Turney Primary and Secondary Special School

SCHOOL

Dates of inspection: 23 rd – 26 th May 2005

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SCHOOL

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

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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. Turney Primary & Secondary Special School - 3

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Type of school: Special School category: Foundation Age range of pupils: 5 – 16 Gender of pupils: Mixed Number on roll: 147

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

School address: Turney Road West Dulwick Postcode: SE21 8LX

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Telephone number: 020 8670 7220 Fax number: 020 766 7588

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Appropriate authority: The Governing Body Name of chair of governors: Mrs Jodie Lomax

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Date of previous inspection: January 2000

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CHARACTERISTICS OF THE SCHOOL

Turney is a larger than average special school for pupils aged four to sixteen years. There are currently 147 pupils on roll. Although classed as a school for pupils with moderate learning difficulties, those entering the primary department have increasingly complex needs. In particular, in comparison to the secondary department, there are three times as many with autistic spectrum disorder (ASD), half the number of pupils with moderate learning difficulties and one third the number with social, emotional and behavioural difficulties. There are similar numbers of primary and secondary age pupils with severe learning difficulties. Pupils’ attainment on entry to the school is below or well below that expected for their age. As common in schools of this type, there are nearly three times as many boys as girls. The numbers of pupils from minority ethnic groups, including those with English as an additional language, are high. The most prevalent ethnic groups

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CHARACTERISTICS OF THE SCHOOL

are White British (31 per cent); black/black British African (20 per cent); black/black British Caribbean (14 per cent) and mixed white/black Caribbean (10 per cent). Other ethnic groups make up 21 per cent of the school population. However, in the context of this school. Pupils’ learning needs are more significant to their achievement than their ethnic background. A very high number of pupils (75 per cent) is entitled to free school meals. Two pupils are in public care.

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CHARACTERISTICS OF THE SCHOOL

The school has one class for Reception-age pupils, two classes in Key Stage 1 and four in Key Stage 2. Year 7 pupils are in the secondary department, but their class runs on a primary model with the class teacher teaching all subjects. The remainder of the secondary department has two tutor groups for Year 8, one for year 9, and two each for Years 10 and 11. The school has been recently disadvantaged by long-term staff absence and difficulties in recruiting staff. Turney Primary & Secondary Special School - 4

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE INSPECTION TEAM

Members of the inspection team Subject responsibilities

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE INSPECTION TEAM

21501 Judith Charlesworth Lead inspector Science, music, Foundation stage 8941 John Fletcher Lay inspector 11239 Sue Flockton Team inspector English, French, religious education, English as an additional language 23390 Mel Blackband Team inspector Mathematics, physical education, work related learning 22821 Linda Wolstencroft Team inspector Personal, social, health and citizenship education, history, geography, special educational needs 32963 Joan Lock Team inspector Information technology, art and design, design and technology

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE INSPECTION TEAM

Penta International Upperton House The Avenue Eastbourne BN21 3YB

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE INSPECTION TEAM

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). Turney Primary & Secondary Special 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 12

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

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PART D: SUMMARY OF THE MAIN INSPECTION JUDGEMENTS 34

Turney Primary & Secondary Special School - 6

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OVERALL EVALUATION

After the last inspection, the school went into a decline. It has taken the new head teacher and senior managers, together with a better informed governing body, a considerable amount of effort to reverse this, and bring Turney to its position of being a sound school, providing satisfactory value for money. The school is still moving forwards well, although it has a way to go. Overall, leadership is satisfactory, and management unsatisfactory; both have been hampered by long term staff absence and difficulty in recruiting a key management post. The quality of education provided, teaching, learning and pupils’ achievement are satisfactory.

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OVERALL EVALUATION

The school’s main strengths and weaknesses are: • School improvement has been good, but the vision for further transformation is not well articulated in a school improvement plan ; • Subject management throughout the school, and leadership and management for Reception and Years 1 and 2 are unsatisfactory; • There is not always enough formal support and induction for teachers new to the school; • The school ethos and practices provide well for pupils’ personal development which is good, although attendance in Year 11 is unsatisfactory; • Provision in music and physical education throughout the school is very good, leading to very good achievement; • Provision, teaching and achievement in information and communication technology (ICT), work-related learning, English and mathematics in Years 8 to 11 is good; • Specialist subject teaching for pupils in Years 8 – 11 is generally good and pupils learn well. • Year 10 and 11 pupils’ results show they do well in their accredited courses in art

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OVERALL EVALUATION

and design, science, design and technology, geography, English, mathematics and ICT; • The curriculum is unsatisfactory and does not meet statutory requirements, although curriculum enrichment is good; • Systems to assess and track pupils’ developing skills are too new to have yielded useful information, and the effective use of assessment information of any kind is inconsistent.

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OVERALL EVALUATION

Measures to improve the school have focused on making good the damage caused by the difficult time it has been through. The very significant financial deficit has been repaid and the school now operates with tight financial controls. A new behaviour code has been introduced and overall standards of behaviour are good. Class sizes have been reduced significantly and achievement has improved in Key Stages 3 and 4. Standards and teaching in ICT and science are better, and three staff restructurings have produced a more appropriate budget profile. A new management structure was put in place at the start of this year, but illness and temporary absence have severely limited its overall effectiveness. Governors have a better understanding of the school and are starting to offer more direct support and challenge. In addition, there have been improvements in the curriculum, procedures to improve the quality of teaching and learning and the involvement of both

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OVERALL EVALUATION

pupils and their parents in the work and life of the school. Managers are now beginning to address the remaining issues raised in the last inspection, such as assessment and its use.

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STANDARDS ACHIEVED

Turney Primary & Secondary Special School - 7 in relation to individual targets in: Pupils’ achievement at the end of: Subjects of the curriculum personal and social development Year 2 satisfactory Good Year 6 satisfactory Good Year 9 good Good Year 11 good Good Inspectors make judgements in the range: excellent; very good; good; satisfactory; unsatisfactory; poor; very poor. Pupils’ achievement is satisfactory overall. It is good in Years 8 to 11 and pupils’ work is of a good standard. Most gain accreditation in several subjects –at GCSE or Entry Level. Pupils’ achievement in music and physical education is very good, due to high quality teaching and planning. It is good in ICT, mathematics and work-related learning in Years 8 – 11 because teaching and learning are good. Pupils in Years 8 – 11 achieve better than their peers lower in the school because their learning needs are more straightforward.

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STANDARDS ACHIEVED

Pupils’ achievement is unsatisfactory in religious education in Years 1 and 2, because insufficient time is given to the subject, and in Years 10 and 11 because they have only very recently been taught the subject. There is no programme of citizenship in Years 7 to 11, nor modern foreign language in Year 7; achievement in these subjects for the pupils in these year groups is therefore unsatisfactory. The formal programme for personal, social and health education (PSHE) is not properly planned, co-ordinated or managed across the school, and although satisfactory in part, is unsatisfactory overall.

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QUALITY OF EDUCATION

The quality of education offered by the school is satisfactory and teaching and learning are both satisfactory. Although enthusiastic, some teachers are inexperienced or unqualified and have insufficient support. Teaching in Reception to Year 7 is satisfactory although some teaching is good in Key Stage 2. Specialist subject teaching for pupils in Years 8 – 11 is generally good and pupils learn well. A small proportion of science teaching was unsatisfactory because teachers do not know how to teach the subject to the lower attaining pupils with challenging behaviour and communication difficulties. Teaching is very effective throughout the school in physical education and music. Summative assessment is unsatisfactory because the systems in place are too new to have yielded useful information. Other assessment information is not consistently used to inform planning. The curriculum is unsatisfactory because it does not meet statutory requirements for modern foreign

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QUALITY OF EDUCATION

language and citizenship, but opportunities for curriculum enrichment are good. The programmes for PSHE and religious education are not well enough co-ordinated across the school and provision is unsatisfactory. The links with other schools and colleges are good and beneficial to the pupils.

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LEADERSHIP AND MANAGEMENT

The leadership and management of the school are satisfactory overall. The leadership of the headteacher is good and she has a clear vision for the development of the school and is leading the school to achieve it. The leadership of the two other key staff in post is also good, but the overall effectiveness of leadership is hampered by staff absence and unfilled posts. Reception and Key Stage 1 have been particularly adversely affected by the lack of a team leader. Management is unsatisfactory; subject management is fragmented and there is insufficient monitoring and evaluation of systems and procedures which limits their effectiveness. The governing body has strengthened, and provides satisfactory leadership, support and challenge, but they have not ensured that the school meets statutory requirements for the curriculum. Turney Primary & Secondary Special School - 8

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PARENTS’ AND PUPILS’ VIEWS OF THE SCHOOL

The vast majority of parents confirm that the school is open and welcoming and are pleased about the increased involvement they now have in their children’s education and the value that is placed on their own views and opinions. Pupils too, say they enjoy school; they are confident to come to adults with problems. They say that any difficulties they have are quickly addressed.

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IMPROVEMENTS NEEDED

The most important things the school should do to improve are: • Create a detailed school improvement plan so the vision for transformation and route to its implementation are clear; • Improve the management of the school at all levels, particularly of curriculum subjects across the primary and secondary departments, and the leadership of Reception and Key Stage 1; • Provide a suitable induction programme for staff new to the school; • Improve provision in PSHE and religious education; • Improve assessment procedures and the use of information gained to improve learning;

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IMPROVEMENTS NEEDED

• Provide a course in a modern foreign language for pupils in Year 7; • Provide a course for citizenship for pupils in Years 7 to 11. Turney Primary & Secondary Special School - 9

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Main strengths and weaknesses

• Pupils’ achievement in music is very good throughout the school; it is good in physical education in Years 1 – 7 and very good in Years 8 - 11; achievement in ICT, mathematics and work-related learning is good in Years 8 – 11. • Good results in accredited courses confirms pupils’ achievements in Year 11; • Pupils’ achievement is unsatisfactory in religious education in Years 1, 2, 10 and 11; Citizenship in Years 7 to 11; PSHE in Years 1 – 6 and French in Year 7; • Pupils with moderate learning difficulties achieve better than their peers with more complex needs; • The secure assessment of pupils’ achievement has been hampered by the lack of suitable systems to track their progress over time.

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Commentary

1. Achievement was also judged to be satisfactory in the last inspection. Subjects in which pupils achieve particularly well are generally well planned and well taught. Music, for example, is taught by one highly effective teacher who knows exactly how to build upon each individual pupil’s developing skills by inspiring them to concentrate, participate and enjoy themselves. Lessons include all aspects of the music curriculum, so pupils’ skills are uniformly and systematically developed. Physical education, similarly, has a good curriculum which spans all age groups. Good assessment procedures mean that activities can be focused on improving individuals’ skills within the context of whole-class lessons. Pupils in Years 8 to 11 achieve particularly well due to the talent and enthusiasm of the specialist teacher who successfully encourages pupils to do their very best. Achievement is good in mathematics, ICT and work-related learning in Years 8 to 11 because of good

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Commentary

teaching within well constructed curricula which have been effectively adapted to the needs of pupils of varying ability. The specialist teachers have good knowledge of their subjects and place a clear focus on the pupils’ depth of understanding.

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Commentary

2. Although time restraints during the inspection prevented judgements on the progress and achievement of pupils in art and design, design and technology geography and history during the inspection, the accreditation gained at the end of Year 11 is a clear indication that they have learned a considerable amount in most of these, as well as other subjects.

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Year 11 accreditation in 2004

Entry Level Cert. GCSE Level 1 Level 2 Level 3 B C D E Art and design 2 3 4

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Year 11 accreditation in 2004

ICT 1 4 5 1 English 2 Mathematics 1 6 Design and technology 2 5 4 Turney Primary & Secondary Special School - 10 Geography 2 3 Physical education 1 5 4

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Year 11 accreditation in 2004

3. This year, more pupils have been entered for the GCSE examinations which is an indication of improving achievement.

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Year 11 accreditation in 2004

4. Unsatisfactory achievement in some subjects is usually because they are not well planned. Religious education, for example, was not taught to pupils in Years 10 and 11 until very recently; consequently, pupils do not know as much as they should do. In Years 1 and 2, religious education is only taught for one term out of three; when it is taught, it is often aligned with PSHE which tends to take precedence. Consequently, there is little religious education identified in the lesson or in teachers’ planning and pupils do not learn enough. There is no planned programme of citizenship for pupils in Years 7 to 11, although elements are covered in other subjects. Nevertheless, pupils do not learn enough in this subject, nor in French in Year 7, where the subject is not taught. Achievement in these subjects is therefore unsatisfactory. Although provision for pupils’ personal development through the ethos and practices of the school is good, achievement in the subject of PSHE

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Year 11 accreditation in 2004

is unsatisfactory. This is because it is not planned, monitored or assessed systematically throughout the school. However, in pockets such as in Years 8 - 11, the provision is satisfactory.

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Year 11 accreditation in 2004

5. Although pupils’ progress is evident, both on an individual level through targets met in their IEPs, and as classes and cohorts as they move through the school, sufficiency of progress (achievement) is sometimes difficult for the school to judge effectively because they have not had suitable assessment systems in place to track it. These have now been introduced, although they have not been in place long enough to yield the information required. It was not possible to judge the achievement of pupils at an early stage of learning English, as no records were available during the inspection. There is no analysis of data in relation to pupils for whom English is an additional language or those from ethnic minority groups.

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Year 11 accreditation in 2004

6. Most of the pupils in Years 8 - 11 have less complex needs than their primary peers. These older pupils respond very well to straightforward subject teaching; the most effective teachers adapt work to meet their individual needs successfully, therefore, they generally achieve well in all subjects. Pupils in the secondary department with more complex needs do not always have work matched to their needs, and sometimes lessons waste time as teachers become over-concerned with keeping pupils occupied rather than learning. These pupils, therefore, achieve less well. Further down the school, the needs of the pupils are increasingly complex, and teachers have to employ a wide range of additional skills in order to engage pupils, manage their behaviour and support them to learn. Success in this is variable – often because of the inexperienced and temporary staff in Reception and Key Stage 1; consequently, although their achievement is satisfactory, these more complex

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Year 11 accreditation in 2004

pupils, overall, learn and achieve less well than their peers.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and other personal qualities

Pupils have good attitudes to school. Their behaviour and most other aspects of their personal development, including their moral, social and cultural development are good. Their spiritual development is satisfactory. Punctuality to school and throughout the day is satisfactory but the overall level of attendance is unsatisfactory.

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Main strengths and weaknesses

Turney Primary & Secondary Special School - 11 • Pupils’ behaviour is good as a result of effective behaviour management strategies; • Relationships between staff and pupils and between pupils are good; • Year 11 pupils have a record of below average attendance; • Pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is successfully promoted though the curriculum and the school’s ethos.

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Commentary

7. A great improvement since the last inspection has been in pupils’ behaviour, which is now good. The quality of most other aspects of pupils’ personal development has been maintained. The improvement in behaviour is the result of a clear and consistent approach to behaviour management, implemented over the past fifteen months. Pupils know clearly what behaviour is expected, how it will be rewarded and the consequences of poor behaviour. They respond well to this system and the number of exclusions has decreased as a result. The school is now a calm and pleasant place to be in. Relationships are generally warm and friendly and pupils feel encouraged to learn and are not afraid of being “wrong.” Great efforts are made to value pupils as individuals, which supports their self- esteem and confidence very well. They are happy to work hard and to discuss ideas and their feelings with staff.

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Commentary

Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

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Commentary

Categories used in the Annual School Census No of pupils on roll Number of fixed period exclusions Number of permanent exclusions White – British 45 12 Mixed – White and Black Caribbean 15 Mixed – White and Black African 2 1 Mixed – White and Asian 1 Mixed – any other mixed background 13 1 Asian or Asian British – Indian 5 Asian or Asian British – Pakistani 3 Asian or Asian British – Bangladeshi 1 Black or Black British – Caribbean 20 1 Black or Black British – African 29 6 1 Black or Black British – any other Black background 6 4 1 Chinese 2 Any other ethnic group 5 The table gives the number of exclusions, which may be different from the number of pupils excluded.

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Commentary

8. Regardless of race, gender and prevalent difficulties, pupils work co-operatively in class - in pairs and in small groups - and are generally sociable and amicable during playtimes. Occasionally, however, there is some low-level anti-social behaviour out of class time, where older pupils unnecessarily nudge or cuff one another. This is addressed by staff, and pupils say that any poor behaviour of this nature is appropriately dealt with. In addition, the school’s population is changing to one with more complex needs. Some young pupils with ASD show very challenging behaviour and have great difficulty in understanding Turney Primary & Secondary Special School - 12 the effect of this on others. The senior managers are putting considerable time and effort into equipping staff to deal appropriately with such situations – often rooted in frustrations with communication - which they are beginning to do.

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Commentary

9. Overall attendance, whilst having improved slightly in the current year, is still low compared to the average level achieved in similar schools across the country. One class group in Year 11 accounts for a large proportion of total absence, with four out of five pupils having some unauthorised absence. All other year groups have either satisfactory or good attendance, encouraged by the school’s procedures and reward systems. The school produces regular analyses of attendance data and is aware of the problem in Year 11 but has so far been unable to reduce the absence rate. Turney Primary & Secondary Special School - 13 Attendance in the latest complete reporting year (%)

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Commentary

Authorised absence Unauthorised absence School data 9.2 School data 3.4 National data 8.2 National data 1.8 The table gives the percentage of half days (sessions) missed through absence for the latest complete reporting year.

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Commentary

10. Pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is successfully promoted through the curriculum and the school’s ethos. Through discussion and a range of activities pupils learn to understand their own and others’ feelings. They sympathise with those less fortunate than themselves; for example, one suggestion from the school Council was that the school could raise money for charity through its summer fair. The school constantly emphasises the moral code by which pupils should conduct themselves, so that they quickly come to know the difference between right and wrong. Residential journeys, attended by most of the senior pupils, are designed to encourage sociable behaviour and develop social and independence skills. Many activities support the pupils’ cultural development, from the cooking of cultural meals, to designing a Caribbean tabard in design and technology, to African masks in art. Cultural awareness is well supported by visiting

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Commentary

artists such as the story teller during Black History Month and by visits to art galleries. Assemblies provide some opportunities for quiet contemplation but on the whole pupils’ spiritual development is not sufficiently considered..

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QUALITY OF EDUCATION PROVIDED BY THE SCHOOL

The quality of education provided is satisfactory.

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Teaching and learning

The quality of teaching and learning is satisfactory, but assessment is unsatisfactory.

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Main strengths and weaknesses

• Teaching is good in Years 8 to 11; • Information from assessment activities is not effectively used to improve learning; • Teaching is good in physical education, music, English and mathematics. • Not all teachers have sufficient skills to teach pupils with complex needs and challenging behaviour effectively.

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Commentary

Summary of teaching observed during the inspection in 66 lessons

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Commentary

Excellent Very good Good Satisfactory Unsatisfactory Poor Very Poor

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Commentary

1 (1.5%) 12 (18%) 29 (44%) 21 (32%) 2 (3%) 1 (1.5%) 0

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Commentary

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

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Commentary

11. The quality of teaching is good in Years 8 to 11 and satisfactory in Reception and Years 1 – 7. It is better for the older pupils largely because overall, they have less complex needs and respond well to “traditional” class-based subject teaching. The subject specialists in the secondary department are skilled at teaching in this way, although some find meeting the needs of the lower attaining pupils a challenge. Teaching in the primary Turney Primary & Secondary Special School - 14 department is less effective for several reasons. Although the teachers in Key Stage 2 are largely effective, and are well led and supported by the key stage manager, teachers in Key Stage 1 are new to the school or their responsibilities, and inexperienced in working with pupils with such significant special educational needs. Not all are skilled enough to take account of pupils’ under-developed communication skills, distractibility, lower attainment

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Commentary

and challenging behaviour, often related to ASD. They do not easily find alternative ways of communicating with pupils, managing their behaviour, structuring the classroom and ensuring that work meets individuals’ needs but does not become non-subject specific and activity-led. The Reception class teacher is temporary, covering long term sickness. Support staff are a mixture of new recruits, some temporary, to support the challenging behaviour presented by some pupils, and some long-established. Staff at Key Stage 1 have not had the benefit of consistent leadership to manage the changes required to transform the school. Induction into the school’s procedures and practices is not sufficiently effective, and together with the lack of a permanent manager for Key Stage 1 this has left these teachers without enough support.

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Commentary

12. English and mathematics are well taught at all points in the school. This is because at primary level, the school has taken good account of the national strategies for literacy and numeracy in creating and implementing the schemes of work. This is successfully built upon at secondary level, where subject specialist teaching is, in any case, generally effective and leads to pupils’ accreditation. Teaching in music is very effective because the teacher is highly skilled. Pupils of all ages are strongly motivated to conform and learn because they really enjoy the lessons. Pupils achieve very well and make great gains in their musical skills as they mature. Music is taught by one person to all classes, and the teacher’s practice is designed to build upon each individual’s skills very effectively. However, there is no formal curriculum plan or assessment of pupils’ developing skills, which is an issue of concern as the success of the subject rests solely on one individual

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Commentary

rather than a system that could be taken up by others. Teaching is good in physical education because the programme of work for pupils of all ages has been well designed. There is good co-ordination between the primary and secondary departments so that there is good continuity of learning. Pupils’ achievements are appropriately recorded, and their progress tracked, which enables teachers to provide activities that support individuals’ development. They are enthusiastic about physical education, and motivated to learn and give their best.

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Commentary

13. Assessment is unsatisfactory because although most staff know individual pupils very well, and so can match work to their needs – a skill that contributes to effective teaching - in many subjects the lack of a precise assessment of what pupils know, understand and can do prevents teachers focusing on what exactly pupils should learn next. This means that pupils’ attainment against recognised descriptors – and therefore the sufficiency of their progress over time - cannot be judged. This work is beginning in English and mathematics, and is better established in Key Stage 2 than anywhere else in the school. The school has recently introduced a range of systems to unify assessment across the school, but they are not used consistently by all staff. Some assessment schedules, for example for PSHE, have been rushed in and there is not yet a shared understanding of the procedures and outcomes. This is partly because of the lack of a suitable induction process

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Commentary

for new staff. Furthermore, whilst teachers make use of tests and assessment systems to find out what pupils know, they do not always make effective use of the information gained.

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Commentary

14. IEPs are in place for all pupils but targets vary in their usefulness as a tool to guide and track progress. They are often too broad to be able to clearly identify progress against them. The newly introduced portfolios for each pupil are developing into an appropriate record of what they have done, but the impact of these as an assessment process is not yet Turney Primary & Secondary Special School - 15 clear as they are still so new that they have not yet yielded useful information about progress over time. The school has nevertheless made a satisfactory start on developing this area and is rightly aware that assessment systems need to be developed further.

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The curriculum

The curriculum is unsatisfactory although opportunities for enrichment are good. Resources and accommodation are satisfactory. Turney Primary & Secondary Special School - 16

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Main strengths and weaknesses

• The school is working hard to improve the curriculum; • Statutory requirements are not being met in modern foreign language and citizenship and the school’s programme for personal, social and health education (PSHE) is unsatisfactory; • Action taken to ensure that what pupils learn from year to year builds securely on what they have already learned is unsatisfactory; • Pupils benefit well from community links and additional activities arranged to support the curriculum and the breadth of their experiences.

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Commentary

15. Improvement since the last inspection has been unsatisfactory despite a recently renewed approach to improving the curriculum. Curriculum quality and implementation have been very adversely affected by the staffing difficulties experienced by the school. The senior management structure was set up to give specific responsibility for curriculum management to the key stage managers; this almost immediately fell down because of long term staff absence and unfilled posts within the senior management team. It has had a particularly bad effect on Key Stage 1. Proposed developments have been embodied in a curriculum policy statement which describes a wide variety of appropriate improvements, but they are not yet reflected in the actual curriculum provision.

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Commentary

16. Pupils in Year 7 do not have the opportunity to study a modern foreign language, and are not properly disapplied from the subject. Citizenship is not formally taught to all pupils in Years 7 to 11. For these reasons, the school does not meet statutory obligations. In addition, religious education has only very recently begun to be taught to pupils in Years 10 and 11, consequently, they do not know as much as they should. There is no system in many subjects to ensure that what pupils are taught in their early years in school links clearly to what they are taught later, and there are no formal arrangements to monitor the quality of subject provision and how well pupils are learning.

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Commentary

17. The programme in place for personal, social and heath education and citizenship is not fully developed. The programme, planned independently in different areas of the school, includes contributions from other professionals, particularly in the delivery of the sex and relationships and drugs awareness programmes for older pupils. The school’s Life Skills programme and assemblies include elements of citizenship. With regular Circle Time these activities contributes to personal development and to pupils’ understanding of right and wrong. In Years 1 to 6, PSHE is less effective as the programme is not sufficiently well focused or adapted to meet pupils’ significant special educational needs. There is no whole school co-ordination of the programme and no procedures for monitoring what is taught or how well pupils are learning, consequently, the school does not have a clear view of its effectiveness.

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Commentary

18. There are good links with a local further education college and the oldest pupils attend weekly. They follow courses leading to accreditation, and day to day college activities, such as use of the canteen, support their independence and personal development. The school arranges good additional activities to enhance the curriculum and pupils’ experiences. Pupils visit a wide range of places such as Vauxhall City Farm, the Horniman Museum and various art galleries. There are opportunities to participate in sporting events and pupils’ art work is often displayed in public venues. The school is host to visitors from theatre groups and artists in residence. Turney Primary & Secondary Special School - 17 19. There has been a very recent influx of support staff, many on a temporary basis, and they are still familiarising themselves with the pupils and school routines and practices. This occasionally limits their effectiveness in promoting learning, although they are very

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Commentary

helpful in supporting the management of pupils with challenging behaviour. Turney Primary & Secondary Special School - 18

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Care, guidance and support

Procedures to ensure pupils’ care, welfare, health and safety are satisfactory. The support and advice provided to aid ongoing academic achievement and development are satisfactory. Procedures to seek pupils’ views and opinions are satisfactory.

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Main strengths and weaknesses

• The school looks after pupils effectively; • Pupils enjoy good and trusting relationships with all adults which positively influence the progress they make; • Staff provide good quality guidance and support to secure pupils’ ongoing personal and social development; • Support for pupils with additional needs is not always sufficiently effective; • The provision for pupils with English as an additional language is ineffective.

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Commentary

20. Good arrangements for child protection and pupils’ welfare are in place, and the school is both vigilant and sensitive in exercising its responsibilities. Staff show high levels of care for pupils and their conscientious efforts ensure that the school is a pleasant place that encourages learning. Good induction arrangements ensure that pupils settle into school life smoothly and that parents are involved in the process. In lessons, at breaks, and on arrival and departure appropriate supervision ensures the safety of pupils. There are clear procedures for reporting hazards and safety concerns which are quickly assessed and eliminated. Equipment is regularly tested, there are frequent evacuation practices, and clear procedures covering medicines and appropriate rules relating to Internet access are in place. Risk assessments, covering some pupils, some equipment and some areas of the school are regularly updated but there are currently none covering the use of equipment

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Commentary

and chemicals in science. Risk assessments are routinely carried out prior to all outings and visits.

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Commentary

21. All pupils are valued at Turney. Staff know pupils well and interact with them in a consistently supportive and positive manner. Discussions with pupils indicate that they know who to approach with problems and they agree that staff help them to enjoy their experiences at the school. Observations show that the good relationships between staff and pupils are a strength of the school and positively influence pupils’ attitudes, achievement and development.

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Commentary

22. The good system of breaking down broad personal development goals into small discrete targets for improvement is popular with pupils. They enjoy the regular weekly reviews which include individual support and guidance, and are motivated to achieve their targets by the “tick box award” scheme. Records of rewards and sanctions, along with the close day to day observations of staff, ensure that any pupil experiencing problems is rapidly identified and suitable support is quickly implemented. Where necessary, the school enlists and receives good support from outside agencies and specialists in agreeing the programmes.

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Commentary

23. Procedures for reviewing pupils’ statements of special educational needs are satisfactory but targets set from year to year are inconsistent and do not always allow teachers to track progress securely. Individual targets for pupils, where used in lessons, are not always clearly phrased to ensure that pupils’ work is properly adapted to meet their Turney Primary & Secondary Special School - 19 needs. Additional communication systems such as the Picture Exchange System (PECs) and highly structured approaches designed for pupils with ASD have been recently introduced, mainly in the primary department. They are used appropriately where staff are confident in their use. However, where they are less confident or not sufficiently familiar with the system, use of these approaches does not support learning for those particular pupils.

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Commentary

24. Pupils who do not have English as their first language and who might require additional support are identified by a specialist teacher. There was no access to these initial assessments during the inspection, due to the absence of the teacher. However, evidence from development plans and evaluations suggests that there is some confusion in identifying pupils. There appears to be a lack of clarity, particularly, in distinguishing between those who have difficulties due to being at an early stage of learning English, and those whose language difficulties are due to their special educational needs. This means that the type of support being given to pupils is not always appropriate, and class and subject teachers are not clear about the needs for which they are planning.

p.19

Commentary

25. The school listens to the views of pupils and a recent school Council meeting had some good ideas for improvements, such as the introduction of drinking fountains and a summer fair to raise money.

p.19

Partnership with parents, other schools and the community

The school enjoys a satisfactory partnership with parents. There are good, productive links with the wider community, other schools and colleges.

p.19

Main strengths and weaknesses

• Much improved communication with parents is starting to improve their involvement in the life of the school and in the education of their children; • The school draws effectively on the local community to broaden and enhance pupils’ learning; • Developing links with other schools and good links with colleges contribute positively to pupils’ development and help them to prepare for life after school.

p.19

Commentary

26. In the last two years the school has worked successfully to rebuild positive links with homes. The vast majority of parents now confirm that the school is open and welcoming and express pleasure at the increased involvement they now have in their children’s education and the value that is placed on their own views and opinions. There is widespread agreement amongst parents that the school treats all children fairly regardless of difficulty, that expectations are high, that their children are helped to become mature and independent, that induction arrangements are good and that their children find the range of activities interesting and enjoyable. Particularly complimentary views were expressed about the school’s ability to deal with complex needs, speech therapy, outings and the new leadership team. Minor areas of concern related to behaviour and bullying, homework and advice on how to support learning at home, and some aspects of communication;

p.19

Commentary

however these are not sustained by the inspection team.

p.19

Commentary

27. The school has sent out information and organised special sessions for parents on, for example, speech therapy, signing, reading and other aspects of learning designed to help them support their children at home. There is currently no school prospectus but parents are kept well informed about school life and about their children’s achievement and development. Communication is maintained through a very wide range of means including newsletters, telephone calls, the homework diary, review meetings and parents’ evenings, and a variety of social events. Turney Primary & Secondary Special School - 20 The annual report on academic achievement gives a good overview of what pupils know, understand and can do but advice on how to improve is inconsistent across subjects. The school sends parents advance information on topics of study and additional guidance is always available to help them support independent study, should they ask. This year parents’ views were sought

p.19

Commentary

through a questionnaire for the first time and there is good evidence to show that suggestions were valued and taken seriously.

p.20

Commentary

28. Staff are outward looking and have established good links within the local community which enhance pupils’ learning and development opportunities. Community support organisations like the police and the fire service are regular visitors, as are artists, musicians, sports coaches and local figures and celebrities. Multicultural festivals are celebrated and provide good opportunities for pupils to learn about and experience different cultural traditions and ways of life. Good use is made of the local community for outings and visits which support the curriculum such as places of worship, the library, and historical sites and landmarks. Pupils look after and grow a range of produce on the school allotment.

p.20

Commentary

29. In the last two years links with local mainstream schools have started to develop and are now good. The neighbouring primary school hosts five Turney pupils once a week where they enjoy lessons and social contact with mainstream pupils and there are growing links with a number of other schools. For example, a Year 10 art project is organised and hosted by a local secondary school. College links are good and an essential part of the preparation programme for life after school. All Year 11 pupils now spend some time each week at the college experiencing courses they may take up when they leave school. The school has not yet extended its work to provide regular support for pupils on the roll of other schools.

p.20

LEADERSHIP AND MANAGEMENT

The governance of the school is satisfactory. Leadership of the school is satisfactory and that of the head teacher is good. Day to day organisation is satisfactory but management is unsatisfactory.

p.20

Main strengths and weaknesses

• The head teacher has high aspirations for the school and a clear vision for future development; • School improvement has been good in the past two years; • The school development plan is not strong enough to convey the imperative for change; • Procedures for monitoring and reviewing all aspects of provision are under-developed; • Induction arrangements for new staff are not sufficiently effective; • Finances are very well controlled and expenditure is starting to be formally linked to development priorities.

p.20

Commentary

30. When the headteacher took up post less than two years ago, the school was in severe crisis. There was a financial deficit equal to around half a year’s income; behaviour was poor; class sizes had increased to unmanageable levels; a very highly paid staff was unused to taking responsibility and the governing body was not effective in calling the school to account. Two years on, all these major problems have been tackled and many positive changes have been made, although not all are yet fully effective. The deficit has been repaid and the school now operates with tight financial controls. A new behaviour Turney Primary & Secondary Special School - 21 code has been introduced and overall standards of behaviour are now good. Class sizes have been reduced significantly and three staff restructurings have produced a more appropriate budget profile. A new management structure was put in place at the start of

p.20

Commentary

this year, but illness and temporary absence have severely limited its overall effectiveness. Governors have undergone training. They are now providing satisfactory stewardship of the school and starting to offer more direct support and challenge. In addition, this improvement is set within the context of a changing school population. Pupils joining the school have increasingly complex needs, requiring a completely different approach to teaching and curriculum provision. The school has been through a very difficult time.

p.21

Commentary

31. The head teacher provides good leadership based on the clear principle of aiming for high quality provision, and a determined focus on improving achievement. On appointment, her work and development priorities were clearly defined by the severely critical issues outlined above. The success achieved is evidence of her leadership skills in managing some major changes in style and expectation. The head teacher has a good understanding of the strengths and weaknesses of the school and a clear commitment to involving and empowering staff. The leadership provided by the senior managers currently in post is good.

p.21

Commentary

32. So far, however, the widely agreed improvement agenda has not been assembled into a clearly prioritised strategic school development plan to act as the very visible engine of the drive for improvement. Consequently, not all members of staff understand the imperative for change, the direction the school is taking, the difficulties experienced by the senior managers in promoting this change even without the additional staffing problems, or their need to associate themselves with it. Whilst the head teacher is leading the school towards greater effectiveness, supported very well by the acting deputy head teacher, the current absence of half the senior management team to take leadership responsibility within the school is inhibiting this and causing management problems of its own. Too much is falling upon the head teacher and acting deputy head teacher and they cannot fulfil it all. Communication is not sufficiently clear and leadership cannot be properly dispersed and

p.21

Commentary

embedded throughout the school due to the staffing difficulties. These difficulties are compounding the weaknesses in the management structure and systems of the school.

p.21

Commentary

33. The roles and responsibilities of staff with subject management responsibilities are not clearly defined with the result that continuity between primary and secondary phases and the co-ordination of subject teaching across the school are unsatisfactory. In many subjects, there is no through-school curriculum planning or liaison between subject specialists in the secondary department and primary staff. This problem is being solved to some degree by a recently introduced common, commercial curriculum, but some subject managers are inexperienced and the routine practices of monitoring, assessment, analysis of data, and planning with a view to improvement in standards are not yet embedded. There is insufficient monitoring of the progress of pupils from ethnic minorities and those for whom English is an additional language with the result that the provision for the latter is ineffective. To date, many subject managers have not produced their own prioritised

p.21

Commentary

annual development plans and their contribution to the whole school development agenda has not been sufficiently formalised. Whilst the four Key Stage 2 classes have an effective manager, the Reception and two Key Stage 1 classes, who work as a unit, have been particularly adversely affected by the lack of a department manager. This has resulted in some difficulties in these three classes, all of which are staffed by inexperienced teachers in conjunction with long-standing learning support assistants. Change has been difficult to effect in this department. Turney Primary & Secondary Special School - 22 34. A number of measures have been introduced to support and improve teaching and learning although these are not yet fully effective. They include performance management, training in methods to help pupils with ASD, and support for teaching assistants to gain NVQ qualifications. However, induction arrangements for new staff are informal and

p.21

Commentary

unsatisfactory. With the school intake displaying wider and more complex difficulties, new staff, particularly those from mainstream schools and from abroad, are not receiving sufficient support - partly because suitable systems are not in place and partly because the departmental manager system is not working.

p.22

Commentary

35. Day to day administration is efficient and financial procedures are tightly controlled. Every effort is made to ensure that purchases are cost effective and procedures for obtaining competitive tenders are in place. The school accountant is playing an effective role in helping to establish strategic development planning linked to prudent financial management, however, this is not properly reflected in the school development plan.

p.22

Commentary

Financial information for the year April 2004 to March 2005

p.22

Commentary

Income and expenditure (£) Balances (£) Total income 2 620 405 Balance from previous year -555 054 (deficit) Total expenditure 1 978 889 Balance carried forward to the next 86 462 Expenditure per pupil 13 193 Turney Primary & Secondary Special School - 23

p.22

WORK RELATED LEARNING

The school’s provision for work-related learning is good

p.23

Main strengths and weaknesses

• Careers education is good; • There has been recent effective development of the curriculum; • There are very good links with local colleges; • Teaching, learning and management of the provision in Years 10 and 11 is good.

p.23

Commentary

36. The pupils’ experiences of learning about the world of work have been recently improved by activities designed to increase their independence, and by the extension of opportunities for work experience. A ‘life skills’ programme has been developed and teachers have appropriate plans to incorporate these into the PSHCE programme. In this programme pupils learn a range of skills needed for independent life, such as handling money, filling out forms and basic road safety. Course planning and assessment of pupils’ developing skills are good and pupils achieve well. Work experience has also been recently extended. Teachers have established useful links with outside agencies such as the local Education and Business Partnership and pupils in Year 11 have had the opportunity to work in various real-life situations which have developed their skills effectively and which they very much enjoyed.

p.23

Commentary

37. Careers education for pupils in Years 9 to 11 has been effectively planned through good relationships with the Connexions service and is appropriately delivered through specific careers lessons. Pupils in Year 11, for instance, made very good progress in using the telephone to practise making appointments for job interviews. By the end of the lesson they had a clear understanding of the need to give and request relevant information. The pupils in Year 11 have also taken part in two well organised ‘mini-enterprise’ initiatives where they organised both a car-washing activity and one of making and selling greetings cards. Pupils in Years 10 and 11 follow an accredited vocational course which is appropriate for most pupils but lacks the flexibility to provide for the needs of pupils with more complex needs.

p.23

Commentary

38. Teachers have developed very good links with Lambeth College of Further Education. Pupils have the opportunity to work on GCSE and Certificate of Achievement courses in art and design and this has a very positive effect on their achievement. The pupils’ work was justifiably celebrated in a recent exhibition at the college. Pupils have the benefit of individual counselling about their work and behaviour which contributes very effectively to their personal development. They take part in role play and discussion which helps them adapt to the adult world of the college, for instance in making use of the canteen. The staff devote much time to helping pupils make the transition from school to college and most pupils successfully embark on appropriate courses when they leave school.

p.23

Commentary

39. Teaching and learning are good. Pupils enjoy their work and the increased opportunities for independence. Teachers have good subject knowledge and plan lessons which maintain a brisk pace with an interesting range of activities. There are very good relationships between staff and pupils. While at the college, for instance, teachers are Turney Primary & Secondary Special School - 24 careful to treat the pupils as young adults, befitting their college status. The pupils respond very well with a high standard of mature behaviour.

p.23

Commentary

40. Leadership and management are good and it is developing well with increasing benefit to pupils, although aspects of the curriculum have not been sufficiently co-ordinated with other subjects. Turney Primary & Secondary Special School - 25

p.24

AREAS OF LEARNING IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

41. Provision in the Reception class is satisfactory. Children’s skills on entry tend to be well below those expected for their age. The majority have autistic spectrum disorder (ASD) with accompanying communication, behavioural and learning difficulties, and the classroom and organisation are designed to meet these particular needs. At the time of the inspection, the substantive teacher had been absent for many weeks, and his place was taken by a competent but inexperienced temporary teacher. Systems and practices, for example in communication for pupils with ASD, had very recently been refreshed and were having a positive effect on the children’s communication skills and personal development. Achievement in lessons, overall, is satisfactory.

p.25

AREAS OF LEARNING IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

42. Teaching was satisfactory in all class-based lessons observed and was good in the lesson taken by the specialist music teacher. The teaching assistants support the temporary teacher effectively. Expectations of children’s behaviour and personal skills are good, and warm relationships between children and adults enable the children to work, learn and conform in an environment in which they feel secure. However, sometimes, activities are not always suitable, for example expecting children to listen to a story at the end of the day when they are too tired to concentrate hard, and staff do not always explain clearly what the children will be doing next which can confuse them. Some activities last too long, and children’s concentration begins to wane which tends to lead to eruptions of challenging behaviour. The curriculum is satisfactory. All areas of learning are addressed, but the format in which it is planned has changed very recently and so practice is not yet

p.25

AREAS OF LEARNING IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

sufficiently well embedded. Lesson plans do not indicate what individuals are to achieve, although in practice the staff know this and adapt work accordingly. The assessment system to track children’s development is good, although it is too new to have yielded any useful information which makes it difficult to judge achievement over time - although children clearly make progress.

p.25

AREAS OF LEARNING IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

43. Particularly good features of the new system is the format for tracking progress term by term, produced by the LEA, and the dated annotations and photographs included as evidence of attainment.

p.25

AREAS OF LEARNING IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

44. The accommodation is satisfactory; the classroom is situated off a central foyer shared with Years 1 and 2 which is advantageous, given the similar needs of the three year groups. Facilities are enhanced by the newly established soft play room, also used at times to calm children, and the use of the outside area, which is shortly due for a much-needed refurbishment.

p.25

AREAS OF LEARNING IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

45. The leadership and management of Reception are unsatisfactory. There has been no Early Years/Key Stage 1 manager for some time due to recruitment difficulties. The head teacher has tried to fulfil this role but other demands on her time have not made this as effective as it should have been. The department lacks a permanent managerial steer to support new staff, ensure it runs smoothly and move it forwards in line with the senior managers’ vision. The quality of the work in Reception, although satisfactory, is too dependent upon the skills and commitment of individual members of staff, rather than on sound, embedded practice. Turney Primary & Secondary Special School - 26

p.25

PERSONAL, SOCIAL AND EMOTIONAL DEVELOPMENT

Provision in personal, social and emotional development is good.

p.26

Main strengths and weaknesses

• The promotion of children’s personal, social and emotional development is well-threaded through everyday work; • Children learn to conform and start to manage their own behaviour; • Children make good progress towards the early learning goals in this area.

p.26

Commentary

46. Staff make their expectations of children’s behaviour explicit at all times. They are keen to help the children conform and concentrate, and are sensitive to times when these might be disrupted, for example changing the focus of an activity or moving children to a different location in the room. Good behaviour and good work are reinforced by a reward system - although not all children understand the tokenism behind it – but nevertheless, children come to understand what appropriate behaviour constitutes. This helps them to concentrate and learn. There are good relationships between children and staff which helps the children develop friendships of their own. The particular difficulties of most of the children means that they find self-directed play and interaction, and the understanding of others’ feelings difficult, but opportunities to support these aspects of their development are regularly presented by staff. The newly introduced PECs system is important to this aspect

p.26

Commentary

of their development, since it gives the children a means of communicating and structures their world for them. During their time in Reception, children become increasingly able to deal with their personal needs, for example choosing what they want to eat or play with, and putting on their own coats. .

p.26

COMMUNICATION, LANGUAGE AND LITERACY

Provision in communication, language and literacy is satisfactory.

p.26

Main strengths and weaknesses

• The use of PECs is very helpful to the children’s communication and understanding; • There are close and positive links between this area and the children’s personal, social and emotional development.

p.26

Commentary

47. The good support for children’s personal, social and emotional development is giving them the context for interacting with others, taking turns and starting to communicate with one another. Children are learning to listen, for example by listening to stories and responding to staff requests. They are beginning to see the value in communicating, as shown by their enjoyment in song-based music lessons and their early use of signs and the PECs symbols. Although only relatively recently introduced, this system helps the children to understand what is expected of them and how to control aspects of their lives for themselves. They understand the sequence of activities they will do during the day, and are able to ask for items such as a drink. However, the staff do not always sufficiently verbally reinforce the use of the pictures. Higher attaining children are also well provided for. One child has good language skills, responds to questions and can name shapes and

p.26

Commentary

Turney Primary & Secondary Special School - 27 colours. He enjoys looking at a book with an adult and talking about the pictures and staff take care to ensure he is always challenged at the right level so that he makes consistent progress. Children are encouraged to enjoy books, generally through group sessions with a “big book.” Some recognise their own name and most appreciate that print carries meaning. The use of pictures and symbols also supports early reading skills. Early writing is supported through suitable activities such as mark making, art and various means of improving hand-eye co-ordination.

p.27

WORLD, PHYSICAL DEVELOPMENT and CREATIVE DEVELOPMENT

48. Insufficient work was observed to be able to make judgements about the overall quality of teaching and learning in these areas of learning. However, they were satisfactory in what was observed, and good in the music lesson with the specialist teacher. In particular:

p.27

WORLD, PHYSICAL DEVELOPMENT and CREATIVE DEVELOPMENT

• Staff provide a suitable range of tasks to support mathematical development; children take part in a variety of activities to improve their counting, well matched to their needs. The teaching assistants are well briefed and have a good understanding of each child’s personal targets. Their language is clear and questions and explanations support the children’s learning effectively.

p.27

WORLD, PHYSICAL DEVELOPMENT and CREATIVE DEVELOPMENT

• Children use a number of construction materials to improve the design and make aspect of their knowledge and understanding of the world. At times, however, staff miss opportunities to work with them to extend their ideas. Children learn to recognise photographs of themselves and their peers, and find their own way around the classroom, department, school and outside area which contribute to an early understanding of history and geography. Although the computer was not used during observations, evidence shows that the children use ICT in various simple ways, such as to “paint” pictures.

p.27

WORLD, PHYSICAL DEVELOPMENT and CREATIVE DEVELOPMENT

• Children’s physical development is well supported by the use of large wheeled toys, the soft play room and climbing apparatus. They use these freely, with enjoyment, and this aspect of their physical development is good. Children also handle a number of small items with increasing competence, and activities focused on improving their early writing skills, such as the use of play dough, pencils and sand contributes well to their hand-skills.

p.27

WORLD, PHYSICAL DEVELOPMENT and CREATIVE DEVELOPMENT

• Children’s creative development is very well supported by music lessons. The teacher has an excellent rapport with the children and adapts songs very well, encouraging the children to listen carefully and shout out words at the appropriate time. Together with the use of symbols and pictures to help the children make choices, and a strong emphasis on beat and rhythm, these sessions also contribute very well to children’s communication, language, literacy and mathematical development. Turney Primary & Secondary Special School - 28 Turney Primary & Secondary Special School - 29

p.27

English

The provision for English is satisfactory

p.29

Main strengths and weaknesses

• Good teaching for pupils in Key stages 2, 3 and 4 enables them to make good progress in lessons; • Assessment of pupils’ skills is not secure enough to enable achievement to be properly tracked; • Guided reading for pupils in Years 8 -11 is making a positive contribution to their reading skills; • Leadership and management are unsatisfactory; • Provision of literacy across the curriculum is not well enough planned.

p.29

Commentary

49. Teaching has improved since the time of the last inspection; no unsatisfactory lessons were seen on this inspection and in some lessons teaching was very good. Overall, achievement is satisfactory as it is limited by under-developed leadership and management. In the best lessons, teachers ensure that all pupils have the opportunity to take a full part, for example by carefully targeting questions at individuals. They engage pupils in a variety of activities which help them to develop understanding and to sustain concentration. Pupils are challenged by questions; for instance, in one very good lesson, pupils in Years 5 and 6 were asked to give their expectations about the characters in a book before it was read to them. In less successful lessons, pupils are not always supported to concentrate, and some activities are not suitable for all the pupils. Learning is limited in these situations.

p.29

Commentary

50. In the more effective lessons in the primary department, pupils with complex needs are helped to develop communication skills by the use of signs, symbols and switches. Younger pupils, for example, begin to communicate by making choices or following their symbol timetable. There has been an increasing emphasis on the use of these since the last inspection but their use is inconsistent. Pupils are well supported by the work of the speech and language therapists and communication support workers who work in a variety of ways to help meet their needs. Older pupils benefit from more traditional approaches to literacy, and whilst not specifically planned for, their communication skills are promoted through effective teaching in most subjects.

p.29

Commentary

51. Writing skills, too, are being well developed from an early age with some younger pupils making marks on paper or in different materials such as sand and dough. More able pupils begin to copy patterns and then copy under writing which they have dictated to an adult. They answer questions by adding the correct word to a sentence or by writing a few words – again, often with the use of symbols as well as text. As they grow older, pupils learn that there can be different reasons for writing, for example, in a story or poem, to create a shopping list or to write up findings of an investigation. Turney Primary & Secondary Special School - 30 52. Pupils gradually develop an understanding of reading as they mature; this is well supported by the use of symbols. A recent development has been the introduction of a guided reading for secondary age pupils. In these lessons pupils read and discuss stories,

p.29

Commentary

plays and poetry. This is helping to improve reading and to raise pupils’ levels of interest. They learn about a range of different literature. For example, pupils in Year 9 were developing a good basic knowledge of Macbeth.

p.30

Commentary

53. Whist progress is evident in lessons, the regular recording of pupils’ developing skills is limited. In addition, the process of judging their levels of attainment against national benchmarks, identified in the National Curriculum or the nationally recognised curriculum for pupils with special educational needs (levelling), is also at an early stage. Overall, therefore, it is difficult for the school to judge accurately whether pupils are achieving sufficiently well. While some use is being made of levelling, teachers’ understanding of this process is not fully developed, so that it is not always accurate. Good practice is being developed in Key Stage 2, with staff discussing and moderating each other’s judgements, but this practice has not been extended to the rest of the school.

p.30

Commentary

54. The leadership and management of the subject are unsatisfactory because there is no one person who has overall responsibility or an overview of developments. The Key Stage 2 co-ordinator provides good leadership in that key stage, and the secondary English teacher has developed guided reading, as well as other curriculum initiatives. Good use is being made of the primary national strategy in planning the curriculum for pupils up to age 14, but overall the work does not tie together well enough. More able pupils work towards national tests at the end of Year 9, whilst in Years 10 and 11 pupils mainly follow accredited courses – either entry level or foundation level GCSE.

p.30

Commentary

55. Although resources are satisfactory overall, in some areas materials are insufficiently age appropriate to enable pupils with low reading ages to read books at their own interest levels. As at the time of the last inspection, there is no properly designated library space. The English teacher in the secondary department has provided boxes of books for pupils to borrow, and there is a small library space off the teaching room. In the primary section, there are books in classrooms and the lobby, and pupils in Key Stage 2 benefit from a monthly visit by the mobile library van. However, overall, pupils do not have enough opportunity to develop library skills.

p.30

Language and Literacy across the curriculum

56. The use of language and literacy in other subjects is satisfactory. The use of signing and symbols helps pupils to participate in the different subjects of the curriculum. Opportunities are taken to extend pupils’ vocabulary as words are introduced and explained. Key words in some subjects are displayed and discussed during lessons, for example in information and communication technology and science. Pupils are helped to read and to record in different subjects. However, there is no formal planning for the use of literacy across the curriculum, so that some opportunities to develop this are missed.

p.30

FRENCH

57. The school’s work in French was only sampled during the inspection. It is not, therefore, possible to form judgements about provision, teaching and learning.

p.30

FRENCH

58. All pupils are taught French in Years 8 to 11, but it is not available to pupils in Year 7, so the curriculum does not meet statutory requirements. Turney Primary & Secondary Special School - 31 59. In the one lesson seen, teaching and learning were very good with pupils enjoying the work and participating in all the activities. The teacher has good subject knowledge and uses a wide variety of strategies to make sure all pupils are involved. The lesson included opportunities for speaking, listening, reading and writing, so that pupils were enabled to make very good progress in all aspects of the subject. The curriculum is appropriately planned, and a useful assessment format has been developed which enables pupils’ progress to be tracked.

p.30

MATHEMATICS

Provision for mathematics is satisfactory.

p.31

Main strengths and weaknesses

• The curriculum is well planned and has a positive effect on pupils’ achievement; • Teaching is consistently good in Years 8 to 11; • Assessment of pupils’ developing skills is not consistent or effective enough.

p.31

Commentary

60. Pupils’ achievement in Years 1 to 7 is satisfactory. The pupils follow a suitably broad and balanced curriculum which is securely based on the national primary strategy. It enables them to build up their skills, knowledge and understanding systematically. For example, pupils in Year 1 practise counting to 5 and this is consolidated in Year 2 where some pupils are able to confidently count spots on two dice and write the matching number. By Year 6 the higher attaining pupils can count to 20 in twos and fives and are starting to recognise coins and add them together to ‘buy’ articles from the class shop. Assessment of the pupils’ progress, however, is limited to work in number and is not rigorous enough to enable teachers to plan in detail for the needs of each individual. Teachers do not have a clear record of pupils’ progress in each strand of the curriculum. The pupils’ targets for improvement, therefore, lack focus and do not support maximum achievement.

p.31

Commentary

61. Pupils in Years 8 to 11 achieve well because of good teaching within a well constructed curriculum which has been effectively adapted to the needs of pupils of varying ability. The specialist teacher has a good knowledge of the subject and places a clear focus on the pupils’ depth of understanding. For example, pupils in Year 9 spent much of their lesson discussing with the teacher how to read basic information from a bar graph. They made good progress in identifying the scale of pocket money given to the class members.

p.31

Commentary

62. Pupils in Years 10 and 11 follow courses leading to national qualifications and the pupils respond well to the challenge. Pupils following GCSE courses make good progress, for example, in their understanding of mean, median and mode in their work on statistics. Other pupils follow an appropriate accredited course in which they are learning, for instance, to efficiently classify mathematical data. The teacher has high expectations of the pupils’ achievements. Pupils are very well motivated by their increasing independence and by their involvement in evaluating their own work. The assessment of pupils’ progress in Years 8 to 11 is developing well. Records are clear and have recently been updated. As a result the targets currently set for pupils are precise; progress against them is measurable so staff and pupils know how clearly how well they have done, and they are properly reflected in each pupil’s individual education plan. The system is very new, however, and

p.31

Commentary

has not yet yielded information on pupils’ progress over time. Turney Primary & Secondary Special School - 32 63. The overall quality of teaching and learning is satisfactory in Years 1 to 7 and is good in Years 8 to 11. Lessons are generally well planned and organised and the best lessons are characterised by a brisk pace and effective questioning to check the pupils’ understanding. Teachers have a good knowledge of the subject, particularly in Years 8 to 11 where the teacher is a specialist. Where lessons are less effective, for instance for pupils in Years 1 to 3, teachers do not plan sufficiently for those with additional learning needs. This restricts the pace and focus of the lessons and results in pupils losing concentration. By contrast, however, a lesson in Year 2 was significantly enhanced by the teamwork between adults, where all staff had a clear understanding of each pupil’s ability.

p.31

Commentary

64. The leadership and management of the subject are satisfactory. The two co- ordinators are beginning to work together efficiently but there is as yet no common planning or assessment strategy. There has been insufficient development in ensuring proper continuity across the transition from the primary to secondary phases. The co-ordinators have specific and appropriate plans for the development of a common planning and assessment format and they are aware of the need to improve their monitoring to ensure continued improvement of standards. Overall, developments are positive and there has been satisfactory improvement since the previous inspection.

p.32

Mathematics across the curriculum

65. Opportunities for pupils to increase their mathematical skills in other subjects are satisfactory. For example, pupils create various graphs and charts in information and communications technology and use mathematics effectively in music where they count intervals and identify the relative length of crotchets, quavers and minims. Older pupils gain direct experience of shopping and handling money in their life skills lessons. However, such opportunities are rarely specifically planned and consequently, opportunities for pupils to consolidate or extend learning are often missed.

p.32

Main strengths and weaknesses

• The specialist teacher working with pupils in Years 8 to 11 has very good subject knowledge; • Teaching for pupils in Years 8 to 11 is very well supported by the subject-based learning support assistant; • Some teachers do not have sufficient understanding of how to teach science to pupils with complex needs; • There is no co-ordinated leadership or management of the subject.

p.32

Commentary

66. Science has improved since the last inspection when pupils made unsatisfactory progress. However, some weaknesses remain. Taken overall, teaching in the lessons observed was satisfactory although there was some unsatisfactory teaching in all key stages, and some good teaching in Key Stages 2, 3 and 4. The subject specialist working with older pupils has very high expectations of them, manages their behaviour very well and knows the subject inside out. The specialist teacher’s expertise is having a very positive effect on the higher attaining pupils who achieve well in her lessons. Pupils in Years 10 and Turney Primary & Secondary Special School - 33 11 are working briskly towards suitable accreditation due to the teacher’s subject skills and high quality support from the dedicated teaching assistant who, in particular, works to support pupils’ practical work, independent recording and behaviour. However, the

p.32

Commentary

specialist teacher has only very recently joined the school staff from abroad, so pupils have not had the benefit of her expertise for long. In common with some other new teachers at the school she is not experienced in the education of pupils with special educational needs, nor in the English education system with given expectations of, for example, the structure of lessons. In addition, she has not been inducted into the school’s practices and procedures, such as planning and record keeping. This is adversely affecting teaching and learning, particularly for the lower attaining pupils.

p.33

Commentary

67. Inexperience in teaching science effectively to lower attaining pupils is also evident in the primary department, and not exclusively with teachers new to the school. Two features are common to these less effective lessons; firstly, activities are provided which waste pupils’ time, for example colouring, cutting and sticking paper in various forms, or waiting for turns during a given activity. The second characteristic is an insufficiently scientific focus, so the activities do not develop pupils’ skills, knowledge or understanding. One example of this was in a lesson on electricity when a range of items connected with electricity was presented to pupils, and they then had to explore them. This activity was exhausted very quickly because there was no structure to the lesson, and pupils were not guided as to what to do with the items. Some aspects were unsafe; the teacher encouraged one pupil to

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Commentary

switch the wall light on and off rapidly, and a small light bulb shattered when a pupil mishandled it. Support assistants made some notes on each pupil’s interactions, but there was no set format to this, and they were not clear how the notes were going to be used to improve learning.

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Commentary

68. Leadership and management of the subject are unsatisfactory because there is no co-ordination between the primary and secondary departments. A common curriculum framework has just been introduced which should provide continuity throughout the school, but this is not yet in use in the secondary department. Assessment of pupils’ developing skills is practised differently in different age groups, so their progress and achievement cannot be easily tracked. The specialist secondary teacher works efficiently in maintaining the resources needed, but has no responsibility for the primary department. Resources at secondary level need augmenting for lower attaining pupils. Resources for primary pupils are satisfactory, and maintained by the key stage managers.

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

Provision in Information and communication technology (ICT) is satisfactory.

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Main strengths and weaknesses

• Pupils learn well in Years 8 to 11; • Assessment is not used enough to improve pupils’ achievement; • Through-school leadership and management are unsatisfactory.

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Commentary

69. In the last inspection no overall judgement was made about provision, but standards at Key Stage 2 were judged to be unsatisfactory. Key issues for improvement were to raise standards by meeting the statutory requirements of the curriculum; increase the opportunities to use ICT across the curriculum and to develop staff confidence and Turney Primary & Secondary Special School - 34 expertise. These issues have been addressed and progress since the last inspection has been good although a few weaknesses remain.

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Commentary

70. Insufficient evidence of work and pupils’ learning in Key Stage 1 means that a judgement about their achievement cannot be made. Achievement is satisfactory in Key Stage 2 and good in Key Stages 3 and 4.

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Commentary

71. Pupils work hard and are keen to learn. By Year 6, they load programs and generate simple tables by in-putting information. With support, they word process, import images and digital photos and use the Internet. Pupils also program simple machines to move in given directions and use programs to plan simple journeys. By Year 9, pupils collect data, name and save new data bases, produce graphs of their results and work with images. In one lesson, pupils discussed the purpose of images within text. They decided to use a real image of a cow in a piece about Foot and Mouth disease, as one said “Because it is a serious disease”. By Year 11, pupils have good word processing skills and use a number of commercial software programs to produce interesting and eye catching work. They exchange information in a variety of ways including email and set up data bases so information can be held in a more organised way. By Year 11, all pupils work towards

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Commentary

either Certificate of Educational Achievement or GCSE accreditation, which recognises their hard work and good achievement.

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Commentary

72. The quality of teaching and learning is satisfactory overall, although good at for Years 7 to 11. There was insufficient evidence to make a judgement for Key Stage 1, but the specialist teacher for secondary pupils teaches particularly well which has a positive impact on their learning. However, throughout the school the impact of good teaching is restricted by the lack of a systematic system for assessing pupils’ developing skills to identify how to support or give extra challenge as needed. In addition, the curriculum does not provide enough opportunities for pupils to develop their skills in the use of multimedia and graphics packages in the primary department. Overall, though, teachers have satisfactory knowledge of their subject and use interesting ideas and resources to motivate the pupils. Pupils find the interactive whiteboards and use of the Internet as teaching tools particularly motivating, although their use is currently limited. Good management of

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Commentary

behaviour means lessons are well ordered times when pupils want to learn.

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Commentary

73. There is insufficient continuity between the primary and secondary departments, and the very skilled secondary co-ordinator has no role in the primary department. Overall, there is insufficient monitoring of the provision and pupils’ achievement to show clearly where improvements are needed, although this is effective in Key Stages 3 and 4. Resources are satisfactory. New interactive whiteboards have been very recently introduced, but are not yet fully utilised. However, the computer network is old, slow and unreliable which sometimes has a negative impact on both teaching and learning. For example, during one lesson a pupil tried to download a picture she had just taken with a digital camera but the process took so long she lost interest and time was wasted.

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Information and communication technology across the curriculum

74. Use of ICT across the curriculum to support learning is satisfactory. For example, it is used to practice word recognition and to word process work in English. ICT control technology is used in geography to illustrate map work, and pupils use digital cameras in design and technology to record their work, since it is often too large to store easily. In art and design, pupils use it to import, decorate and manipulate images and in religious education, ICT was used very successfully to make Mendhi hand designs. However, Turney Primary & Secondary Special School - 35 teachers do not always specifically plan to use ICT in their lessons so opportunities for pupils to practice or learn new skills, or consolidate more focused ICT learning are lost.

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Geography and History

75. These subjects were not inspected in depth, therefore judgements are not made on provision or pupils’ achievement. In the few lessons observed teaching was satisfactory and in one case good. Planning documents show that both history and geography are taught across the age groups. In a lesson with pupils in Year 4, the group talked about journeys. In another lesson where pupils in Year 10 were studying the rainforest, most were able to identify differences between what they had seen during a visit to the school’s allotment and an environment they had seen in a video. When pupils reach Year 11 they are able to take an Entry Level Certificate in geography which indicates that they have learned systematically over the years.

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Geography and History

76. Baseline assessment has been undertaken as part of the school’s new assessment processes, but as yet the impact of this has not been evaluated and it has not yet given any useful information. There is a specialist subject teacher who works with pupils in Years 8 to 11 but no formal links have been developed to facilitate co-ordination across the school. No monitoring of the subject is in place although informal links have been developed between teachers in different parts of the school and between the two teachers who teach the subject area to pupils in Years 8 to 11.

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Religious education

Provision in religious education is unsatisfactory .

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Main strengths and weaknesses

ƒ Teaching in Years 8 - 11 enables pupils to make good progress in lessons; ƒ There is no established tracking of pupils’ progress; curriculum and timetabling difficulties have led to unsatisfactory achievement at Key Stages 1 and 4. ƒ There is no accreditation for pupils aged 14 - 16.

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Commentary

77. During the inspection, lessons seen were for some pupils in Key Stages 3 and 4. Teaching was good overall, an improvement from the last inspection when the teaching was judged to be satisfactory. Where teaching engages pupils’ attention, it is because the teacher provides a variety of activities and opportunities for pupils to discuss aspects of religions. Good links are made to previous lessons, so that pupils are clear about how new learning fits in. Teachers ensure that new, subject specific vocabulary is understood. Tasks match the abilities of pupils, so that the more able write independently, while others match words, pictures or symbols to record their work and show their understanding.

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Commentary

78. Younger pupils have had the opportunity of looking at worship in different religions. They have heard some of the key stories about Christianity and been introduced to Islam and Sikhism. Pupils in Key Stage 3 know something of the basic principles of Christianity, Islam and Judaism and, by Year 9, more able pupils are able to give their own views on religious and moral issues, commenting on their own personal beliefs. In the lessons seen, pupils made good progress overall, but it is not possible to accurately judge their Turney Primary & Secondary Special School - 36 achievement over time, as progress is not yet systematically recorded. Some use is now being made of “levelling” where pupils’ skills are matched to written descriptions, and this should allow for better opportunities to check that pupils are developing their knowledge and understanding appropriately.

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Commentary

79. Pupils in Years 10 and 11 have been taught religious education only since the beginning of this term. As a result they have not had the opportunity to build on previous learning and this lack of provision means that their achievement is unsatisfactory. It is also unsatisfactory at Key Stage 1 because pupils have religious education as part of a “carousel” with history and geography. Pupils have lessons in each subject for only one term in a year; again this makes it difficult to develop their knowledge and understanding systematically. Furthermore, planning shows that religious education in Key Stage 1 is closely linked to personal, social and health education. While this is an appropriate link, planning indicates that there is often very little religious education content in the curriculum. Overall, therefore, pupils do not learn enough.

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Commentary

80. Leadership and management are unsatisfactory because there is no overall co- ordination. The teacher in the secondary department has made good progress with developing the curriculum based on national schemes. However, there are no accredited courses offered to pupils aged 14 - 16 which limits their opportunities to learn more in the subject. There has been some development of resources, but they are limited and many are out of date, so that they do not always help pupils’ understanding.

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Design and Technology

81. Only two lessons were observed, and pupils’ developing skills are not systematically assessed, so it is not possible to make an overall judgment about provision or pupils’ achievement.

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Design and Technology

82. Pupils performed well in the two Year 11 lessons observed in food technology, and the standard of their work was good. They designed their own cultural dishes, prepared shopping lists for the ingredients and showed considerable skill in preparing the food. They also showed they were aware of simple hygiene procedures and knew how to use tools appropriately and safely.

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Design and Technology

83. In addition to food technology, pupils’ work throughout the school shows that they use a variety of soft materials such as textiles and clay, and hard materials like wood and plastic. The design element of the subject is also evident, where pupils plan what they are to make before carrying out the practical work. For example, Year 4 pupils designed and made simple puppets and pupils in Years 5 and 6 designed and made elaborate bridges; this project was well-recorded in a big book, allowing pupils to look back and review their achievements with pride. Projects in both food and materials for pupils in Years 7 to 11 demonstrate that pupils systematically develop and practice their skills in both designing and making, using an appropriate variety of tools and materials. The clocks and decorated trays and portfolios of work produced for the Certificate of Educational Achievement by Year 11 pupils demonstrate the good quality of their work.

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Art and design

Turney Primary & Secondary Special School - 37 84. This subject was not inspected in depth and judgements, therefore cannot be made about the quality of provision and its effect on pupils’ achievement. However, the good quality of work displayed throughout the school, and the GSCE examination results, clearly show that pupils’ skills progress steadily. Teachers’ planning indicates that the pupils are given good opportunities to develop their creative use of a wide range of materials and techniques systematically. Work as varied as the five year olds’ multi-coloured printing, mobiles by the 10 year olds and collages, paintings, drawings and computer generated art of older pupils is all interesting and eye-catching. The art work of the oldest pupils is of a good standard, taking into account their diverse special needs. Included are sculptures in wood, metal and plastics; ceramics, painting, drawing, image manipulation, cut outs and

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Art and design

printing. Pupils gain either Certificate of Educational Achievement or GCSE accreditation in art and design at the end of Year 11 which reflects the quality of their work.

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Art and design

85. Pupils’ work is well displayed around the school, and regular opportunities to exhibit in public venues demonstrates both the quality and status of their work. This supports pupils’ personal development and self-esteem very well. Some Year 9 pupils’ work in the style of Keith Haring is displayed at a local children’s hospital, and other pupils have their work exhibited at the Dulwich Picture Gallery. The subject is well enriched by visits to art galleries and a link course with the local college of further education. Provision in art and design was judged a strength in the last inspection, and there is no evidence to indicate that this quality has changed.

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Main strengths and weaknesses

• Pupils throughout the school enjoy music and achieve very well; • The success of the provision rests on a single individual rather than a clear system.

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Commentary

86. The provision for music is a strength of the school, and both provision and pupils’ achievement has improved since the last inspection. One teacher teaches music to all pupils, in classes, groups of classes and in the “senior choir.” The structure of each lesson is similar and includes short sessions on singing, playing instruments, learning elementary theory, and composing. The teacher is very relaxed, yet charismatic enough to hold pupils’ attention. Her teaching is never less than good and often very good. Her rapport with the pupils is excellent, supported by the gift of being able to play a wide range of instruments. Together, this very successfully maintains pupils’ interest and involvement; they learn and achieve very well. The curriculum is in line with the requirements of the National Curriculum, although it is informally planned. Assessment, too, is not formalised although the teacher is

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Commentary

very effective at knowing both class and individuals’ skills, and building upon them. The teacher makes a great contribution to the life of the school; with pupils, she devises and orchestrates the annual theatrical performance which is very popular with parents and staff alike. The danger with all this is that should the teacher leave the school for whatever reason, or should other staff become involved in the teaching of music, there are no clear systems that underpin teaching and learning that can be used by others.

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Commentary

87. In lessons, the balance of the different strands changes as pupils mature. For example, most of the youngest pupils’ work involves singing along to familiar songs, Turney Primary & Secondary Special School - 38 accompanied by the teacher on the guitar. During these lessons pupils make choices about which songs to perform with the help of symbols and illustrations; they learn to listen, and contribute with voice, actions and some basic percussion instruments. The pupils are enthusiastic about the lessons; several shouted out “me, me” when the teacher asked who would like to play some bells, and all joined in happily when asked to listen out for, and then shout “bananas” at the appropriate time. Several danced spontaneously to the music. Although the teacher is not insistent that pupils sit still and conform, the majority willingly did so, even though they show more challenging behaviour in other situations.

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Commentary

88. Older pupils in Key Stage 2 show good skills. In an imaginative adaptation of “pass the parcel”, individuals beat out a rhythm of their own invention on a drum when it was their turn, and the rest of the class then remembered and copied it. The teacher reinforced the need to “replay” the rhythm in pupils’ heads so they could clap accurately. Pupils also demonstrated their understanding of how different instruments give different sounds. In one very good lesson where the teacher invited pupils to create the musical accompaniment to the story “Peace at Last” pupils chose and played instruments to represent different aspects of the story, such as bells chiming, owls hooting, and going upstairs.

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Commentary

89. By the time pupils are in Key Stages 3 and 4, they perform a good repertoire of songs. The differing flavour of each one is reinforced well by the teacher, so, for example, they sing quietly for Amazing Grace, and sing choruses of songs such as Yellow Submarine with gusto. Pupils understand and perform rounds, and some have the confidence to sing solos. One young man who provides a considerable challenge to many staff performed an accomplished solo of “I believe I can fly” and behaved impeccably. Some older pupils also have the opportunity to play brass instruments. Supported by the teacher’s accompanying trumpet, a group of pupils in Year 8 demonstrated their skill on the euphonium and played the background music to the teacher’s trumpet. Throughout the session, the teacher reinforced musical vocabulary such as improvisation, ostinato, pitch and rhythm, and pupils showed their understanding of the difference between pitched and rhythm instruments. As

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Commentary

they grow older, pupils become increasingly skilled at writing their own compositions. In one session, individual pupils in Year 10 wrote simple compositions including treble clefs, quavers, crotchets, bar lines and end of phrase markings. Their compositions were then played back by the teacher on an instrument of their choice. The result was very impressive.

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

The provision for physical education (PE) is very good.

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Main strengths and weaknesses

• Teaching is good in Years 1 to 7 and very good in Years 8 to 11; pupils achieve very well; • There has been very good development of the curriculum; • Assessment is effective in raising standards; • The subject is well led and managed.

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Commentary

90. Provision in PE has improved well since the last inspection. Pupils’ achievement in PE is consistently good in Years 1 to 7 and very good in Years 8 to 11 which is a very Turney Primary & Secondary Special School - 39 significant improvement. Primary aged pupils follow well constructed programmes based on national guidelines; their activities are appropriately recorded and their progress assessed. This enables teachers to provide well-focused activities suitable to individuals, which leads to the good achievement of pupils of all abilities. The co-ordinator of the primary department has established a well equipped soft-play room. This has supported pupils’ achievement by giving them opportunities to develop skills in small groups and with individual support. The co-ordinator has also organised hydrotherapy provision at a neighbouring school for younger pupils with additional needs. The pupils’ work is effectively linked to their activities

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Commentary

in communication and personal and social development. For example, Year 1 pupils watched and encouraged each other round a small obstacle course. The teacher had organised the activity successfully to give many opportunities for staff to reinforce the use of signs and symbols with the pupils.

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Commentary

91. Secondary pupils are taught by a subject specialist who has established a curriculum which is broad and balanced and which has been appropriately adapted to their needs. The co-ordinator has developed a system of assessment of pupils’ progress, linked to national standards, which records the skill levels of each pupil. This well established procedure enables the teacher to plan for the needs of each individual in great detail and is effective in helping them raise the standard of their work. Older pupils are encouraged to evaluate their own performance as part of their work for accredited courses in physical education.

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Commentary

92. The pupils in Years 10 and 11 use local leisure facilities to extend the curriculum and encourage their independence. The provision for swimming is good. All pupils in Years 1 to 9 swim each week, in structured programmes taught by school staff in partnership with trainers at the swimming pool. There is a good range of extra sporting activities. Primary aged pupils compete in Boccia team events - an activity which teaches skills of strength and anticipation. Older pupils take part in indoor athletics events with mainstream schools and the school takes full advantage of the training opportunities provided by professional football clubs. The school is involved in the Lambeth schools sports partnership. Pupils in Years 8 to 11 take part in outdoor and adventurous activities during an annual winter residential visit to the Peak District of Derbyshire.

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Commentary

93. The strength of teaching in Years 1 to 7 is the inclusive nature of activities because they are skilfully adapted to enable all pupils to take part. This is further enhanced by staff who encourage pupils to do their best and provide a good level of support and encouragement. Teaching is very good in Years 8 to 11 - and sometimes inspiring. For example, in an excellent lesson in Year 9 the pupils’ response was exceptional. They made tremendous progress throughout the lesson in running and jumping skills and had great pride in their achievements. The teacher, who was very well supported by competent teaching assistants, challenged the pupils to give their best by his well judged encouragement and extremely high expectations.

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Commentary

94. As at the time of the last inspection, the leadership and management of the subject are good. The curriculum has been well planned to ensure pupils’ skills are developed systematically through the full age range and both co-ordinators give good support to other staff. The co-ordinators have a good working relationship and maintain a clear overview of the subject’s development. Both co-ordinators are enthusiastic to develop it further, for instance through the use of soft play in the primary department and through use of the recently purchased trampoline in the secondary department. Resources for the subject are good and equipment is well maintained. The satisfactory accommodation is enhanced by the good use made of outside facilities.

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PERSONAL, SOCIAL AND HEALTH EDUCATION AND CITIZENSHIP

Turney Primary & Secondary Special School - 40 Provision in personal, social, health and citizenship education is unsatisfactory.

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Main strengths and weaknesses

• The PSHE programme is not sufficiently well planned and monitored to ensure it has a positive impact; • Citizenship, although identified in some activities, is not systematically provided for all pupils in Years 7 to 11; • The provision of careers guidance and preparation for work are good.

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Commentary

95. The school’s ethos, recently considerably improved, provides well for pupils’ personal development. In addition, some elements of both PSHE and citizenship are addressed appropriately during assemblies. However, these are incidental to planned, formal programmes of study and no records are kept of what individuals are learning or how well they are progressing. Assessment has just been introduced, but this new system is not embedded, is not systematically used and has not yet yielded any useful information.

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Commentary

96. PSHE is seen as an important element of the school’s work and it is taught to all pupils. However, because there is no overall co-ordination of the subject, no links between planning for different age groups and no effective assessment procedures, its impact is reduced. Individual staff efforts have only recently been linked together by the new programme of work. This is not yet properly effective and implementation varies across the school. No monitoring has taken place to determine how effective the provision is or how well pupils are learning. There is no formal programme of study for citizenship, which therefore does not meet statutory requirements. A detailed plan based on a commercial scheme of work is due to be implemented in the autumn term. Although developments are positive, improvement has been unsatisfactory since the last inspection.

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Commentary

97. Planning for pupils in Years 8 to 11 is well structured and what pupils are to learn, and when, is clearly planned and taught in discrete lessons. The programme is based on an external scheme of work, and lessons are appropriately adapted to match pupils’ needs and interests. The programme for pupils in Years 10 and 11 includes sex and relationships education and a drugs awareness programme which are effectively delivered with the support of external professionals. The provision of work experience has recently been effectively extended. Teachers have established useful links with outside agencies such as the local Education and Business Partnership and Lambeth College, and pupils in Year 11 have had good opportunities to experience work placements. Careers education has been effectively planned. Partnership with the local Connexions service is good, and careers education is appropriately taught in specific lessons and through PSHE. Pupils attend

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Commentary

residential courses to develop their social and physical skills. A life skills programme has been recently introduced. It is undertaken with pupils in Years 8 to 11 by a teacher working with small groups, often withdrawn from other lessons. Whilst the programme has contributed effectively to individuals’ independence skills, the school has rightly recognised that these activities would be more effective if planned into a proper PSHE programme.

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Commentary

98. In Years 1 to 6, PSHE is not as effective as it should be. It is taught as part of other activities including regular Circle Time, where some older pupils come together and discuss both planned issues and those arising, such as bullying. This is not the case for younger Turney Primary & Secondary Special School - 41 pupils; the PSHE programme is not sufficiently well adapted to meet their significant special educational needs.

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Commentary

99. The teaching and learning observed in class were satisfactory. Most teachers had put considerable thought into creating the right context for their lessons to encourage the pupils to participate. For example, in a Year 6 Circle Time , the atmosphere was set by the use of quiet, calming music, and in a Year 8 lesson, the pupils’ interest was maintained by the exciting and interesting task of bursting balloons. Inside these were slips of paper annotated with pupils’ names. The second task for the balloon-burster was to choose a positive statement about the named pupil. Some showed how much they understood about their classmates by the statement they chose. Turney Primary & Secondary Special School - 42

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PART D: SUMMARY OF THE MAIN INSPECTION JUDGEMENTS

The overall effectiveness of the school 4 How inclusive the school is 4 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 4 Pupils’ achievement 4

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PART D: SUMMARY OF THE MAIN INSPECTION JUDGEMENTS

Pupils’ attitudes, values and other personal qualities 3 Attendance 5 Attitudes 3 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 4 The quality of teaching 4 How well pupils learn 4 The quality of assessment 5 How well the curriculum meets pupils needs 5 Enrichment of the curriculum, including out-of-school activities 3 Accommodation and resources 4 Pupils’ care, welfare, health and safety 4 Support, advice and guidance for pupils 4 How well the school seeks and acts on pupils’ views 4 The effectiveness of the school’s links with parents 4 The quality of the school’s links with the community 3 The school’s links with other schools and colleges 3

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

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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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PART D: SUMMARY OF THE MAIN INSPECTION JUDGEMENTS

In a special school such as this, standards achieved are judged against individual targets and not national standards.

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