Hatton Special SchoolOfsted inspection, 11 Jul 2006

Inspection Report Hatton School and Special Needs Centre

p.1

102881 Unique Reference Number Redbridge LEA LEA 276785 Inspection number 11 July 2006 to 11 July 2006 Inspection dates Mike Smith AI Reporting inspector

p.1

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

p.1

Roding Lane South School address Special Type of school Woodford Green Community School category IG8 8EU 3 to 11 Age range of pupils 020 8551 4131 Telephone number Mixed Gender of pupils 020 8503 9066 Fax number 130 Number on roll Ms C Ruben Chair of governors The governing body Appropriate authority Mrs S Blows Headteacher 20 March 2000 Date of previous inspection

p.1

Inspection number Inspection dates Age group 276785 11 July 2006 - 3 to 11 11 July 2006 Website: www.ofsted.gov.uk

p.1

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.

p.2

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.

p.2

Introduction

The inspection was carried out by two Additional Inspectors.

p.3

Description of the school

Hatton Special School and Centre provides for pupils who have statements of special educational needs, or who are awaiting assessment, for their moderate or severe learning difficulties, and their speech and social communication difficulties, including autism. A small number of pupils attend part-time and the Outreach Support Service (OSS) works closely with mainstream primary schools to support a significant number. Pupils come from a wide and diverse economic background and there are significant groups of pupils from the Asian, Black British, African and Caribbean communities. Nearly half of pupils are at an early stage of English language acquisition. There are four times as many boys as girls. Since the last inspection in March 2000 the school no longer provides for secondary aged pupils.

p.3

Key for inspection grades

Outstanding Grade 1 Good Grade 2 Satisfactory Grade 3 Inadequate Grade 4 1 Inspection Report: Hatton School and Special Needs Centre, 11 July 2006 to 11 July 2006

p.3

Grade: 2

Hatton School and Centre offers good and effective provision for its pupils, with some outstanding features. Inspectors found that the school's own evaluation of its effectiveness is accurate. A parent, reflecting the views of many, wrote, 'The teaching and support has led to an enormous impact on my son's development and he has made excellent progress'. Leadership and management are good and the headteacher has a clear vision for improvement. Together with a very supportive deputy, strategic team and well-informed governors, she strives successfully to improve the provision and learning opportunities for all pupils. Pupils' achievement is good overall. Children make very good progress in the Foundation Stage where provision is excellent. The quality of teaching and pupil support is consistently good across the school. Pupils enjoy learning and their behaviour and attitudes are good, as are their personal, social and emotional development. There

p.4

Grade: 2

are some concerns about the impact on the progress of some pupils because parents take them on extended leave during term time. Care, guidance and support are excellent. The school recognises the need to improve the use of information and communication technology (ICT) to support pupils' learning and to extend the provision for outside play to offer a wider range of opportunities. Governors know their school well and take a full part in evaluating its work. The school works extremely well with others to ensure that pupils' needs are met. The Outreach Support Service (OSS) provides excellent support. There have been good improvements since the last inspection and the school has a good capacity to continue to improve. The school provides good value for money.

p.4

What the school should do to improve further

• Ensure that there is better use of ICT to support pupils' learning, progress and achievement throughout the curriculum. • Work with parents to ensure the maximum possible attendance of their children.

p.4

Grade: 2

Pupils make good progress throughout the school in relation to their individual targets, which are appropriate and challenging. This is a reflection of the good quality of the teaching and the excellent care and guidance provided. Standards are very low when compared with mainstream schools because of the pupils' learning difficulties. A very small number of pupils reach average standards at the end of Year 6. Pupil assessment data is used well to identify any underachievement. In the Foundation Stage, assessment is used very effectively to ensure their maximum progress. One parent wrote, 'Within a year of entering Hatton School my child has progressed from non-verbal to very verbal. I am still in shock about his improvement'. Pupils' achievement and progress are carefully monitored by a wide range of professionals 2 Inspection Report: Hatton School and Special Needs Centre, 11 July 2006 to 11 July 2006

p.4

Grade: 2

who visit the school as well as the teachers and learning support assistants (LSAs) in school. There is no significant difference in the progress of boys and girls regardless of background or ability. Pupils for whom English is not their first language make good progress because their needs are carefully monitored and additional support is well provided.

p.5

Grade: 2

The school judges the personal development and well-being of pupils to be good and inspectors agree. Spiritual, moral, social and cultural development are good and pupils benefit from the times when they reflect and consider the 'word of the week'. Music is used skilfully to create a calming ambience at the end of lunch break, and pupils respond very positively, enjoying the peace and tranquillity. Pupils gain a good understanding of the wide range of religious and social cultures that are within the school community. Festivals of major world faiths are celebrated and pupils truly benefited from a recent African project. Pupils develop good social skills and know about society's conventions. They enjoy the democratic processes of voting, when asked to consider what resources to buy for the school. There is an active school council that comes up with a variety of ideas, for instance, to put on a talent show involving

p.5

Grade: 2

pupils and staff. Behaviour is good and pupils have a clear understanding of what is right and wrong. Pupils benefit from visits within the community and to other schools where they work and socialise with others. They clearly enjoy learning and there is a great commitment to helping others through fund-raising in aid of Tsunami victims and to send a cow and goats to poor African families. Pupils are conscious of the need to be healthy and safe and enjoy participating in physical activities. Attendance is satisfactory, although the school makes every effort to improve it. A small number of parents take their children on holidays during term time and this has a negative impact on pupils' progress.

p.5

Grade: 2

Learning is good as a result of consistently good and sometimes better teaching. Pupils enjoy their lessons because their achievement and progress is celebrated at every opportunity and their individual needs are met. Relationships and team work are strong and contribute to the positive learning environment. Learning support assistants support both the teacher and pupils well, and encourage pupils to become increasingly responsible for their own behaviour and learning. Pupils' progress is assessed and generally used well to inform teacher's planning. The quality of learning and teaching are carefully monitored, and teachers have the opportunity to share good practice and develop their own, by observing each other. ICT is not used sufficiently to support learning. In the very best lessons, teachers provide a wide range of motivating activities, 3 Inspection Report: Hatton School and Special Needs Centre, 11 July 2006 to 11 July 2006

p.5

Grade: 2

individual pupil needs are effectively met and independent learning is encouraged. There are high expectations of pupil achievement and pupil assessment opportunities are ongoing. Good use is made of visual cues, signing and symbols that aid communication and pupil participation.

p.6

Grade: 2

The school judges the curriculum to be good and inspectors agree. The curriculum is varied and is developing well to meet the ever changing needs of the pupils. There are many additional activities which enhance the curriculum, including an organised carnival, arts week, sports activities and residential trips. The school places great importance on its sensory curriculum, which is very effective in meeting the extra special needs experienced by many of the pupils. Displays of pupils' work, particularly the high-quality art and craft, brighten up the classrooms and corridors. All aspects of 'Every Child Matters' can be clearly seen throughout the curriculum. There is a major focus on personal social and health education throughout the school and this is particularly effective in the Foundation Stage. Many pupils also benefit greatly from the opportunities they have to visit and work in local mainstream schools and these

p.6

Grade: 2

visits contribute well to pupils' sense of being included. The school is aware of the need to improve the role and provision of ICT within the curriculum to support pupils' learning.

p.6

Grade: 1

The school provides an excellent level of pupil care, guidance and support and places the individual pupil at the centre of all it does. Teachers, LSAs and therapists work effectively together to ensure the needs of all pupils are met. Pupils' progress in their work and in their personal and social development is carefully monitored and assessed, and informs their targets for improvement. Parents feel well supported by the school and one parent wrote, 'Staff have been both supportive and understanding as well as dedicated towards my son's individual needs'. The school provides a safe place where pupils develop their independent learning skills and increasingly gain the confidence to try new things. Arrangements for child protection are well established and pupils say they feel safe in school and, 'We know we can talk to teachers if we are upset about anything'. Pupils receive effective support and guidance and are helped to make

p.6

Grade: 1

choices and take on responsibilities within the school. There are excellent links with mainstream schools. Pupils are offered a wide range of inclusion options. Several pupils have successfully followed a reintegration programme and are supported by the Outreach Team in a mainstream setting. The work undertaken with its own pupils and those in mainstream schools helps to develop their confidence and personal skills that will stand them in good stead for the years to come. 4 Inspection Report: Hatton School and Special Needs Centre, 11 July 2006 to 11 July 2006

p.6

Grade: 2

Leadership and management are good overall with a number of very strong areas that clearly demonstrate the school's good capacity to improve. Issues raised in the last inspection have been effectively tackled. Self evaluation processes are well established and the school has an accurate view of its strengths and weaknesses. The headteacher is motivational and supportive, and with the able deputy and management team, has a good understanding of how to review and improve the school's performance. Responsibilities are clear and expectations are high to ensure pupils make good progress and achievement, and there is high quality pupil care. The best available support is effectively co-ordinated to meet the needs of the pupils. Parents are highly supportive of the school and there are strong links and excellent communication with them. The views of parents, pupils and governors are actively sought. The quality of education

p.7

Grade: 2

is closely monitored and staff have good opportunities to observe each other. Teachers and LSAs work effectively as a team, their work is valued and, consequently, staff morale is high. Statutory requirements are met and governors provide good support while being fully involved in the management and evaluation of the school. The accommodation has been resourcefully used, although much of it lacks natural light and can become airless and unduly warm in the hot weather. There are plans to make the extensive grounds more exciting for pupils at break times. 5 Inspection Report: Hatton School and Special Needs Centre, 11 July 2006 to 11 July 2006 .

p.7

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

website: www.ofsted.gov.uk. 6 Inspection Report: Hatton School and Special Needs Centre, 11 July 2006 to 11 July 2006

p.8

Overall

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

p.9

learners?

NA 2 How well does the school work in partnership with others to promote learners' well-being? NA 1 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

p.9

Achievement and standards

NA 2 How well do learners achieve? NA 4 The standards 1 reached by learners

p.9

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

p.9

learners?

NA 2 The extent of learners' spiritual, moral, social and cultural development NA 2 The behaviour of learners NA 3 The attendance of learners NA 2 How well learners enjoy their education NA 2 The extent to which learners adopt safe practices NA 2 The extent to which learners adopt healthy lifestyles NA 2 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

p.9

needs and interests of learners?

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

p.9

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.

p.9

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

p.10

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

p.10

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

p.10

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

p.10

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 NA Careers education and guidance is provided to all learners in key stage 3 and 4 and the sixth form NA Education for all learners aged 14–19 provides an understanding of employment and the economy

p.10

Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

Pupils We really enjoyed our short visit to your school and would like to thank you for being so friendly. We agree with you and your parents/carers that the school is good and is trying hard to get even better. A special thank you goes to the school council for telling me all about the school. There are many things we particularly liked. * Your behaviour and attitudes to your learning are good and you enjoy coming to school and working hard towards your targets.* You are all extremely well cared for and supported by all adults in the school.* We think you make good progress and the very youngest children make excellent good progress.* Your teachers and support staff work really well together to meet your needs.* Your headteacher and all the staff listen carefully to you and are always thinking what they can do to make your time in school even better. * Your school knows what it is good at and how it can improve even more.* The school works really well with people outside of

p.11

Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

school to ensure you get the best support to help you improve.* School governors know the school really well and help to ensure it keeps improving. The school knows you need to use computers more in lessons to help your learning and some of you need to attend school more regularly. Once again, thank you for being so friendly and making our visit such a pleasant one. Yours sincerely Mike Smith Lead Inspector

p.11