Greenmead School

101099 Unique Reference Number Wandsworth Local Authority 285967 Inspection number 15 °16 May 2007 Inspection dates Lily Evans Reporting inspector

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

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Special Type of school Community special School category 3 °11 Age range of pupils Mixed Gender of pupils Number on roll 35 School

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The governing body Appropriate authority Mrs Joanne Brotherstone Chair Miss Penny Morley Headteacher 13 January 2003 Date of previous school inspection St Margaret's Crescent School address Putney London SW15 6HL

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020 8789 1466 Telephone number 020 8788 5945 Fax number

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3 °11 Age group 15 °16 May 2007 Inspection dates 285967 Inspection number .

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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 an additional inspector.

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Description of the school

The school provides for pupils who have statements of special educational needs. All pupils have a physical disability and a combination of communication difficulties, sensory impairment or medical needs. Over half of the pupils have profound and multiple learning difficulties and a few are on the autistic spectrum. About half of the pupils come from Wandsworth and the rest are from surrounding boroughs, most travelling daily on education transport. A short time after entry to the school pupils are assessed at a joint therapy clinic at the school where outside professionals assess and prioritise pupils' needs. A few pupils go on to main stream schools at age eleven.Pupils come from a wide range of backgrounds. A third are from homes where English is not the first language. Half of the pupils are entitled to free school meals. Following a two-year period in an acting role, the headteacher has very recently been given a permanent

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Description of the school

appointment. The headteacher is line manager for a separate conductive education pre-school unit for children with gross motor skills difficulties attached to the school.

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Key for inspection grades

Outstanding Grade 1 Good Grade 2 Satisfactory Grade 3 Inadequate Grade 4 3 of 10 Inspection Report: Greenmead School, 15 °16 May 2007

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Grade: 2

'My son has made remarkable progress at this well managed school which has a friendly atmosphere'. This is one of many tributes from parents. This is a good and improving school that has many positive features. The head teacher is providing clear leadership and has correctly identified what the school must do to improve. She is effectively supported by the senior leaders, who have clear roles and responsibilities and are fully committed to school improvement. The school based team of therapists, give expert support to staff and pupils and help ensure that pupils' needs are well met. Additionally, pupils benefit from features like music therapy through which they can resolve issues such as bereavement. Good teaching enables the pupils to make good progress in relation to their starting points. Dedicated teachers and support staff plan effectively and have high expectations of learners. The well directed support of special needs assistants helps all pupils to be actively involved in

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Grade: 2

lessons. Teachers are aware that the targets contained in some pupils' individual education plans (IEPs) lack precision and are working to improve this. There is, however, good practice within the school on which this work can be modelled. Pupils' learning is enhanced by clubs and games at break and lunch times. The curriculum is well planned and adapted to the range of different needs and there are good opportunities for enrichment. Although pupils are well cared for, teachers' planning for pupils' personal, social, health and citizenship education does not map out the step-by-step development of the necessary skills. Exceptional attention is paid to the pupils' health and safety and the school works very well in partnership with other agencies involved. Where there is a need, the school undertakes home visits, and these are valued by parents. The outreach service for supporting pupils with physical

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Grade: 2

disabilities has developed good links with mainstream schools. A new initiative allows a few pupils to enjoy the opportunities to make new friends when they attend a local primary school for lessons. The pupils enjoy helping others both in school and through charity fund-raising. Many opportunities are created to help pupils make choices, and they are made aware of their roles as disabled citizens. Independent thinking is encouraged and the pupils participate well in the school community. The headteacher and senior management team have evaluated the work of the school effectively. Since the last inspection, they have addressed curriculum planning, and resources are now plentiful. They have improved record-keeping but IEPs still need to provide consistently clear targets for pupils. The accommodation remains unsuitable and restricts pupils' use of the outdoors. However the school is set to move to an adjacent refurbished school in 2008 and

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Grade: 2

issues relating to outdoor use are set to be addressed through relocation. The good quality of the school's self-evaluation and the direction provided by senior managers are clear indicators of the good capacity for further improvement.

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What the school should do to improve further

• Agree skills areas and levels of challenge in setting IEP targets. Establish consistency in recording and reviewing them using best practice models within school. • Improve the planning for a personal, social, and citizenship education so that pupils have a clear path for developing their skills. 4 of 10 Inspection Report: Greenmead School, 15 °16 May 2007

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Grade: 2

All pupils achieve well, including children in Foundation Stage. They make good progress towards meeting nationally agreed levels of attainment such as P levels or, in some cases, National Curriculum levels by the end of Year 6. Pupils make especially good progress in communicating, reading and mathematical skills. The pupils' good academic progress stems from the high quality support and care for their needs which ensures they are ready to learn. Pupils learning English as an additional language receive good support and there are good systems in place that help them to make good progress. Inspectors agree with views of parents that their children are making good progress, and this is evident in their annual reviews. Other data collated by the school suggests that half of pupils achieve their IEP targets. Although teachers have recently worked at improving the targets set there is more work to be done to

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Grade: 2

ensure they are challenging and achievable.

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Grade: 2

Good work is undertaken to develop pupils' confidence and feelings of worth and to enable them to enjoy their lessons. Each pupil is valued as an individual. Pupils feel they have a voice in the school. Musical instruments and switching devices are used to good effect to stimulate and evoke responses and using their voices. Pupils enjoy the benefits of a good range of walking, lifting and posture aids which improve and develop their motor skills and ensure their comfort. Pupils are developing good social skills and regularly have opportunities to interact with others. Pupils especially value the friendships of their 'buddies' in mainstream school. They learn tolerance and respect through the way they are treated by staff and are thoughtful for others. Two pupils were observed moving their motorised wheelchairs without being prompted as they observed a need to make more space in the hall. There are clear boundaries for good behaviour

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Grade: 2

and pupils respond very well to these. Although attendance is below average, unauthorised absences are very low. Many absences are as a result of illness. The school rigorously follows up all absences and has close communications with parents.

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Grade: 2

The quality of teaching is nearly always good and at times outstanding. Teachers give very good attention to helping everyone participate at their own level. Lessons are challenging and interesting and, as a result, the pupils enjoy learning. They use good quality resources in lessons, often devised themselves, to ensure pupils have enough concrete objects to help them join in and understand. Resources are good and are always being renewed, extended and updated, for example the introduction of interactive whiteboards and music technology. In a few lessons the pace of learning is a little slow, leading to some lapses in concentration. However, special needs support assistants are skilled in helping to keep pupils' attention on the learning tasks presented. Sometimes teachers miss opportunities to record pupils' progress towards IEP targets by concentrating only on the planned learning. 5 of 10 Inspection Report: Greenmead School, 15 °16 May 2007

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Grade: 2

The curriculum is good and has improved since the last inspection in breadth, balance and planning. The curriculum is well adapted to meet the needs and interests of the pupils. It addresses the National Curriculum subjects but planning for personal, social, health and citizenship education, which is woven into subjects, is untracked and therefore does not ensure pupils progress to next steps. Foundation subjects such as geography are suitably planned around topics in a wide range of curriculum areas including the use of computers. There are stimulating and meaningful opportunities for enrichment through lunch time clubs and activities, visits, visitors and workshops. One popular club is the 'Barbie' dressing up club. Horse riding also provides a very good activity for helping physically disabled pupils improve their posture.

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Grade: 2

The pupils' care and safety needs are attended to very effectively and pupils are treated respectfully and with dignity. Health teams based in the school form strong partnerships with teachers to benefit pupils and ensure they participate in their learning. The pupils' achievement targets are tracked and monitored carefully in relation to P levels so that parents are aware of progress that their children have made. The school recognises teachers' choices of IEP target areas and steps to be achieved vary widely in quality. Recording and reviewing pupils' progress towards achieving targets is inconsistent. The school has correctly identified these as areas to improve and has good practice already in place as a model to build on.

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Grade: 2

The leadership of the school is good. The head teacher and senior management team have a clear, shared vision for the school and the improvements that need to be made. Uncertainty about the future of the school, now resolved, has led to an extended period of acting management which has had some effect on moving the school forward. Management roles are now well-defined and their strengths compliment and fulfil the needs of the school well. Communication links within the school and class teams are strong, and parents commend the ways the school keeps them informed. Monitoring of teaching is regular and rigorous and the new procedures which involve peer and subject leaders' monitoring provide an effective way to further develop skills and expertise. Induction procedures for care staff are well planned by the head of care. New teachers feel well supported within the informal programme of induction and monitoring. The head teacher and staff have not yet agreed areas for IEP target setting

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Grade: 2

and are making this a focus for establishing a whole-school approach. Governors give good support to the school and make themselves available to parents. Volunteers make a valued contribution to the school and its pupils. 6 of 10 Inspection Report: Greenmead School, 15 °16 May 2007 .

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Grade: 2

in the guidance 'Complaints about school inspection', which is available from Ofsted’s website: www.ofsted.gov.uk. 7 of 10 Inspection Report: Greenmead School, 15 °16 May 2007

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Inspection judgements

School Overall Key to judgements: grade 1 is outstanding, grade 2 good, grade 3 satisfactory, and grade 4 inadequate

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Overall effectiveness

How effective, efficient and inclusive is the provision of education, integrated care and any extended services in meeting the needs of learners? How well does the school work in partnership with others to promote learners' well-being? 2 The quality and standards in the Foundation Stage 2 The effectiveness of the school's self-evaluation 2 The capacity to make any necessary improvements Yes Effective steps have been taken to promote improvement since the last inspection

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Achievement and standards

2 How well do learners achieve? 4 The standards 1 reached by learners How well learners make progress, taking account of any significant variations between groups of learners 2 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 1 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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and interests of learners?

2 How well are learners cared for, guided and supported?

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and interests of learners?

Grade 1 - Exceptionally and consistently high; Grade 2 - Generally above average with none significantly below average; Grade 3 - Broadly average to below average; Grade 4 - Exceptionally low. 8 of 10 Inspection Report: Greenmead School, 15 °16 May 2007

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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 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, including staff, are deployed to achieve value for money The extent to which governors and other supervisory boards discharge their responsibilities Yes Do procedures for safeguarding learners meet current government requirements? No Does this school require special measures? No Does this school require a notice to improve? 9 of 10 Inspection Report: Greenmead School, 15 °16 May 2007

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

25 May 2007 Dear Children Inspection of Greenmead School,London,SW15 6HL Thank you for helping me and talking with me when I came to visit your school. I liked hearing about your 'buddies' in the other school. I was pleased to hear you like to help each other. I think your school is good and it keeps you safe and well.Your teachers and helpers are good at making lessons fun and interesting.You have lots of people and aids to help you learn new things. Your teachers listen to you and help you to learn to do things for yourselves. I have asked your teachers to make your IEP targets better. I have asked your teachers to make a clear programme for your personal development so you know what you are learning next. Very best wishes Lily Evans Lead inspector 10 of 10 Inspection Report: Greenmead School, 15 °16 May 2007

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