Rosewood School

103882 Unique Reference Number Dudley LEA 277022 Inspection number 21 September 2005 to 21 September 2005 Inspection dates Sarah Mascall RISP Reporting inspector

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

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Overfield Road School address Special Type of school Russells Hall Estate Community School category Dudley, West Midlands DY1 2NX 11 to 16 Age range of pupils

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01384 816 800 Telephone number Boys Gender of pupils 01384 816 800 Fax number 33 Number on roll Ms H Edwards Chair of governors The governing body Appropriate authority Mr Nigel Griffiths Headteacher 27 September 1999 Date of previous inspection

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Inspection number Inspection dates Age group 277022 21 September 2005 - 11 to 16 21 September 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

Rosewood is a school for boys who have severe emotional and behavioural difficulties. There are 40 pupils on roll although at the time of the inspection two pupils were attending an alternative facility. All pupils have statements of special educational needs. All pupils are white and there are none for whom English is as an additional language. Pupils travel in from all over the local authority and many are from deprived backgrounds. Nearly 50% of pupils are eligible for free school meals which is above the national average for this type of school. Six pupils are in care and nearly 60% receive support from the Child and Adolescent Mental Health Service (CAMHS). The school did not have a substantive headteacher for two and a half years until the present headteacher took up his post in September 2004. The school has had problems recruiting and retaining staff and over the last two years four members of staff have

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Description of the school

left. However, staffing has now stabilised although there is currently no design and technology specialist or music teacher.

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Key for inspection grades

Outstanding Grade 1 Good Grade 2 Satisfactory Grade 3 Inadequate Grade 4 1 Inspection Report: Rosewood School, 21 September 2005 to 21 September 2005

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Grade: 3

The school has come through a turbulent period and, in the last year, has rightly focused on improving behaviour and personal development. As a result, it is effective in dealing with the emotional and behavioural difficulties of its pupils. It is now developing a more challenging curriculum to enable pupils to achieve and make better progress in their learning. The school considers that its overall effectiveness is good. The inspection evidence does not support this and although the school has a number of strengths overall it provides a satisfactory education for its pupils and gives sound value for money. Pupils make satisfactory progress in their learning. The limited opportunities for pupils to take a wider range of examinations mean that more able pupils have not achieved their full potential. All pupils achieve well in science and make satisfactory progress in developing their reading and writing skills. Until very recently pupils have not made

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Grade: 3

sufficient progress in mathematics, particularly in Years 10 and 11, and this is reflected in pupils’ low achievements in this subject. The school has taken appropriate action and pupils’ progress in mathematics is improving. Pupils make good progress in improving their attitudes to learning and in their behaviour. They clearly like school and as a result their attendance is good. They are aware of the benefits of healthy living and the school supports them well in improving their lifestyles. Teaching is satisfactory overall. All teachers manage pupils’ behaviour well and there are very good relationships between staff and pupils. Systems to check on pupils’ progress are being developed and the next challenge for the school will be to make best use of the information gained to plan lessons that ensure all pupils, whatever their ability, make good progress. The curriculum is satisfactory; however, pupils do

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Grade: 3

not have regular lessons in music or in aspects of design and technology involving working with materials such as wood and plastic. The care and welfare of pupils is good and this is much appreciated by parents who are very positive about what the school does for their children. The school makes good use of outside agencies to support pupils and their families. Leadership and management of the school are good and have ensured that the school has made good improvements in the last year. There is a clear understanding on the part of the senior management team and governors concerning the strengths and weaknesses of the school, and the school is well placed to improve further.

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What the school should do to improve further

• Focus on: • ensuring that all pupils make good progress and achieve to the best of their ability in all subjects • implement the new assessment procedures to ensure that they give teachers the chance to closely match work set with pupils’ abilities and set targets that are more challenging 2 Inspection Report: Rosewood School, 21 September 2005 to 21 September 2005 • increase the range of external examinations pupils take so that all are able to achieve to their full potential • develop more regular opportunities for pupils to study music and design and technology (resistant materials).

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Grade: 3

Pupils make satisfactory progress overall. When they start at Rosewood, many have had disrupted educations and the vast majority have levels of attainment well below those expected of pupils of a similar age. By Year 11, half of the pupils last year had gained passes in Entry Level examinations. However, their achievements are low in comparison to similar special schools where a higher number of pupils would be expected to pass GCSEs. The setting of targets for pupil achievement is improving but in the past these were not sufficiently challenging. This was the case in mathematics, where targets were unchallenging and expectations low, particularly for those pupils in Years 10 and 11. As a result pupils’ achievements have been unsatisfactory. The school has addressed this problem appropriately with the appointment of new staff. Pupils make good progress in science because teachers’ subject knowledge is secure

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Grade: 3

and this ensures pupils have a good range of experiences. In English, pupils are becoming confident communicators and are developing their skills in reading and writing satisfactorily. The school set itself targets for pupils’ academic progress but although these were met they were not sufficiently challenging. Targets set for improving pupils’ behaviour and attendance are better and have been met successfully.

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Grade: 2

The personal development of pupils is a strength of this school. There is a real commitment to develop pupils socially and emotionally and pupils respond well to this. Pupils enjoy school and feel that it has made a difference to them. ‘Teachers understand me’ and ‘teachers are fair’ are just two of the comments they made. Their enthusiasm is reflected in their overall good attendance and the fact that the vast majority have improved their attendance considerably. Pupils are proud of their work and almost always ensure that it is neat and tidy. Their behaviour is good. Parents and pupils feel that behaviour in school has improved a great deal over the last year and the reduction in exclusions and the lack of any permanent exclusions confirms this. There are regular assemblies and plenty of opportunities for pupils to celebrate and reflect on their lives. Their moral and social development is good and they learn to

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Grade: 2

work together; they are gradually understanding the idea of contributing to the community. The school council is an example of pupils influencing change by working together and representing the ideas of their peers. Through a meeting between the school council and the school’s catering company there is now a wider range of choices at lunch time. Pupils are involved in fundraising through activities such as Red Nose 3 Inspection Report: Rosewood School, 21 September 2005 to 21 September 2005 day which enables them to develop their contribution to the community. Opportunities for developing awareness of different cultures are satisfactory and appropriate use is made of the local area and visitors to promote pupils’ understanding. Pupils are gaining a satisfactory understanding of life at work and those in Years 10 and 11 enjoy opportunities to go to college and develop their skills in a range of settings.

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Grade: 3

Teaching is satisfactory overall. A strength lies in teachers’ management of pupils’ behaviour and the very good relationships they develop with pupils. As a result of this, pupils usually respond well. Support staff work well with individual pupils and there is good team work between these staff and teachers. Homework is set regularly and teachers are now using the new marking scheme appropriately. However, comments on pupils’ work do not always ensure that pupils know how to improve their work. Most teachers have good subject knowledge and this is particularly evident in science. The school has recognised that work set for pupils has not been challenging and is addressing this through improving the ways it checks on how well pupils are doing. At this stage it is too early to judge the impact of this and there is the need to ensure that the information gained on pupils’ abilities is used by teachers to ensure that work

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Grade: 3

set matches the different needs of pupils.

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Grade: 3

The curriculum is satisfactory overall. Strengths include ensuring that planning for the work pupils will study is in place for all subjects. Considerable work has gone into developing the work-related curriculum and the school has appropriate plans for improving pupils’ opportunities further. Although pupils do not have regular lessons in music or design and technology they are given a range of experiences to support their learning. This is adequate as a temporary measure but it needs to be a priority aspect to address. Pupils are transported to school which makes it difficult for them to participate in after school clubs. However, the school provides good opportunities for pupils to attend football matches and take part in activities, including school camps. Visits linked to the curriculum, such as in geography, support pupils’ learning well. The effectiveness of these visits was evident when a pupil gave a detailed account of how the flood

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Grade: 3

barriers on the River Severn worked. There are satisfactory and developing links with local colleges, mainstream secondary schools and the local primary school. The community is used appropriately for activities such as horse riding and work related activities. 4 Inspection Report: Rosewood School, 21 September 2005 to 21 September 2005

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Grade: 2

The care and guidance, as well as the support for pupils’ personal development, is a strength of the school’s work. Staff show considerable care for their pupils and go to great lengths to help and guide them. Good use is made of support agencies such as CAHMS, educational social welfare and social services. There are good strategies to support pupils and their families, including a school counsellor, and these are much appreciated by both pupils and their parents. There is good monitoring of pupils’ behaviour and effective action is taken to address areas where there are concerns. Pupils achieve their targets in behaviour well, although pupils are not as clear about their academic targets as they are those linked to their behaviour. There are good procedures for health and safety including risk assessment and the child protection policy is an effective working document. The guidance and support for pupils’ academic

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Grade: 2

progress are satisfactory. The target setting process is being improved and the establishment of termly reviews, which involve the parents and pupils, is effective.

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Grade: 2

Since the appointment of the new headteacher the school has gone through a rapid phase of improvement in the last year. Clear priorities have been set for improvements and rightly the school took the decision to address pupils’ behaviour and personal development as a priority. The headteacher is well supported by his senior management team which has clear roles and responsibilities that reflect particular individual strengths. There is a good ethos in the school and a real sense of team work amongst staff. There is clear evidence of the good staff morale that now exists. The school knows its strengths and weaknesses well and has addressed issues linked to teaching effectively. There are satisfactory procedures for monitoring teaching, and the involvement of staff and the setting of targets in this process is appropriate. Many aspects of the school are being developed and the appointment of a new special

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Grade: 2

educational needs co-ordinator will support this process well. The school improvement plan is detailed and highlights many of the areas for improvement. However, to support the school further, more priority should be given to improving pupils’ achievements. Resources are satisfactory and those for information and communication technology (ICT) are being developed to support teaching with the introduction of interactive whiteboards in some classes. There is a satisfactory number of teachers and support staff. The governing body is effective. It supports the school well and there is a clear understanding of its strengths and weaknesses. An initiative in which governors meet each member of staff and discuss any concerns is good and adds to the sense of a supportive environment. There is a large underspend which was originally set aside to support the school’s move to new premises. However, the school has appropriately

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Grade: 2

taken the decision to use much of the money to improve the present accommodation including replacing windows and putting in new toilets. 5 Inspection Report: Rosewood School, 21 September 2005 to 21 September 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: Rosewood School, 21 September 2005 to 21 September 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 2 How well does the school work in partnership with others to promote learners' well-being? NA NA The quality and standards in foundation stage NA 3 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 3 How well do learners achieve? NA 4 The standards 1 reached by learners

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Achievement and standards

NA 3 How well learners make progress, taking account of any significant variations between groups of learners NA 3 How well learners with learning difficulties and disabilities make progress

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learners?

NA 2 The extent of learners' spiritual, moral, social and cultural development NA 2 The behaviour of learners NA 2 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 3 The extent to which learners make a positive contribution to the community NA 3 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 2 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 2 How effectively leaders and managers at all levels set clear direction leading to improvement and promote high quality of care and education NA 3 How effectively performance is monitored, evaluated and improved to meet challenging targets, through quality assurance and self-review NA 3 How well equality of opportunity is promoted and discrimination tackled so that all learners achieve as well as they can NA 3 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

Thank you very much for making me so welcome in your school and for all the help you gave. I enjoyed meeting you and the conversations we had. Thank you also for sharing your work with me in lessons – I thought you took great care with the work that you were doing. These are the things I liked most about your school: You are learning to manage your behaviour well and you know how you are expected to behave in school. You clearly like and value your school and because of this nearly all of you attend every day. You are well cared for and the school makes sure there are people who can help you when you need it. The headteacher and his staff have done a lot of work to improve your school in the last year. You do well in science and are making suitable progress in learning to read and write. To make things even better I have suggested four things that the school should now do: It should ensure that all of you make good progress in all subjects.

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

You should have more opportunities to take a wider range of examinations when you are in Years 10 and 11. The work you do needs to be better matched to your ability. You need to have better opportunities to study design and technology and music.

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