Knowsley Central School

Inspection Report Knowsley Central Primary Support Centre

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104500 Unique Reference Number Knowsley LEA 277173 Inspection number 4 July 2006 to 5 July 2006 Inspection dates Ms Caroline Broomhead HMI Reporting inspector

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

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Mossbrow Road School address Special Type of school Huyton Community special School category Liverpool, Merseyside L36 7SY 2 to 11 Age range of pupils 0151 4778450 Telephone number Mixed Gender of pupils 0151 4899154 Fax number 55 Number on roll Mr S Donnelly Chair of governors The governing body Appropriate authority Mrs T Thomas Headteacher 6 December 1999 Date of previous inspection

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Inspection number Inspection dates Age group 277173 4 July 2006 - 2 to 11 5 July 2006 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 a team consisting of two of Her Majesty's Inspectors and an Additional Inspector.

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Description of the school

The centre is a special school which provides education for 55 pupils aged between 5 and 11 years who live in the Knowsley area. The pupils have complex needs including learning difficulties and social, emotional and behavioural difficulties, and each has a statement of special educational needs. The school draws pupils mainly from areas of significant social disadvantage, with nearly half living in single parent households and 60% receiving free school meals. Eight pupils are in the care of the local authority. The vast majority of pupils are white British. Central to the school's provision is an area-wide integrated multi-professional support team which links with other area teams including health and social services to provide a wide range of coordinated services to children and families. This includes integrated support for 25 primary and 3 secondary schools for pupils who are experiencing some degree of difficulty in

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Description of the school

mainstream schools. As part of this provision, there are 36 places at the centre for pupils from other schools who attend one day a week to receive specialist teaching for specific learning difficulties.

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Key for inspection grades

Outstanding Grade 1 Good Grade 2 Satisfactory Grade 3 Inadequate Grade 4 1 Inspection Report: Knowsley Central Primary Support Centre, 4 July 2006 to 5 July 2006

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Grade: 1

Knowsley Central Primary Support Centre is an outstanding school, where care for the pupils' emotional well-being is at the heart of why they make exceptional progress in their learning and personal development. Under the inspirational leadership of the headteacher, this school has gone from strength to strength. The dedicated team of staff share her determination to achieve the very best for each child and the whole school is proud that its motto 'everyone is a star and can shine in our learning community' is a reality. They have successfully created a calm, relaxing environment in which children and adults thrive. The exciting curriculum is brought to life through the high quality of teaching which captures the pupils' imagination and interest, and ensures that their energy is focused on learning. The school has achieved its aim of becoming truly inclusive. It is rightly recognised by the wider community as a centre

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Grade: 1

of excellence for the work it does in providing a 'one stop' integrated support service to children and families and other schools across the area. The school provides very good value for money and its capacity for further improvement is outstanding.

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What the school should do to improve further

There are no key areas which require improvement. The school has detailed plans for on-going development but may wish to consider reviewing its whole school improvement targets to ensure that they reflect the high levels of challenge which the school sets for itself.

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Grade: 1

Pupils' achievement is outstanding. From a very low starting point on entry, as evidenced from very careful testing when they first come to the school, pupils make rapid progress in communication, reading, writing, mathematics and science. Higher attaining Year 6 pupils achieve well in the national tests. A few attain standards above average for pupils of this age in these tests. The small number of Reception age children make equally good progress in their learning and personal development. Many pupils start school with extremely challenging behaviour associated with their learning difficulties, and often have low self-esteem. Initially they find it difficult to relate to one another and take turns. Through the very effective support they are given, they soon make rapid gains in their social development and begin to be kind to one another and happily play and learn together. Progress in art and design, physical education and information and communication

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Grade: 1

technology (ICT) is very good across the school. Gifted and talented pupils experience super booster sessions in a range of subjects and their achievement is outstanding. In Year 5 a pupil who is talented in ICT, uses databases and can prepare a computer presentation at a level above that expected of a pupil of his age. Children in public care and the few minority ethnic pupils achieve 2 Inspection Report: Knowsley Central Primary Support Centre, 4 July 2006 to 5 July 2006 well. Pupils who are given support in mainstream schools also achieve well. Those pupils who attend part time from local mainstream schools are proud of how much progress they are making in their reading and writing, and this has raised their self-esteem. The vast majority of pupils reach and exceed their learning and behavioural targets.

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Grade: 1

The children's personal development and well-being are outstanding. They visibly enjoy their learning and their behaviour is excellent. The innovative 'emotional well-being' programme helps children to relax and recognise signs of stress. In personal, social, and health education sessions they discuss their feelings and make positive choices about managing them, so that there are no instances of bullying or exclusion. Spiritual and cultural development is outstanding. Through a rich programme of visits and visitors, children reflect imaginatively on different faiths and cultures. In one religious education lesson children participated in a Buddhist ceremony, learning how chants bring feelings of peace and calm. Children's social and moral development is outstanding. They talk confidently with visiting adults, and through the school council and the local Children's Parliament, they learn the importance of fair elections,

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Grade: 1

inequalities in society and environmental issues. They have a real influence on what happens in the school. They have run a no-smoking campaign and achieved healthier lunch options. Many children now ask for recipes to make at home. All pupils participate in a wide range of sports and other enrichment activities. They contribute to the community through organising fundraising events for charity and have adopted an African child. They also act as playground buddies to younger or more vulnerable pupils. Children have high aspirations. They progress extremely well in their communication, literacy, numeracy and ICT skills and are therefore very well prepared for their future economic well-being. Their attendance is very good.

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Grade: 1

Teaching and learning are outstanding. Any visitor walking into the classrooms cannot fail to notice the buzz from children enjoying their time in lessons. The consistently good teaching is often inspirational, capturing the pupils' imagination and fully engaging them in wanting to learn. Lessons are well planned and teachers carefully match the activities to the pupils' individual needs and learning styles, with the result that they progress very well emotionally, socially and academically. Relationships between pupils and staff are excellent. Skilful questioning challenges pupils to think for themselves and helps them to clarify their understanding. Visual and tactile resources and ICT are used well to help pupils to learn. Exceptional attention is given to developing the pupils' basic skills through realistic tasks. Excursions to local places of interest help pupils to deepen their understanding, for example they visited a

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Grade: 1

3 Inspection Report: Knowsley Central Primary Support Centre, 4 July 2006 to 5 July 2006 lighthouse and began to realise its function more clearly. Classrooms are bright and stimulating, with displays which show the care and attention given to presenting the pupils' work. Teaching assistants are highly skilled and their many talents are harnessed throughout the school day. They contribute very effectively to the high quality of teaching seen in the school and in the support given to pupils in mainstream schools. Rigorous assessment provides detailed information about each child's needs and progress, particularly in their basic skills. Assessment information is routinely used by teachers to inform their planning and to establish suitably challenging targets for individual pupils. Further refinements are being introduced which will enable teachers to show the very small steps of progress the pupils make in all their subjects. Teachers

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Grade: 1

take time and care in praising pupils for their good efforts and their marking encourages pupils to achieve their best.

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Grade: 1

The outstanding curriculum is innovative and creative. It promotes enjoyment in learning and high achievement. Flexibly planned, it meets the needs of the pupils. Statutory requirements are met. Therapy to support pupils with their emotional development and well-being is integral to the curriculum. Personalised anger management programmes improve pupils' behaviour, reduce their frustration and enable them to learn well; this is the magical ingredient of this very successful school. Pupils with additional and more complex speech and language needs have a structured curriculum to enable them to improve their communication skills and acquire the language they require to cope effectively in the world. The strong focus on the arts, music, drama and sport improves pupils' social skills as well as their excitement in learning. The personal, social, health and citizenship programme is outstanding. It makes a

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Grade: 1

valuable contribution to pupils' understanding of the importance of adopting a healthy and safe lifestyle. The peer massage programme enables the pupils to make choices about joining in or not; they also learn about what is appropriate and safe touch. Effective use is made of visits and visitors to enhance the curriculum. During the inspection, a group of pupils developed good football skills and behaved impeccably during a session taken by a coach from a professional football club. As soon as they are ready, pupils are included and supported very well in mainstream curriculum experiences.

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Grade: 1

The care, guidance and support provided by the school are outstanding. The school's ethos of care and support is central to its work with both children and parents. An atmosphere of mutual respect and close attention to the individual needs of all the children pervades the school. Very secure arrangements are in place for child protection, and health and safety procedures are robust. The children feel safe in school and say that when they have problems adults are always available to help. Tracking of both 4 Inspection Report: Knowsley Central Primary Support Centre, 4 July 2006 to 5 July 2006 pupils' personal and academic progress and target-setting are very effective. Parents are overwhelmingly appreciative of the progress that the school enables their children to make, through the support it offers to the children and often to the whole family. Rigorous systems of planning and review underpin work with outside agencies to

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Grade: 1

ensure that very effective communication takes place between all those involved in supporting particular children.

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Grade: 1

This is an exceptionally good school which, under excellent leadership and management, is continually striving to improve. At the last inspection it was judged to be very good with no key issues to address but, not content to stand still, has reached even higher standards. The headteacher and her senior managers have high expectations of themselves and others and have successfully established a culture in which people work collaboratively for the benefit of children and families. This school has led the way in developing a truly integrated and extremely effective multi-professional team which supports families and other schools in the area. The impact of this work is far reaching and has become a well established and much valued hub of support and expertise. The very effective procedures for evaluating the quality of all aspects of the school's work routinely involve all staff, pupils, parents, governors and other

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Grade: 1

professionals. As a result, the school has an accurate view of its strengths and detailed plans for what it wants to achieve in the future. The school is clearly focused on raising standards. However, the whole school improvement targets are based on the percentage of individual targets which pupils will achieve and do not reflect the high levels of challenge which the school sets for itself in respect of pupils' attainment. The governors are regular visitors to the school and know it well. They have no hesitation in challenging as well as supporting the school and share its high expectations. They have created a staffing structure which reflects the evolving role of this special school and provides it with the capacity to successfully manage the anticipated changes whilst sustaining the high standards achieved. Continuing professional development is given high priority in this school and staff work hard to extend their expertise and

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Grade: 1

qualifications. 5 Inspection Report: Knowsley Central Primary Support Centre, 4 July 2006 to 5 July 2006 .

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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: Knowsley Central Primary Support Centre, 4 July 2006 to 5 July 2006

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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 1 The quality and standards in foundation stage NA 1 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 1 How well learners make progress, taking account of any significant variations between groups of learners NA 1 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 1 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 1 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 1 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 1 How effectively and efficiently resources are deployed to achieve value for money NA 1 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 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

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

Thank you for welcoming us to your school earlier this week and giving your time to talk to us and show us what you have been learning about. These are the main findings from the inspection. - Knowsley Central Primary Support Centre is an outstanding school. - The headteacher and senior managers lead the school extremely well and make sure that you are well cared for. - Staff get to know your individual needs and provide excellent teaching for you. - We saw that you really enjoy the wide range of exciting activities which you take part in each day. - You make excellent progress and achieve high standards. The displays of your work show how talented you are. - We were very impressed with your behaviour around school; you look after each other and try to keep yourselves safe and healthy. - Many of you take part in the lunchtime and after school clubs and tell us that these are good fun. - Children who come to Central Primary from other schools for special lessons are pleased with

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

how well they are improving with their reading and writing and many would like to come more often. - Staff are very well trained and other schools in the area think highly of the support which they give to their children and staff. - You will have seen the governors regularly in school. They take their responsibilities very seriously and work hard to check that you are receiving a good education. You and your staff can be proud of what you have achieved and we wish you every success for the future.

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