Slated Row School

110587 Unique Reference Number Milton Keynes LEA LEA 278461 Inspection number 27 September 2005 to 28 September 2005 Inspection dates Michael Farrell AI Reporting inspector

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

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Old Wolverton Road School address Special Type of school Wolverton Community School category Milton Keynes MK12 5NJ 4 to 19 Age range of pupils 01908316017 Telephone number Mixed Gender of pupils 01908315082 Fax number 160 Number on roll Mrs Vanessa Miles Chair of governors The governing body Appropriate authority Ms Liz Bull Headteacher 31 October 2000 Date of previous inspection

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Inspection number Inspection dates Age group 278461 27 September 2005 - 4 to 19 28 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 two additional inspectors.

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Description of the school

Slated Row School is a maintained day special school for 160 boys and girls aged 4 to 19 years with moderate learning difficulties, some of whom have other special educational needs. At the time of the inspection, there were over 40 learners in the primary phase, 80 in secondary and 30 in the sixth form. The ratio of boys to girls is typical of similar schools. The attainment of learners on entry is low and the school is larger than other similar schools. About a third of learners are eligible for free school meals. The proportion of learners from ethnic minority background is comparable to that for similar schools and a small percentage of learners speak English as an additional language. A small number of learners are in local authority care. The headteacher was appointed in September 2002 and many of the teachers are new to the school.

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Key for inspection grades

Outstanding Grade 1 Good Grade 2 Satisfactory Grade 3 Inadequate Grade 4 1 Inspection Report: Slated Row School, 27 September 2005 to 28 September 2005

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Grade: 1

The senior management team correctly recognises the many outstanding features of the school as well as areas for further development. Learners make excellent progress across the school with progress being consistent from the Foundation Stage upwards. Because of the commitment of school staff, the personal development of learners is outstanding. Learners' comments are extremely positive in relation to their learning and personal development and parents value enormously the work of the school in helping them make progress in all areas. The progress made by learners results from exemplary teaching and a very well judged curriculum, which enthuse learners. Leaders and managers use funds very effectively. The school has a firm commitment to ensuring that all pupils reach their potential. It provides very good value for money. The school recognises the need to further improve learners' attendance. Passionate leadership

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Grade: 1

and management in the Foundation Stage have led to the outstanding provision and achievement in this area of school life. High quality resources, impressive teaching and very effective and sensitive support staff enhance learning for the children and enable them to do their best. The school has made very good progress since its previous inspection and is very well placed to improve even further.

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Grade: 1

The school judges the achievement and progress of the sixth form as outstanding and inspectors agree. The strengths of the sixth form include outstanding teaching and learning; its strong expansion of the range of certificates that the learners gain; and the very effective leadership and management of the head of the sixth form.

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What the school should do to improve further

Further improve the attendance of learners of all ages, reducing rates of unauthorised absence.

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Grade: 1

The school judges the standards of achievement and progress of its learners as outstanding. Inspectors agree. All learners take full advantage of the wide range of opportunities the school provides, making exceptional gains in learning from the Foundation Stage onwards. The great majority of learners achieve the challenging targets set, including boys, girls and learners from different minority ethnic groups, and pupils for whom English is an additional language. This is because of the highly successful support provided by teachers, learning support assistants and other specialist staff. For example, in the Foundation Stage, the excitement of lessons is enriched by high quality, engaging resources and by very rigorous planning to ensure that the children progress and achieve very well. In the primary phase and the secondary phase, 2 Inspection Report: Slated Row School, 27 September 2005 to 28 September 2005

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Grade: 1

progress and achievement are also exceptional. In the sixth form, learners are gaining an increasing number and range of accredited qualifications.

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Grade: 1

The school judges the personal development of pupils to be good. Inspectors judge it to be outstanding. Learners' personal development contributes to the excellent progress they make throughout their time at school. Learners greatly enjoy and value their learning. For example, one student was asked, 'What do you think of maths?' and replied, 'I like it - a lot!' The relationships between learners and the interaction between teachers and other adults are particularly strong and contribute much to learning. For example, in the sixth form, outstanding student and adult working relationships contribute strongly to personal development. Behaviour in and around school is excellent. The spiritual and cultural development of learners is good and their social and moral development excellent. Attendance is adequate. However, a small minority of learners, in the primary and secondary phase, contribute disproportionately

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Grade: 1

to unauthorised absence. The school is doing a considerable amount to improve matters, having already managed to improve attendance year on year from 2003 to 2005. Very well established induction procedures set the tone for the learners' education. Members of the school council represent their class groups very effectively and they report that they have been successful in further improving the quality of life in school. Learners have a very good understanding of safe practices and are developing their commitment to a healthy lifestyle very well, including actively participating in sporting and other physical activities. They are successfully involved in activities to raise money for worthy causes, which contributes very well to their working together and their economic skills. The school's recently awarded Healthy School's Bronze Award further indicates their concern for health and well being. This is reflected in recent innovations such as the

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Grade: 1

provision of daily fresh fruit and vegetables for younger learners at break times.

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Grade: 1

The school knows the strengths and weakness of its teachers very well. Overall teaching and learning are outstanding across the school, contributing to the learners' consistently high rates of progress. The school support assistants have a consistently effective approach to classroom management; they skilfully enable learners to make choices and use their initiative when working in pairs or small groups. The commitment of the teachers and their enthusiasm and the variety of structured activities in lessons motivates learners to work hard. Learners comment that much of the teaching is 'fantastic' and appreciate the recent opportunities to use the new resources for information and communication technology. Assessments, including targets on individual education plans, are helpful in enabling teachers to plan work which meets the needs of learners working at different levels. Up to date and helpful marking of

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Grade: 1

3 Inspection Report: Slated Row School, 27 September 2005 to 28 September 2005 learners' work encourages learners to continue working hard and to make such strong progress. Learners' needs are quickly identified and targets established so that they know what they should do to improve.

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Grade: 1

Curriculum development and improvement ensures that the diverse needs of all learners are met. Learners follow the full National Curriculum from the time they move on from Foundation Stage to the end of compulsory schooling. In the sixth form, there is a very appropriate curriculum including a wide range of opportunities to gain accreditation. The curriculum is enhanced by a further range of activities such as lunchtime clubs, visiting specialists, visits to outside venues, and involvement in competitive sporting fixtures. A strong emphasis is placed on literacy, numeracy, science, information and communication technology and personal development. The curriculum gives learners the confidence to develop their personal skills and prepare for life beyond the school. Learners over 16 attend courses at the local college of further education as part of the provision and their work related learning is well

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Grade: 1

monitored by the school. Learners are aware of health issues and matters affecting their well being because of specific personal, social, health and citizenship (PSHCE) lessons, regular physical education and a wide range of sporting and other extra-curricular activities. Learners play their full part in the life of the school and community. For example, some take part in theatrical performances and help organise events such as Fayres and a visitors' cafe. Recent improvements in the quality of accommodation and resources are benefiting learners.

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Grade: 1

The care, guidance and support of learners are outstanding. Child protection procedures are robust and risk assessments are made carefully. Learners feel safe, cared for and valued because of the trusting relationships with the adults in the school. Challenging targets are set for learning which are monitored and action taken as necessary if progress is not as expected. In the secondary phase and in the sixth form, very good advice and guidance is provided on courses and careers through very good links with Connexions advisers and through the school's own guidance to students. Teaching ensures that learners are aware of how to keep safe themselves, how to deal with bullying and with other personal relationships and health matters. Teachers and other adults working in the school know the learners very well resulting in a positive working atmosphere in and around the school.

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Grade: 1

The senior management team forms a very effective, efficient and strong team, continuing to drive the school forward. Extremely effective leadership and management 4 Inspection Report: Slated Row School, 27 September 2005 to 28 September 2005 contribute to the excellent progress of learners and ensure that all learners enjoy an equal opportunity to reach their potential. The leadership and management of the sixth form are also very effective. The school improvement plan and other procedures help ensure the school continues to improve. Wide consultation takes place with learners, parents, staff and governors, for example in developing, agreeing and embedding new aims for the school. The headteacher and other members of the senior management team are well aware of how successfully the school is performing and are planning effectively for future developments. Subject co-ordinators and managers of the different age phases perform their roles effectively. Managers of different pupil

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Grade: 1

age groups have a good understanding of how well learners make progress. They ensure that the curriculum provides a wide range of opportunities for all pupils and students at levels appropriate to their needs and capabilities. Where appropriate, the school uses the support of outside professionals to enhance the progress that learners make, helping ensure all learners are valued and supported to achieve their full potential. Funds are used very efficiently to secure school improvements such as the new play area, changing rooms and the information and communication technology suite. The governing body are committed to the school and thoroughly support its work, which they monitor and challenge when appropriate, for example, through their careful examination of school targets and the progress of different groups of learners. 5 Inspection Report: Slated Row School, 27 September 2005 to 28 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: Slated Row School, 27 September 2005 to 28 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?

1 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 1 1 The effectiveness of the school's self-evaluation Yes Yes The capacity to make any necessary improvements Yes Yes Effective steps have been taken to promote improvement since the last inspection

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Achievement and standards

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

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Achievement and standards

1 1 How well learners make progress, taking account of any significant variations between groups of learners 1 1 How well learners with learning difficulties and disabilities make progress

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learners?

2 The extent of learners' spiritual, moral, social and cultural development 1 The behaviour of learners 3 The attendance of learners 1 How well learners enjoy their education 1 The extent to which learners adopt safe practices 1 The extent to which learners adopt healthy lifestyles 1 The extent to which learners make a positive contribution to the community 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?

1 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?

How effectively leaders and managers at all levels set clear direction leading to improvement and promote high quality of care and education How effectively performance is monitored, evaluated and improved to meet challenging targets, through quality assurance and self-review How well equality of opportunity is promoted and discrimination tackled so that all learners achieve as well as they can How effectively and efficiently resources are deployed to achieve value for money The extent to which governors and other supervisory boards discharge their responsibilities Yes 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 all the help you gave us when we came to visit your school. We really enjoyed it. I am writing to tell you all that we found out about your school. There were many things we liked about the school. * Ms. Bull and all the staff work very hard for you and value you very highly.* You behave very well and you told us you enjoy school * You are polite and friendly and you look after one another* You work very hard in lessons* You told us that you really liked the new computers and other equipment. There is something that the school can do even better. We have asked the teachers to try even harder to make sure all of you come to school on the days you should do. I am sure that you will try your best to help them do this. Thank you again for being so polite to us and showing us what you could do.

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