Springwater School

121776 Unique Reference Number North Yorkshire LEA 281098 Inspection number 1 March 2006 to 2 March 2006 Inspection dates Mrs Kath Halifax CfBT Lead Inspector Reporting inspector

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

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High Street School address Special Type of school Starbeck Community special School category Harrogate, North Yorkshire HG2 7LW 2 to 19 Age range of pupils

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01423 883214 Telephone number Mixed Gender of pupils 01423 881465 Fax number 41 Number on roll Sybil Blackburn Chair of governors The governing body Appropriate authority Mrs G Cook Headteacher 3 April 2000 Date of previous inspection

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Inspection number Inspection dates Age group 281098 1 March 2006 - 2 to 19 2 March 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 one additional inspector.

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Description of the school

Springwater is a small special school, which serves the Harrogate and Selby districts of North Yorkshire. All pupils have learning difficulties and/or disabilities. Though designated a school for pupils with severe learning difficulties, 39% of pupils have profound and multiple learning difficulties, with a further 22% of pupils having autism. Almost all pupils are of white British heritage. The percentage entitled to free school meals is average. At the time of the inspection, there were two children under five. Provision is made alongside Year 1- 6 pupils in the primary department. Attainment on entry to the school is well below that expected of pupils of this age.

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Key for inspection grades

Outstanding Grade 1 Good Grade 2 Satisfactory Grade 3 Inadequate Grade 4 1 Inspection Report: Springwater School, 1 March 2006 to 2 March 2006

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Grade: 2

This is a good school with some outstanding features. It is moving forward at a good rate and has the capacity to continue to do so. Through good teaching and a good curriculum, children in the Foundation Stage settle quickly and make good progress. The good teaching and good progress continues through all age groups so pupils' achievements are good in relation to their prior attainment. However, on occasions, work does not sufficiently stretch more able pupils so their rate of progress sometimes slows. Pupils of all ages and capabilities make outstanding progress in their personal development because of the excellent provision for their spiritual, moral, social and cultural development. All pupils are valued and respected and every effort is made to include all capabilities in all activities. The school has been awarded the local authority Inclusion Quality Mark. Links with other professionals and the community are good

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Grade: 2

and, alongside the excellent care, contribute to pupils' well-being and achievement. Leadership and management are good. Subject managers know what they do well and what needs to be improved. However, there is no curriculum manager to draw the strands together and provide an overview of the curriculum. Managers are accurate in their self-evaluation. They demonstrate a good understanding of what the school does well and have suitable plans to improve the provision. The recent introduction of work with mainstream schools is enabling some pupils with severe learning difficulties, and others with communication needs to stay in their local school. Parents and pupils hold the school in high regard. Value for money is good.

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Grade: 2

Following the criticism of the last inspection, provision for students in the post 16 unit has improved. The accommodation has improved significantly with students now sited in the main building. A nationally recognised award has been introduced. Whilst only one qualification is available, all students leave with accreditation reflecting their achievement. Inspection findings agree with managers' evaluation that the provision is good. Good teaching enables all students to make good progress and achieve well. Provision for personal development is excellent. Students grow in confidence and become increasingly independent. For example, lunchtime arrangements encourage students to take responsibility, think for themselves and make decisions. Though few are capable of independent living, through the activities provided, they gain skills in basic cookery, decorating and horticulture. They are particularly proud of their

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Grade: 2

contribution to the Woodland Walk. Students are prepared well for life after school with, for example, visits to specialist colleges, but they have only recently been allocated a Connexions officer.

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What the school should do to improve further

• Ensure that more able pupils are always set challenging tasks that really make them think. 2 Inspection Report: Springwater School, 1 March 2006 to 2 March 2006 • Have an overview of the curriculum so everyone has a balanced programme of work.

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Grade: 2

Achievement is good overall, being very good in communication and in personal, social, health and citizenship education (PSHCE). Pupils in all age groups with speech and language needs make very good progress because of skilled teaching using the method most appropriate to their needs, be it symbols, signs or picture exchange. Equally, all pupils achieve very well in PSHCE because of the taught programme and daily routines. Children in the Foundation Stage achieve well because of good teaching and the very close links established with parents and other professionals. Pupils with autism achieve well because teachers are skilled and use approaches that are well suited to their needs. As a result, pupils with autism in Years 7 to 13, the secondary department, have made sufficient progress to be taught in classes with their peers. Pupils with profound and multiple needs are now educated in the main part of the

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Grade: 2

school. They make good progress and achieve well because the activities provided are designed to enable them to learn through using their senses. Progress and achievement for other groups of pupils is good overall. In most lessons, more able pupils make good progress, but occasionally their rate of progress slows because the tasks provided are not sufficiently challenging. Achievement in writing and in information and communication technology has improved since the last inspection and is now on a par with achievement in other subjects.

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Grade: 1

Managers have been modest in their judgement of good. Excellent provision for pupils' spiritual, moral, social and cultural development has resulted in pupils making outstanding progress in their personal development. Primary age pupils settle quickly, show curiosity and grow in confidence. Older pupils talk proudly of the buddy system and how they help others and how the Woodland Walk provides a tranquil environment to reflect, especially the Tree of Thoughts. Pupils are encouraged to be healthy with even the most physically disabled being active. Pupils are aware of their role in the community, undertaking tasks in school, contributing to Starbeck in Bloom, and to numerous charities, including sending equipment to a school in Nigeria. Alongside a local business pupils gain an understanding of recycling through the 'Trash Can Hunt'. Pupils enjoy school and are very well behaved. They are proud of their achievements,

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Grade: 1

show respect for others and are tolerant of the idiosyncratic ways of those with complex needs. Attendance is satisfactory. Pupils attend whenever they can, but attendance has fallen because of serious illnesses. 3 Inspection Report: Springwater School, 1 March 2006 to 2 March 2006

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Grade: 2

Teaching and learning are good. Teaching in PSHCE is outstanding. Teachers and support staff work together very effectively. Training with the advanced skills teacher has significantly improved the contribution of learning assistants. Teachers plan their lessons conscientiously taking account of targets in individual learning plans. They provide a range of activities to make learning meaningful and to match the different age groups within each class. Questions are pitched at different levels to include all pupils. Teachers suitably plan different tasks for pupils of differing capabilities. Though separate tasks are planned for more able pupils, these are sometimes too easy so the thinking and reasoning of these pupils is not sufficiently stretched. Most lessons are fun and conducted with a sense of urgency, but on occasions, pupils are kept together in introductory discussions too long so the pace of learning slows. Assessment is good.

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Grade: 2

Teachers record pupils' successes in a number of ways. Very good use is made of digital cameras to record achievement. These have resulted in good Records of Achievement, but photographs and work are not always assessed in relation to expected levels and annotated. Adults make particularly good use of interactive whiteboards to gain and keep pupils' attention.

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Grade: 2

The curriculum is good and meets legal requirements. Numerous visits and visitors make learning exciting and meaningful. While the curriculum is broad, it is not balanced in some classes. The curriculum for PSHCE is successful in promoting healthy, safe lifestyles and daily routines contribute significantly to growing independence, and security. However, though an important subject, an unusually large amount of time is spent on PSHCE. Recreational time is planned well, but staff are aware there is not enough structure for some pupils during the long lunch break. Class groups have changed since the last inspection allowing pupils with profound and multiple needs to work alongside their peers. Meticulous planning and good teaching enable children in the Foundation Stage to achieve well in the same class as primary age pupils. Over 25% of pupils benefit socially and academically from links with their local school. Work

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Grade: 2

related learning has improved and is good and is preparing pupils well for life after school.

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Grade: 1

Managers have again been modest in their judgement of good. Pupils of all ages and capabilities receive outstanding care and support. The welfare of all is paramount. Very good communication and detailed care plans ensure adults are familiar with the support systems for the particularly vulnerable and those with degenerative conditions. 4 Inspection Report: Springwater School, 1 March 2006 to 2 March 2006 Suitable child protection procedures are in place and understood by staff. Where appropriate, rigorous assessments of the risks presented by individual pupils are undertaken. Similarly, the assessment of potential risks on visits out of school and in lessons is noted. Effective links with other professionals contribute considerably to pupils' well-being and achievement. For example, improved links with speech and language therapists are contributing significantly to achievement in language and communication. The school works well with parents to involve them in their child's

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Grade: 1

education through, for example, workshops for Makaton signing. Pupils are prepared very well for the change from the primary to secondary department.

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Grade: 2

Leadership and management have improved since the last inspection and are now good at all levels. Legal requirements are now met and the school improvement plan is clear and recognises the most important areas for development. The views of parents, pupils and staff are taken into account when making changes. The re-organisation of the leadership team has resulted in clarity in responsibilities. All members are very good examples to other staff. Their enthusiasm and foresight is driving the school forward at a good rate. The skills of individual team members are used effectively in school and in the local authority. For example, work is being done to support colleagues and pupils in mainstream schools, and the headteacher shares her knowledge on the Specialist Provision Forum. Subject management is good, co-ordinators have suitable development plans, but no member of staff has overall responsibility for the curriculum

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Grade: 2

to check that there is a good balance of subjects in all classes, and there is no rolling programme for subjects to be reviewed. Governance has improved. The committees work efficiently and governors are not afraid to challenge the headteacher. For example, following their monitoring visits to classes, they questioned how the admission of pupils with autism would affect other vulnerable pupils. Useful information on pupils' progress has been collected for the past three years and is being used effectively to track progress and set challenging targets, as well as highlighting pupils who may need additional support for various reasons. The system is currently being improved to track the performance of different groups of pupils. 5 Inspection Report: Springwater School, 1 March 2006 to 2 March 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: Springwater School, 1 March 2006 to 2 March 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?

1 1 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 2 2 How well learners with learning difficulties and disabilities make progress

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learners?

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

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?

2 2 How effectively leaders and managers at all levels set clear direction leading to improvement and promote high quality of care and education 2 2 How effectively performance is monitored, evaluated and improved to meet challenging targets, through quality assurance and self-review 2 2 How well equality of opportunity is promoted and discrimination tackled so that all learners achieve as well as they can 2 2 How effectively and efficiently resources are deployed to achieve value for money 2 2 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

I know many of you find reading difficult, so I have asked Mrs Cook and your teachers to talk to you about this letter. As you know, I met a number of you during the recent inspection of your school. I especially enjoyed eating lunch with you and talking to you. Thank you for being so polite and friendly, and helping me in my work. What I liked most about your school - You are very well behaved, work hard and enjoy school. - You have good teachers and support staff so you make good progress. - Circle time, PSHCE, visits in the community and the work you do in the Woodland Walk make an excellent contribution to your personal development. - You are very well cared for and links with other professionals such as the nurse and speech therapist make a significant contribution to your well-being. What I have asked your teachers and governors to do now - Make sure the work provided for more able pupils really makes them have to think hard.

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

- Make sure the managers keep a check on all the subjects you are taught. I enjoyed my short time with you and wish you well for the future.

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