The Brook Special Primary School

Inspection Report William C Harvey School

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102177 Unique Reference Number Haringey LEA LEA 276666 Inspection number 6 December 2005 to 7 December 2005 Inspection dates Melvyn Blackband AI Reporting inspector

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This inspection was carried out under section 5 of the Education Act 2005.

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Adams Road School address Special Type of school London Maintained School category N17 6HW 3 to 19 Age range of pupils 02088087120 Telephone number Mixed Gender of pupils 02088852719 Fax number 66 Number on roll Mrs M Dewar Chair of governors The governing body Appropriate authority Ms Margaret Sumner Headteacher 12 June 2000 Date of previous inspection

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Inspection number Inspection dates Age group 276666 6 December 2005 - 3 to 19 7 December 2005 Website: www.ofsted.gov.uk

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This document may be reproduced in whole or in part for non-commercial educational purposes, provided that the information quoted is reproduced without adaptation and the source and date of publication are stated.

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Further copies of this report are obtainable from the school. Under the Education Act 2005, the school must provide a copy of this report 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.

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Introduction

The inspection was carried out by one additional inspector.

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Description of the school

William C Harvey is a mixed community day school in Haringey, North London, specialising in meeting the needs of pupils with severe, profound and multiple learning disabilities, who have associated medical and other complex needs. There are currently 68 pupils on roll. Pupils aged 16 to 19 are taught in an off-site annexe. There are 16 pupils in this provision. Families come from a range of socio-economic circumstances but almost half of the pupils are entitled to free school meals. A large number of ethnic groups are represented at the school. A minority of pupils are the children of asylum seekers or refugees. Nine pupils are in public care.

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Key for inspection grades

Outstanding Grade 1 Good Grade 2 Satisfactory Grade 3 Inadequate Grade 4 1 Inspection Report: William C Harvey School, 6 December 2005 to 7 December 2005

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Grade: 2

William C Harvey has accurately evaluated itself as a good school. Pupils enjoy being there and make outstanding progress in their personal development. Parents are happy for their children to attend knowing they will be safe, extremely well cared for and are making good progress. As a result of their learning disabilities the pupils enter the school with low levels of attainment. Their achievement is good, as is the progress of pupils in the post-16 provision. Younger children in the Foundation Stage make good progress. The pupils are taught by committed and knowledgeable staff and there is a wide ranging and interesting curriculum. The growing provision for pupils with profound and multiple learning disabilities (PMLD) has put further pressure on already limited accommodation. The school provides a good range of activities to involve pupils in the wider community and to give them opportunities to become more independent.

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Grade: 2

The pupils are very well supported and cared for. This adds to the calm atmosphere found at the school. Staff do not always involve pupils enough in making decisions about the school. Careers guidance is good in the post-16 provision. The school is well led and managed. The headteacher provides very good leadership and the school is well managed by the competent senior team. The school is well aware of its strengths and weaknesses. There is a good capacity to improve and there has been improvement since the previous inspection. The school gives good value for money.

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What the school should do to improve further

* Develop strategies to enable pupils to contribute to school development * Improve the accommodation for teaching and for the personal care of pupils.

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Grade: 1

The school maintains accurate records on pupils' achievement and it is clear from these that the pupils are making good progress. For instance most pupils achieve a high proportion of their Individual Education Plan (IEP) targets. These targets are regularly monitored to ensure they are sufficiently challenging. Although standards are low because of the pupils' learning difficulties, the achievement of pupils in aspects of oral communication and for some higher ability pupils in reading has risen considerably since the previous inspection. Teachers set challenging targets across a range of activities such as communication and mathematics as well as in information and communication technology (ICT). As a result the pupils achieve well. Pupils achieve very well in their personal skills targets. This has a strong positive impact on the outstanding progress pupils make in their personal development. This is especially

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Grade: 1

true for PMLD pupils. Pupils in the Foundation Stage make good progress towards the expected goals for the end or reception and pupils in post-16 achieve well, in learning to be more independent, in vocational qualifications and from their college courses. Parents are pleased with the pupils' all round progress. One parent commented, 'Every term we look forward to new achievements'. 2 Inspection Report: William C Harvey School, 6 December 2005 to 7 December 2005

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Grade: 1

The personal development of pupils is outstanding. This reflects the school's strong emphasis on valuing the contribution of each learner and on helping each pupil to be as independent as possible. Attendance is closely and supportively monitored as a part of the school's exemplary links with parents. Parents commented that they feel most welcome into the 'extended family' of the school. The pupils are delightful in their good humour and obvious enjoyment at school. They behave very well and there is a calm atmosphere because the pupils know what is expected of them. Foundation Stage pupils quickly grow used to routines and pupils in post-16 off-site provision gain extra confidence through their opportunities to experience college life and in the quality of their gains in independent living skills.The pupils' moral and spiritual development is very good. For instance, pupils experience a range of lighting and sound effects to

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Grade: 1

extend their sense of wonder and they experience the stillness and beauty of places of worship which they visit. The school deals very sensitively with bereavement issues so pupils are able to deal with their loss of a friend. Pupils' social skills are developed as an integral part of the curriculum and they develop a growing experience of cultural differences. The importance of healthy and safe lifestyles is gradually brought home to pupils through the personal, health and social education programme. Pupils in post-16 gain a good understanding of how they can contribute to the community and be ready for their life after school through enterprise activities and work shadowing.

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Grade: 2

Teaching and learning are good and have improved since the previous inspection. Teachers have a very good knowledge of their pupils' abilities based on secure assessment. As a result the standard of teachers' planning is good. There is some inconsistency in the way teachers plan for each individual and how they record the pupils' achievements. There are good relationships between staff teams and there has been significant progress in the use of support staff to promote pupils' learning, particularly in teaching aspects of communication skills. This is because support staff are well trained in signing and the use of symbols and are fully involved in the planning process. There are clear objectives for individuals and groups and in post-16 good practice was observed as pupils discussed their progress and their targets with their tutors. Lessons proceed with a good pace and teachers are skilled at retaining the

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Grade: 2

pupils' interest and concentration. They use resources imaginatively in alternative communication, for instance in a reception lesson about 'Myself'. The pupil's verbal responses were played back, helping them effectively to understand how they sound to others. 3 Inspection Report: William C Harvey School, 6 December 2005 to 7 December 2005

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Grade: 2

Pupils enjoy well constructed and purposeful activities based securely on national curriculum requirements which are well adapted to the needs of the learners. There has been very good progress in responding to the needs of PMLD pupils in the introduction of a sensory curriculum. The school has developed an effective system of working teams which involves teachers and support staff and a variety of outside professionals. This enables staff to extend the PMLD pupils' experience of the curriculum and the pupils make good progress as a result. The Foundation Stage curriculum is soundly based around the Early Learning Goals. The curriculum is broad and well balanced and senior staff monitor developments to ensure they meet the needs of each pupil. There is a good range of extra activities which reflects the school's determination to ensure the pupils are as integrated as possible within the community. Pupils meet with those from other schools in joint drama and musical activities.

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Grade: 2

Provision for personal development is very effective. The pupils make good progress in their understanding of sex and relationships. The provision for work related learning is not yet established as part of the curriculum for pupils aged 14 to 16, but is very effective in post-16. Preparation for life after school is well managed, particularly for post-16 pupils. The accommodation is becoming increasingly unsuitable for the growing proportion of PMLD pupils. Changing facilities are cramped and teaching rooms are often not large enough to fully exploit the curriculum innovations which the school has introduced.

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Grade: 1

The care provided by the school is outstanding. Very secure child protection and health and safety monitoring procedures are in place and they are understood by all staff. The pupils' medical needs are very well documented and protocol scrupulously followed. Pupils feel safe and happy and this makes a very good contribution to their enjoyment of school and their achievements. The school closely monitors the achievement of boys and girls and the progress of pupils from different ethnic groups. There is no evidence of underachievement in any area. Pupils are given the opportunity to make choices, for instance over drinks and food. Pupils are involved where possible in understanding how they can improve their work but they do not have a planned opportunity to contribute to decisions about improvements they would like to see in the school. The school has started to develop ways to encourage the participation of

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Grade: 1

pupils through work on their personal development and communication. Pupils in post-16 are fully involved in their own targets and they are actively encouraged each morning in circle time to make their views known about the schools organisation. Careers education for post-16 pupils is good and there is a very good standard of support for the pupils in making the transition to college life. 4 Inspection Report: William C Harvey School, 6 December 2005 to 7 December 2005

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Grade: 2

The headteacher shows outstanding leadership and commitment to the school. She is determined to uphold the highest standards of education and care. She is supported by an extremely effective deputy headteacher and an enthusiastic and competent senior team. Management at all levels is good and this has helped to maintain the school's rate of improvement. Governors have a good grasp of the school's strengths and weaknesses and provide effective oversight and support. Financial management is good and as a result resources are well deployed. The senior team effectively monitors standards because good use is made of assessment information to track pupils' achievements and to plan improvement in the curriculum. The school is appropriately developing the role of subject leaders to take more focused responsibility for the curriculum and the standards of teaching. Relationships are good. Staff feel consulted

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Grade: 2

and valued and there are secure procedures for monitoring their performance. Professional development is a strength of the school. All staff have been supported in this and there has been, as a result, an improvement in provision for pupils and a rise in their achievement. Parents feel fully involved in their children's' education, for instance in their input into their child's targets. The school is particularly successful in reaching out to the wider community and involving staff and pupils in work with other schools. Development work has been sustained. The school has convincingly demonstrated its ability to make improvements and is well placed to continue this. 5 Inspection Report: William C Harvey School, 6 December 2005 to 7 December 2005 .

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set out in the guidance 'Complaints about school inspection', which is available from Ofsted’s

website: www.ofsted.gov.uk. 6 Inspection Report: William C Harvey School, 6 December 2005 to 7 December 2005

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Overall

Key to judgements: grade 1 is outstanding, grade 2 good, grade 3 satisfactory, and grade 4 inadequate

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learners?

NA 1 How well does the school work in partnership with others to promote learners' well-being? NA 2 The quality and standards in foundation stage NA 2 The effectiveness of the school's self-evaluation NA Yes The capacity to make any necessary improvements NA Yes Effective steps have been taken to promote improvement since the last inspection

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Achievement and standards

NA 1 How well do learners achieve? NA 4 The standards 1 reached by learners

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Achievement and standards

NA 2 How well learners make progress, taking account of any significant variations between groups of learners NA 2 How well learners with learning difficulties and disabilities make progress

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learners?

NA 1 The extent of learners' spiritual, moral, social and cultural development NA 1 The behaviour of learners NA 2 The attendance of learners NA 1 How well learners enjoy their education NA 1 The extent to which learners adopt safe practices NA 1 The extent to which learners adopt healthy lifestyles NA 1 The extent to which learners make a positive contribution to the community NA 2 How well learners develop workplace and other skills that will contribute to their future economic well-being

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needs and interests of learners?

NA 1 How well are learners cared for, guided and supported?

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needs and interests of learners?

Grade 1 - Exceptionally and consistently high; Grade 2 - Generally above average with none significantly below average; Grade 3 - Broadly average; Grade 4 - Exceptionally low.

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and supporting all learners?

NA 1 How effectively leaders and managers at all levels set clear direction leading to improvement and promote high quality of care and education NA 2 How effectively performance is monitored, evaluated and improved to meet challenging targets, through quality assurance and self-review NA 1 How well equality of opportunity is promoted and discrimination tackled so that all learners achieve as well as they can NA 2 How effectively and efficiently resources are deployed to achieve value for money NA 2 The extent to which governors and other supervisory boards discharge their responsibilities NA Yes The adequacy and suitability of staff to ensure that learners are protected

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The extent to which schools enable learners to be healthy

Yes Learners are encouraged and enabled to eat and drink healthily Yes Learners are encouraged and enabled to take regular exercise Yes Learners are discouraged from smoking and substance abuse Yes Learners are educated about sexual health

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The extent to which providers ensure that learners stay safe

Yes Procedures for safeguarding learners meet current government requirements Yes Risk assessment procedures and related staff training are in place Yes Action is taken to reduce anti-social behaviour, such as bullying and racism Yes Learners are taught about key risks and how to deal with them

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The extent to which learners make a positive contribution

Yes Learners are helped to develop stable, positive relationships Yes Learners, individually and collectively, participate in making decisions that affect them Yes Learners are encouraged to initiate, participate in and manage activities in school and the wider community

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The extent to which schools enable learners to achieve economic well-being

Yes There is provision to promote learners’ basic skills Yes Learners have opportunities to develop enterprise skills and work in teams Yes Careers education and guidance is provided to all learners in key stage 3 and 4 and the sixth form Yes Education for all learners aged 14–19 provides an understanding of employment and the economy

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

Not long ago I came to the school to see how you were getting on and whether there was anything I could suggest that would make the school better. You made me very welcome and I enjoyed meeting some of you. Thank you and well done!I was with you for two days. That was long enough for me to realise that you get a good education. You make good progress in learning to do things for yourselves. I particularly enjoyed visiting you in the classrooms and seeing the good work you were doing. There were lots of other things that I liked. Here are a few: * You obviously enjoy coming to school.* The many different people working at the unit look after you very well.* You are able to be as independent as possible. * You are learning to communicate with others in many different ways. This will help you as you grow up. Things I felt would make the school better is if teachers helped you to tell them how you feel

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

about the school. Some of the teaching spaces and changing rooms are too small.Best wishes and good luck!

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