Woodside School

WOODSIDE SCHOOL

Dates of inspection: 9th – 12th May 2005

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WOODSIDE 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.

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WOODSIDE 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. Woodside School 3

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Type of school: Special School category: Community special Age range of pupils: 5-16 Gender of pupils: Mixed Number on roll: 224

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

School address: Halt Robin Road Belvedere Kent Postcode: DA17 6DW

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Telephone number: 01322 433494 Fax number: 01322 433442

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Appropriate authority: Local Education Authority Name of chair of governors Mr Alan Buhl

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Date of previous inspection: 9 November 1998

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CHARACTERISTICS OF THE SCHOOL

Woodside School is situated in the London Borough of Bexley, Kent. The school is designated to provide education for 190 pupils aged five to sixteen years who have moderate difficulties (MLD) including up to 29 pupils who have been diagnosed with autistic spectrum disorder (ASD). In reality, the school also has pupils with emotional, behavioural and social difficulties (EBSD) and other pupils with a variety of complex learning difficulties including those with sensory impairments, language difficulties, medical difficulties and those with attention deficit hyperactive disorder (ADHD).

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CHARACTERISTICS OF THE SCHOOL

There are currently 223 full-time pupils on roll. This is a much larger number than average for similar schools, both within the London area and nationally. There are nine students who come from authorities other than Bexley. All pupils have a statement of special educational need. Overall, 69 per cent of pupils are boys. The school has a small percentage of pupils from ethnic minority families, although no pupils come from homes where English is not their first language. There are currently six pupils in public care. There are 20 classes including four classes for ASD and the secondary department is approximately three times the size of the primary department. The school has a very strong sporting tradition and is very active within the school sports co-ordinator project (SSCO) Woodside School 4

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Members of the inspection team Subject responsibilities

15303 Mike Smith Lead inspector Physical education 9977 Fran Luke Lay inspector 2512 Brian Emery Team inspector Information and communication technology Design and technology Religious education Work related learning 10421 Rita Kirkwood Team inspector Science Music Drama Personal, social and health education 2652 Robin Lomas Team inspector Mathematics Geography History 2480 Christine Gilder Team inspector Art and design Citizenship 33067 Maggie Woods Team inspector English Modern foreign language

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Members of the inspection team Subject responsibilities

ICP Lee Valley Technopark Ashley Road London N17 9LN

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Members of the inspection team Subject responsibilities

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

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STANDARDS ACHIEVED BY PUPILS 9

Standards achieved in areas of learning, subjects and courses

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STANDARDS ACHIEVED BY PUPILS 9

Pupils’ attitudes, values and other personal qualities

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QUALITY OF EDUCATION PROVIDED BY THE SCHOOL 11

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

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OVERALL EVALUATION

Overall, the school is satisfactory , but with a number of good and very good features, but with some significant weaknesses too. Overall, pupils achieve well and often very well in their lessons as a result of good teaching, very good relationships and high expectations by many of the subject leaders and headteacher. The headteacher has identified the correct areas for change and development to increase the effectiveness of the school and most staff are dedicated and committed to school improvement. There is clearly capacity to improve. The monitoring of the curriculum by management, and school self-evaluation, require improvement. The governing body could improve their monitoring and currently leadership and management are only satisfactory. The school meets most of its agreed aims successfully and provides satisfactory value for money.

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The school’s main strengths and weaknesses

• Teaching and learning are good overall, often they are very good. Pupils’ achievements are good and sometimes very good. Achievement is particularly good in physical education, music and information and communication technology (ICT). • Overall, the monitoring of the curriculum is ineffective. Good practice is not sufficiently shared. • Assessment strategies are insufficiently developed and consistently used across all subjects to inform plans for learning. • Governors do not fulfil all their statutory duties. • The headteacher is working hard to ensure that everyone has high expectations and agreed improvement strategies are carried through. However, overall, school self-evaluation is underdeveloped and does not inform planning sufficiently. • The management and deployment of learning support assistants (LSAs) is very good. • Pupils have very good attitudes, good behaviour and social skills, because of the positive and

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The school’s main strengths and weaknesses

carefully structured adult support: pupils report that they enjoy being in school. • Adult relationships with pupils are very good as is their support, advice and guidance. • Pupil’s welfare, care, health and safety are good. Attendance is unsatisfactory. • The quality of school, college and community links is very good.

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The school’s main strengths and weaknesses

Since the last inspection, six years ago, there have been significant staffing difficulties. There have been improvements in some areas, but not in others and overall, progress is only satisfactory. The senior management team responsibilities are now clear and importantly, the good quality of education, teaching and learning and pupil achievement has been sustained. Curriculum co-ordination, monitoring, assessment and self-evaluation still need to be improved.

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STANDARDS ACHIEVED

In relation to individual targets in: Students’ achievement at the end of: Subjects of the curriculum Personal and social education Year 2 good Insufficient evidence Year 6 good Insufficient evidence Year 9 good good Year 11 good good Inspectors make judgements in the range: excellent; very good; good; satisfactory; unsatisfactory ; poor; very poor.

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STANDARDS ACHIEVED

Achievement is good throughout the school. Most pupils make good progress in lessons. They make good progress in English, mathematics and become very proficient in the use of information and communication technology by Year 11. Pupils with additional special educational needs, including those with autistic spectrum disorders (ASD) make good progress and there are no variations in standards or progress between different groups of pupils. All staff, guided by the Woodside School 7 speech therapist, help pupils to achieve well in speaking and listening and general communication skills. Pupils’ achievement is very good in physical education, music, and information and communication technology. It is good in primary science and personal, social, health and citizenship education in the secondary school. It is satisfactory in secondary science. Pupils’ moral, social, spiritual and cultural development is good . The result is a happy and productive atmosphere in

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STANDARDS ACHIEVED

which pupils feel valued. Attitudes are very good and behaviour is generally good. Most pupils are enthusiastic and interested in their lessons and respond very well to the school’s positive culture. Pupils’ punctuality is good, although attendance overall is unsatisfactory.

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Q UALITY OF EDUCATION

Overall, the school provides a good quality of education. This enables all pupils to learn successfully and achieve well. Teaching is good overall and in lessons it is often very good. Overall, assessment strategies are not fully developed or consistently used to support planning. The curriculum is currently satisfactory and meets the individual and special educational needs of all pupils, including those with ASD. The curriculum is enhanced and enriched by a very good range of additional activities outside school, in the community or in mainstream settings. Links with other schools, colleges and the wider community are well established and are very good. Care and welfare are good. Pupils work and play in a safe environment, where relationships are very good. They trust all staff to care for them properly. Overall, there are good links with parents.

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LEADERSHIP AND MANAGEMENT

The leadership of the headteacher is good overall. There is evidence that strong and appropriate decisions have been made to limit weaknesses in leadership and management and maximise the overall strengths. Changes to the management structure have begun to address a range of vital school improvement areas and the impact of some of the actions taken already demonstrate improvement. Leadership overall, is satisfactory . There are weaknesses in the development and monitoring of the curriculum and assessment strategies and inconsistencies within the middle management team. Not all staff with management responsibilities are pulling together and this limits the effectiveness of leadership and management. The management and deployment of the LSAs is very good and contributes positively to leadership and management overall. Governors do not fulfil all their statutory duties because of omissions in the annual report to parents. A number of

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LEADERSHIP AND MANAGEMENT

governors know the school very well and play a positive and active part in supporting it, but do not monitor and evaluate school improvement sufficiently well.

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PARENTS’ AND PUPILS’ VIEWS OF THE SCHOOL

The majority of parents are happy with the school, although a minority feel that communication between the school and home could be improved. Generally there are very good mechanisms in place for school/home communication, including a school web site. Parents in general appreciate the way in which the school talks to them about any concerns they may have. They know the individual needs of their children are clearly understood and this is greatly appreciated. Pupils are very happy in school. They particularly like their teachers and support staff and are looking forward to the completion of the multi-use games area (MUGA). Woodside School 8

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IMPROVEMENTS NEEDED

I t is important to consider other development areas within the text of the full report, but The most important things the school should do to improve are to: -

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IMPROVEMENTS NEEDED

• Develop the role of senior managers, middle managers and all subject leaders to ensure that the following are firmly established and contribute to an effective school self-evaluation process;

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IMPROVEMENTS NEEDED

1. A consistent and accountable approach to school improvement. 2. The monitoring and evaluation of the curriculum and subjects across the school. 3. The monitoring and evaluation of the quality of learning and teaching to support effective strategies for sharing good practice. 4. The consistent use of assessment strategies to inform curriculum planning and pupils’ learning. • Ensure that the governors fulfil all their statutory duties and to take an active role in monitoring and supporting the implementation of the school improvement plan. Woodside School 9

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Standards achieved in areas of learning, subjects and courses

Pupils’ progress and achievement are good overall. They make good progress towards individual targets set.

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Main strengths and weaknesses

• Pupils’ communication skills develop well. • The achievement of pupils with additional needs, and for those with ASD, speech and language difficulties and complex learning difficulties is good and as good as that of other pupils. • Pupils achieve very well in physical education, music and information and communication technology.

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Commentary

1. Pupils’ achievement is good. They make progress from a wide range of starting points. They make good progress in English and mathematics. At the time of the last inspection progress in mathematics and in reading in Years 7, 8 and 9 were judged to be satisfactory. There has been good improvement since that time in both these areas. In information and communication technology (ICT) they make very good progress. This represents good improvement since the last inspection when progress was judged to be unsatisfactory. Achievement in social, moral, cultural and spiritual education is good. Achievement in personal, social and health education is good overall. Pupils with additional special educational needs, including those with ASD make good progress. At the end of Year 11 pupils achieve a good range of entry level awards in a range of subjects including English, mathematics, physical education (PE), ICT and science. They also

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Commentary

achieve Bronze award in the ASDAN Youth Award Scheme and a number achieve Bronze or Silver. Some pupils achieve GCSE grades in art and design and entry level in physical education where the curriculum is particularly strong.

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Commentary

2. Attainment is satisfactory. At the end of Years 6 and 9 pupils’ attainment matches the national average for special schools in English but is slightly below in mathematics and science. The school’s value added score, which represents the progress made by pupils, places it in the middle 20 per cent of all schools nationally. Although all pupils make steady progress during their time at the school, some do not build enough on the sound basis reached at the end of Year 2 to attain as well as they could by the end of Year 11.

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Commentary

3. Pupils continue to make good progress. This is mainly due to the good and very good quality of individual teaching across the school. There are no differences in the achievements of pupils with more complex needs or in the progress of boys and girls. The provision and achievement of pupils with ASD is good, and is no different overall from that of the other pupils at the school, including those taught in non-specialist classes.

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Commentary

4. Very good use of resources supports learning and pupils’ achievements. This was evident particularly in classes for pupils with ASD. Careful thought is given to providing challenging and imaginative opportunities to enhance learning. The speech and language therapist (SALT) enables staff to deliver language programmes for pupils so that they are able to improve their learning across the curriculum. Woodside School 10

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Pupils’ attitudes, values, and other personal qualities

Pupils’ attitudes to learning are very good and their behaviour overall is good. Provision for pupils’ social, moral, spiritual and cultural development is good. Pupils’ punctuality is good although their attendance is unsatisfactory .

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Main Strengths and Weaknesses

• Pupils enjoy coming to school and have very positive attitudes towards their learning. • Pupils’ attendance has decreased since the last inspection. • Pupils generally behave well, both in lessons and in other situations. • Staff are successful in promoting very good relationships. • Provision for pupils’ social, moral, spiritual and cultural development is good. • Pupils are punctual to school and to lessons.

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Commentary

5. In general pupils are very interested in their work and they enjoy their lessons. Their positive attitudes were evident in most lessons observed and in discussions they talk about their learning with enthusiasm.

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Commentary

6. Behaviour in lessons, at break times and around the school is generally good and sometimes very good with pupils in Years 1 to 9. Pupils get on well together and are generally tolerant of each other. In discussions, pupils report that they are free from any form of bullying or harassment and on the rare occasions when these occur, the adults address them swiftly and effectively. On the few occasions when behaviour is less good, usually with the oldest pupils in the school, it was seen by inspectors to be due to a general disaffection when pupils have only a few weeks before leaving school.

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Commentary

7. Relationships between staff and pupils are very good and help to promote learning and a positive ethos. Staff know the pupils extremely well and are therefore able to ensure they deal effectively with any incidents and ensure that pupils perform at their best.

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Commentary

8. Provision for pupils’ spiritual development is good. Pupils consider those less fortunate than themselves, they address issues of child poverty and often spend a short period of reflection at the end of lessons. They study world religions and visit churches, synagogues and temples as part of gaining understanding. Their moral development is good; the personal, social, health and citizenship programme (PSHCE) contributes to their moral understanding well. The school ethos promotes morality effectively. Pupils’ social development is good; they have a good understanding of the need for pupils and adults to get on well together. Relationships are strong and provision such as the breakfast club and sporting activities play an important role in promoting pupils’ social skills and understanding. Their cultural development is good; in many lessons, for example English, art and design and music, pupils have opportunities to expand their cultural knowledge and understanding.

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Commentary

9. Attendance is below the average for similar schools and is currently unsatisfactory. A small number of pupils still have poor records of attendance. The majority of parents and carers do support the school by getting their children to school on time. Punctuality to school is good and there is an effective start to the school day. However a small, but significant number do not encourage their children to attend school often enough. The school monitors the level of attendance well and is in consultation with parents where there are concerns, however the issue is not given a sufficiently high priority in the school. The school’s procedures are reactionary and there are few systems for heightening awareness or for promoting good and improved attendance and punctuality. There were 18 exclusions last year, fewer than at the time of the previous inspection. Woodside School 11 Attendance in the latest complete reporting year (%)

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Commentary

Authorised absence Unauthorised absence School data 8.0 School data 1.5 National data 5.85 National data 0.72 Table gives the percentage of half days (sessions) missed through absence for the latest complete reporting year.

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QUALITY OF EDUCATION PROVIDED BY THE SCHOOL

The overall quality of education is good. The school thinks carefully about how the personal development needs of individual pupils can be met. The quality of teaching and learning and pupil progress is good overall. The level of care and welfare provided is good. Relationships with parents are good overall. The links and work with other schools, colleges and the community are very good.

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Teaching and learning

Overall the quality of teaching and learning is good throughout the school. In lessons, teaching and learning are often very good or better. The quality of assessment is satisfactory. Teachers use day to day informal assessment well, but the consistent use of data to track progress and raise achievement is not well-established.

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Main strengths and weaknesses

• Pupils enjoy their learning, due to the lively and varied teaching approaches used. • Teachers and support staff have a good understanding of individual pupils’ needs. Together with the good use of time and resources and management of behaviour this leads to most pupils’ achieving well. • Teachers of information and communication technology, music and physical education have excellent knowledge of their subject, which enhances the achievements of the pupils. • The lack of whole school monitoring of teaching and learning leads to limited awareness about standards. • The good partnerships with other schools, colleges and the community enable pupils to be well prepared for the next step of their learning.

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Commentary

10. Teaching and learning are consistently good across all year groups in English and mathematics and satisfactory overall in science. They are very good in information and communication technology, physical education and music, due to skilled teaching and use of assessment that challenges and engages pupils of all abilities. The informal support and teaching of personal and social skills is good across the school, which is shown by some aspects of pupils’ personal and social development, such as their positive behaviour to each other and their willingness to contribute to discussions. There has been good improvement since the last inspection in information and communication technology and mathematics. The progress in the development of assessment and monitoring procedures has not been sufficient to further improve teaching and learning across the school. Teachers’ knowledge of individual pupils’ needs and their

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Commentary

ability to make learning enjoyable encourages most pupils to work hard and achieve well. The school has not yet developed a sufficient range of opportunities for accreditation for the more able pupils.

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Commentary

11. Teachers and learning support assistants work well together to support the learning of pupils. Learning support assistants are well organised and their very effective deployment throughout the school makes a positive contribution to the quality of education. They often have a good understanding of what the teacher wants the pupils to learn and how to help them achieve this. Pupils respond positively to the high expectations of behaviour that staff have of them. This is Woodside School 12 particularly apparent in the classes for pupils with ASD. Pupils’ understanding and acceptance of the very clear boundaries for behaviour set by teachers enhance their learning.

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Commentary

12. Teaching in classes for those pupils with autistic spectrum disorder exemplifies very good practice. Because staff know the pupils well, they successfully anticipate trigger points and can take action to prevent unsatisfactory behaviour occurring. For example, through careful lesson planning and by having available a range of diversionary activities, staff avoid reinforcing undesirable habitual behaviour, and ensure that pupils only experience success. This means they often achieve the curriculum or personal targets in their individual education plans, which are concise, realistic and used very effectively.

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Commentary

13. Pupils’ learning is further supported by the very good relationships between pupils and staff. Pupils are treated with respect and listened to carefully. This leads to them being confident to answer questions, make suggestions and volunteer for tasks. They listen carefully and generally want to improve. When asked how they knew what they needed to do to improve their work, one group of pupils replied ‘the teacher tells us’. Pupils work well together and show great appreciation for others’ achievements. For example, in a primary assembly, pupils clapped enthusiastically when pupils sang solos. Pupils are encouraged to solve problems for themselves and increasingly learn to work independently.

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Commentary

14. There is no whole-school approach to assessment, which has led to individual teachers developing their own systems to track progress. Subject leaders look at teachers’ lessons plans, but do not monitor teaching or learning enough. Data on the standards reached by pupils is not used to track progress and help the school raise standards further. These factors limit further development in teaching and learning. Effective use of the available information is necessary to support teachers to improve further the learning of all pupils.

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Commentary

15. The school makes very good use of additional opportunities to enhance the learning of pupils, including visits to places of interest. There are also many sporting opportunities and there are clubs outside lesson times, for example, music and ICT.

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Commentary

Summary of teaching observed during the inspection in 51 lessons

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Commentary

Excellent Very good Good Satisfactory Unsatisfactory Poor Very poor

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The curriculum

The curriculum is satisfactory overall, with some significant areas, which need to be improved.

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Strengths and weaknesses:

• There is very good provision in physical education, music, art and design and information and communication technology. Provision is good in English and mathematics. • The provision of work experience for older pupils gives breadth and balance to their learning. The courses offered by the college are also a valuable extension to the programme for the oldest pupils. • There is a very good range of enrichment activities. • The accommodation provides good specialist facilities for the teaching of physical education, food technology, ICT, design and technology, science and art and design. Most classrooms are of good size and offer a pleasant working environment. • Learning support advisers are effectively deployed and this promotes learning well.

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Commentary

Woodside School 13 16. Pupils receive very good curriculum provision in physical education, ICT, music and art and design. The school is developing its sport provision in order to achieve accreditation as a specialist sports college. This is a thriving area of the school’s work. At the time of the last inspection progress in ICT was an issue, which needed to be addressed. Good progress has been made and it is now an area of strength.

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Commentary

17. There are some strong aspects of the informal provision in personal, social, health and citizenship education (PSHCE). Pupils are known well as individuals so the school can respond effectively to their needs through a personalised approach. This good support is particularly evident during registration sessions and tutorial times as well as through informal contact with adults who know pupils well and offer them help and encouragement. The early morning Breakfast Club is a good opportunity, not only to ensure that pupils are nourished and ready to learn, but also for informal, social conversation between staff and pupils. The opportunity to play pool at this time is age appropriate for secondary pupils and gives them experience of more adult leisure activities.

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Commentary

18. The school offers a wide range of very good activities to enrich the curriculum. Many of these are available through the lunchtime clubs, which enable pupils to sing in the choir and access additional sporting activities such as football. The school has a very active link with a local football club and through the school sports co-ordiators (SSCO) programme, enjoys a wide range of representation competitions. Many of the activities are effectively led by LSAs. The school’s environmental worker works with small groups of pupils to plant and maintain tubs of seasonal plants or to grow seeds. There are many visitors to the school to talk to or work with pupils. This widens pupils’ experience of the community in which they live. The Friday programme for secondary pupils, which is delivered by LSAs, provides a good opportunity to enrich the curriculum with a range of additional activities.

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Commentary

19. The curriculum for pupils in Years 10 and 11 has been adjusted this year so that it is tailored to meet the needs of the current cohort of Year 11 pupils and prepare them for the next stage of education or employment. They are not receiving separate lessons in English, mathematics or science. However, these subjects are being covered through a programme based on the Youth Award Scheme together with work experience and a college link. While this gives opportunities to practise and reinforce existing literacy, numeracy and scientific skills in a real life context, it does not provide sufficient teaching to extend and develop these skills further. As a result some pupils have low levels of reading and writing as they approach the end of their schooling. Pupils in Year 10 continue to receive separate English, mathematics and science lessons and are preparing to take entry-level examinations in these subjects. The provision of work experience and a

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Commentary

college link course gives breadth and balance to the curriculum for pupils in Years 10 and 11. There is not yet a full work-related learning programme in place. Pupils in Years 11 do not separate lessons in religious education but is covered through the Youth Award Scheme. In Years 7, 8 and 9 modern foreign languages are not taught in a way that enables pupils’ progress to be easily monitored and recorded.

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Commentary

20. The school provides well for the communication difficulties of pupils through the work of the full-time speech and language therapist. Work is with individual pupils, pairs or groups and clear targets are set and progress is monitored regularly. Class teachers are informed of the speech and language therapy targets for pupils in their group, so that they can reinforce learning throughout the week. The speech and language therapist also offers training to teachers in order to build up their skills in supporting communication needs.

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Commentary

21. The focus for pupils with autistic spectrum disorder on achieving in the curriculum and in lessons is particularly important and appropriate. By helping pupils pay attention to the success they are gaining in making small steps in subjects, the negative patterns of behaviour, which constitute the main barrier to pupils’ achievement, are reduced progressively.

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Commentary

22. Accommodation is satisfactory overall. It is scattered across a large site in an assortment of buildings, which the school manages safely and sensibly. The refurbishment of the site to provide an appropriate facility, which is entirely fit for purpose, is in progress, but some way from completion. There are good, specialist facilities for physical education, art and design, food Woodside School 14 technology, design and technology, information and communication technology and science. There is also a sensory room and a playroom. There is separate accommodation for speech and language therapy activities. Classrooms are a good size and movement areas are sufficiently large to accommodate the flow of pupils between lessons. Classrooms provide a pleasant, well- resourced learning environment. Parts of the site are not wheelchair accessible. The drama block has recently been provided with a stage, which will extend the range of performances that can be

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Commentary

staged. Work is currently underway to install an all weather, multi-use games area (MUGA). The accommodation for pupils with ASD while suitable for the needs of secondary pupils is not quite so suitable for younger pupils who need more space than is available for them.

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Commentary

23. In the primary part of the school the timetable has developed individually around the fixed activities such as horse riding or swimming. Each teacher then has the flexibility to organise their timetable as they wish. This creates a lack of clarity or overall structure for the curriculum. There is insufficient monitoring of curriculum structure and use of time in the primary part of the school. The secondary curriculum has a clearer and tighter framework, although it does not provide sufficient teaching time. The early finish on Friday afternoon and the decision to use Friday morning as enrichment time for secondary pupils compound this difficulty. These sessions are led by LSAs in order to provide teachers with the required time for planning, preparation and assessment. LSAs value the opportunity that this gives them to lead an area of activity and to develop their own teaching skills.

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Care, guidance and support

The school makes good provision for the care, welfare, health and safety of its pupils. Provision of support, advice and guidance based on monitoring is satisfactory. The involvement of pupils through seeking, valuing and acting on their views is good.

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Main strengths and weaknesses

• General health and safety procedures ensure the school environment is kept safe. • Child protection procedures are effective. • The school council is an effective voice for pupils. • Induction procedures are effective and integrate pupils quickly into school life. • Staff training does not adequately prepare staff for managing and handling some pupils. • The majority of pupils attend further education courses when they leave the school, which may not always be the most appropriate placement for them.

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Commentary

24. The school’s procedures for health and safety are successful. The school works hard to ensure that the buildings and grounds remain safe. Regular assessments are carried out, reported to governors and acted upon. All risk assessments are up to date. However, the school has not provided any suitable training for staff in physical handling of pupils in an emergency, which could lead to accidental injury to both pupil and adult. School meals are unsatisfactory. They are cooked off-site, delivered well before pupil consumption, are of a poor quality and do not promote pupil well- being.

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Commentary

25. Child protection procedures are in place and the child protection officer ensures that staff are regularly updated to ensure they are all aware of the procedures and who they need to go to should they have any concerns. Full school training is due to take place shortly. The provision for pupils who are unwell, or who are hurt is good. This ensures that all pupils feel safe in school.

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Commentary

26. The school council provides a good opportunity for the pupils to have a say in what happens at school. Pupils spoken to felt they had a voice and that their suggestions were taken seriously. They cited several examples when they had influenced decisions affecting the school environment. Woodside School 15 27. Induction arrangements for pupils seeking a place at the school are very good. The headteacher meets all parents and pupils prior to places being offered. Upon the offer of a place, pupils are invited to attend school for a day when they are introduced to a ‘buddy’ pupil, this helps them get used to the school environment before they start full time, thus enabling them to settle into school life quickly and easily.

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Commentary

28. The very good relationships throughout the school enable pupils and staff to know and trust each other. All staff know the pupils and their individual needs very well, this enables them to be quickly aware should there be any problems. Pupils have all confirmed that there is always a member of staff they can turn to for support or advice.

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Commentary

29. The school works hard to seek work placements for students in Years 10 and 11. Advice given to the students is not given early enough and generally relies on pupils looking to further education. Some do seek full time employment, but these opportunities are not always explored fully.

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Partnership with parents, other schools and the community

The school has good links with parents. Very good links with other schools, colleges and the local community enhance the schools provision for pupils.

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Main strengths and weaknesses

• Parents are kept well informed about pupils’ progress, and how they can help their children at home. • More could be done to keep parents informed about what is happening in the school. • The school works well with parents, seeking their views and listening to their concerns. • Good arrangements for the transfer of pupils help them settle quickly. • Very good links with other schools provide a broad range of experiences for pupils.

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Commentary

30. The school provides a broad range of information for parents. Parents are particularly happy with the level of information and support they receive from their children’s class teachers, including the information about children’s progress. However, some parents did express concern over the level of information they received about what is happening in the school in general. Newsletters are sent out, but they are quite brief and do not always keep parents fully informed about events affecting the whole school.

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Commentary

31. The annual reports for parents are clear and provide information about what their children know, understand and can do, although not all reports give areas for further development. There are many informal opportunities for parents to discuss their children’s progress as well as formal consultation events .

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Commentary

32. The school works well with parents and the majority of parents feel their views are sought and listened to through questionnaires, which have been sent out. In addition parents are happy they can approach the school at any time and that their concerns are listened to and taken seriously. The home-school contact books are well used to maintain a dialogue between parents and teachers.

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Commentary

33. Good induction procedures when pupils enter the school help pupils to settle quickly into school. Parents confirm that they are happy with the support given to their children when they enter the school. The school works with the local college to try and ensure that the transfer to further education is equally as smooth.

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Commentary

34. Very good links exist with local schools. This is particularly evident in the PE department where through the school sport co-ordinator programme one of the teachers spends time working in Woodside School 16 other local primary schools supporting teachers with their PE provision. In addition, links encourage pupils to attend a wide range of sporting clubs and facilities and to participate in a wide range of activities. All of these activities enhance the school’s provision and give pupils many opportunities to work alongside pupils from local special and mainstream schools.

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Commentary

35. Pupils attend college sessions in beauty therapy and a range of building trades courses. The beauty therapy sessions are very well managed by college staff who integrate the pupils from Woodside very effectively; they are sensitive and welcoming as are the mainstream students the Woodside pupils work with. The building trade courses give the pupils the opportunity to work on a range of activities, which they generally find interesting and are usually fully engaged with. On these courses, too, the college staff are welcoming and sensitive to the needs of the Woodside pupils.

p.16

LEADERSHIP AND MANAGEMENT

Leadership and management are satisfactory. The headteacher has a clear view of school development, but recent changes in management have yet to demonstrate impact and improvement. School governance is unsatisfactory. There is good financial management.

p.16

Main strengths and weaknesses

• The headteacher has a clear sense of purpose for school improvement and her leadership is good, but a lack of whole school commitment has impaired sustained progress. • The short-term priority areas for improvement have been clearly identified by the headteacher and management responsibilities for improvement are now clear. • The governing body is not fully fulfilling its role and responsibilities effectively. • There are still important areas for development that have not been established in practice since the last inspection. • There is very effective leadership, management and deployment of the learning support assistants. • The support and contribution made by the administrative staff is positive.

p.16

Commentary

36. The headteacher has considered a range of strategies since the last inspection to address the key issues identified and overall her leadership is good. However, although progress has been made in some areas, progress in others has not been firmly established. This is primarily due to ineffective whole-school monitoring and inconsistent management and monitoring approaches within and across the school by responsible managers.

p.16

Commentary

37. The senior leadership team (SLT) has recently reorganised its responsibilities to more effectively address whole-school developments, particularly those that have not been fully established through a lack of consistency. In fairness, most areas for development within this report have already been recognised by the SLT. Although it is too early to demonstrate its effectiveness, roles and responsibilities are clear and there is a common sense of purpose, understanding and commitment to school improvement.

p.16

Commentary

38. As yet, there is no established system in place for clearly monitoring, evaluating and analysing the quality of improvements and data recorded. Therefore, overall school self-evaluation is not yet accurate or effectively contributing towards prioritised improvements.

p.16

Commentary

39. The senior management group (SMG), have clear responsibilities, including those for monitoring and evaluating pupil’s progress in their personal and social development. Not everyone is pulling together and there are inconsistent approaches to fulfilling these responsibilities, which inhibits establishing effective school improvement strategies. Time must be clearly allocated for them to carry out these monitoring, evaluating and analysing procedures. Woodside School 17 40. Subject leaders have clear responsibilities and roles. However, as yet they do not consistently monitor or evaluate their subject across the school to ensure the consistency of quality provision. Performance management for all staff is firmly established and contributes well towards their professional development needs. Induction and support for new governors, teachers, learning support assistants and mid-day supervisors is good. The recruitment of a full-time speech and language

p.16

Commentary

therapist has greatly enhanced the effective support for pupils’ communication and language skills. In general, individual staffing strengths have been maximised in terms of pupils’ learning and progress.

p.17

Commentary

41. Most staff present very positive role models for the pupils and reinforce the school’s aims and values to provide an environment which pupils will enjoy being a part of and in which they will experience success. As a result a positive learning and caring ethos has been created.

p.17

Commentary

42. The processes for school self-evaluation are not yet well established and the headteacher is aware that currently there is a lack of analysis of useful recorded data that would help formulate strategies for improvement.

p.17

Commentary

43. The school is generally well run day-to-day and organisation and management are effective and teaching and learning support staff effectively communicate and support each other. The management of the large learning support assistant workforce is very effective and very good communication between the manager and teachers ensures that deployment is based upon pupil need, and teacher and activity support. Learning resources are well managed. Required policy documents are in place and reviewed on a regular basis. There has been a variety of curriculum support from the local education authority for the improvement areas identified in the previous inspection, although monitoring, to ensure that pupil assessment and evaluation and whole-school self-evaluation systems are firmly established, has been absent.

p.17

Commentary

44. Leadership of the provision for pupils with autistic spectrum disorder is good. The co-ordinator has successfully shared good practice across the school so that more pupils with ASD are successfully taught in non-specialist classes. High standards in specialist classes have been maintained. The school does not analyse the achievement of pupils with ASD as a separate group, so it cannot evaluate objectively the effectiveness of its interventions. Overall, there has been good improvement since the last inspection and very good standards of management have been sustained.

p.17

Commentary

45. The governing body is currently not fulfilling completely its statutory role and responsibilities. Relationships between the governors and the school are very positive and parent governors, in particular, take an active interest in what goes on in the school. Importantly, however, they have not ensured that improvements have been made and established since the last inspection. This is because monitoring and evaluation are not sufficient to ensure that the school’s strengths and weaknesses are clearly understood. As a result governors are not able to question and challenge management reports and decisions. The annual report to parents does not include all the necessary information, such as, attendance and exclusion data, information on special education needs and pupil progress and examination results.

p.17

Commentary

46. The administrative staff provide an effective and positive ‘introductory‘ service to the school and contribute positively to the overall ethos of the school, its public face and the care and support for the pupils and their parents and carers. There is good financial planning and management; all policies are in place and controls are good. The school budget is based upon a notional school population of MLD and ASD pupils and does not fully take into account the large numbers of other pupils with a variety of complex needs. Currently, pupil costs are average, even when considering the large number of learning support assistants working in the school, which together with other staff costs, leaves little budget left for whole-school development. When considering the positive pupil outcomes, overall, the school currently offers satisfactory value for money.

p.17

Commentary

47. There has been mixed progress since the last inspection and the leadership, management and governance of the school has much work to do to ensure that improvements continue and are firmly embedded for the benefit of both pupils and parents/carers. Evidence suggests that recent management reorganisations will ensure that there is a clear capacity to improve. Woodside School 18

p.17

Work Related Learning (WRL)

48. The subject is a very recent addition to the curriculum and there was little evidence relating to it during the inspection. Not all subjects include WRL in their planning, although the subject is addressed in aspects of the Year 11 curriculum through, for example, the Foundation for Work course and as part of the Youth Award Scheme.

p.18

Work Related Learning (WRL)

49. Discussions with pupils indicated that they had some understanding of the work place mainly through the well-developed programme of work experience. Pupils learn to take responsibility around school through the enterprise activities in place, for example, car washing and sandwich making. Careers education is satisfactory though heavily biased towards higher education rather than the world of work. A senior manager supported by a clerical assistant leads the subject.

p.18

Work Related Learning (WRL)

50. A very good draft subject policy (March 2005) reflecting all the requirements of WRL is in place, but in practice, the school still has some way to go to fully develop the subject as the current focus on work experience and the Year 11 programme is not sufficient. Financial information for the year April 2003 to March 2004

p.18

Work Related Learning (WRL)

Income and expenditure (£) Balances (£) Total income 1,866,268 Balance from previous year 28,498

p.18

Work Related Learning (WRL)

Total expenditure 1,845,624 Balance carried forward to the next 12,117 Woodside School 19

p.18

Main strengths and weaknesses

• Pupils of all ages achieve well overall. • Data on pupils’ achievement shows that their writing skills are less well developed than their reading or speaking and listening. • Teaching is good in Years 7, 8 and 9. • In Years 7, 8 and 9 there is a strong focus on teaching a range of reading strategies including the use of phonics, the use of contextual clues and word recognition. • Good use is being made of the national primary strategy to provide a framework for literacy teaching in the primary part of the school. • Teachers know pupils very well and class work is planned for them as individuals. This helps them to learn successfully. • Currently English is not taught separately in Year 11, although pupils have opportunities to use their literacy skills to study aspects of the Youth Award Scheme. The lack of direct teaching of the subject limits the opportunities for pupils to improve their literacy skills.

p.19

Commentary

51. Pupils make steady progress and achieve well from a wide range of starting points. They learn to write in simple sentences in order to produce reports, stories, and letters and to complete forms. Their handwriting becomes more mature and neatly formed as they move through the school. Their reading levels improve and they are able to use a range of strategies to read unfamiliar words. They are given opportunities to read texts appropriate for their age and to read some Shakespeare in Year 9.

p.19

Commentary

52. Standards are at national expectations for pupils with moderate learning difficulties at the end of Year 2. They are achieving in the range P6 Level to Level 3. At the end of Year 9 the range is Level 1 to Level 3, which is slightly below national expectations. At the end of Year 11 many achieve entry-level awards usually at Level 2. In Year 10, pupils are working on a range of poetry for entry-level coursework. Some pupils do not achieve separate accreditation in English but do achieve within the Youth Award Scheme, which provides the opportunity to use and extend literacy skills linked to key skills needed for adult life.

p.19

Commentary

53. Teaching and learning are good overall. They are good in Years 7, 8 and 9 and satisfactory in Years 10 and 11. The good quality of teaching and learning has been maintained since the last inspection and progress in reading in Years 7, 8 and 9 which was judged to be unsatisfactory at that time, is now good. Some examples of very good practice were seen during the inspection. In these lessons, questions were used skilfully to enable pupils to explain their ideas and to develop their thinking. Teachers modelled their expectations of good writing in order to show pupils what was required. Pupils are learning to draft and rewrite their work in order to improve it. Pupils’ interest in reading is encouraged by the use of an exciting and age appropriate text as well as through lively discussion. Teachers often make good resources for lessons, which are tailored to the learning needs of the individuals in the group. This helps pupils to learn by building on previous learning

p.19

Commentary

successfully. Teachers have high expectations for pupils, which motivate them to work hard and achieve well. The model of teaching used in the primary strategy is also being used in secondary classes in order to enable pupils to continue to develop basic literacy skills. Woodside School 20 54. The subject leaders are making good use of the structure of the National Primary Strategy for English. They have good knowledge of the subject and are able to offer advice to other teachers. They monitor planning of lessons and are responsible for the scheme of work, which is the basis for building progression in the subject. They check that the regular assessments are carried out including the termly reading assessments for all pupils. They also review examples of pupils’ work with teachers in order to moderate judgements of national curriculum levels. They look at displayed work in order to form a view of its quality and of coverage of the curriculum. They have

p.19

Commentary

received some training for their role, although this has been limited by shortage of funds. They are beginning to plan together in order to ensure continuity between English teaching in the primary and secondary parts of the school.

p.20

Commentary

55. The school is fortunate to have a full-time speech and language therapist (SALT). This is a significant strength because it ensures that all pupils who need additional support to develop their communication skills are able to get access to the necessary expertise. The therapist works with individual pupils, groups or classes and supports teachers by sharing her targets for individuals so that they can be practised and reinforced regularly in the classroom. Speech and Language therapy is managed separately from the management of English throughout the school. As a result the opportunity to provide a whole-school strategy for the development of communication skills is being missed.

p.20

Commentary

56. The two libraries for primary or secondary pupils are well organised and inviting. They contain a good range of books, magazines, resources for teaching reading and some audio visual aids. Each library has one computer although neither is an up-to-date model. The libraries provide a valuable opportunity to promote an interest in reading a range of books and offer pupils the opportunity to choose their personal reading matter. However, the books and other resources are well worn. There is little to encourage reluctant teenagers to read. They need to be replenished to meet the needs of the wide range of pupils and to include more up-to-date technology.

p.20

Language and Literacy across the curriculum

57. Pupils are given many opportunities to practice their literacy skills in other subjects of the curriculum. Speaking and listening are promoted well as pupils are encouraged to listen carefully to what others are saying, and helped to respond appropriately. Key words are used in different subjects such as science, physical education, art and design and music, so that pupils become aware of subject specific vocabulary, and many opportunities are taken to extend pupils’ vocabulary. Writing is developed in different subject areas, with pupils being given opportunities to use a range of techniques to record their work.

p.20

Modern foreign language

58. No lessons were available to be seen during the inspection and therefore no judgement could be made about overall provision.

p.20

Modern foreign language

59. The subject is taught for one term and lessons focus on aspects of life in France such as food, holidays and school life. The statutory requirement for teaching a modern foreign language to pupils aged 11-14 is only just met. It is not taught systematically, so, although pupils may gain some knowledge of some words or phrases, they are not able to make consistent progress because they only receive short blocks of teaching.

p.20

Main strengths and weaknesses

• Achievement, teaching and learning are good. • Leadership is very good and management is good. Woodside School 21

p.20

Commentary

60. In Year 11 in 2004, all pupils entered for the Entry Level Certificate in mathematics gained a merit or distinction. There has been a steady increase in success at this level since 2002. Lesson observation at all year groups shows that pupils have at least good achievement in mathematics. A sample of achievement on the Performance Descriptions (P levels) indicates there is general progress through the levels in all years. Some very good achievement is seen, particularly where the ‘three-part’ lesson strategy is used. A Year 6 class for pupils with ASD also showed very good achievement because the targets in their individual education plans were used effectively for lesson planning and assessment of their progress. In a Year 8 class pupils were able to work out the quickest route for an educational visit. The highest achievers explained that you must not always adopt the first solution, but consider all the options. Year 10 and Year 11 pupils gained increased

p.21

Commentary

understanding of number for use in everyday life, such as accurate measurement of length, and competence in using money.

p.21

Commentary

61. Teaching is never less than good, and is sometimes very good. In a Year 8 class teaching was excellent. It successfully reduced the anxiety about number, which many pupils had, and, in enabling the highest achievers to apply their understanding to solving other problems, taught them more advanced thinking skills. Teaching of number skills is a feature in all years and significantly contributes to pupils’ competence for managing life after school. At all levels teaching is characterised by good lesson planning and adherence to the school’s mathematics scheme of work. This contributes to consistency of learning experience and supports the progress of all pupils. Very good relationships exist between staff and pupils. Learning support assistants contribute significantly to pupil achievement through good partnership with class teachers. Pupils like the subject and concentrate hard. They help each other and respect the efforts of anyone who is finding

p.21

Commentary

62. Leadership has successfully created a commitment to the subject across the school. There is now a good scheme of work, resources are good, and there is good long and medium term planning. This is effective as one person currently co-ordinates the subject across the school. Good monitoring of lesson planning means that all staff can be confident their planning for teaching the subject is in line with the policy, even when they say they are not confident in all aspects of the subject. Currently there is no time allocated to the co-ordinator for lesson observation. This inhibits essential support for teachers about mathematics being provided when needed. While the progress of individual pupils in the subject is assessed, the school has only just begun to analyse the performance data of different groups. Thus it cannot evaluate the achievement of whole groups, for example between end of year tests in Year 6 and Year 9, or which approaches are most effective,

p.21

Commentary

and gain the solid evidence needed on which to base change in order to improve achievement even further.

p.21

Commentary

63. Overall, there has been good improvement since the last inspection. The achievement of pupils, teaching, resources and management are now good overall, while leadership is very good.

p.21

Mathematics across the curriculum

64. Mathematics is quite correctly identified as an important life skill and most lessons build a degree of numeracy into their planning and delivery. Numbers, counting, timing and scoring are regular features in physical education and in a Year 1 information and communication technology lesson, pupils learned how to represent graphically the numerical data they had collected. Older pupils’ personal development is fostered through mathematical activities, which relate to competence in managing in the environment beyond school, for example, through the enterprise activities and the Youth Award Scheme that has a good focus on developing pupils’ practical number skills for use in everyday life. Mathematics across the curriculum is good. Woodside School 22

p.21

Main strengths and weaknesses

• Teaching engages pupils by providing interesting and enjoyable activities, which stimulate their interest in the subject. • The attached support assistant has provided good continuity and makes a very good contribution to the subject. • Systems to monitor progression across the age groups are not in place.

p.22

Commentary

65. Pupils’ achievements in the primary part of the school are good, with a good emphasis on practical learning. They grow and tend plants, as they learn what conditions plants need to thrive. They study the life cycle of the butterfly as they observe caterpillars kept in the classroom. Pupils’ understanding is supported by very good use of a computer science simulation program. There are very good wall displays that make an effective contribution to pupils’ learning.

p.22

Commentary

66. In the secondary part of the school achievement of pupils is satisfactory. Since the last inspection, there is continuing good use of practical experience to develop pupils’ science skills. They make and test predictions. Years 8 and 9 combined year group classes work effectively, due to good planning and teamwork by staff. Pupils learn about balanced forces by predicting the height an air-propelled rocket will rise when fired at different pressures. One pupil with autism knows that the wind direction is a factor that needs to be taken into account when predicting the flight height of the rocket. In Year 10, pupils learn about the solar system. They design and build space buggies using a range of building kits, showing some understanding of conditions in space. More able pupils use a sophisticated construction kit, while pupils with lower ability use less complex equipment. All pupils feel they have achieved something.

p.22

Commentary

67. Teaching is satisfactory overall and sometimes good or very good. Pupils have very good attitudes to their learning and generally work hard in lessons. However, recent staffing difficulties have had a negative effect on achievement in science, particularly in the secondary department. Improvement since the last inspection is unsatisfactory. The recent appointment of a temporary non-specialist science teacher has improved the situation and is starting to have a good effect on teaching and learning. The support assistant, makes a very valuable contribution to the subject.

p.22

Commentary

68. Teachers’ planning is thorough and lessons provide a good range of interesting activities that pupils enjoy. Throughout the school there is a very effective emphasis on health and safety in science. Due to the importance placed on practical work, this is taken suitably seriously. Staff use many opportunities to reinforce pupils’ understanding of safe practices and they risk assess all situations carefully.

p.22

Example of outstanding practice

Year 8/9 Science lesson; Aspects of health and safety

p.22

Example of outstanding practice

One successful strategy to ensure pupils fully understood aspects of safety, involved staff going to extraordinary lengths. The technician appeared in the lesson dressed as a ‘Nutty Professor’, complete with sparkly antennae on her head. The ‘Professor’ appeared to have absolutely no knowledge of how to keep safe when firing an air pressured rocket. The pupils very promptly put the ‘Professor’ right, successfully reinforcing their own safety awareness.

p.22

Example of outstanding practice

69. The recent staff changes have made leadership and management of science difficult. The curriculum is in place and provides continuity for teachers’ planning and senior management is providing a good level of support to the newly appointed teacher. The teacher has started to assess performance levels of pupils, but this is still at an early stage of development and is not yet useful for monitoring progression across year groups. However, there is clearly capacity for improvement. Woodside School 23

p.22

INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

Provision for information and communication technology is very good.

p.23

Main Strengths and Weaknesses

• Pupils achieve well in a wide range of information and communication technology activities. • Teaching and learning are very good. • Pupils enjoy lessons and are very well motivated. • The subject is very well led. • Not all teachers make sufficient use of information and communication technology to support other areas of the curriculum.

p.23

Commentary

70. There has been very good improvement in provision for information and communication technology since the last inspection. There are now separate lessons time-tabled for all classes. In Years 1 to 6 class teachers introduce and develop pupils’ knowledge, understanding and skills and pupils’ response is good. They learn the basics of using text and images and how to use instructions to make things happen. In a good lesson with Year 3 pupils, the teacher took the class to an open area where they could practise their left, right, up and down skills so that they had a better understanding of giving instructions and mouse control when using a computer. In another lesson, Year 1 pupils who had conducted a survey logged their results on a computer showing they understand that information can be presented graphically. Many lessons have good links to other subjects, particularly maths where pupils interpret tables, charts and data and English where pupils

p.23

Commentary

are introduced to a new technical vocabulary and practise their skills of using and improving text.

p.23

Commentary

71. Teaching is never less than good, and is often very good in lessons with pupils in Years 7 to 11, when taught by a subject specialist. For example, a Year 9 class being introduced to data bases responded very well and with confidence because of the teacher’s very informed and enthusiastic introduction. Very good use of the interactive white board effectively supports pupil’s learning. In a Year 11 class, pupils with good ICT skills were taught how to use a publishing programme for the production of a sportswear catalogue. Pupils were required to use colour using a software package, to re-size graphics and enter text, quantity, prices etc. Due to the very good teaching, the higher attaining pupils produced attractive front covers and detailed information in their catalogue whilst the lower attaining pupils with sensitive help from the teacher remained on task and produced a good finished product. The teacher’s very good subject knowledge, sensitivity and very

p.23

Commentary

good relationships were clearly apparent in both these lessons

p.23

Commentary

72. The subject is very well led by joint subject leaders for the primary and secondary departments. They work well together and have very good subject knowledge and expertise. However, as yet they do not monitor the effectiveness of other staff teaching the subject across the curriculum, relying on scrutiny of planning. Resources for the subject are very good; all classes have at least one computer, all classrooms are slowly being provided with interactive white boards and the secondary department contains a well equipped information and communication technology suite. Arrangements to assess and record pupils’ work are generally satisfactory.

p.23

Information and communication technology across the curriculum

73. Information and communication technology is used across the curriculum, but not extensively. Teachers need to give more thought to how ICT can support their subject teaching. In English pupils use word processing and programmes to help improve reading, in maths teachers use interactive white boards to present and demonstrate methodology. The Internet is used occasionally to retrieve information but generally across the school the use of ICT to support learning in all subjects is only satisfactory. Woodside School 24

p.23

History and Geography

74. Only one lesson each of geography and history, both Year 8, was seen during the inspection and, therefore, an overall judgement on provision cannot be made. In the lessons seen pupil achievement, teaching and learning were very good. The achievement of some pupils in the geography lesson approached the national expectation. Consideration of the effect of changes in transport in the nineteenth century led to increased awareness of population growth in cities. Some higher achievers were able to say how this affected people’s health. This led to pupils discussing how they can live healthily today. One lower attaining pupil said that doctors ought to wash their hands before touching people. One higher attaining pupil said that laughing gas is nitrous oxide, another that Joseph Simpson invented chloroform.

p.24

History and Geography

75. Analysis of subject planning and discussion with the secondary co-ordinator of the subjects shows that the curriculum is good. The well-planned schemes of work are clearly linked to the National Curriculum programmes of study, and are made very relevant to pupils. There are good links between the subjects, such as between the land of Egypt and the pharaohs.

p.24

History and Geography

76. In geography good use is made of visits in the locality to increase pupils’ understanding of their environment, while supporting their personal and social skills development. The secondary co- ordinator monitors lesson plans and samples the work of pupils from each class, which assists in promoting consistency in assessing the achievement of older pupils. There has been good improvement since the last inspection, both in terms of developing a school-wide scheme of work, monitoring planning and building up resources, which are now good. The school does not yet analyse performance data of groups in the subjects.

p.24

Religious education

77. An insufficient number of lessons were observed for an overall, secure judgement on provision and standards to be made. However, from the few lessons seen, scrutiny of pupils work and discussion with pupils and staff it is clear that the subject in Years 1 to 9 meets all statutory requirements in terms of content. In Years 11 it is taught through the Youth Award Scheme.

p.24

Religious education

78. Planning for Years 1 to 9 covers all major faiths and addresses social and moral themes thus contributing well to pupils’ personal development. As part of their study of world faiths a Year 1 class visited a local synagogue and produced very good work and displays, indicating that knowledge and understanding had been acquired. A Year 4 class had visited a Church of England church and good discussion took place about what had been seen and whether new vocabulary had been remembered. A good subject policy is in place which clearly states development intentions. Woodside School 25

p.24

Art and design

Provision for art and design is satisfactory .

p.25

Main strengths and weaknesses

• Pupils learn to work in two and three dimensions, and show pride in their work. • Secondary aged pupils gain graded passes in GCSEs.

p.25

Commentary

79. Pupils’ achievement in primary classes is satisfactory and the work of Year 5 and 6 pupils shows that they have developed confidence in using a wide range of media. Standards of achievement are almost in line with national expectations for the higher attaining pupils, but the school is aware that higher grades should be possible for these pupils. Additional time is now provided in Years 10 and 11 to complete the coursework requirements.

p.25

Commentary

80. Teachers and support staff enjoy very good relationships with pupils and provide encouragement using praise very well. A range of visiting artists and community projects has enriched pupils’ enjoyment, knowledge and understanding about art and design in every day life. Primary teachers plan a good range of activities for pupils including making good use of study of major artists and their work. On occasion opportunities to extend pupils’ design capabilities are missed and there has been limited training to develop primary staff’s specialist knowledge about art and design.

p.25

Commentary

81. The specialist teacher is well qualified and experienced and generates a real enthusiasm for the subject amongst secondary age pupils. In these lessons, an LSA provides very good support for pupils both with the techniques needed and in terms of their behaviour or anxiety about their work. There is not yet enough use of different tasks for pupils of different abilities and setting of clear expectations in terms of pace and quality that will really challenge the higher attaining pupils.

p.25

Commentary

82. Assessment and recording of pupils’ work is limited; retained work is not systematically annotated to indicate how it reflects progress for an individual pupil. Coverage of the programmes of study and the school’s scheme of work is satisfactory. The curriculum plans teachers prepare are satisfactory in primary classes, but they are not monitored or developed further as yet by the subject leader. There is no programme of observation of lessons or regular staff development session for primary staff in art and design. Displays of pupil’s work greatly enhance the learning environment throughout the school, both in and outside of the classrooms.

p.25

Design and technology

83. An insufficient number of lessons were observed for an overall, secure judgement on provision and standards to be made. However, from the few lessons seen both with resistant materials and food technology, scrutiny of pupil’s work and discussion with pupils and staff it is clear that the subject is well led. Planning covers all the subject requirements and good examples of work were seen in wood where pupils are making robots, textiles - a class making glove puppets and food technology - a class making a snack meal and comparing it with convenience foods.

p.25

Design and technology

84. Resources for food technology are very good, but the resistant materials workshop is small and is not wired for ‘Stop’ buttons with the result that pupils do not have the opportunity to use machinery. Woodside School 26

p.25

Music

Provision for music throughout the school is very good .

p.26

Main strengths and weaknesses

• Teaching is very good and as a result, pupils’ achievement is very good. • Leadership and management are very good. • Pupils are consistently challenged to make progress. • Pupils’ attitudes to their learning are excellent.

p.26

Commentary

85. Teaching and learning in music are very good. Music is timetabled for all pupils up to the end of Year 10. There is no music class for pupils in Year 11. The pupils’ achievements are very good, as the teacher’s subject knowledge, meticulous planning and infectious delivery ensure that pupils enjoy their lessons and make very good progress. The curriculum focuses on pupils learning to enjoy and appreciate a broad range of musical traditions, to express themselves in music to the best of their ability and to understand musical terms and conventions. Pupils learn to read and write music, to play a range of instruments and to perform with others. Some pupils learn to play the recorder.

p.26

Commentary

86. The subject makes a very good contribution to the personal development of pupils. They have excellent attitudes in lessons, exemplified by them spontaneously thanking the teacher at the end of a lesson. A number of pupils volunteer to sing solos in assembly in front of the whole primary department. They express much appreciation of each other’s efforts. Lessons often include an opportunity for pupils to perform as a group, as they build up their repertoire of popular songs from musicals.

p.26

Commentary

87. The subject is taught and effectively led by the subject specialist, across the school. The curriculum is enriched by visits from performing musicians, for example, a percussion group and a brass band. Music is a strength of the school and makes a very good contribution to the cultural development of pupils.

p.26

PHYSICAL EDUCATION

Provision for physical education is excellent.

p.26

Main strengths and weaknesses

• Pupil achievement is very good. • Teaching is consistently very good. Teachers and teaching assistants have high expectations. • Sport continues to be a strength of the school.

p.26

Main strengths and weaknesses

88. Pupils make very good progress in physical education. The subject has continued to develop and sustain high standards since the last inspection and it plays an important part in every pupil’s programme of personal and physical development. Very good use is made of local community links such as the sports centre, which has high quality swimming and athletic facilities. Pupils of all abilities are making very good progress in both these areas. The school plays a very active part in the school sports co-ordinator programme (SSCO), which further enhances its links with other schools. Pupils’ learning and progress is enhanced by the quality of these resources and links and all older pupils have the opportunity to be entered in GCSE entry-level examinations. The school has a tradition of high achievement in sport and there was a recent celebration of an ex-pupil who won seven medals for swimming at the Special

p.26

Main strengths and weaknesses

89. Teaching is consistently very good which enables students’ learning to be maximised and progress in their personal and social development is fully supported by the range of activities and very Woodside School 27 good attitudes within the subject. Specialist teaching assistants fully and effectively support students’ learning and progress.

p.26

Main strengths and weaknesses

90. Lesson planning is directly linked to the learning intentions for creative and physical development as well as being directly linked to the National Curriculum requirements. The whole-school approach to the subject ensures continuity and progression with curriculum content. Importantly, from a very early age pupils are encouraged to make choices and to take an active part in their own learning. Activities are challenging and expectations are high. Class management is excellent and the specialist teachers and support staff work effectively as a team. Pupils’ behaviour is very good and they demonstrate their commitment to improvement and thoroughly enjoy their sessions.

p.27

Main strengths and weaknesses

91. The subject is excellently led and managed. Pupil progress is effectively recorded and pupils are made clearly aware of how to improve their individual performances. The school has a positive profile in the local community through its sporting activities and there are very good links with a local professional football team.

p.27

Main strengths and weaknesses

92. Accommodation is very good, with a well-equipped gymnasium and a newly created MUGA (multi-use games area) is almost complete. Resources are very good and are very well used to support learning. High standards have been sustained since the last inspection and physical education continues to be a great strength of the school.

p.27

Main strengths and weaknesses

• There is not enough time provided for pupils of all ages to follow a full course in PSHE and citizenship education and so they do not achieve as much as they could. • The citizenship education provision is not yet fully in place. • In the activities and lessons pupils achieve very well because of very good teaching and support. • The subject leader has provided a very good scheme of work for both subjects in the secondary classes. • There is no formal assessment of work in these subjects.

p.27

Commentary

93. It is not possible to make a judgement about pupils’ achievement and progress over time in the primary years in PSHE because the subject content is covered only incidentally in other lessons or in registration periods. Citizenship education is not yet provided fully in either primary or secondary classes. There is not enough time allocated to do justice to both subject areas at present in either primary or secondary timetables. Primary class teachers do not show how they will cover the curriculum in the primary classes in lesson planning, which is unsatisfactory. Young pupils do gain valuable knowledge and understanding of important topics such as healthy eating and show concern for those less fortunate than themselves through these opportunities.

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Commentary

94. Secondary pupils have a single lesson covering both subjects each week. They make very good progress in these lessons because of very good teaching, but they could achieve further with separate lessons for each subject. Citizenship education is under-represented in the programmes or activities in place at present in both primary and secondary classes.

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Commentary

95. Teaching is very good for all age groups and particularly for pupils with autism. In primary registration sessions and circle time teachers skilfully blend global concerns such as poverty in Africa and the Tsunami with concrete experiences of everyday friendship and support. Personal and social development is promoted well through thoughtful discussion and an emphasis on behaving kindly to others Woodside School 28 96. At secondary level, very good use is made of teachers’ own life experiences to help pupils consider important moral choices and sex and relationships education is provided. Pupils respond very well to the skilful questioning and positive climate for debate and discussion promoted by teaching and support staff. As a result of timetable changes, secondary teachers are teaching the programmes of study, previously taught by a trained specialist teacher, but training for these teachers has been limited.

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Commentary

97. The curriculum for both subjects in secondary classes is well developed and covers the key topics appropriately. The citizenship education strands of learning are carefully mapped, making very good use of the community as a context for learning, but cannot be covered in full in a single weekly lesson covering both subjects.

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Commentary

98. The curriculum leadership by the subject leader is good. She is well qualified and experienced and has provided a thorough evaluation of the provision’s shortcomings as part of a major externally accredited course in PSHCE. The school has not kept up with developing national expectations to ensure that pupils receive their full entitlement. Overall, monitoring and evaluation of the provision beyond the scrutiny of planning by the subject leader is undeveloped as is the training for other teachers in these areas. There are clear plans to rectify this for the new academic year. Woodside School 29

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PART D: SUMMARY OF THE MAIN INSPECTION JUDGEMENTS

The overall effectiveness of the school 4 How inclusive the school is 3 How the school’s effectiveness has changed since its last inspection 4 Value for money provided by the school 4

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PART D: SUMMARY OF THE MAIN INSPECTION JUDGEMENTS

Overall standards achieved 3 Pupils’ achievement 3

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PART D: SUMMARY OF THE MAIN INSPECTION JUDGEMENTS

Pupils’ attitudes, values and other personal qualities 3 Attendance 5 Attitudes 2 Behaviour, including the extent of exclusions 3 Pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development 3

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PART D: SUMMARY OF THE MAIN INSPECTION JUDGEMENTS

The quality of education provided by the school 3 The quality of teaching 3 How well pupils learn 3 The quality of assessment 4 How well the curriculum meets pupils’ needs 4 Enrichment of the curriculum, including out-of-school activities 2 Accommodation and resources 3 Pupils’ care, welfare, health and safety 3 Support, advice and guidance for pupils 4 How well the school seeks and acts on pupils’ views 3 The effectiveness of the school’s links with parents 3 The quality of the school’s links with the community 2 The school’s links with other schools and colleges 2

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PART D: SUMMARY OF THE MAIN INSPECTION JUDGEMENTS

The leadership and management of the school 4 The governance of the school 5 The leadership of the headteacher 3 The leadership of other key staff 4 The effectiveness of management 4

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PART D: SUMMARY OF THE MAIN INSPECTION JUDGEMENTS

Inspectors make judgements on a scale: excellent (grade 1); very good (2); good (3); satisfactory (4); unsatisfactory (5); poor (6); very poor (7).

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