Setting

targets for themselves. The school has begun to devise methods for tracking pupils' progress but the use of assessment information to check on the progress of individuals and groups of pupils - as well as to evaluate the school's effectiveness - is not yet rigorous enough.

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Grade: 2

The curriculum is good. It is generally relevant to pupils' needs so that they fulfil their potential. Learning opportunities provided for pupils with autistic spectrum disorders are particularly good, enabling these pupils to integrate fully with other pupils in a way that minimises their difficulties. Although the curriculum for pupils with profound and multiple learning difficulties is satisfactory and these pupils are included very well socially, there is scope to develop learning opportunities further so that these pupils' needs are met more precisely and consistently. The range of learning experiences in the Foundation Stage is excellent. National guidance about the curriculum for use with children of this age has been adapted extremely well to individual needs. The school provides good opportunities for pupils to be included in mainstream schools and for students at post-16 to attend college. Higher attaining students at post-16

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Grade: 2

have a rich curriculum based around a course that leads to a qualification in key skills, combined with exceptional opportunities to take part in work experience as well as attending college. The curriculum at post-16 for less able students is satisfactory with some good features. A stimulating range of enrichment opportunities is provided for pupils of all ages within and beyond the school day.

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Grade: 1

The school provides an outstanding level of care for its pupils. Staff show genuine warmth and sensitivity towards the pupils and they, in turn, have trusting relationships with adults. The support and guidance provided for children in the Foundation Stage and for many of the students at post-16 are outstanding. Arrangements for protecting pupils and ensuring their health and safety are good. The school works closely with outside agencies and with a team of speech and language, occupational and physiotherapists. Careful planning ensures that pupils receive excellent guidance about the possibilities open to them when they leave school, with outstanding opportunities to find out about employment through work experience. The new role of home-school liaison teacher should further strengthen the close support the school already provides for families as well as pupils.

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Grade: 2

The school is led and managed well. Senior managers are accurate in their judgement of the school's effectiveness and there are good systems in place for checking how well the school is doing. Parents are involved appropriately in this process. The new 4 Inspection Report: Watling View School, 7 November 2005 to 8 November 2005 headteacher has already canvassed the views of the whole staff and parents to identify ways of improving the school and to sharpen its vision. This open and honest exchange has enabled her to make a number of important changes: the pace of improvement this term has been rapid. The headteacher is supported exceptionally well by senior managers, and there is a clear commitment to providing high quality care and education amongst the staff as a whole. The role of subject co-ordinators is developing well. As a result, the school now has an excellent capacity to improve. Improvement since the

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Grade: 2

last inspection has been satisfactory. Not all issues raised then have been resolved fully, though action is being taken in these areas. The school is well staffed and provides good opportunities for teachers and support staff to develop their skills through training. It is resourced effectively in most areas, and very well in ICT, but specialist facilities for pupils with profound and multiple learning difficulties could be developed further. The accommodation is just adequate; some classrooms are small and limit learning opportunities. Links with other educational establishments are good and developing. There are strong links with those schools that Watling View supports through its outreach work and this support is highly valued by the receiving schools. There are fewer links of direct benefit to Watling View. The school works extremely well with several companies who provide a range of work experience placements rarely

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Grade: 2

found in a school of this type. Governors fulfil their role effectively. They are very supportive and have a good understanding of the school's strengths and areas for development. They are becoming increasingly involved in checking the school's work and have recently conducted a useful review of their own effectiveness. 5 Inspection Report: Watling View School, 7 November 2005 to 8 November 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: Watling View School, 7 November 2005 to 8 November 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 2 How well does the school work in partnership with others to promote learners' well-being? NA 2 The quality and standards in foundation stage 2 2 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

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

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Achievement and standards

2 2 How well learners make progress, taking account of any significant variations between groups of learners 3 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 2 The behaviour of learners 3 The attendance of learners 2 How well learners enjoy their education 2 The extent to which learners adopt safe practices 2 The extent to which learners adopt healthy lifestyles 2 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 insufficient evidence 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

I enjoyed my visit to your school and would like to thank you for welcoming me. This letter is to tell you about some of the important things that I saw in your school. You are lucky to go to a good school where people get on so well together. I think your school has a happy atmosphere and I was pleased to see that you are kind to one another. The teachers, teaching assistants and therapists help you to do well and they care for you extremely well. They make sure that you learn how to communicate with each other and they encourage you to do things for yourselves. It was exciting to see how many of you in the sixth form find out how to travel on your own. It was very interesting hearing about your work experience and how much you like going to college. I also really enjoyed seeing those of you in the nursery and reception classes playing together and having fun learning new things. The headteacher, deputy heads

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

and other staff run the school well and they are very keen to make the school even better for you. I have asked them to check carefully how well you are all doing with your learning and to help those of you who have the most difficulties to learn even more. Keep working hard and enjoy the rest of your time at Watling View.

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