Springhead School

SPRINGHEAD SPECIAL SCHOOL

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

p.1

SPRINGHEAD SPECIAL 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. Springhead Special - 3

p.2

INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Type of school: Special School category: Community Age range of pupils: 2-19 Gender of pupils: Mixed Number on roll: 50

p.3

INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

School address: Barry’s Lane Off Seamer Road Scarborough North Yorkshire Postcode: YO12 4HA

p.3

INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Telephone number: 01723 367829 Fax number: 01723 360021

p.3

INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Appropriate authority: Governing body Name of chair of governors: Mr David Mennell

p.3

INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Date of previous inspection: February 1999

p.3

CHARACTERISTICS OF THE SCHOOL

This is a mixed community special school catering for pupils with severe and profound and multiple learning difficulties, aged from 2 to 19 years. All pupils have a Statement of Special Educational Needs and there are currently 50 pupils on roll. There has been a notable increase in the proportion of pupils admitted with more severe learning difficulties, including profound and multiple learning difficulties, since the last inspection. The majority of pupils are of white British heritage and a very small number of pupils are from other ethnic backgrounds which include mixed Asian, mixed black African and black Caribbean. There are no pupils for whom English is not their first language. The proportion of pupils who are eligible for free school meals is broadly average for this type of school. When leaving school, the majority of pupils move on to continuing education and a few move on to social services provision. The number of pupils joining and leaving the school at times other than

p.3

CHARACTERISTICS OF THE SCHOOL

usual is average. The school is involved in a number of inclusion initiatives, outreach work to mainstream schools, The School Sport Co-ordinator Programme and the Healthy Schools Scheme. The school is a Communication Aid Project School and has also received a number of awards in recognition of its work, including: The Basic Skills Quality Mark for both secondary and primary provision, The Schools Achievement Award and the Highly Effective School award three years in succession. Springhead Special - 4

p.3

Members of the inspection team Subject responsibilities

23886 Declan McCarthy Lead inspector Science Religious education Music Physical Education Personal, social, health and citizenship education 9981 Saleem Hussein Lay inspector 17182 Michael Farrell Team inspector Special educational needs Mathematics Information and communication technology Art and design Design and technology Post-16 21899 Gillian Lawson English Geography History 17260 Jennifer Taylor Team inspector Foundation Stage

p.4

Members of the inspection team Subject responsibilities

Serco QAA Herringston Barn Herringston Dorchester Dorset DT2 9PU

p.4

Members of the inspection team Subject responsibilities

Any concerns or complaints about the inspection or the report should be made initially to the 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). Springhead Special - 5

p.4

STANDARDS ACHIEVED BY PUPILS 9

Standards achieved in areas of learning, subjects and courses

p.5

STANDARDS ACHIEVED BY PUPILS 9

Pupils’ attitudes, values and other personal qualities

p.5

QUALITY OF EDUCATION PROVIDED BY THE SCHOOL 12

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

p.5

PART A: SUMMARY OF THE REPORT

This is an excellent school . Leadership of the headteacher is transformational and has led to excellent staff teamwork, an excellent ethos for learning and excellent outreach support for mainstream schools. The school addresses the needs of individuals very effectively with excellent inclusion of all pupils. Pupils’ achievements are very good because teaching and the curriculum are very good. The school is managed very effectively and is highly regarded in the community and by all who use it. The school provides very good value for money.

p.6

PART A: SUMMARY OF THE REPORT

The school’s main strengths and weaknesses are that:

p.6

PART A: SUMMARY OF THE REPORT

• Varied and stimulating teaching with high expectations for learning results in pupils’ very good achievement. • The inspired leadership by the headteacher has led to a highly effective senior management team and the development of successful initiatives. • Excellent use is made of performance data for planning and setting school priorities for improvement. • The accommodation for the oldest pupils and students is inadequate. • The school has recognised the need to develop more opportunities for external accreditation for pupils and students in Years 10 to 14. • Excellent provision for personal development and exceptional care arrangements contribute to pupils’ excellent attitudes to learning and excellent behaviour. • Excellent links with the community and partnerships with other schools have contributed to the exceptional inclusion of pupils. • The school is held in very high regard by mainstream schools for its excellent provision for

p.6

PART A: SUMMARY OF THE REPORT

The school has made very good improvements since it was last inspected in February 1999. The key issues from the last inspection have been very well addressed. Pupils’ achievements have improved as a result of very good leadership, very good teaching and learning, and a very good curriculum. The school’s performance in most subjects has improved as a result of strong leadership and very effective management. Provision for ICT is now very good. Inclusion and outreach support for mainstream schools are excellent. The school is very well placed to improve further.

p.6

PART A: SUMMARY OF THE REPORT

In relation to individual targets in: Pupils’ achievement at the end of: Subjects of the curriculum personal and social education Year 2 Very good excellent Year 6 Very good excellent Year 9 Very good excellent Year 11 Very good excellent Year 13 Very good excellent Year 14 Very good excellent Inspectors make judgements in the range: excellent; very good; good; satisfactory; unsatisfactory; poor; very poor. Springhead Special - 7 Achievement is very good for all pupils with no significant differences in the achievements of boys and girls. The achievement of children in the Foundation Stage is very good in all areas of learning. Standards have risen and pupils’ achievements in English and communication skills, mathematics, science, religious education and ICT are very good. In personal, social, health and citizenship education (PSHCE) and in their individual targets pupils’ achievements are excellent. Students in Years 12, 13 and 14 achieve very well in their courses and their

p.6

PART A: SUMMARY OF THE REPORT

Pupils’ personal qualities, including their spiritual, moral, social and cultural development, are excellent and result in their excellent attitudes and behaviour. Pupils enjoy school immensely and have excellent relationships with others. Attendance and punctuality are very good.

p.7

PART A: SUMMARY OF THE REPORT

The quality of education provided by the school is very good. Teaching is very good. It is consistently very good in all year groups and in English, mathematics, science, ICT, religious education and PSHE. As a result, pupils’ learning is very good. Teachers make very good use of signing and communication aids to support pupils’ learning and achievement. Excellent teamwork between teachers, support staff and therapists ensures that all groups of pupils are supported effectively and achieve equally well. The use of assessment to check and record pupils’ progress, set individual targets for pupils and in the planning and delivery of lessons is excellent. As a result, learning is very good.

p.7

PART A: SUMMARY OF THE REPORT

The curriculum is very good with a strong emphasis on communication and personal development. There is a very good work-related programme for older pupils and students. Resources for learning are very good. Although accommodation is satisfactory overall, classroom space for the oldest pupils and students is restricted. The school provides excellent care for its pupils. Collaboration and partnership with parents are very good; there are excellent links with other schools, colleges and the community.

p.7

LEADERSHIP AND MANAGEMENT

Leadership and management are very good. The leadership of the headteacher is excellent and the leadership of senior managers is very good. There is a strong drive for raising pupils’ achievements as a result of good improvements in teaching, learning and the curriculum. Management is very good. Performance management arrangements are very good with a clear focus on the use of self-evaluation. Financial management is also very good. School governance is very good. Governors are very supportive, monitor the work of the school very effectively and have a very good understanding of the school’s strengths and weaknesses. Statutory requirements are fully met.

p.7

LEADERSHIP AND MANAGEMENT

PARENTS’ AND PUPILS’ VIEWS OF THE SCHOOL

p.7

LEADERSHIP AND MANAGEMENT

Parents support the school strongly and have very positive views of its work. Pupils love their school and have a great deal of trust in staff.

p.7

LEADERSHIP AND MANAGEMENT

The most important things the school should do to improve are:

p.7

LEADERSHIP AND MANAGEMENT

• To further develop opportunities for accreditation for pupils and students in Years 10 to 14. Springhead Special - 8 • To continue to work closely with the LEA to improve the accommodation. Springhead Special - 9

p.7

STANDARDS ACHIEVED BY PUPILS

Standards achieved in areas of learning, subjects and courses

p.9

STANDARDS ACHIEVED BY PUPILS

Achievement throughout the school is very good. It is very good in English and communication, mathematics, science, ICT and religious education. Pupils’ achievement in PSHCE is excellent and all pupils make excellent progress towards their individual targets. The achievement of children in the Foundation Stage is very good in all areas of learning. Students in Years 12-14 are achieving very well in their ‘Moving On’ programme and their achievements are excellent in PSHCE. There are no significant differences in the achievements of boys and girls. Pupils with more complex special educational needs achieve as well as other pupils.

p.9

STANDARDS ACHIEVED BY PUPILS

• Achievement is very good because teaching and the curriculum are very good. • Excellent support in lessons considerably enhances the achievements of pupils with more complex needs. • Very good leadership has had a major impact on pupils’ achievement. • The excellent use of assessment information promotes very good achievement. • Excellent opportunities for inclusion, through strong partnerships with other schools, enhance pupils’ achievements.

p.9

STANDARDS ACHIEVED BY PUPILS

1. Pupils’ achievements are very good because teaching is very good and results in their enthusiasm for learning. The very well planned curriculum also has a positive impact on pupils’ achievements. The curriculum is highly relevant so that every pupil is fully included in activities on offer. Consequently there are no significant differences between the achievements of boys and girls or of different groups of pupils. Children’s achievements in the Foundation Stage are very good in all areas of learning with good improvements, especially in the areas of personal, social and emotional development, and communication, language and literacy. Pupils in Years 1 to 11 are also achieving very well and students in Years 12-14 are equally achieving very well in their ‘Moving On’ awards. During the last academic year, all students left school with at least one qualification from an accredited course.

p.9

STANDARDS ACHIEVED BY PUPILS

2. Pupils’ achievements have improved significantly in mathematics, ICT, and especially in English and communication skills and in personal, social, health and citizenship education, where achievement is excellent. The National Numeracy Strategy has been well adapted by teachers and this has led to effective learning and very good achievement of pupils in mathematics Pupils’ achievement in ICT is very good because resources and staff training have greatly improved. As a result, all staff are much more confident than at the time of the last inspection in the use of ICT to support teaching and learning in other subjects. Staff make excellent use of additional communication aids and signing, with excellent support from the specialist teaching assistant (ICT) to enhance the development of literacy and communication skills. The National Literacy Strategy has been very well adapted to pupils’ needs and implemented effectively throughout the school. Consequently, pupils’ achievements in English

p.9

STANDARDS ACHIEVED BY PUPILS

3. Very effective leadership, particularly from the senior managers and Advanced Skills teachers, has had a significant impact on pupils’ very good achievement. As a result of the support and professional development opportunities they provide, all staff are highly trained, particularly in teaching basic skills to pupils with a variety of complex needs. As a result, staff have Springhead Special - 10 consistently high expectations for learning and activities and resources are very well chosen in lessons to make learning interesting and fun so that all pupils achieve very well. There has been little scope for raising standards further, as a higher percentage of pupils now enter the school with lower attainment than at the time of the last inspection. The school has therefore not only sustained high achievement but also improved it in significant areas as a result of increased initiatives and more effective inclusion.

p.9

STANDARDS ACHIEVED BY PUPILS

4. Excellent individual support enables all pupils, especially those with profound and multiple learning difficulties, to acquire the necessary skills, knowledge and understanding to enhance their general access to the curriculum. Highly skilled support assistants consistently challenge pupils’ learning, making excellent use of signing and communication aids to ensure full access to learning. As a result all pupils make excellent progress towards their targets. Staff always recognise and celebrate the success of these pupils and raise their self-esteem. Consequently, all pupils work very productively, constantly trying to improve their previous performance. The achievement of pupils with additional educational needs such as profound and multiple learning difficulties is very good because they are fully included in lessons and work is pitched at the right level to enable them to participate in lessons.

p.10

STANDARDS ACHIEVED BY PUPILS

5. The school makes excellent use of assessment information to raise achievement. The school’s own analysis of attainment over the last three years shows a steady year-on-year upward trend with more pupils reaching or exceeding their P Scale targets (progress measured in small steps). Progress against individual targets throughout the school is excellent because target setting has improved very effectively since the previous inspection with thorough and consistent use of P Scales , more involvement of pupils in the target setting process and highly skilled support for target setting provided by teaching assistants and therapists. Teachers take full account of pupils’ targets in planning activities. Target setting is extremely well established throughout the school. Challenging targets are set for all pupils in 7 key areas of learning, including communication, personal development and ICT, with a clear upward trend in pupils’

p.10

STANDARDS ACHIEVED BY PUPILS

6. Excellent partnership links with local schools and colleges impact positively on pupils’ achievement. These include the neighbouring Hinderwell Primary School where excellent working relationships exists between the two headteachers, local secondary schools where pupils are included for science and religious education and the Yorkshire Coast College where students in Years 12 to 14 participate in a variety of courses and leisure activities. Pupils make rapid progress in their personal development through such links, particularly in their ability to interact with and work alongside their mainstream peers.

p.10

Pupils’ attitudes, values and other personal qualities

Pupils' attitudes and behaviour are outstanding. Spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is excellent overall. Attendance and punctuality are very good.

p.10

Main strengths and weaknesses

• Attendance is high because of the school's very good procedures to monitor and promote it. • Pupils' exceptionally good attitudes to learning and behaviour in lessons help them to achieve very well. • Pupils form outstanding relationships with their peers. • Moral development is excellent because there are so many chances for pupils to consider important issues. • Social development is particularly good because pupils are taught so well about the need to consider the feelings of others. Springhead Special - 11 Commentary

p.10

Main strengths and weaknesses

7. The school promotes attendance very well by rewarding good attendance with merits and attractive certificates. Parents play their part by doing their best to ensure the attendance and punctuality of their children. The vast majority of absence is through illness or medically related. 8. Pupils show particularly high levels of interest and enthusiasm in their work. They concentrate very well and take pride in their achievements. Their willingness to be enterprising and take responsibility is excellent.

p.11

Main strengths and weaknesses

9. Pupils’ behaviour is excellent in the classroom, during assembly, during lunch and at other times. The school has the highest expectations regarding conduct at all times. Praise, special mentions and merits are given daily for kindness, good deeds, effort and achievement. An excellent achievements policy is underpinned by a system of stickers, certificates and other rewards. Special ‘endeavor awards’ are given annually to two children in each class. The school has not had to exclude any pupil in the last school year.

p.11

Main strengths and weaknesses

10. The school promotes relationships, including racial harmony, particularly well. The race equality scheme is very effective. Consequently, pupils play and work together exceptionally well. They form lasting friendships with their peers and always show interest in their work and achievements.

p.11

Main strengths and weaknesses

Attendance in the latest complete reporting year (%)

p.11

Main strengths and weaknesses

Authorised absence Unauthorised absence School data 7.9 School data 0.2 National data 5.4 National data 0.4 The table gives the percentage of half days (sessions) missed through absence for the latest complete reporting year.

p.11

Main strengths and weaknesses

11. There were many examples of pupils’ excellent attitudes, behaviour and personal qualities. For instance, during collective worship and personal education, pupils in Years 1 and 2 listened to a religious song at Hinderwell School. They joined in with great enthusiasm and to the best of their abilities. A few with severe communication and mobility difficulties simply smiled or watched closely as others moved their bodies in time with the music. They were all touched spiritually as they joined in with ‘Jesus loves you’. The success of the session owed much to the efforts and teamwork of the teacher and support staff. Staff used resources such as soft toys very well in reinforcing the spiritual ethos. Inspectors observed excellent relationships and behaviour as pupils were escorted from Hinderwell to the main hall at Springhead. A few pupils were extremely keen to help adults push those in wheelchairs. The class joined other classes

p.11

Main strengths and weaknesses

in the hall in a quiet and orderly manner, demonstrating the excellent ethos of the school. They watched a performance of ‘Jonah and the Whale’ and it was marvellous to see the quality of performance by a girl playing the leading role. There was pin-drop silence as events unfolded. Staff and pupils thoroughly enjoyed the play and many pupils gasped with delight at certain points in the story. Few could contain their excitement as they heard how Jonah felt as he was swallowed and found himself in the whale’s squelchy stomach. Adults emphasized the moral lessons to all pupils. A parachute was used to represent the choppy sea. Pupils and adults formed a circle to hold the parachute and move soft, toy whales across the sea – an excellent example of effective collaboration between pupils, giving them all a rich learning experience.

p.11

Main strengths and weaknesses

12. Excellent spiritual, moral, social and cultural development was also seen in a Year 12 religious education lesson where pupils compared churches to mosques. They worked very effectively in two main groups as they handled religious artifacts with immense care and reverence, demonstrating their respect for the beliefs of Muslims. Very effective and imaginative teaching Springhead Special - 12 methods ensured that all pupils achieved very well. Pupils made very good models of mosques and learnt much about Christian and Islamic cultures.

p.11

Main strengths and weaknesses

13. Spiritual development is very good. Opportunities in assembly and in subjects such as music, science and literacy allow pupils to marvel at the world around them and also to consider and reflect on human achievement and failing. Religious education gives them a sense of awe and wonder about the gift of life. 14. Pupils have an excellent understanding of right and wrong. There are many chances for pupils to consider school and world issues in a moral context. For instance, they learn about the school rules that are displayed using special symbols that they can easily understand. In PSHE they often think about feelings associated with acts of kindness and also how people feel when they are treated unfairly.

p.12

Main strengths and weaknesses

15. Staff provide outstanding role models for pupils’ social development. Pupils accept responsibility exceptionally well and know that they have an important role to play in the community. They regularly raise money for charities and good causes. For instance, they take leading roles in baking and serving when the school holds coffee mornings. Excellent social development is also evident in the way pupils care for each other. For instance, they help each other move around and at lunchtimes. Some older pupils act as peer mentors to help settle new pupils into school.

p.12

Main strengths and weaknesses

16. Pupils' cultural development is very good because they have many opportunities to learn about their own culture through the curriculum. Pupils also learn much about other cultures in our multicultural society. School trips make a very good contribution. For example, they include music theatres, art galleries, beaches and many other places of interest.

p.12

QUALITY OF EDUCATION PROVIDED BY THE SCHOOL

The quality of education provided by the school is very good. There are very good opportunities for enrichment and excellent inclusion of all pupils. Teaching and learning are very good. The use of assessment information is excellent. Pupils are exceptionally well cared for and there are excellent links with the community and other schools. Links with parents are very good.

p.12

Teaching and learning

Teaching and learning are very good. As a result, pupils’ learning and achievement are very good. Assessment is excellent.

p.12

Teaching and learning

• Teachers’ very good subject knowledge and high expectations for pupils’ learning result in pupils’ very good achievement. • Teachers maintain excellent relationships with pupils and manage their behaviour exceptionally well. • Excellent teaching support is provided for pupils with more complex special educational needs. • Excellent use is made of assessment information to promote pupils’ learning and achievement.

p.12

Teaching and learning

Commentary Springhead Special - 13 Summary of teaching observed during the inspection in 39 lessons

p.12

Teaching and learning

Excellent Very good Good Satisfactory Unsatisfactory Poor Very Poor

p.13

Teaching and learning

The table gives the number of lessons observed in each of the seven categories used to make judgements about lessons; figures in brackets show percentages where 30 or more lessons are seen.

p.13

Teaching and learning

17. Teaching has improved significantly since the last inspection as a result of excellent training and very good performance management by senior staff. As a result, teachers not only have very good subject knowledge but also have highly developed skills in matching tasks and adapting methods to suit a variety of severe and complex learning difficulties in the school. Training has ensured that all teachers and support staff are highly skilled and effective in promoting pupils’ communication skills through signing and the use of communication aids. As a result pupils make rapid progress in communication skills. Equally, teachers and support staff are highly competent in the use of ICT. They use this very effectively in lessons to promote teaching and learning.

p.13

Teaching and learning

18. The excellent relationships all staff have with pupils are reciprocated by pupils, who show the utmost respect, listen to staff and follow instructions to the very best of their ability. Teachers and support staff are also extremely effective in encouraging and engaging pupils in learning and in managing challenging behaviour of pupils with more complex needs. For example, during one lessons seen, a support assistant quickly followed a pupil with extreme behaviour difficulties out into the playground and continually re-focused him on his work until he returned to class, using a highly effective combination of firmness, encouragement and praise.

p.13

Teaching and learning

19. Teachers provide excellent support for pupils with more complex special educational needs, through the excellent teamwork with highly skilled support assistants. This includes very thorough planning to accommodate the needs of all pupils, especially those with profound and multiple learning difficulties, and excellent use of wide ranging resources to stimulate pupils’ learning. As a result all pupils have full and equal access to all areas of teaching and learning in all subjects throughout the school.

p.13

Teaching and learning

20. Assessment systems are excellent and teachers use these extremely well for tracking pupils’ progress and recording their achievements. Assessments include the setting of clear targets at pupils’ annual reviews for PSHCE, communication skills, mathematics, physical skills, problem solving skills, ICT skills and study skills. Pupils’ achievements against these targets are closely monitored and recorded. Annual review meetings evaluate progress against the targets and the school makes excellent use of an individual learning profile to generate numerical data. Outcomes of assessment are carefully analysed by gender, ethnicity, trends over time and in comparison with similar schools. These are then used extremely well to set whole school improvement targets as well as whole school targets for pupils’ performance. Teachers and support staff not only have a very thorough knowledge of pupils but use this, together with P scale information in their

p.13

Teaching and learning

joint planning, in matching teaching to individual needs and in setting new targets for pupils as the need arises. Pupils are also actively involved in their own assessments as well as peer assessment, which is carried out informally through discussion in lessons. As a result, given their particular needs, pupils have a very good understanding of how well they are doing and what they need to do to improve. This impacts greatly on their learning Springhead Special - 14 and very good achievement throughout the school. Statutory requirements for Statements of Special Educational Needs are fully met.

p.13

The curriculum

The school provides a very good quality and range of learning opportunities through its curriculum. The curriculum is also enhanced very well by other opportunities. Resources and accommodation are good overall.

p.14

The curriculum

• The curriculum is very well constructed to ensure all pupils experience varied, relevant and interesting programmes of study, but opportunities for accreditation for pupils and students in Years 10-14 are limited. • The curriculum is inclusive and individualised. • The school provides very effectively for pupils with more complex educational needs and this has a very positive impact on their achievement. • Pupils benefit from excellent links with mainstream schools. • There are very good opportunities for enrichment of the curriculum. • Teachers use high quality resources very well to promote very good achievement. • Though some rooms are too small, accommodation is being improved and the school does everything it can to ensure that this does not limit pupils’ learning. Commentary

p.14

The curriculum

21. The curriculum is well planned and is both broad and relevant to the needs of all pupils. It is shaped by the school aims, the National Curriculum and each individual’s statement of special educational needs. Together this very effective planning and organisation has produced an inclusive and individualised curriculum that ensures that pupils, including those with the most complex learning difficulties, achieve very well. Although there are good opportunities for students in Years 12 to 14 to gain qualifications through the ‘Moving On’ programme, there are currently no accredited courses for pupils in Years 10 and 11. The school has already discussed this and plans to develop more relevant courses, which take account of these pupils’ more complex needs.

p.14

The curriculum

22. The school is successful in expressing individual needs within a cross-curricular structure so that the transfer of skills is at its centre. Therapeutic goals are included within these skills, which underpin pupils’ access to the curriculum. For example, pupils’ speech and language targets are assimilated into communication skills and are not separate entities and so individual needs are securely met in the context of the curriculum. Learning is structured by target setting in appropriate small steps. Individual pupils' achievement is recorded regularly and monitored vigilantly by subject leaders and the senior management team. The school has accumulated data on pupils in order to summarise and analyse pupils' progress over time and uses this data very well to promote pupils’ achievement.

p.14

The curriculum

23. The school has implemented the national strategies very well and these are fully embedded in the curriculum. The outcomes of this are clearly seen in the good lesson plans that teachers devise and in the way lessons are targeted to meet the individual needs of the pupils. Targets in pupils’ individual education plans are well founded and promote maximum progress. Springhead Special - 15 24. The school teaches the full breadth of the National Curriculum plus religious education and personal social and health education (PSHE). Although pupils are disapplied from modern foreign languages in Years 7 to 9 the school provides a range of experiences to widen pupils’ knowledge and understanding of other cultures. These experiences are more appropriate to the present intake of pupils but still offer them some exposure to other languages. Drugs and sex and relationships education is addressed very effectively

p.14

The curriculum

through a well planned and evaluated PSHE programme. PSHE is a vital element in nurturing the pupils’ social and personal development and has a central place in the individualised curriculum. It has a major impact on pupils’ attitudes to school, their level of independence and maturity and their self-esteem. The school provides many very effective opportunities for pupils to develop social skills and interact with different groups. A good example of this was seen during the inspection where Year 1 and 2 pupils from Springhead joined their contemporaries in a highly successful hymn practice at the neighbouring primary school.

p.15

The curriculum

25. The school benefits from excellent links with local schools and there has been significant improvement in the movement towards including Springhead pupils in local primary and secondary schools. Springhead is now recognised as a model of good practice. Foundation Stage children and pupils in Year 1 and 2 are now taught within the adjoining primary school. Pupils in Years 3 to 6 are included in break times with their peers and the schools run a flourishing Buddy Scheme. Pupils in Years 7 to 11 have good curricular opportunities within two secondary schools and pupils in Years 12 to 14 have good college links. The school also supports 12 pupils in local schools on an outreach basis.

p.15

The curriculum

26. Pupils enjoy and regularly attend a wide range of activities out of school hours. The school runs football and hockey sessions as well as swimming, music and a youth club. A recent focus has been the Paralympics games with excellent opportunities for pupils’ social and moral development. Visits and visitors to enrich all subjects are well established and are attended by pupils of all ages. For example, Year 6 visited a local art gallery to investigate Victorian seaside holidays as part of a history lesson, and Years 7, 8 and 9 visited a replica sailing ship as part of their work in English. There are also very good inclusive opportunities for pupils to join in visits, concerts and sports activities at their local schools. Trips to the theatre and sporting and art competitions with other special and mainstream schools are organised. Enrichment programmes for pupils in Years 10 to 14 are varied, of

p.15

The curriculum

high quality and very well supported and the very good provision for work-related learning enhances pupils’ achievement and personal development. The school takes part in local arts and music festivals and makes very good use of the local shops, park and leisure facilities. Unfortunately the school has been unsuccessful in finding a suitable venue for a residential experience appropriate for pupils and students with a wide range of complex needs.

p.15

The curriculum

27. Staffing is very good. A strong team of classroom assistants offers very good support to teachers and pupils. Ongoing training for all staff is well set out and clearly prioritises areas identified by the school for its continued improvement. The school's accommodation is satisfactory. The school has worked hard to overcome the limitations of a cramped site and lack of specialist teaching rooms for secondary pupils with success. A clear vision by the headteacher and a highly effective fundraising programme have enabled several large scale improvements to be made. The vigorous drive to include Springhead pupils in both primary and secondary schools and in the community has enabled schools to share resources. For example, basing the Foundation Stage, Years 1 and 2 in the neighbouring primary school, has freed up space at Springhead Springhead Special - 16 School. Children from both schools are able to share classroom space and resources in

p.15

The curriculum

each school, for example the food technology room, CAVE, the hall and the library. A new food technology, art and music room and highly effective interactive play area have enabled pupils to have very good learning experiences. There is good access to hoists and the larger equipment necessary to meet the needs of pupils with profound and multiple learning difficulties. The newly refurbished therapy pool is a valuable and well- used asset. However, activities in the hall are affected by lunchtime routines. There are no outside sports areas, although this is planned in the next stage of development. The lack of specialist rooms for science and design and technology is compensated for in part by older pupils being included in local secondary school lessons and having access to these facilities. Resources to support the teaching of the curriculum are very good, particularly those in ICT, those which support communication and those which provide multi-sensory

p.16

Care, guidance and support

The school makes excellent provision for ensuring pupils' care, welfare, health and safety. It provides pupils with outstanding advice, support and guidance and involves them very well in aspects of the school's development.

p.16

Main strengths and weaknesses

• Pupils are introduced to school particularly well. • Pupils feel valued because of the outstanding arrangements to ensure their care, dignity, health and safety. • Pupils are given excellent advice, support and guidance in their academic and personal development. • They form particularly good, trusting relationships with adults because of the school's outstanding family ethos. • The school council gives pupils very good opportunities to become involved in school matters.

p.16

Commentary

28. New pupils to the school are gradually and sensitively inducted. The induction program enables new pupils and their parents to see the school working and find out about its teaching style, health and care provisions and various facilities and policies. Consequently, pupils settle in easily.

p.16

Commentary

Example of outstanding practice The quality of care is excellent because all staff and adults value pupils very highly. All staff ensure pupils’ dignity, health and safety at all times. Arrangements for child protection and for those in public care are excellent. The designated officer for child protection is very well trained. General health and safety risk assessments are exemplary. Individual risk assessments are undertaken where there is a serious risk of self-harm or to others. The school has comprehensive first aid and fire procedures. As pupils progress through the classes an increasing amount of work is done to make them more aware of safety matters. For instance, school trips include a lifeboat station, ‘ambulance roadshow’ and ‘crucial crew roadshow’ to promote safety awareness. Pupils of all ages are given excellent advice and support regarding safety in lessons. For example, arrangements

p.16

Commentary

at a swimming lesson in the school’s pool were found to be exemplary. Health practitioners and therapists all work in excellent partnership with school staff to ensure that individual health and care plans are as effective as possible. Staff are very highly trained in a range of care and support therapies. Consequently, the overall level of support available at school reduces absence that would otherwise be necessary to receive treatment, nursing or Springhead Special - 17 medication.

p.16

Commentary

29. The school maintains excellent records regarding pupils’ health, care, academic and personal development. Assessment information is particularly well used by staff to give advice, support and guidance to all pupils. An excellent example of innovative teaching at this school is the way in which therapy and care is used as a teaching and learning opportunity. Teachers use many creative approaches. For instance, pupils who need to wear splints and have massage several times a day are taught about materials and textures as they go through their care procedures. This also illustrates the school’s inclusive approach to learning very well.

p.17

Commentary

30. Discussions with pupils indicate that the school has an excellent family ethos, underpinned by exceptional, trusting relationships between pupils and staff. This gives pupils confidence in raising any concerns or worries they may have.

p.17

Commentary

31. The school council provides very good opportunities for personal development. Pupils learn very well about citizenship, democracy and decision-making. The headteacher recently wrote to the council about the disorderly state of the art/music room after breaktime and asked what she ought to do about it. Council members put this on the agenda and soon responded to the headteacher, informing her about why it got into that state, how to resolve the situation and even how to monitor this in the future.

p.17

Commentary

32. Pupils and students receive very good information and guidance about careers opportunities. For instance, the ‘Connexions’ agency is very well involved by contributing to careers lessons. Pupils are also given guidance as part of their transition planning in Year 9 and benefit from detailed guidance again at the end of Year 11.

p.17

Commentary

Partnership with parents, other schools and the community

p.17

Commentary

The school has a very good partnership with parents and outstanding links with other schools and the wider community. Provision for outreach support to schools is excellent.

p.17

Commentary

• Parents have a very high regard for the school and many chances to express their views or make suggestions. • They are very well informed about the school and their children's standards and progress. Consequently, their involvement in their children's learning at school and at home is very good. • Outstanding links with the community help to enrich the curriculum and support learning very well. • Excellent links with other schools have resulted in outstanding levels of inclusion for pupils. Outreach support is extremely well regarded by mainstream schools and their teachers benefit from very practical advice on meeting the needs of pupils with severe learning difficulties.

p.17

Commentary

33. Parents are very pleased with the education and care provisions of the school. For instance, many parents say how impressed they are about the individual advice and guidance they receive from the school, its caring nature and the progress their children Springhead Special - 18 are making. The headteacher and staff are very approachable and they are always pleased to discuss parental concerns. The school seeks, values and acts on parents’ views very well, for instance, regarding school uniform and homework. Parents are very well informed about the school through the prospectus and there is also a brochure about the Foundation Stage. A letter is sent out by the Advanced Skills teacher each term about forthcoming work in the curriculum. A monthly newsletter is also sent to parents regarding school developments, issues and dates to remember. Pupils’ annual reports give parents very good information about their children’s achievements, progress and personal

p.17

Commentary

34. Parents are involved very well in the review of their children’s individual education plans and setting future learning targets. Many parents give their time generously to the school by helping with practical activities and also accompanying school trips. The school does a great deal to help parents to get further and better involved in the learning and care of their children. For instance, individual training or guidance is given on homework, using ‘step- by-step communicators’ (switches), ‘picture exchange’ (PECs), therapies and lifting/positioning techniques.

p.18

Commentary

35. The community makes such a strong contribution to learning because staff make so much effort to establish and develop links to support the curriculum. A very high number and broad range of visits and visitors enrich the curriculum. Local churches support learning very well too. For instance, they accommodate visits, lead services and contribute to religious education and assemblies. Many older pupils use the local sports centre frequently for physical education and to develop specific skills. May Lodge provides valuable respite care for pupils throughout the year. Many businesses support the school by making financial contributions, accommodating visits or providing work experience placements. A local café has even established a scheme whereby any swearing results in a £1 donation to the school.The school puts much back into the community. For instance, it fundraises for charities and good causes. The community uses the school’s facilities

p.18

Commentary

very much – this involves the hydrotherapy pool, holiday club and youth club.

p.18

Commentary

36. The schools in the Whitby area of North Yorkshire, who receive outreach support, regard this provision most highly. One headteacher referred to the invaluable support received from Springhead School, writing, ‘The quality of outreach work has been excellent, and above all else it has given us confidence and re-assurance … Strong testimony to the success of the provision is that 18 schools, including those that do not currently have pupils with severe learning difficulties on their roll at present, have bought into the outreach service.’

p.18

Commentary

37. Mainstream staff benefit from a range of very practical support and advice including training, resources, help with target setting and the writing of IEPs, support for adapting the curriculum for pupils with severe learning difficulties and strategies for managing challenging behaviour. As a result, increased expertise is being disseminated across schools in the Whitby and Springhead Partnership. In turn, this has led to a marked reduction in referrals to special school placements, as the majority of pupils with severe learning difficulties in the Whitby area are now educated in their local mainstream schools. Reported outcomes for mainstream staff include greater awareness and use of P Scales to record pupils’ progress, breaking down tasks for all pupils into small steps, and a greater understanding of the use of signing and communication aids to promote learning. Mainstream staff in Whitby and Springhead Partnership schools also report

p.18

Commentary

benefits for all their pupils. These include raising pupils’ self-esteem and achievement as Springhead Special - 19 teachers apply the transferable skills gained from outreach work in their practice for all pupils, and a greater acceptance of all pupils as individuals, rather than stereotyping pupils with severe learning difficulties. A highly skilled team of teaching assistants receive excellent training from an Advanced Skills teacher at Springhead School, which enables them to deliver highly effective support to targeted pupils in mainstream classes.

p.18

Commentary

Example of outstanding practice Outstanding links with many schools result in excellent inclusion arrangements for pupils. The school has established excellent inclusion and outreach with many other schools, including secondary schools and colleges. Discussions with senior staff at several schools confirm the success of the links, not only regarding benefits to pupils at Springhead, but also to mainstream pupils and staff in terms of developing their expertise in dealing with special needs. For instance, the Hinderwell and Springhead Partnership benefits pupils from both schools in raising achievements and personal development as pupils work and play together. Several pupils, including those in the Foundation Stage, are permanently based at Hinderwell and many older pupils attend for break, lunch and integrate in lessons such as literacy, numeracy, science, physical education and music. The buddies scheme enables Year 6 pupils from Hinderwell to support pupils of a similar age, or younger

p.19

Commentary

at Springhead. It is organized particularly well. For instance, the Year 6 pupils have to formally apply and are interviewed and trained jointly by both schools. Training includes Makaton sign language and both sets of pupils derive tremendous benefits from the scheme.

p.19

LEADERSHIP AND MANAGEMENT

Leadership and management are very good. The headteacher provides excellent leadership and key staff fulfil their roles very effectively. Management is very good and school governance is very good.

p.19

LEADERSHIP AND MANAGEMENT

• The leadership of the headteacher is transformational. • The senior management team and subject co-ordinators provide very good support for the headteacher. • Very effective management with excellent strategic planning has had a positive impact on school improvement. • The governing body is very effective in its work.

p.19

LEADERSHIP AND MANAGEMENT

Example of outstanding practice The head teacher’s excellent leadership has created highly effective staff and generated successful initiatives. The head teacher’s inspired leadership has transformed the school into a centre of excellence for its outreach work and inclusion initiatives, which are highly regarded by schools in North Yorkshire and by the community. She has developed a highly trained and professional staff who share the same drive, energy and commitment to the work of the school. As a result, the headteacher has been extremely successful in gaining a wide range of national awards, such as The Basic Skills Quality Mark for both secondary and primary provision, The Schools Achievement Award and the Highly Effective School award for three years in succession. She has also successfully embarked upon a number of partnerships and initiatives, such as The School Sport Co-ordinator Programme, the Healthy Schools Scheme, and a Communication Aid Project Centre. Excellent staff teamwork,

p.19

LEADERSHIP AND MANAGEMENT

an excellent ethos for learning with excellent inclusion are all the hallmarks of the leadership of this transformational headteacher.

p.19

LEADERSHIP AND MANAGEMENT

38. The senior management team and subject co-ordinators provide strong and highly effective support for the headteacher in driving the school forward. All share the same Springhead Special - 20 vision for raising pupils’ achievements by improving the quality of teaching and they are very effective in doing so. For example, the school has identified the need to extend accreditation for pupils in Years 10 and 11, which the inspection confirms as an area for further development. The recently appointed deputy headteacher is extremely effective in improving assessment provision and maintaining very high quality outreach support by staff. Along with the Advanced Skills teachers in the school, the deputy head provides an excellent role model for teaching and learning, which is reflected in the good improvement in this aspect since the last inspection. Subject co-ordinators are monitoring provision in their subjects very effectively and ensuring that all staff are skilled to deliver highly effective

p.19

LEADERSHIP AND MANAGEMENT

learning experiences for their pupils. Co-ordinators have developed clear priorities for improvements based on outcomes of monitoring and closely reflecting the school’s own priorities for improvement.

p.20

LEADERSHIP AND MANAGEMENT

39. Excellent leadership is provided by the school for outreach support. The headteacher is extremely effective in creating an effective team to deliver the service, the deputy head is equally effective in monitoring and supporting the work of staff involved and an Advanced Skills teacher provides excellent training for support staff to enhance their support role.

p.20

LEADERSHIP AND MANAGEMENT

40. Governors work closely with the headteacher and staff in monitoring the work of the school. Each governor is responsible for overseeing an area of the curriculum and governors are actively engaged in reviewing subjects on a termly basis. Governors also have a very good knowledge of the school’s strengths and weaknesses, visiting the school as often as they can for assemblies, school productions and informal visits to lessons. The governing body is actively involved in school improvement planning and effectively holds the school to account for its work.

p.20

LEADERSHIP AND MANAGEMENT

41. Very effective management ensures that the school operates efficiently and effectively on a day-to-day basis. The senior management team are very effective in monitoring the school’s targets and the quality of teaching and learning. Very good arrangements for performance management are in place with well-conceived objectives for all staff linked carefully to whole school priorities for development. Outcomes of monitoring are used extremely well in the school’s strategic planning, particularly, to continue to improve teaching, learning and pupils’ achievements. The budget is managed very effectively with very good support from the finance officer, who prepares detailed budget statements for the finance committee of the governing body to scrutinise. The school achieves best value in its spending decisions very effectively.

p.20

LEADERSHIP AND MANAGEMENT

Financial information for the year April 2003 to March 2004

p.20

LEADERSHIP AND MANAGEMENT

Income and expenditure (£) Balances (£) Total income 714,223 Balance from previous year 46,772 Total expenditure 755,401 Balance carried forward to the next 5,594 Expenditure per pupil 17,567

p.20

WORK-RELATED LEARNING

Provision for work-related learning (WRL) is very good . Springhead Special - 21 Main strengths and weaknesses

p.20

WORK-RELATED LEARNING

• Opportunities for work experience have a very positive impact on pupils’ personal development. • The school’s own self-evaluation shows that students learn rapidly about employment and work. • Very good liaison with local employers and the careful use of assessment and support impact positively on students’ achievements. • WRL is very well led, managed and organised.

p.21

WORK-RELATED LEARNING

42. The provision meets statutory requirements. The main emphasis in WRL is on the continuing education programme in Years 12 to 14 with limited provision in Years 10 and 11. This reflects the lack of maturity and complex needs of pupils at Key Stage 4, with the need for repetition and reinforcement. Students have gained very good knowledge and insight into the world of work through direct contact with employers. This is built upon in further classroom based learning. Visits to school from local businesses, their experience of mock job interviews and very good opportunities to examine work-related topics such as dress code, punctuality and following instructions all promote personal development very effectively. Students rapidly build their confidence through their planning and organisation of mini-enterprises such as a café, and a project to re-claim old furniture. They visit Yorkshire Coast College for one day per week and participate in WRL in the

p.21

WORK-RELATED LEARNING

Catering Department and Horticulture. In catering, students gain very good first hand experience of the work involved in running a restaurant, from preparing and cooking a 5- course meal to preparing and ‘waiting on’ in a silverware dining room. WRL in school includes interviewing school staff such as the secretary, support assistants and caretaker, as well as occasional supported external work shadowing placements, for example at the local café and post office. They have also experienced personal interviews with their local Connexions adviser to determine their plans for life beyond school. Students are provided with careers guidance lessons, problem solving activities, and work on self-awareness and decision-making. All students are encouraged to make informed choices about careers opportunities through focused interviews in Year 11 as part of career planning. The school’s own analysis of performance data from the ‘Moving On’ programme shows

p.21

WORK-RELATED LEARNING

that all students are achieving very well. The very good impact of work experience on students’ personal development results in their increasing understanding of the workplace and very good achievement.

p.21

WORK-RELATED LEARNING

43. Although no lessons were seen, detailed evidence from the school’s own evaluation of pupils’ learning shows that they learn rapidly about employment and work because teachers emphasise a practical approach, through careful support and guidance. This provides increasing opportunities for students to take more responsibility for their own learning as they increase in confidence. At all times they are carefully supported. A rich variety of highly relevant learning activities are provided for students. These include lessons which relate to the relevant practicalities of the world, very good arrangements for work placements, which include close monitoring and support, and the careful setting of clear learning objectives for work experience. As a result students develop very good knowledge and understanding and they are able to apply classroom learning to ‘real world’ situations, for example, in mini-enterprises.

p.21

WORK-RELATED LEARNING

44. Very effective arrangements are in place to ensure pupils and students are well prepared for work. These include writing specific clear and focused educational objectives for visits, holding joint school staff and employer planning meetings before each visit, inviting Springhead Special - 22 partner organisations to each meeting, encouraging employer and employees to visit the school to meet and talk to the students, mutual agreement of the process of the visits, a post-visit debriefing meeting for employers and school staff.

p.21

WORK-RELATED LEARNING

45. The coordinator has carried out a full audit of current provision against the national guidelines and produced a detailed action plan for further development. For example, he is introducing planning sessions with the North Yorkshire Business Partnership and Connexions to help identify and target employers and to plan for students’ future needs. Springhead Special - 23

p.22

AREAS OF LEARNING IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

The provision in the Foundation Stage is very good .

p.23

Main strengths and weaknesses

• Children show very good achievement in all areas of learning. • The quality of learning and teaching is very good. • The curriculum is very good. • The inclusive setting provides many valuable opportunities for learning. • There are very good links with parents.

p.23

Commentary

46. At the time of the inspection there were three children in their reception year and one of nursery age. They are fully included in the Foundation Stage unit in the mainstream primary school next door.

p.23

Commentary

47. Teachers and support assistants assess very well what children can do and can demonstrate the progress that they make throughout the Foundation Stage. Assessments are frequent and helpful, and are used well to develop individual learning plans for each child. Helpful contributions from visiting therapists are effectively incorporated. Records show that children are making very good progress in all areas of learning. The curriculum for Springhead children is planned in detail in collaboration with the mainstream school and shows how individual needs will be addressed within each of the many activities on offer. Activities are very engaging and very well resourced and are based on a secure topic cycle. Children are encouraged to explore and choose their own activities, but adults monitor this very well. They ensure a balance of activities in all areas of learning through the week through gently steering children towards

p.23

Commentary

particular activities when necessary, effectively addressing learning needs.

p.23

Commentary

48. The quality of teaching and learning is very good and all adults in the class work as a close and consistent team, valuing and enjoying the contribution of all children. The presence of other children provides challenge and high expectations. Parents are also seen as partners in their child’s education and are welcomed in the class. The school works very effectively to gain the confidence of parents and children as they start school. They get very good information from home on how best to support each child through an attractive, accessible booklet that parents complete. A parent can visit and stay with his or her child as long as it is felt necessary. All communication is frequent and helpful. This gives a very secure basis for families and children.

p.23

Commentary

49. Improvement in this aspect of the school’s work is good. The provision was judged to be very good at the last inspection. High standards have been maintained and there are now very good additional opportunities provided by the inclusive setting and joint working with mainstream members of staff.

p.23

Commentary

50. Children achieve very well in their personal and social development . Children begin to develop relationships and can be seen to have particular friends, and often are prepared to work harder and for longer on activities when other children participate. They learn to share and take turns, for example when rolling toys cars down a ramp. They have opportunities to sort out their own differences over footballs or dolls prams. Adults know all the children very well and are confident to watch and wait before stepping in. Every child has his or her own eating programme. This is accessible, helpful and available to all members of staff, so ensures a Springhead Special - 24 consistent approach. Mealtimes are friendly and informal, with all adults recognising emerging skills and working to develop these. Very good progress can be seen over the last few weeks with children learning to use cups without lids and a fork to stab food. Skilled members of staff

p.23

Commentary

also recognise and react to early indicators of readiness for toilet training, so good progress is made in this area too.

p.24

Commentary

51. Children achieve very well in communication, language and literacy . They enter the school at a very early stage of language and communicative development. They are highly motivated to develop ways of communicating and so make very good progress. Higher attaining children are very interested in others and are keen to interact, asking for toys and announcing their presence through repeated sounds and gestures, carefully watching the response. They use some Makaton signs appropriately and extend this through natural gesture. A lower attaining child has just started to prompt adults to unbuckle her lap strap, indicating that she wants to get out of her buggy to play. Adults watch for any opportunities to work on communication skills and model the next stage for each child skilfully. This means that there are very good opportunities for children to use their developing skills in a wide range of appropriate contexts throughout the

p.24

Commentary

day. The learning environment is also very well structured with excellent resources to develop literacy such as the writing table, an office, felt pens and whiteboards, picture name cards and books. Some children enjoy being part of a group, hold a pencil appropriately and make consistent even marks on paper, copying others.

p.24

Commentary

52. Children achieve very well in mathematical development . The class has an excellent range of themed activities that include games to develop counting, shape recognition, and the vocabulary of sorting and comparing. One child, who has very little conventional language, is beginning to look at the spots on ladybird cards and say ‘one, two, four..’ in imitation of other children. They hear other children and adults using appropriate mathematical language around them in the wet play area as they fill three teacups with water or make a big cake out of sand. There are daily opportunities for more formal group activities with songs and singing games. The presence of a wide range of abilities means that the challenge for Springhead children is high. All the children sit well in the large group and the higher attainer follows and anticipates some actions to familiar number songs.

p.24

Commentary

53. Children achieve very well in physical development. Outdoor play is very well resourced and the environment gives opportunities to experience and negotiate a range of surfaces. Adults appropriately allow children to run, play football, roll around and ride bikes independently, only helping when necessary. This is encouraging children to become increasingly confident and steady in a busy playground. They learn to manage their own space and steer dolls’ prams or trikes out of corners or away from other children. There is a very good range of activities on offer that promote fine motor development, including sewing with raffia on hessian, the office and writing areas. Children are supported to participate in these and adults focus well on the aspects of these that develop skills at an appropriate level for each child.

p.24

Commentary

54. All adults have learned helpful ways for moving and positioning children in their daily activities. This is helping children with physical disabilities make very good progress in learning to walk. Insufficient evidence was gathered to judge children’s creative development but the curriculum plans and the structured activities on offer show that this aspect of their learning is fully addressed. The development of knowledge and understanding of the world is very well included. Children are encouraged to explore and experiment, for example in the water tray with brown ‘tea’, shiny metal teapots and cups. One child was fascinated by the hinge mechanism on the lid of the teapots and the adult skilfully described the things that the child was doing. This provided a rich language experience for all the children and the Springhead child heard the key vocabulary of ‘open’, ‘shut’, ‘shiny’, ‘metal’, ‘full’ ‘empty’ ‘splash’ and so on from all sides. There

p.24

Commentary

is very good computer equipment with useful software and the children show very good familiarly with this, turning the computer and monitor off and on. Software is used well to reinforce work across all areas of learning, and the children explored a music program systematically, using a touch screen, developing preferences and repeating favourite effects. Springhead Special - 25

p.24

ENGLISH

• Speaking and listening skills are very effectively developed and communication across the curriculum is excellent. • Achievement and learning are very good throughout the school because of the very effective teaching . • Assessment is very good and teachers and teaching assistants (TAs) are extremely effective in closely matching activities to the individual needs of pupils and students. • Very effective development in planning has enabled teachers to develop a fuller breadth of pupils’ literacy skills and understanding. • Resources, including those in ICT, are very good and are used very effectively.

p.25

ENGLISH

55. Pupils’ achievement throughout the school is very good and occasionally outstanding because of the teachers’ effective planning and the very high quality of the teaching. Since the last inspection the school has strongly focussed on the development of communication throughout the school with particular emphasis on very good staff training and increased high quality resources. The close relationships between teachers, teaching assistants and other professionals has led to the development of consistent systems of signing, the increased use of symbols, sensory materials and objects that enable meaning to be made clearer, and the increased use of ICT. Staff working closely in teams are successful in providing the specific manner of interaction each pupil needs, including gesture and body language, sensory cues, pictures, signs and symbols. A variety of switches are adapted to help meet very individual physical needs, together with specially adapted

p.25

ENGLISH

software on computers which is also used very effectively to support pupils' learning in English. This has resulted in the very effective development of speaking and listening skills and communication across the curriculum is excellent.

p.25

ENGLISH

56. Very good planning based on secure assessment supports the different needs of various groups of pupils. Most pupils have severe speech and language difficulties, but through a highly effective level of structured support in the classroom and helpful programmes from outside professionals, pupils make very good progress in developing confidence, interacting with others, and listening and extending levels of concentration. Younger pupils in Years 1 and 2 are based in the neighbouring primary school which offers excellent opportunities to be included in lessons with their mainstream peers. Very skilled teaching techniques including a system of intensive interaction enable pupils who start school with little or no response to others to rapidly begin to react positively to new activities and show an interest and awareness in events around them. Higher attaining pupils learn to sign and join in songs with actions. During the inspection, a pupil with complex learning

p.25

ENGLISH

difficulties in Year 2 was confident enough to sign and perform the actions to a hymn with five other pupils from the main school in front of an infant assembly. Older pupils in Years 5 and 6 learn to use communication aids with confidence and show obvious excitement Springhead Special - 26 and enthusiasm in using the electronic whiteboard to make choices and answer questions.

p.25

ENGLISH

57. As pupils continue through the school their confidence and self-esteem are nurtured through excellent relationships and expert teaching which provides very good opportunities for pupils to listen and speak, vocalise or sign through structured discussions, end of lesson sessions, role-play, drama and presenting work to others. Drama, where it is used, makes a very good contribution to pupils’ speaking and listening. For example, in one outstanding lesson, pupils and students together re-enacted Mrs Moore’s Story, as part of their study of A Passage to India . With very evocative background sound and music but no external props, pupils and students ‘travelled’ from England to India by ship, playing the parts of Mrs Moore, her friends, and the crew. Through excellent planning and teamwork staff encouraged this mixed group of Years 10 to 14 pupils and students with very severe and complex learning difficulties, including

p.26

ENGLISH

some pupils with profound and multiple learning difficulties, to experience a range of emotions and events. The group was enthralled by this challenging and powerful lesson and worked solidly together in pairs or groups. They were totally immersed in the plot and characters for 90 minutes and made excellent progress towards their individual targets.

p.26

ENGLISH

58. Achievement in reading is also very good. By Year 2 most pupils enjoy sharing books stories and rhymes and learn to focus on objects, pictures and sounds associated with the story. Older pupils in Years 5 and 6 make very good progress in naming letters of the alphabet and in understanding that words have meaning. Pupils in Year 9 use symbols to help them read books from the reading scheme, and respond well to questions. Careful expert individual coaching in reading enables pupils to achieve their individual targets and make very good progress. Higher attaining pupils begin to understand how books are organised and to appreciate poetry. Most pupils can identify pictures, symbols and words within a text.

p.26

ENGLISH

59. By Year 11 pupils recognise a wide range of words when accompanied by symbols. Higher attaining pupils can identify authors of known books and are able to retell familiar stories. They work on computer programs to increase their word attack skills and continue to develop their ability to use initial letter sounds and contextual and picture clues to help them understand unfamiliar words. Teachers use a range of strategies, including good questioning, direct teaching, and age-appropriate carefully chosen books to develop pupils’ comprehension skills. They place great importance on checking that pupils understand the main elements in their texts. In a lesson exploring part of the text from A Passage To India which started with a short recap on work previously covered, the teacher’s very good questions and prompts showed that all pupils had understood meaning and the pupils who shared their views on the story showed perception and

p.26

ENGLISH

empathy. Some pupils read together with staff, at a simple level, age-appropriate texts. Although work is carefully tailored to individual needs, teachers’ expectations are high and the work and texts presented are challenging. Staff bring these texts to life for the pupils and students by very good resources which are used very well. For example, puppets and story bags with excellent sensory props are used throughout the school together with interactive communication aids, the interactive whiteboard, video clips and well chosen books, and extracts from plays, poems and news articles bring the texts to life to promote achievement. Carefully selected visits to the theatre and participation in drama enhance the curriculum and give pupils and students great pleasure in live performance. The English co-ordinator pays good attention to the Key Stage 3 strategy and framework for teaching English and lessons in English are active and engaging.

p.26

ENGLISH

Springhead Special - 27 60. Most pupils enter the school with very limited writing ability, often because of their complex physical disabilities, but they achieve well because of very well planned, skilled and effective teaching which is well matched to individual needs. Younger pupils in Year 1 and 2 move their hands to make marks or patterns and some show curiosity in making marks on paper and do so deliberately. A few older pupils use different media to make marks which have meaning and higher attaining pupils can write their own ‘news’ in a simple sentence with limited help. Pupils in Year 9 create imaginative stories and poems using symbols and pictures and they communicate meaning well. They are able to indicate the purpose of their writing and show awareness of the sequence of familiar letters, words or symbols to communicate meaning. Pupils in Years 10 and 11 write their names with the appropriate use of upper and lower case or symbols. They write for a

p.27

ENGLISH

variety of audiences and purposes, for example lists, menus, letters and instructions.

p.27

ENGLISH

61. The quality of teaching is very good and in one lesson it was outstanding. Highly effective planning leads to a very clear focus in lessons and pupils know exactly what they are going to learn. A good balance of praise and challenge motivates and encourages pupils and the very high quality of relationships between pupils and staff ensures that pupils have very good attitudes towards their learning and grow in self-confidence and maturity. Where teaching is at its best, pupils are thoroughly involved, teamwork among staff is excellent and expectations are high. For example, in a Year 11 lesson, the powerful and highly imaginative direction of the teaching staff enabled pupils to develop a clear picture of a challenging text. Very good opportunities are provided for pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development.

p.27

ENGLISH

62. The co-ordination of English is very good and there has been very good improvement in the subject since the last inspection. Very effective monitoring of planning and teaching has supported consistency in the quality of teaching, which is now very good. Assessment is thorough and extremely effective with close reference to the National Curriculum Attainment Targets in recording progress. Pupils’ progress is systematically recorded on a day-to-day basis as well as through end-of-module assignments, teacher assessment and moderated assignments. National Curriculum P scales are well embedded and so teachers record more accurately the small steps of progress of pupils and their performance can be precisely tracked. Individual targets are more precisely set, particularly for lower attaining pupils. Pupils are also involved in their own assessment and that of their peers so that, given the nature of their difficulties, they have a very good

p.27

ENGLISH

understanding of how well they are doing.

p.27

Language and literacy across the curriculum

63. The school pays excellent attention to promoting pupils’ skills in communication. Teachers are consistent in creating a total communication environment that incorporates speaking and listening skills, signs, symbols, tactile and object clues as well as technological aids to help pupils become independent and develop in all areas.

p.27

Language and literacy across the curriculum

Main strengths and weaknesses Springhead Special - 28 • The progress of pupils of all ages over longer periods of time is very good. • Teaching and learning are very good. • Mathematics is well led and managed and very well planned. • Pupils’ achievement is carefully assessed and recorded. • Mathematics skills are very well developed in some other subjects.

p.27

Language and literacy across the curriculum

64. At the time of the previous inspection, the progress of pupils in mathematics was judged to be good. Provision is now very good and has resulted in pupils’ very good achievement. This represents very good improvement since the previous inspection. Pupils of all ages and capabilities achieve very well and make very good progress towards the numeracy targets on their individual education plans. This is because teaching is very good. For example, in a very good lesson for pupils in Years 7 to 9, pupils learned about long and short items and tall and short. The task was challenging for the pupils but most achieved the lesson objectives because the teacher started promptly, kept the lesson going at a very good pace and used examples that captured the pupils’ interest such as having them stand in line to see who was shorter and taller. The teaching assistant provided very good support, working with a pupil who needed

p.28

Language and literacy across the curriculum

particular help. Again in a very good lesson for pupils in Years 3 to 6, pupils were very well motivated in their learning of ‘heavy’ and light’. Practical tasks such as holding heavy and light carrier bags of shopping and a very good focus on the language used helped convey the point of the lesson. Teachers’ excellent use of assessment is a strong feature of very good teaching and also promotes very good achievement. Teachers take full account of pupils’ numeracy targets in lesson planning. Pupils are also actively engaged in evaluating their own progress in lessons and the progress of others through the use of plenary sessions. As a result pupils have a very good knowledge of how well they are doing. 65. All teachers and support staff have high expectations of both behaviour and of achievement of pupils, and have very good relationships with the pupils. Lessons are very well planned and structured with a series of short activities keeping the pupils’ interests and a variety of

p.28

Language and literacy across the curriculum

resources - including, as appropriate, the use of ICT - which make a very valuable contribution to the progress of pupils. Assessment is very good in that careful records are kept of pupils’ achievement and targets are appropriately set.

p.28

Language and literacy across the curriculum

66. Leadership and management of the subject are very good. The co-ordinator closely monitors planning and the quality of teaching and learning through lesson observation. The subject is reviewed each term with the nominated governor so that priorities for development are identified and incorporated into an action plan. As a result there have been good improvements in the quality of teaching and learning. For example, ICT is now used very effectively and the tasks that the pupils carry out tie in with the learning objectives of the lesson.

p.28

Mathematics across the curriculum

67. The teaching of mathematics across the curriculum is very good. Other subjects, including art and design and science, make a very good contribution to the development and reinforcement of mathematical skills, particularly through measuring and recording.

p.28

Main strengths and weaknesses

• Pupils’ achievements are very good, due to very good teaching. Springhead Special - 29 • An enriched curriculum and excellent links with mainstream schools enhance pupils’ learning and achievement. • The subject is very well led and managed, with very good improvements since the last inspection.

p.28

Commentary

68. Pupils’ achievements are very good because they are learning very effectively due to consistently very good and occasionally excellent teaching. This is confirmed not only by inspection findings but also by the school’s own monitoring of teaching and learning in lessons and the analysis of P Scale data. Particular strengths in teaching include excellent teamwork with support, very good use of wide ranging resources to promote understanding, a sharp focus on practical investigations, and the development of pupils’ understanding of scientific vocabulary through the excellent use of communication aids, ICT and signing. For example in a very good lesson in Years 1 and 2, pupils heard the story of the Little Red Hen and made pizza. All staff made excellent use of the story and materials to develop understanding of a range of scientific concepts such as pushing and pulling sacks of wheat, grinding down grain into flour,

p.29

Commentary

making the flour into dough and then baking the bread. Through these practical activities pupils increased their awareness of plant growth, of forces and of the irreversible change in the properties of materials. Furthermore, the excellent inclusion of Year 1 Hinderwell pupils provided very good role models for Springhead pupils in the importance of washing hands before and after handling food. In an excellent lesson, pupils with profound and multiple learning difficulties listened to music with plant lyrics while participating in a whole group investigation into the different parts of a plant. The teacher and support staff worked extremely effectively in showing pupils a wide variety of fruits and vegetables and encouraging pupils to taste them. One pupil worked on the Promethean board and the teacher used a digital camera during the lesson to show pupils working with plants as she projected the images onto the screen. Pupils

p.29

Commentary

look at the growth of a broad bean, touch and smell soil and experience plants being watered with a fine spray of water. 69. There are very good opportunities for enriching the curriculum with visits to the Eureka museum, local farms and the Sea Life Centre. Excellent links with local schools also promote inclusion of pupils in mainstream settings extremely effectively. For example, pupils in Years 7 to 9 attend science lessons at Scalby secondary school and carry out investigations in a laboratory setting alongside their mainstream peers. These arrangements are meticulously planned with mainstream colleagues so that learning is successful and considerably enriched for both sets of pupils. For example, teaching assistants sign and produce symbols as aids to communication, while facilitating differentiation for Springhead pupils. As a result of this excellent inclusion, boundaries of learning are pushed for Springhead pupils, as they learn

p.29

Commentary

extremely effectively and achieve extremely well. Photographs of pupils working in the mainstream setting showed a pupil with profound and multiple learning difficulties working in a group to compare the energy released from different materials as they burned in a controlled experiment. Pupils identified a range of fuels and determined which one was most efficient in raising the temperature of water in a given time. Other Springhead pupils used light boxes, concave and convex mirrors with mainstream pupils during investigations into reflection. Groups of Springhead and Scalby pupils explored human and animal teeth and watched a video, discussing the importance of dental hygiene.

p.29

Commentary

70. The science co-ordinator manages and develops the subject very effectively, monitoring planning and teaching and learning. Outcomes of monitoring are then incorporated into very well chosen priorities for improvement. As a result, there has been good improvement in teaching, learning, the curriculum and assessment since the last inspection. There are greater opportunities for inclusion and excellent use of resources including ICT to support teaching and learning. The use of P Scale assessments are extremely effective in to recording and tracking pupils’ progress and in setting challenging targets for learning and achievement. The co- ordinator provides an excellent model for teaching and the development of the curriculum. She Springhead Special - 30 has ensured that support staff are highly trained and effective, and she attends network science meetings to disseminate good practice.

p.29

INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

• Teaching and learning in lessons where ICT is used are very good. • The progress of pupils of all ages over longer periods of time is very good. • ICT is well led and managed and very well planned. • Pupils’ achievement is assessed and recorded very effectively. • The Communication Aid Project has made an excellent contribution to ICT and to other areas and subjects of the curriculum. • Resources for ICT are excellent.

p.30

Commentary

71. Pupils of all ages progress very well and achieve very well because of very good teaching. For example, in a very good introduction to a physical education lesson for pupils in Years 8 and 9, the whiteboard was used to project a video of the Paralympics and staff used very positive language to talk about the athletes. One pupil was shown medals. Another lesson was a very good mathematics lesson for pupils in Years 10 and 11 involving a tally of fruits that had been counted by pupils. Pupils made very good use of ICT with communication aids, using the whiteboard to reinforce and record points in the lesson and in printing off a record of the tally. Excellent use is made of the whiteboards in registration.

p.30

Commentary

72. The impact of the Communication Aid Project, which has been excellently managed and led, has been high, allowing and encouraging pupils to make choices and express preferences much more clearly than before. This project is a national initiative which aims to enhance pupils’ communication through the use of communication aids, particularly ICT. The teachers have high expectations of the pupils to communicate using ICT and have very good relationships with the pupils. Lessons are very well planned and structured so that effective use is made of ICT.

p.30

Commentary

73. Leadership and management of the subject are very good. Very good monitoring and support for teaching, learning and the curriculum, by the co-ordinator, have led to significant improvements in all these areas. The resources for ICT are excellent and are used very effectively by teachers to promote teaching and learning. Assessment is very good in that careful records are kept of pupils’ achievements and targets are appropriately set in terms of communication through the use of ICT. Teachers make excellent use of assessment in planning.

p.30

Commentary

74. At the time of the previous inspection, the progress of pupils in ICT was judged to be good. Provision is now very good, representing good progress since the previous inspection.

p.30

Commentary

Information and communication technology across the curriculum

p.30

Commentary

75. The use of ICT to promote teaching and learning in other subjects is very good. Promethean boards are used by teachers and pupils in a wide range of subjects, such as science, geography and religious education. Pupils with profound and multiple learning difficulties also make very good use of technological aids such as switches and touch screens, to access Springhead Special - 31 learning. Extensive use is also made of musical compact discs and electronic keyboards in music, and video is also used very effectively to promote learning.

p.30

HUMANITIES

Religious education was inspected in full and is reported in detail below. History and geography were sampled.

p.31

HUMANITIES

76. In a very well planned Years 10 and 11 geography lesson on life in India, pupils experienced different levels of living for the rich and poor. The classroom was organised into two sections: an opulent tent with rich carpets and sumptuous furnishings and a shanty town made from cardboard boxes. All pupils had a turn at being ‘Rich’ or ‘Poor’ and were encouraged to immerse themselves in different lifestyles. ‘Rich’ dwellers dressed in luxurious materials and wore jewelled shoes, and ate delicious food from silver and gold plates. ‘Poor’ pupils were crammed together in makeshift accommodation, with old clothes, little food and no shoes. Very good, knowledgeable teaching enabled pupils to learn about different places, cultures and lifestyles and achieve very well. There were very good opportunities presented to develop pupils’ moral and cultural knowledge. Similarly, through a very good range of practical activities pupils in Year 8 learn about

p.31

HUMANITIES

Greece and the Paralympics. Teachers make very good use of artefacts, music and school visits and visitors to help pupils understand their environment and the world around them.

p.31

HUMANITIES

77. No lessons were observed in history but it is clear from the planning that staff go to great efforts to make history accessible to pupils. Very successful examples were a multi- sensory World War 1 day for younger pupils and a re-enactment of the Dam Busters raid for Years 10 and 11. Cross-curricular links are used well within the teaching of history to help their learning. For example, pupils work on Ghandi and the historical aspects of India under the rule of the British and this is linked with their study of India in geography, religious education and English.

p.31

HUMANITIES

78. There are well-organised schemes of work in both subjects and pupils are progressively taught about historical events and geographical themes as outlined in the National Curriculum. A multi-sensory approach is used for many pupils across the year groups to enable pupils to access the curriculum. This approach uses tactile and visual objects to excite and motivate pupils together with the smells and sounds of places and events. For example, pupils compared sea and driftwood when considering the sea and pollution; they smelled the aroma of explosions in their war study and the smells and sound of India in their work on life in India. The subject is monitored regularly as part of a whole school cycle. Both subjects are due for review next year and appropriate action plans have been drawn up which will form the basis of the review.

p.31

Religious education

Provision in religious education is very good.

p.31

Main strengths and weaknesses

• Pupils’ learning and achievements are very good because teaching is very effective. • The subject makes a very good contribution to pupils’ personal development. Springhead Special - 32 • There are excellent opportunities for inclusion and very good opportunities for enriching pupils’ learning. • Very good leadership and management have resulted in good improvement since the previous inspection.

p.31

Commentary

79. All pupils achieve very well in religious education (RE) because of sensitive and skilled teaching. Teachers make very good use of P Scale assessments to record and track pupils’ progress and in planning to ensure that activities are very well matched to pupils’ learning needs. As a result, pupils make very good progress in lessons. Excellent teamwork with highly trained support staff ensures that communication aids and resources are used very effectively to improve pupils’ learning. For example, in a very good lesson for pupils in Years 7 and 8, teachers and support staff worked extremely effectively together using a variety of instruments to provide sensory experiences in replicating the sounds in the Christian story of The Sower. Pupils saw seeds falling in between rocks, amongst thorns and on fertile soil. As a result pupils developed an awareness of events in the story. In another very good lesson, pupils in Years 10 and 11

p.32

Commentary

touched the Bible and a candle, placing them reverently on a Christian artefacts table. Support staff helped them to build a model of a church and helped pupils to correctly name the parts of a church. As a result of these experiences pupils’ self-esteem is greatly increased, they are very confident and enthusiastic in lesson activities, and all pupils achieve equally well.

p.32

Commentary

80. Religious education makes a very good contribution to the development of pupils’ spiritual, moral and cultural development. Religious festivals such as Diwali, Hanukkah, Eid and Easter are often celebrated within class and Christmas is celebrated as a whole school with a carol service at the local church. Assemblies play an important part in enhancing the provision for religious education. For example, in an excellent assembly pupils in Years 1 and 2 listened to music and experienced the story of Jonah and The Whale through role play, the use of a model boat and the formation of a human trampoline to replicate the belly of the whale. As a result pupils thoroughly enjoyed the story, learning and achieving extremely well.

p.32

Commentary

81. Pupils access a wide range of educational visits where they learn about and from religion. For example, they visit York Minster, other churches and churchyards, places of natural beauty and tranquil gardens. Pupils also greatly benefit from visitors to school, such as choirs, musicians, the local vicar and the curate from a local church. A theatre company also visited the school to perform the Hindu story of Rama and Sita, aimed primarily at pupils with profound and multiple learning difficulties. Pupils in Years 10 and 11 shared RE lessons alongside mainstream pupils in a local secondary school, providing excellent inclusion.

p.32

Commentary

82. Leadership and management of RE are very good. The co-ordinator keeps fully up-to- date with new developments and promotes the subject very effectively through very good action planning. As a result there has been very good improvement since the last inspection. A comprehensive RE policy has been agreed, close professional work with a specialist RE teacher from a local secondary school to ensure effective links for pupils in Years 10 to 11 has taken place, and teachers’ knowledge of the subject has improved. There are also more plans to extend visits to other places of worship in the county. The co-ordinator monitors and evaluates teachers’ planning very effectively. She produces a Springhead Special - 33 monitoring report based on evidence from teaching and learning, which is presented to governors for scrutiny at the beginning of each term. This ensures that expectations set out in the locally agreed syllabus are met.

p.32

CREATIVE, AESTHETIC, PRACTICAL AND PHYSICAL SUBJECTS

Art and design, design and technology, music and physical education were sampled.

p.33

CREATIVE, AESTHETIC, PRACTICAL AND PHYSICAL SUBJECTS

83. In the one lesson of art and design seen, for pupils in Years 3 to 6, teaching and learning were very good and the pupils progressed very well. The pupils had previously made paper fish with magnetic heads and in the lesson seen were enthusiastically making fishing rods and lines with magnets at the end to catch the fish. A suitable range of activities is offered, including finger painting for Years 1 and 2 pupils; collage and group paintings for pupils in Years 3 to 6; painting African drums and making a sun collage for pupils in Years 7 to 9; and making three-dimensional models (combining art and design and technology) for older pupils.

p.33

CREATIVE, AESTHETIC, PRACTICAL AND PHYSICAL SUBJECTS

84. In the one lesson of design and technology seen, which was for Years 1 and 2 pupils, the teaching and achievement were very good. The teachers encouraged the pupils to use their senses and there was a very good focus on how the mixture changed as water was added to it which captured the pupils’ interest. A suitable range of work is offered including for pupils In Years 3 to 6 choosing hot and cold drinks, handling the materials that are used to make a house (such as bricks), constructing towers (and visiting a lighthouse), and preparing foods such as peeling potatoes. Work for pupils in Years 7 to 9 included making a wood ‘planter’ and making a collage. Pupils in Years 10 and 11 made woven place mats and the work of older pupils included making a desk tidy, painting a T- shirt and preparing a meal associated with another culture.

p.33

CREATIVE, AESTHETIC, PRACTICAL AND PHYSICAL SUBJECTS

85. There are very good opportunities for enriching pupils’ learning in music , through cross- curricular themes as well as discrete music lessons. Pupils develop performing skills, create and develop musical ideas, and learn to control sounds through singing and playing a variety of musical instruments. Pupils in Years 1 to 6 have excellent opportunities to join in musical activities with Hinderwell Primary School. Music also permeates the life of the school, as pupils listen and respond to music during lessons such as English and mathematics, move to music in physical education and dance, and sing enthusiastically, in assemblies and concerts. Pupils in Years 3 to 6 explore a range of different effects that can be made on instruments, such as plucking and strumming, and they can distinguish between percussion and stringed instruments. Pupils in Years 7 to 9 recognise instruments by the sounds they make and show preferences for different styles

p.33

CREATIVE, AESTHETIC, PRACTICAL AND PHYSICAL SUBJECTS

of music, such as African and popular music. Pupils in Years 10 and 11 reproduces music associated with the Riverdance video. Assessment is thorough and teachers use this extremely well to record pupils’ achievements against P Levels . The new co-ordinator, who receives excellent support for her role from the headteacher, has made a very good start in developing the subject further.

p.33

CREATIVE, AESTHETIC, PRACTICAL AND PHYSICAL SUBJECTS

86. Learning in physical education is considerably enhanced through the school’s excellent links with other schools and the community. An excellent swimming lesson was seen at the local swimming pool, where all staff challenged pupils and supported pupils in gaining confidence in the water. As a result all pupils made rapid progress in moving through water and increased their confidence and interaction with others. Pupils in Years 1 to 6 are fully included in physical education activities at Hinderwell and they benefit greatly Springhead Special - 34 from interacting with other pupils from the mainstream school. Pupils use Edgehill Community Centre and Primrose Valley for physical education and they also visit a local adventure park for outdoor and adventurous activities. Students in Years 12 to 14 participate in accredited sports and fitness programmes at Yorkshire Coast College. There are strong links with Ryedale special schools and national organisations such as

p.33

CREATIVE, AESTHETIC, PRACTICAL AND PHYSICAL SUBJECTS

MENCAP for developing sport activities. The school is also linked with a local mainstream secondary school with Sports College status for developing PE. Furthermore the school is applying for a number of national awards, including the Active Mark, Sports Mark and Healthy Schools status. There is extensive out-of-hours learning through the Youth Club and the Active8 Club. Very good opportunities for enriching learning take place through, for example, horse riding activities. Pupils in Years 1 to 6 also participated in the multi-sports festival held in Pinder School. Pupils in Years 7 to 9 took part in multi- sensory experiences at the Falsgrave Community Centre, using a variety of resources such as textured balls and hoops. Pupils in Years 10 and 11 along with students engage in a variety of activities such as table cricket delivered by the Cricket Development Officer. Personal development is promoted very effectively through, for example, pupils’

p.34

CREATIVE, AESTHETIC, PRACTICAL AND PHYSICAL SUBJECTS

involvement in the successful Healthy Lifestyles week and the interpretation of dance in different cultures.

p.34

PERSONAL, SOCIAL AND HEALTH EDUCATION AND CITIZENSHIP

Provision in personal, social, health and citizenship education (PSHCE) is excellent.

p.34

PERSONAL, SOCIAL AND HEALTH EDUCATION AND CITIZENSHIP

• There are wide ranging opportunities to enrich pupils’ learning. • Teaching is very good with excellent features. • Pupils’ achievements are excellent because teachers use assessment information most effectively to improve pupils’ personal development. • Excellent leadership and management has led to very good improvement since the last inspection.

p.34

Commentary

87. The scheme of work for PSHCE is excellent, with a wide range of very relevant topics matched to the needs of different year groups and capabilities of pupils. These include important elements to develop maturity such as personal hygiene, friendships, relationships, independence, drugs awareness and sex education. Provision for PSHCE also permeates through all aspects of school life. Pupils are encouraged to think about issues such as friendship, relationships and sexuality and to share their feelings in lessons. They learn how to greet people, how to deal with saying “no” and issues worrying pupils are dealt with sensitively and with discretion. Older pupils are encouraged to show initiative and take responsibility through the school council, where they are involved in decision-making. Pupils also develop a greater awareness of the needs of others through excellent fund-raising activities, such as coffee mornings to support the work of McMillan

p.34

Commentary

Nurses for cancer sufferers, and participation in Sport Relief to raise money for children in the United Kingdom and around the world. Other excellent opportunities for enriching learning include the Healthy Lifetsyles week held during the summer term. All pupils access a range of educational visits to transfer their learning to everyday life, such as visits to cafes, shops, a visit to the town hall to meet the mayor, visits to the fire station and visits to the local headquarters of major political parties. Visitors such as council workers, Springhead Special - 35 police officers and family workers meet pupils in school to talk about their work. Two pupils will shortly be elected to serve on the Scarborough Young Person’s Council during National Democracy Week beginning on 22 nd October.

p.34

Commentary

88. The school’s own monitoring of teaching and learning in lessons identified good teaching with some excellent teaching. This was also seen during the inspection, where teaching was always very good with some excellent features. These included excellent teamwork between teachers and support assistants so that activities were always carefully matched to individual needs and all pupils were fully included in PSHCE activities. Teachers also provide a rich variety of learning experiences in lessons and encourage pupils to show initiative and to act maturely. For example, pupils in Years 3 to 6 were developing a greater understanding of the value of money. They chose various jobs to do in a lesson, such as tidying up, sweeping the floor and washing dishes. They received ‘wages’ for doing them properly and then ‘bought’ a ticket to watch a presentation on the Promethean board. During the interval, pupils were then encouraged to use their money to buy

p.35

Commentary

refreshments. As a result of this very good lesson, pupils learned that in order to spend money for enjoyment, people must earn it through work. As they move through the school, pupils use their knowledge and skills to work very effectively in groups and they show remarkable empathy for others. The level of respect they have for each other and staff is high and they have a remarkable capacity to tolerate the outbursts of challenging behaviour of others.

p.35

Commentary

89. There are excellent systems of assessment, including target-setting for PSHCE, using P Scales . All teachers make excellent use of assessment to set pupils individual targets for personal development, which are reviewed regularly with pupils and their parents. Consequently, pupils know exactly how well they are doing. Teachers make excellent use of P Scale s not only to set realistic targets for PSHCE but also to track pupils’ progress. Pupils in Years 10 and 11 and students in Years 12 to 14 are involved in setting their own targets and as a result, they improve their skills in reflecting on what they have learned. Pupils are also encouraged to self-assess and to assess their peers informally in lessons, focusing on their behaviour and ability to work in a group. Pupils also look at one another’s work and comment on it at the end of lessons. This particular focus on self- assessment helps pupils to take responsibility for their own learning and what they need

p.35

Commentary

90. The excellent leadership of the co-ordinator has ensured very good improvement since the last inspection. At that time teaching and learning were judged as good or very good. Since then, new schemes of work are in place with discrete lesson time allocated for teaching PSHCE. Citizenship has been introduced in Years 7 to 9 and a thriving school council has been established since 2000. Cross-curricular targets in PSHCE are set at the annual review of a pupils’ Statement and are adapted for school, home or short break placements. The co-ordinator provides an excellent model for the development of teaching and learning through her Advanced Skills teaching status with PSHCE as her subject specialism. For example, she was selected to be part of a team writing the EQUALS scheme of work for PSHCE and as a result she has detailed knowledge of the scheme of work used by the school. All teachers return an evaluation of their medium

p.35

Commentary

planning to the co-ordinator two weeks after the end of each term and she monitors this very carefully. She has also begun to monitor teaching and learning in lessons and has led a training days for all staff to further develop teaching and learning strategies. The co- ordinator has also led network meetings for staff for special school staff in North Yorkshire and two workshops linked to citizenship. This information is disseminated to staff to Springhead Special - 36 improve their practice and the co-ordinator is currently working towards gaining a certificate in teaching PSHE. There is an very well thought out action plan in place to develop the subject further, through for example agreeing a drugs education policy for the school and planned residential visits for older pupils and students. There is also a named governor for the subject who works closely with the co-ordinator in monitoring and reviewing provision.

p.35

POST-16 PROVISION

Provision for post-16 students is very good.

p.37

Main strengths and weaknesses

• Students’ achievements are very good because their learning is very good as a result of very good teaching. • The curriculum is coherent and is very well integrated with work-related courses and careers education. • The students’ interest in activities and their willingness to accept responsibility are excellent. • Educational links, including links with other educational institutions and transfer to work, are excellent with very close links made with the Connexions service and others. • Leadership and management are very good, minimising the impact of limitations to the accommodation on students’ needs.

p.37

Main strengths and weaknesses

91. All teaching and learning for all students is very good or better. Consequently, all students make very good progress and achieve very well, particularly in English, mathematics, ICT and in personal development. For example, in an excellent lesson of drama, students imagined a journey to India and their arrival very vividly because the session was highly motivating and challenging. In a very good session at Yorkshire Coast College combining mathematics and ICT, the students had previously carried out a survey of food preferences and were setting the data out in block graphs using the computers, highly motivated by the practical nature of the task that had been very well related to their own experience. Students also achieve very well in the accredited courses they take. For example, five students gained an accredited award in World Studies, which included topics on religious education where students learned about Christianity and Islam.

p.37

Main strengths and weaknesses

92. The high quality curriculum includes very good provision for work-related learning and careers education. The school has developed appropriate structures and accreditation using the Equals ‘Moving On’ scheme. When the local college is visited, the fullest use is made of time. The provision is enriched by cultural, sporting and recreational activities; studies relating to the pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development; work- related learning and careers education; and religious education.

p.37

Main strengths and weaknesses

93. The excellent educational links and arrangements for transfer for work make an excellent contribution to students’ personal development. As a result students are highly motivated, happy and show the greatest interest in their activities. They are keen to take on responsibility and rise to such challenges extremely well. Students attend local colleges, leisure centres, schools and community facilities to become fully contributing members of the general public. They raise money for the school, through mini-enterprise activities, and for others. There is an excellent climate for learning that allows for the inclusion of a very wide range of activities

p.37

Main strengths and weaknesses

94. The provision for pupils aged 16 plus is very well led and managed by enthusiastic co- ordinators. They have ensured that support for students’ personal needs is excellent through close monitoring of all aspects of provision. Equally, assessment records are thorough and exceptionally well managed. The school’s own detailed analysis Springhead Special - 38 demonstrates students’ very good achievement across a wide range of academic and social areas. Despite very good use being made of facilities outside of school, accommodation for students in the school is too small, and it makes the task of managing students with complex needs more difficult. However the strong teamwork and dedication of all staff ensure that such difficulties are effectively minimised. Springhead Special - 39

p.37

PART D: SUMMARY OF THE MAIN INSPECTION JUDGEMENTS

The overall effectiveness of the sixth form and the school 1 How inclusive the school is 1 How the school’s effectiveness has changed since its last inspection 2 Cost effectiveness of the sixth form / value for money provided by the school 2

p.39

PART D: SUMMARY OF THE MAIN INSPECTION JUDGEMENTS

Overall standards achieved 2 Pupils’ achievement 2

p.39

PART D: SUMMARY OF THE MAIN INSPECTION JUDGEMENTS

Pupils’ attitudes, values and other personal qualities 1 Attendance 2 Attitudes 1 Behaviour, including the extent of exclusions 1 Pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development 1

p.39

PART D: SUMMARY OF THE MAIN INSPECTION JUDGEMENTS

The quality of education provided by the school 2 The quality of teaching 2 How well pupils learn 2 The quality of assessment 1 How well the curriculum meets pupils needs 2 Enrichment of the curriculum, including out-of-school activities 2 Accommodation and resources 3 Pupils’ care, welfare, health and safety 1 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 1 The school’s links with other schools and colleges 1

p.39

PART D: SUMMARY OF THE MAIN INSPECTION JUDGEMENTS

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 2 Inspectors make judgements on a scale: excellent (grade 1); very good (2); good (3); satisfactory (4); unsatisfactory (5); poor (6); very poor (7). In a special school such as this standards achieved are judged against individual targets and not national standards Springhead Special - 40

p.39