wrong. Very soon pupils grow in self discipline and are able to make a reasoned choice as to how they behave. The school makes the most of the bounty of different ethnic origins within the school to extend appreciation of cultural traditions. Aesthetically the school provides wonderful opportunities for the pupils to encounter the best in art, music, theatre and cuisine.

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11. There has been an impressive improvement in attendance levels since the last inspection. The headteacher and her staff make it very clear to parents that their children will not achieve well unless they attend school regularly. Consequently the number of absences for holidays has fallen significantly and parents are less likely to keep their children off school for slight reasons. Registration is very effective and the school is very careful to follow up unexplained absences. Punctuality has improved since the last inspection and is now good. The older pupils who travel independently arrive on time because they know that expectations of punctuality are high.

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QUALITY OF EDUCATION PROVIDED BY THE SCHOOL

College Park School - 11 Despite being housed in an unsatisfactory building the school provides an outstanding quality of education for its pupils. Very high quality teaching , a very good curriculum and excellent enrichment opportunities, coupled with exceptional support and guidance ensure that all pupils achieve very well and many make excellent progress. Welfare procedures such as health and safety are very good , as are links with parents and the community. Links with other schools are good and being extended.

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Teaching and learning

Teaching and learning are very good . Assessment and its use are also very good.

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Main strengths and weaknesses

• Teaching is very effective at meeting the different special needs of the pupils. • Pupils for whom English is not their first language are taught very well and as a result make very good progress. • Very high quality planning of work is linked well to pupils’ individual learning targets. • Staff create very effective learning environments in their classrooms. • Associate teachers support the work of their teaching colleagues very effectively. • Teachers and associate teachers are consistently seeking to develop their skills.

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Commentary

Summary of teaching observed during the inspection in 50 lessons

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Commentary

Excellent Very good Good Satisfactor y Unsatisfactor y Poor Very Poor

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Commentary

6 (12%) 21 (42%) 18 (36%) 5 (10%) 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.

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Commentary

12. The school has adapted its teaching strategies very well to meet the different special educational needs of its school population. For example, those pupils with speech and language problems are supported by teaching strategies that include the very good use of signing (Makaton) and excellent close liaison between speech and language therapists and teachers. EBD pupils make very good progress because of the systems and approaches used to engage them in learning. Teaching approaches are different for pupils with moderate learning difficulties and often involve good opportunities to practice and consolidate previous skills and knowledge. Because this proves to be effective these pupils, who are mainly in the secondary part of the school, are able to achieve success in examinations. There is a consistently very high standard of teaching in all subject areas, although the specific teaching of ICT is currently not quite as effective because of the need to use new temporary staff to

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Commentary

cover the long term absence of the learning manager.

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Commentary

13. Teaching and learning for pupils for whom English is an addition language (EAL) are highly effective. Records show that many pupils join the school with poor communication skills in English. Through targeted, clear and progressive support these pupils rapidly develop their English and communication skills and become fully integrated with their peers. Very high quality teaching in individual support sessions contributes to this. The four EAL pupils in the primary class for pupils with more complex learning needs all make excellent progress because of the excellent teaching that uses a whole range of approaches to successfully enable pupils to learn at an accelerated rate. College Park School - 12 14. Teachers show considerable attention to detail when planning their lessons. These plans reflect the long term plans for what will be covered in each subject, as well as linking closely to the Individual Learning Plan of each pupil. Teachers make very good use of the information

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Commentary

they have on pupils’ achievements and set weekly targets for each pupil based on this information. These targets are then linked in very well to what is taught in individual lessons.

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Commentary

15. One of the many strengths of the school is the teamwork that is generated between teachers and associate teachers. Associate teachers, known previously as classroom assistants, have been given status and value through the recognition of their efforts by the senior management team. They work on equal terms with their teachers and often take individual or groups of pupils for all or parts of lessons. They are fully involved in the planning and evaluations of individual lessons and the monitoring of the progress of individual pupils. An example of their effectiveness is in Year 11 English, where the class works in two sub groups, one taken by the teacher working on GCSE coursework whilst the other is taken by an associate teacher working towards Entry Level certificates.

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Commentary

16. Each classroom presents itself as a positive learning environment for pupils. Very careful attention has been given to displays. Teachers seek to make the lessons interesting through the variety of activities that they plan and often this involves the use of ICT. For example, a very good mini enterprise lesson for Year 10 made effective use of an interactive whiteboard to discuss the structures of small businesses and this was then followed by a short DVD clip which gave pupils examples of similar schemes in other schools. Adults use lots of praise to support pupils and challenge them through good use of questioning. These are deliberately aimed at getting pupils to think through situations and make suggestion for solutions.

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Commentary

17. Teachers and associates teachers have worked very hard to develop their expertise. This has been particularly so since the report of 2002, when teaching and learning were regarded as unsatisfactory. The improvement since that time has been outstanding. However, teachers are constantly seeking to upgrade their skills. For example, teachers are now seeking to further develop their skills and knowledge of strategies regarded nationally as being appropriate for working with ASD pupils.

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Commentary

18. The assessment of pupils’ work is very good. Thorough assessment records demonstrate clearly that pupils are achieving very well from year to year. Very effective use of assessment information helps teachers to keep pupils’ Individual Learning Plans up to date and relevant. Good use is made of circle time in the primary department, and tutorials in the secondary department, to enable pupils to discuss their progress in meeting individual targets. Pupils in all classes are highly motivated by the `Student of the Month Award’. This is an award for consistently good work and effort. The assessment of pupils’ personal and social development is not as well developed as in other subjects, but a pilot scheme in Year 6 is underway.

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The curriculum

The curriculum is very good with excellent opportunities for enrichment. Although resources are good the accommodation is unsatisfactory .

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Main strengths and weaknesses

• The curriculum is extremely well organised and incorporates carefully planned new initiatives. • There is very good support for pupils whose first language is not English. • The school is adapting the curriculum very well for pupils with more complex needs. • An excellent range of interesting and highly motivating activities add to the work covered in lessons. • There is a very appropriate range of opportunities to take examinations so that all pupils leave school with nationally recognised qualifications. • Despite the best efforts of staff the accommodation restricts pupils’ opportunities in practical subjects. College Park School - 13

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Commentary

19. All subjects are properly covered in the curriculum and as pupils move up the school the work set for them links very well to what they have learnt previously. There is a very good programme of activities in place to promote pupils’ personal and social development and a clear emphasis in all lessons on developing pupils’ skills in literacy and numeracy ensures that they achieve very well in acquiring key skills. The school is very effective at developing new materials to maximise pupils’ achievements. For example, a pilot course in European Studies has been introduced so that pupils who were struggling with learning languages such as French will gain a real understanding of life in other European countries.

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Commentary

20. Learning managers are very skilled at adapting their planning so that they meet the wide range of special educational needs presented by the pupils. An example of this is in PSHCE where secondary aged pupils have recently started using materials which were developed for use in mainstream schools. The materials have been simplified and are supported with practical activities and videos that the pupils understand. Consequently, pupils are very enthusiastic about their work and are able to tackle important issues such as how to cope with stress

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Commentary

21. The school is very effective at providing activities which meet the particular needs of pupils whose first language is not English so that they are fully included in all lessons. These include pupils following individual programmes and a variety of approaches to encourage pupils to extend their vocabularies. The school offers a variety of additional therapies such as music therapy and reflexology. These add greatly to the curriculum offered. A small class has been established for primary aged pupils with more complex needs. The curriculum is based around a focus of developing the pupils’ communication and personal and social skills. Because activities are very stimulating and accurately matched individual needs the pupils are highly motivated and make excellent progress.

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Commentary

22. The school makes extremely good use of the many facilities available in London to provide an exceptional range of exciting and interesting activities. Pupils have exhilarating opportunities to participate in musical workshops and attend concerts with musicians of international renown. For example, members of the London Philharmonic Orchestra visited the school and worked with a selection of pupils of all ages. The pupils then attended a concert where the orchestra played at the Royal Festival Hall. The school keeps excellent pictorial and written records of all visits and activities and in the record of the concert, pupils have said that they felt ’happy’, ‘excited’, ‘loved it’ and ’liked it all’. The many opportunities for pupils to experience the arts and theatre are of an equally high quality. Recent activities include a four week project with the Serpentine Gallery about looking at the world in different ways. The pupils worked with artists

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Commentary

and then had the opportunity to exhibit their work at the gallery. A few secondary aged pupils have sung in the chorus with pupils from mainstream schools at a performance of ‘Carmen’. This activity, which was organised by the English Pocket Opera, gave pupils the opportunity to perform at the Peacock Theatre. Other pupils helped to make the scenery or work the lighting. Last year, pupils in Year 9 participated in a production of Peter Pan. After the performance one pupil wrote ‘One of the best things I have done at school – everybody worked together as a team’.

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Commentary

23. Pupils at the school have good opportunities to work alongside pupils from mainstream schools through participating in activities in the community and through a developing number of school links. Years 10 and 11 learn about how business operates through a Young Enterprise scheme. All Year 11 pupils spend a day a week at local colleges where they follow a range of interesting and relevant courses. The good range of accreditation offered includes GCSE Foundation Level, Entry Level, NVQ Level 1 and specialist qualifications, such as the Certificate in Sports Leadership and these mean that all pupils leave school with nationally recognised awards. The curriculum promotes pupils’ cultural and multi-cultural development very well. There has been very good improvement since the last inspection when the curriculum was judged to be satisfactory overall. College Park School - 14 24. The school takes a very active part in the Special Olympics programme and pupils have

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Commentary

achieved considerable success, with one pupil reaching the National Championships. Pupils thoroughly enjoy the links which have been developed with London football clubs such as Arsenal and Queens Park Rangers. Pupils are encouraged to enter their work in educational competitions. The success they achieve has a huge impact in developing self esteem, with pupils winning substantial monetary prizes for their art work. Carefully planned ‘Theme Weeks’ and ‘Activity Weeks’ enable pupils to have rich experiences and explore important issues such as bullying in depth. The curriculum is further enhanced by residential visits and a lively range of lunchtime and after school clubs.

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Commentary

25. Teachers are very well qualified and experienced to teach the curriculum. The match of support staff to the curriculum is excellent. There is a good range of resources in the school. The accommodation is unsatisfactory. The facilities for art and design and technology are combined and the ICT suite is shared with another area of the curriculum. The classrooms are too small for their purpose, except for the classroom for the youngest pupils, which has been extended and provides a bright and effective learning environment. The outside area is inadequate. However, the site, both inside and out, is kept immaculately clean and very well maintained by the premises manager.

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Care, guidance and support

The care, welfare, health and safety of the pupils are very good. The provision of support, advice and guidance is excellent. Pupils are very well involved in the work and development of the school.

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Main strengths and weaknesses

• The school is extremely proactive and successful in finding the right support for each individual pupil. • The pupils feel very well looked after and have very high levels of trust in the staff. • Pupils who have special needs relating to their behaviour are given good support to improve. • Pupils play a very important part in the life of the school and their views are highly valued.

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Commentary

26. The practical care and welfare of the pupils are very good. The site is extremely secure. First aid is good and since the last inspection the school has set up a medical room. However, it is in an isolated position and, despite the use of close circuit television, is not easy to access quickly in an emergency. Senior managers and the site manager keep a close eye on potential hazards and move very quickly to remedy any potential problems. Fire practices are carried out regularly. Child protection systems are very well embedded and all staff are comprehensively trained. The headteacher takes child protection very seriously, particularly as many pupils come from difficult home backgrounds. As new pupils arrive the school ensures that risks are assessed for each particular pupil and that the school is well prepared to provide a safe place for each child.

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Commentary

27. The detailed guidance given to each individual pupil is excellent. From the time the pupil is admitted the school makes a point of finding all it needs to know about the pupil so it can give the best possible support. Families appreciate the close ties the school keeps up with them for their children’s well being. Very thorough academic assessment systems mean the school can match work very carefully to individual need. If new pupils arrive with special needs not encountered previously the school very quickly gets to grips with the necessary training to be able to offer appropriate support. The school maintains very productive links with a wide range of outside agencies to complement the care of its pupils. Therapies are used very effectively to help pupils improve their learning and concentration.

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Commentary

28. Pupils feel very safe when at school. They report that they all have members of staff in whom they can confide, because they know that adults in the school have their best interests at heart. College Park School - 15 For many pupils school can represent a haven away from the traumas of life outside of school. The ethos of trust ensures that pupils are confident and at ease in their learning.

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Commentary

29. Behaviour management systems are good and well matched to the needs of pupils who find conforming difficult. Pupils appreciate the report booklets which help them track their improvement in behaviour. The school has high expectations of good behaviour and does not readily find excuses for inappropriate actions. A minor drawback is the lack of a quiet room which can be used to isolate pupils from their class without excluding them from school. However, fixed term exclusions, which are rarely used, are short, sharp and used very effectively to give a clear message on misbehaviour which will not be tolerated.

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Commentary

30. Pupils play a very valuable part in the life of the school. Representatives on the school council are very good ambassadors for their school. They make sensible decisions, such as how to counteract any bullying, for the good of their community. The involvement of pupils in helping to select new members of staff is impressive. The staff are very willing to listen to the views of the pupils, whether on general school issues or on a more personal level. Pupils are extremely well included in charting their own learning by negotiating their improvement targets, commenting on progress in their annual reports and attending their annual reviews. Pupils feel very valued and so try hard for their school.

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Partnership with parents, other schools and the community

The partnership the school has with parents is very good . Community links are very good and links with other schools and colleges are good.

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Main strengths and weaknesses

• The school uses a variety of innovative and appropriate ways to ensure that parents are kept very well informed about school life and their children’s progress. • There are many barriers which prevent parents from becoming more fully involved in their children’s learning. • The school is very outward looking and grasps every opportunity to extend pupils’ experiences beyond school. • Good groundwork is being done in setting up productive links with other schools to widen the curriculum and share professional expertise.

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Commentary

31. The school has very good and much improved links with parents because of the concerted effort all the staff put in to maintain open lines of communication with homes. There are many barriers to prevent a significant number of parents from being able to support their children’s learning effectively from home. Over half the pupils have parents who do not speak English, many parents themselves have struggled with education in the past and some families come from cultures where close ties with their children’s schools are not accepted practice. In addition the majority of pupils are brought to school in local authority buses, so there is little daily contact between parents and school. However, the school is not defeated by these obstacles and is constantly thinking of ways to improve the home- school relationship.

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Commentary

32. The home- school liaison officer is a major contributor to this success. She paves the way for families of new pupils to grow in trust and confidence in the school. The school keeps parents well informed about school life and their children’s progress through the traditional channels of newsletters and reports. However, realising that many parents either do not read English or pay insufficient attention to official letters, the school is particularly successful in encouraging parents into school to learn more about their children’s education. The recent meeting to discuss the pupils’ targets for improvement was extremely well attended. Home visits are offered whenever it is felt these would benefit the support of the pupil. Teachers use translators very effectively to ease communication with those families who do not speak English. For many College Park School - 16 parents their children’s school is where they turn not only for educational guidance but also for

p.15

Commentary

domestic and social support. By being very responsive to the families’ needs, the school is gradually involving parents more effectively in their children’s learning.

p.16

Commentary

33. The school is always on the look out for appropriate ways to extend pupils’ experiences out in the community. The pupils are not over protected within the confines of the school, but are taken out and about as much as possible. The school is particularly good at capitalising on its location in London for art, culture and sports opportunities. As the school maintains very good links with a wide range of outside support agencies, it is able to mobilise quickly specialist support for individual pupils. Despite having many needy pupils itself, the school still encourages the pupils to fund raise for local charities in the neighbourhood. The school is an active member of a wide range of local and national initiatives, which provide welcome funds for the school budget and exciting opportunities for the pupils. Community links are stronger than at the last inspection.

p.16

Commentary

34. The school is working effectively to extend links with other schools and colleges. Of particular note is the enthusiastic start of the ambitious outreach programme. Already the school staff are providing expertise to primary and secondary schools to support pupils with special need. Pupils have good chances to integrate into mainstream schools, but the tracking of their progress and achievement is limited at present. Joint work with a good range of schools benefits many subjects of the curriculum and boosts professional development. The school is making a well earned name for itself in the educational world by offering valuable services to their mainstream colleagues.

p.16

LEADERSHIP AND MANAGEMENT

Leadership of the school is excellent and its management is very good . The work of the governors is very good .

p.16

Main strengths and weaknesses

• The headteacher is providing exceptional inspiration and motivation to all staff who are responding well to this to raise pupils’ achievements. • Senior managers are excellent role models for other staff and pupils. • New appointments and increased training opportunities have raised the quality of education significantly. • Governors are very good supporters of school policies and priorities and are moving the school forward very successfully. • A review of the school’s strengths and weaknesses has been used very effectively to agree whole school improvements. • Finance is creatively and effectively managed to ensure that pupils benefit from current and future spending.

p.16

Commentary

35. The headteacher has been instrumental in improving staff morale and developing their expertise superbly well. In the relatively short time she has been in post her exceptional leadership skills have brought about a transformation in the quality of education the school is able to provide. Her appointment of key staff has been very crucial to these improvements. Working closely with the excellent deputy headteacher she has inspired staff to put pupils’ achievement at the forefront of their work. It is as a result of this outstanding leadership that pupils are making such impressive progress.

p.16

Commentary

36. All three members of the senior management team are extremely effective role models and well respected by the staff. They have established very effective management systems in the school. As a result all staff feel well supported and are committed to do the best they can for pupils. The school is a very harmonious environment, where everyone feels valued and works College Park School - 17 exceptionally hard. Pupils report how much they respect staff for the education they are providing them with.

p.16

Commentary

37. In managing improvements to the quality of education the headteacher has set her expectations extremely high and has closely monitored the planning of staff and pupils’ achievements. When necessary the headteacher has not been afraid to make difficult decisions. However, these have all had a very positive impact on the quality of education the school is providing with several new staff, such as the teacher with responsibility for the primary complex needs group, proving to be extremely high quality teachers. Subject leaders, known as learning managers carry out their work very well and are ensuring that the teaching and learning in their subjects are being adapted appropriately to meet the changing special needs of the pupils now being admitted.

p.17

Commentary

38. Governors support the headteacher fully. They are invaluable ‘critical friends’ of the school and are committed to performing their statutory duties very well. They have fully supported the headteacher in her initial evaluation of the school and in her efforts since to bring about improvements. They subscribe to the school’s inclusive policy and have supported the development of links with the community.

p.17

Commentary

39. Having inherited a budget overspend in the previous financial year (2002-2003), the headteacher and governors have improved financial planning considerably. Money is well linked to school priorities, which in turn are linked to how each subject is being developed. Expenditure is targeted at extending pupils ’ experiences and their achievements. Best value is sought at all times. Although the outstanding money from the last financial year is high, the governors and headteacher have made good use of this revenue to meet extra staffing costs and commit a large amount of money for the development of ICT facilities

p.17

Financial information for the year April 2003 to March 2004

Income and expenditure (£) Balances (£) Total income 943608 Balance from previous year (53358) Total expenditure 826443 Balance carried forward to the ne 117165 Expenditure per pupil 10,203

p.17

WORK RELATED LEARNING

Provision for work related learning is good .

p.17

Main strengths and weaknesses

• Pupils take part in a very good project developing their understanding of the principles of running a business. • The emphasis the school puts on learning opportunities out of school greatly enhances pupils’ knowledge of the world of work. • College courses give pupils a chance to gain skills in a range of trades. • Pupils have not had the opportunity to undertake work experience placements but plans to introduce these this year are very appropriate.

p.17

Commentary

40. During the current academic year pupils are engaged in a similar project to that which took place last year based on a Young Enterprise scheme. This involves pupils setting up their own College Park School - 18 mini enterprise scheme which is aimed at providing a service to others and seeking to make a profit. Through their involvement pupils understand what is meant by terms such as stock, overheads, profit and marketing. Pupils’ gain a great deal from their involvement and last year’s project which produced greeting cards generated a profit of £78.00 which the school is donating to a charity.

p.17

Commentary

41. The appointment of a student experiences co-ordinator has given prominence to pupils gaining work related skills. A project planned for this year linked with the BBC will enhance these. Pupils will consider aspects such as social etiquette, career enhancing behaviour and essential basics, such as grooming for work. Lessons in citizenship education support this initiative very well and visitors from the community provide pupils with valuable insights into other aspects of working life. For example, a recent visitor was a shop keeper from Iran who had arrived in this country as a refugee. He gave pupils, many of whom have English as an additional language, an insight into how he had overcome severe difficulties to become a successful businessman.

p.18

Commentary

42. All pupils in Year 11 benefit from attending college courses. Discussing these with pupils shows how much they enjoy and appreciate these opportunities. Courses include motor mechanics, beauty and care and an introduction to sports management. The college co-ordinators report that the pupils are reliable and willing to co-operate and work hard at their assignments.

p.18

Commentary

43. The new student experience co-ordinator recognises that opportunities to take part in work experience would further enhance pupils ’ understanding of the requirements of work. Plans have been made for placements for this year with decisions still to be made as to whether these will be for one or two weeks. Health and safety requirements and risk assessment have been met and placements will link to the college courses pupils have undertaken.

p.18

Commentary

44. There are many additional activities that enhance pupils’ understanding of the world of work. There have been talks on health and safety and curriculum weeks have included topics such as healthy eating and physical fitness. The school has good links with the Connexions service previously and these have proved to be very helpful in meeting the needs of each individual pupil. College Park School - 19

p.18

PART C: THE QUALITY OF EDUCATION IN SUBJECTS IN KEY STAGES 1 to 4

Throughout this section of the report, overall judgements about provision relate to pupils’ achievements, the effectiveness of teaching and learning, curriculum leadership and management and any other significant aspects.

p.19

MODERN FOREIGN LANGUAGE – European Studies

45. This year the school has replaced a French course for pupils in Years 7 to 10 with a new European Studies course. The course is not yet fully developed and it is too early to evaluate its quality. The course combines the learning of simple vocabulary, phrases and sentences with knowledge of the customs, history and geography of selected European countries. This term the country being studied is France, and next term it will be Spain. Germany and Italy are also likely to be included in this course. Pupils have so far taken part in role play in a French café, learning how to order snacks and drinks in French.

p.19

ENGLISH

Ten lessons were seen in English. Additional evidence was obtained from discussions with teachers and pupils as well as a scrutiny of their work in files and on display. It was not possible to make an overall judgement about provision for modern foreign language as no lessons were observed. Evidence was obtained from discussions with staff, observation of planning documents, and scrutiny of pupils’ written work .

p.19

Main strengths and weaknesses

• Pupils have achieved well in nationally examinations such as GCSE. • Pupils achieve very well because work set is very well matched to their individual needs. • Excellent specialist support from the speech and language therapists enables pupils to make extremely good progress in developing skills in speaking and listening. • There are excellent procedures in place to monitor pupils’ progress in reading and to support pupils who find reading difficult. • Very effective strategies are used to extend pupils’ writing skills. • The subject is very well led and managed by the subject leaders and members of the senior management team. • Pupils’ literacy skills are extended very well in all subjects of the curriculum.

p.19

Commentary

46. All pupils take an examination in English (Entry Level) and the school has recently introduced the GCSE Foundation Level Award to challenge more able pupils in Years 10 and 11. In 2004, four pupils achieved Entry Level 2 and two pupils achieved Entry Level 3. Analysis of predicted grades for this year demonstrates the very good progress which pupils make in English. For example, one pupil whose reading age was only seven years and five months at the end of Year 6 is predicted to achieve grade D or E at GCSE.

p.19

Commentary

47. Teachers are very skilled at giving pupils work which is carefully adapted to meet their individual needs. A good example of this is in Year 11 where the pupils are divided into two groups. One group is presently working with the teacher on preparing a performance of Shakespeare’s ‘Romeo and Juliet’ to be assessed for the GCSE Foundation Level Award. The teacher gives very clear and precise guidance to pupils about how they could develop their performance to gain extra marks. Because the teacher adapts her questions and language very well to meet the needs of individual pupils, they all understand exactly what is required and College Park School - 20 make very good progress in improving their performance and using relevant vocabulary. This is particularly impressive as English is not the first language for all pupils in the group. An associate teacher is working with the second group of pupils who find English more difficult.

p.19

Commentary

The pupils work extremely hard and achieve very well. This is because they are given very good individual support and their learning targets are at just the right level.

p.20

Commentary

48. Pupils’ skills in speaking and listening are supported by very well targeted interventions from the two speech and language therapists. This support is outstanding. All pupils who have speech and language difficulties are assessed very thoroughly by the therapists each year and excellent individual programmes are prepared which often include written programmes for parents. The specialist therapist, in conjunction with the assistant headteacher, runs a weekly class which is highly effective in training staff to use signing to help pupils to communicate. She also works closely with the teacher in the class for primary aged pupils with more complex needs. This enables these pupils to learn how to use visual symbols, signing and spoken language to communicate. In a lesson for this group led by the specialist therapist, a variety of extremely stimulating activities ensured that the pupils were highly motivated to succeed.

p.20

Commentary

Consequently, the pupils, none of whom have English as their first language, made excellent progress in understanding and using family words such as ‘sister’.

p.20

Commentary

49. By the time they leave the school, most pupils have functional reading skills with many pupils reading very fluently. The school has exemplary procedures in place to track pupils’ progress in reading and support the progress of pupils who find reading particularly difficult. All pupils undergo a very detailed reading assessment each year and the results are carefully analysed as a basis for planning their literacy targets. Those pupils who need extra help are then given excellent individual support through the reading recovery programme or through the guided reading club. The latter, which is run by an associate teacher, is yet another example of the very strong contribution which the associate teachers make to raising pupils’ achievements in English. As a result of these specialist interventions, pupils make excellent progress in reading. For example, one pupil has improved her reading score by 28 months progress in 12 months.

p.20

Commentary

50. In the previous inspection, the school was criticised for not making sufficient use of computers to record pupils’ work. It was also reported that pupils in Years 10 and 11 used too many worksheets and did not have sufficient opportunities to write imaginatively. Both these issues have been fully addressed and pupils throughout the school achieve very well in writing. For example, pupils in Year 9 have produced highly imaginative writing in their ‘Island Project’ whilst Year 10 and 11 pupils have written very well crafted biographies. Pupils routinely use computers for research and to produce well presented pieces of work. The school is particularly effective in stimulating the pupils’ love of poetry through lessons and the lunchtime poetry club. Many pupils have had their poems published in a book to promote poems written by young people. Teachers place a good emphasis on the importance of spelling and grammar so that

p.20

Commentary

pupils learn to spell words and punctuate their work with increasing accuracy.

p.20

Commentary

51. The subject is very well led and managed by the learning manager and members of the senior management team. Subject planning takes very good account of pupils’ special educational needs and the fact that for many of the pupils English is not their first language. Planning link well to the literacy strand of the Primary Strategy and is very carefully monitored to ensure that work set is appropriate. All teachers are regularly observed teaching to maintain high standards in the delivery of lessons. Procedures for assessment are excellent and results obtained are used very effectively to plan pupils’ work.

p.20

Commentary

52. Although the library is small, the school has a good collection of fiction and non-fiction books including multicultural books and pupils make good use of them. However, there are currently not sufficient dual language books available to support home reading for pupils whose parents do not speak English. Pupils have exciting opportunities to attend and participate in a variety of plays and other performances. The subject makes a very good contribution to pupils’ cultural and multicultural development. There has been very good improvement in provision for English since the previous inspection including very good improvement in teaching and in the progress which pupils make. College Park School - 21

p.20

Language and literacy across the curriculum

53. There are very good procedures for promoting language and literacy in all subject areas. The school has appointed a subject leader who has the specific responsibility of ensuring that literacy is taught effectively in all lessons. She has observed all teachers and prepared a report for the senior management team to highlight ways in which pupils’ literacy can be further developed. All staff are very competent at promoting pupils’ speaking and listening skills. There is a strong emphasis on displaying and using key words in the primary classrooms. Signing is used very well to support assemblies and lessons. High quality displays, and pupils’ workbooks show that they have many opportunities to develop their writing skills for different purposes. An example of this is in science, where a Year 6 pupil with moderate learning difficulties and autistic spectrum disorder has written short paragraphs using appropriate vocabulary to

p.21

Language and literacy across the curriculum

describe how experiments were carried out and to record the results. Pupils are encouraged to read out their work and read relevant text books in all subject areas.

p.21

MATHEMATICS

Six lessons were observed, pupils’ work and planning and assessment files scrutinised and discussions held with learning managers.

p.21

Main strengths and weaknesses

• Pupils with differing special needs achieve very well, including those with MLD achieving GCSE. • Teachers’ planning and assessment are very good and lead to all pupils making very good progress. • Enthusiastic and effective subject management ensures that all staff have very high expectations for pupils to achieve well. • The use of numeracy in other subjects is being developed well.

p.21

Commentary

54. Pupils make very good progress in their understanding of the different aspects of mathematics. For example, pupils mainly with autistic spectrum disorders in Year 2 have grasped a good basic knowledge of counting numbers up to ten in ones and twos, a more able pupil being able to count in fives. By Year 6, pupils with a range of special educational needs are adding numbers up to a thousand, many showing a good understanding of the value of each number in relation to whether it is a unit, ten or hundred. Pupils with different special needs all make the same very good progress and as a result by Year 9 most pupils are able to understand concepts such as fractions and are able to make halves and quarters of different objects. Progress is such that pupils with moderate learning difficulties are undertaking GCSE course work in creating databases, a few being able to use computers to do this and all showing ability

p.21

Commentary

to record and retrieve information and make comparisons. Results in GCSEs show the very good progress that pupils have made.

p.21

Commentary

55. The quality of teaching mathematics is consistently very good throughout the school. One of the key factors that contributes to this is the high quality planning of lessons. Teachers put a clear emphasis on activities that will ensure that all pupils achieve very well. This was the case in a Year 7 lesson where pupils were developing their money skills. The teacher planned a range of activities that challenged pupils and sustained their interest throughout the lesson. The use of an interactive whiteboard also proved to be very effective. Again, in a Year 6 class, planning allowed for the different ability levels in the group by the setting of different tasks. This level of planning ensured that all pupils were able to make very good progress. The marking of work and the systems to check on how well the pupils are achieving are very effective and College Park School - 22 teachers make very good use of this information in order to plan the next stages of pupils’

p.21

Commentary

56. Leadership and management of the subject are very good. The learning manager puts considerable emphasis on supporting all teachers to develop their skills and their knowledge within the subject. This has included ensuring that staff have a range of the teaching strategies and approaches available to them. This is particularly so for those pupils with more complex learning difficulties who are now being admitted to the school. Training opportunities are good and there have been good adaptations made to recent numeracy strands of the National Strategies for teaching and learning in the subject. Pupils’ achievement and the quality of teaching have improved since the previous inspection.

p.22

Mathematics across the curriculum

57. Mathematic skills are being developed very well in most subjects. For example, in history pupils have learnt how to sequence dates and in science older pupils interpret data from charts and use graphs to calculate how fast sound travels. Design and technology lessons often involve pupils in counting, measuring and making shapes in designs.

p.22

SCIENCE

Five lessons were seen in science. Evidence was also gathered from pupils’ work in their books and on display, and from last year’s display work. Additional evidence was gathered from discussions with teachers and associate teachers, planning documents, assessment records and analyses.

p.22

Main strengths and weaknesses

• Pupils enjoy learning science and they make rapid progress to reach GCSE or Entry Level standard by Year 11. • High quality planning and teaching, and very good team work with associate teachers, enable activities to be closely matched to the needs of individual pupils. • There are very effective systems to check the progress and achievement of pupils. • The learning manager’s specialist knowledge, commitment and skills have ensured that the subject is very well developed and that resources are good.

p.22

Commentary

58. Girls and boys with differing special educational needs achieve equally well and pupils whose home language is not English and pupils from minority ethnic backgrounds all make very good progress because they are taught and supported very well. They enjoy practical work and visits, for example, to museums and farms. Through experiments, pupils readily acquire the enquiry skills of predicting, and obtaining and recording evidence. They do find it more challenging, however, to analyse results and evaluate the effectiveness of the methods they use. Pupils make good use of their reading, writing, number and computer skills to support their science learning. They learn increasingly complex scientific vocabulary even though they find it difficult at times to say specific words. For example, Year 11 pupils can separate the colours in ink successfully and can copy the word `chromatography’, although they struggle to say this

p.22

Commentary

59. Teaching and learning are very good in all years. Teachers have very secure knowledge of the topics they teach, and pupils benefit from specialist teaching in the secondary years. Joint planning and teaching by teachers and associate teachers are very good. It is particularly effective in Years 10 and 11enabling pupils to be taught either the Entry Level or GCSE science course in the same lesson. The scope for practical work is very wide because resources are prepared and used very effectively. Pupils learn to work in a variety of groupings, College Park School - 23 for example, individually, with a partner, in groups, and in whole class activities. Pupils are mainly managed well, but just occasionally the control of exuberant younger pupils, and the engagement of Year 9 boys with particularly challenging behaviour, is not wholly successful.

p.22

Commentary

60. Assessment systems are excellent and results are used consistently well throughout the school. In all classes, targets from each pupil’s Individual Learning Plan are routinely included in the weekly science plan. Achievement in science is also checked and recorded termly. Examples of each pupil’s work are carefully marked and graded at regular intervals. Good practice is also evident for older pupils who complete self assessments to help them understand how well they are achieving and what they have to do to improve. All the required assessment procedures for Entry Level and GCSE science are in place. In these various ways the school can track individual progress very effectively.

p.23

Commentary

61. Leadership and management in science have improved significantly since the last inspection and are now very good. The subject leader is a specialist and has successfully overseen the development of appropriate examination courses. Improvement since the last inspection is very good. Not only is the subject now very well led and managed but pupils make better progress, particularly in Years 10 and 11, because the quality of teaching is higher and resources have improved.

p.23

Information and Communication Technology (ICT)

Five lessons were seen. Inspectors looked at pupils’ work in all year groups, teachers’ records were scrutinised and discussions were held with pupils about their work.

p.23

Main strengths and weaknesses

• The content of ICT lessons is well matched to the needs of pupils. • Teachers make good use of their very good subject knowledge. • Pupils’ attitudes to ICT are good and because they enjoy the lessons they work hard. • Resources are good overall but the occasions when pupils have to share computers restrict their progress. • The use of ICT in the teaching and learning of other subjects is good.

p.23

Commentary

62. The overall achievement of pupils in ICT is good because of the good level of challenge in lessons and the very good assessment of progress. For pupils with more complex needs teachers have very good subject knowledge and use ICT very well themselves. This is a good improvement since the last inspection, when progress and teaching were unsatisfactory. There is no difference in achievement among different groups of pupils. Pupils in Year 10 are achieving very well in their course leading to Entry Level accreditation and there are a few who could achieve a GCSE grade in Year 11. The school is aware of this and is planning to provide this opportunity. Pupils in the primary department are making very good progress. As a result of stimulating and challenging teaching pupils in the class for pupils with more complex needs are able to improve their skills in using a mouse. Older primary pupils in Years 3 and 4 can

p.23

Commentary

63. Pupils have good attitudes to ICT and respect the good resources available. Older pupils are learning to use the computers independently and can access data in a database and search for and retrieve information. They have used spreadsheets and looked at the results when changing data. They can write a sequence of instructions for a robotic buggy. EBD pupils are able to evaluate their work but, in lessons seen during the inspection that are less successful, there is insufficient variety in the activities to motivate EBD pupils and as a result, they lost College Park School - 24 interest. In addition on the occasions where two pupils have to share a computer insufficient progress is made.

p.23

Commentary

64. The school has a very good selection of software, which is all used well. However, the accommodation is unsatisfactory, as the ICT room is small and shared with another subject. This makes it difficult to alter the layout of the room to accommodate more computers. The school, though, is purchasing laptops to help with this situation.

p.24

Commentary

65. Leadership and management of ICT are currently satisfactory. The deputy headteacher has recently taken temporary leadership of the subject in the absence of the learning manager. However, the commitment and skills of all staff have ensured that pupils’ progress is good and this is an improvement from the judgements in the previous report.

p.24

ICT across the curriculum

66. Staff use computers confidently and there is a good range of resources to support learning. The use of ICT is very good in mathematics, where interactive whiteboards are used extensively. In humanities and religious education there is very good use of presentation software and videos to enliven lessons. Digital photography is used well for recording pupils’ progress and celebrating achievement. Photographs are also used very effectively for letters home for parents for those whose home language is not English.

p.24

History and geography

Only two lessons were seen, one in history and one in geography, and so no judgments about provision are being made in these subjects.

p.24

History and geography

67. In a good history lesson seen the teacher used the life of the English football captain, David Beckham to illustrate time lines. Pupils were highly motivated by this and the references to his pop star wife ensured that girls were equally interested. In the geography lesson for Year 8 pupils were gaining a good understanding of rivers through a well planned and stimulating teaching approach.

p.24

History and geography

68. The planning for what will be covered in these subjects is very good. The subject makes a very good contribution to pupils’ cultural development and also to literacy, especially writing. All work is very well marked, ensuring that pupils know what they need to do to improve. The subject learning manager is now planning to increase the use of visits off site to support pupils’ learning.

p.24

History and geography

Two lessons were seen and inspectors looked at pupils’ work in all year groups. Teachers’ records were scrutinised and discussions were held with pupils about their work.

p.24

History and geography

The provision for religious education is very good .

p.24

Main strengths and weaknesses

• Teachers have very good subject knowledge and very positive relationships with pupils. • The interactive whiteboard is used very effectively to present images and text. • Pupils achieve an understanding of a range of faiths and issues. • Lessons are very well planned and good resources are used very well.

p.24

Main strengths and weaknesses

69. Pupils make very good progress in their study of religious education because of the very good and enthusiastic teaching. The school uses the locally agreed syllabus which is adapted College Park School - 25 appropriately to match the needs of the pupils. The opportunities for them to experience and learn from other religions are very good. Pupils share knowledge of their own beliefs and are developing an increasing ability to discuss sensitive issues. For example, a pupil in Year 9 was very eager to discuss how he was Moses in a drama production for assembly and was able to quote some of the commandments and compare the Christian story of Moses with the version of the story in his own religion.

p.24

Main strengths and weaknesses

70. Pupils in Year 10 are able to relate well to the stimulating visual and musical content of the lessons that use the interactive whiteboard and are able to discuss religious concepts with maturity. They are encouraged to work independently and when appropriate pupils are given suitable extension work. Following their visit to a Hindu temple, younger pupils are very enthusiastic and interested in Diwali. They are very keen to show their work, which demonstrates very good progress since the start of the project. Religious education makes a very good contribution to extending pupils’ literacy skills and provides extensive opportunities for discussion and written work.

p.25

Main strengths and weaknesses

71. The subject is very well led and managed. It is well organised and resourced and the very good planning ensures that pupils study a wide range of religions. The subject makes a very positive contribution to assemblies. The quality of the provision in the subject has improved since the previous report.

p.25

PHYSICAL EDUCATION

Although brief observations were made of a primary lesson and of a basketball lesson involving all pupils in Years 7, 8 and 9, there is insufficient information to make an overall judgement on physical education.

p.25

PHYSICAL EDUCATION

72. Primary pupils take part in a range of games, gymnastics and dance and in Year 6 have weekly swimming lessons. In the secondary department pupils take part in basketball, football, swimming and gymnastics. Because of inadequate facilities within the school, the school makes use of a number of outside sports facilities. The visits to these provide pupils with increased opportunities in relation to their social development as well as physical education. Pupils have taken part in competitions with other schools and these have included success in the Special Olympics.

p.25

PHYSICAL EDUCATION

73. In the lesson for Years 7, 8 and 9 pupils are developing their basketball skills through being involved in various drills. They showed the ability to pass the ball well and understand the basics of shooting but there was no opportunity for the more able pupils to take part in a full game. In the primary department there is a very good link with the school’s physiotherapist, who works well with the teacher in developing pupils’ body control and stability through performing a range of activities with hoops, beanbags and benches. Pupils enjoy a football club held one evening each week after school and they clearly benefit from this. The games of football played at lunchtime are exceptional examples of pupils’ personal development. The pupils organise the teams themselves and because of the extremely limited space available in the playground have developed a system whereby pupils take it in turns to play.

p.25

PHYSICAL EDUCATION

74. Scrutiny of the subject file and discussion with the learning manager shows that the subject is now being developed further and the range of activities on offer extended with the aim that the school can achieve a Sportsmark Award. To support this there needs to be a greater emphasis on a suitable warm up at the start of lessons which would ensure that pupils engage in activities that physically challenge them. While secondary pupils changed for the lesson seen, this was not the case in the primary department. College Park School - 26

p.25

DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

One lesson of design and technology was observed and a food technology session was also visited. There is insufficient evidence to make a judgement on provision, teaching, learning and achievement.

p.26

DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

75. Plans show that pupils in design and technology follow a design, make and evaluate brief. In a good lesson in Year 2 pupils all made an animal face to their own design. Most pupils recognise shapes and cut these out to represent ears, mouth, eyes and cheeks. All pupils can hold and cut with support. Pupils gain confidence from being supported well. Older pupils follow instructions carefully in making vegetarian quiches . Plans and photographs show a range of experiences in food preparation have been covered including planning, making and assessing food preparation. These include shopping for ingredients with support and working with a well- known chef, preparing a tempting array of food for visitors and themselves.

p.26

ART AND DESIGN

It was not possible to make an overall judgement about provision in art and design although two GCSE lessons were seen. Additional evidence was obtained from observation of pupils’ current work on display and from last year’s display work.

p.26

ART AND DESIGN

76. In the primary department pupils with the most severe and complex learning difficulties use a variety of media to draw pictures of themselves. They learn to draw bodies with increasing amounts of detail, adding arms and legs and enhance their drawings of faces by creating expressions with tears or smiles. Pupils create prints using their hands, fingers, fruit and vegetables and paint rainbows and design collages using gummed and tissue paper. Much of the art work in the primary department is linked to work in other subjects. For example, in a class of Year 3 and Year 4, pupils worked together to make a picture of a peacock to support their study of animals in science. In Year 5 history pupils make mosaic tiles during their study of the Romans.

p.26

ART AND DESIGN

77. A range of projects are used well to extend pupils’ artistic skills. Foe example, to celebrate the arrival of the Olympic torch in London this summer, pupils designed a banner, and took it with them to a London park to meet some of the athletes. Pupils are motivated by visiting the Serpentine Gallery and by working with artists from the gallery. In a very interesting activity called `Park Products’, the artists helped pupils create masks of different shapes, and with different coloured filters, to help people see objects in the park in different ways.

p.26

MUSIC

Two lessons were seen in music and a singing assembly for the primary pupils was observed. Additional evidence was obtained from scrutiny of pupils’ work on display and from last year’s display work.

p.26

Main strengths and weaknesses

• Pupils of all abilities and with differing special needs achieve well because of the teaching strategies used by staff. • Music features prominently in assemblies. • Excellent opportunities are provided for pupils to work with musicians to enhance their musical experiences. College Park School - 27

p.26

Commentary

78. Pupils with severe learning difficulties, emotional and behavioural difficulties and autism, make very good progress because of the very good quality of the teaching, the creative use of resources, and their own great enthusiasm. This is an improvement on the judgements in the previous report. In a primary lesson seen pupils learned how to march to music, play a percussion instrument in time to the music, and sing adaptations of songs such as` Hi ho, Hi ho, it’s home from work we go’. Pupils then attempted to perform all three skills at the same time. They did this very successfully. A boy with autistic spectrum disorder was thrilled to achieve each of the three skills, successfully playing his instrument whilst marching with the group. Pupils with emotional and behavioural difficulties and moderate and severe learning difficulties in Year 8 are studying the music in `Joseph and his Technicolour Dreamcoat’. They

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Commentary

learned how to compare two pieces of music from this musical well because the teacher had prepared a simple but effective worksheet. They discussed and wrote about the pace and volume of the music, the instruments used, and numbers of people singing. They learned to express their own opinions about the music and to accept differing opinions from others in the class.

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Commentary

79. Music is used well to help pupils in their learning about other aspects. In a singing assembly for primary pupils, pupils sang in the round in mixed age groups. The words of the song they practised about litter, recycling and the environment contributed very well to their citizenship education. The teaching, content and organisation of the assembly were very good, and there was very helpful signing by the special educational needs co-ordinator.

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80. Learning in music is greatly enriched by links with professional musicians. Pupils visited the Royal Festival Hall to hear the London Philharmonic Orchestra. They recorded how happy and excited they were, how much they liked and loved the occasion. Pupils in Years 2 to 5 attended a Carnival of Sound at the Wigmore Hall. Secondary pupils have also participated in the Wigmore Hall Community and Education programme. They worked with a quartet and composer to create their own piece of music which they then performed with a professional string quartet. Pupils have also visited the Royal Military School of Music.

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PERSONAL, SOCIAL, HEALTH AND CITIZENSHIP EDUCATION (PSHCE)

Six lessons were seen in PSHCE. Discussions took place with teachers and pupils and a variety of other activities were also observed and contributed to the judgements made.

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Main strengths and weaknesses

• Sensitive teaching and stimulating activities enable pupils to understand and respect other cultures. • ‘Feeling Good Week’ is a very effective strategy for promoting health education. • A very good range of additional activities outside lessons promotes pupils’ personal and social skills very well. • Teaching and lesson planning is very carefully monitored by the subject leader and members of the senior management team to ensure that high standards are maintained. • Pupils have very good opportunities to develop independent living skills.

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Commentary

81. Teachers are very skilled at using lessons and other activities such as circle time, tutorials and ‘Bullying Week’ to teach pupils to value themselves and others. In particular, the school is very effective in teaching pupils to show respect for different cultures in a diverse society. This promotes pupils’ personal development very well and ensures that there are very few racial incidents in the school. All pupils have participated in a variety of very stimulating activities to College Park School - 28 celebrate ‘Black History Month’. Younger pupils made African masks and listened to African music whilst some secondary aged pupils wrote poetry and visited a Black fashion exhibition at the Victoria and Albert Museum. Year 10 pupils conducted mature and sensitive interviews with black members of staff and wrote about their backgrounds and beliefs. During the inspection, a group of pupils from a local mainstream secondary school joined a Year 8 citizenship lesson.

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These pupils had spent their early years in different countries and, through discussion and questioning, the Year 8 pupils made very good progress in appreciating different cultures and learning what it is like to leave your country of origin.

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Commentary

82. Secondary aged pupils are following a programme which is very relevant to their particular needs. For example, they are learning about the family and its place in society and how to cope with growing up. This includes a high quality display of pupils’ work with a mature and thoughtful piece of writing from two Year 11 pupils who worked together to consider how best to deal with stress. In carefully planned citizenship lessons, pupils develop important skills to help them to be useful members of society. For example, Year 7 pupils have made very good progress in learning what it is like to be disabled, whilst pupils in Year 11 have learned how to find and analyse news reports. The weekly tutorial sessions are successful in supporting pupils to evaluate how well they have done in achieving their personal targets.

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Commentary

83. The school has introduced a rolling programme of travel training which is a very effective strategy to enable pupils to develop important independent living skills. Pupils are highly motivated by the programme especially as Year 11 pupils that have successfully completed the course are allowed out of school at lunchtimes. Other strategies such as the Young Enterprise programme and opportunities for Year 11 pupils to attend courses at local colleges prepare the pupils well for adult life. Primary aged pupils achieve very well in developing personal and social skills because teachers are very good at encouraging them to make choices and take responsibility. In circle time sessions the pupils make very good progress in learning essential social skills such as how to take turns or listen to other people’s points of view. This is because these sessions are carefully organised and pupils are given very good support by associate

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Commentary

teachers. An example of this was in an excellent circle time for pupils in the primary class for pupils with more complex needs where pupils made excellent progress in learning how to interact with others.

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Commentary

84. The school places considerable emphasis on the importance of a healthy lifestyle and achieved the Healthy School Award in 2003. Pupils achieve very well in understanding how to look after themselves because of an extensive range of stimulating and well planned activities about topics such as smoking and drugs and alcohol education. Sex and relationships education is enhanced by the support of specialist services from the local community such as the Brooke Centre. Each year the school has a ‘Feeling Good Week’ which is extremely effective in raising pupils’ awareness of how to keep healthy and in teaching them practical skills such as safety on roads, keep fit exercises and good dental care. Pupils report that they really enjoy the week which ends with a lively activity such as a fashion show or fitness exercise demonstration.

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Commentary

85. The subject is very well led and managed by the subject leader and the senior management team. An annual questionnaire which is completed by all staff teaching the subject enables the subject leader to monitor important aspects such as whether sufficient use has been made of the local community. All teachers have been observed and lesson planning is carefully monitored and at the end of each half term, the subject leader monitors the work of a representative sample of pupils in each year group to ensure that standards are being maintained. The subject leader is aware of the need to implement clear procedures for assessment throughout the school and is also considering suitable accreditation for pupils in Year 11. At the present time a well recognised assessment strategy is being piloted in Year 6. It is not possible to make a judgement about improvement since the previous inspection as PSHCE was not reported previously.

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The overall effectiveness of the school 1

How inclusive the school is 1 How the school’s effectiveness has changed since its last inspection 2 Value for money provided by the school 1

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and other personal qualities 2

Attendance 2 Attitudes 2 Behaviour, including the extent of exclusions 2 Pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development 2

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The quality of education provided by the school 2

The quality of teaching 2 How well pupils learn 2 The quality of assessment 2 How well the curriculum meets pupils ’ needs 2 Enrichment of the curriculum, including out-of-school activities 1 Accommodation and resources 3 Pupils’ care, welfare, health and safety 2 Support, advice and guidance for pupils 1 How well the school seeks and acts on pupils’ views 2 The effectiveness of the school’s links with parents 2 The quality of the school’s links with the community 2 The school’s links with other schools and colleges 3

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The leadership and management of the school 2

The governance of the school 2 The leadership of the headteacher 1 The leadership of other key staff 2 The effectiveness of management 1 College Park School - 30 Inspectors make judgements on a scale: excellent (grade 1); very good (2); good (3); satisfac (4); unsatisfactory (5); poor (6); very poor (7).

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The leadership and management of the school 2

* In a special school such as this, ‘standards achieved’ are judged in relation to pupils’ individual targets and not in relation to national standards.

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