Moorcroft School

102466 Unique Reference Number Hillingdon Local Authority 286386 Inspection number 12 °13 June 2007 Inspection dates Greg Sorrell 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 11 °19 Age range of pupils Mixed Gender of pupils Number on roll 63 School 26 6th form

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The governing body Appropriate authority Mrs Mary O'Connor Chair Mrs Joy Nuthall Headteacher 8 July 2002 Date of previous school inspection Bramble Close School address Hillingdon Uxbridge UB8 3BF

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01895 437799 Telephone number 01895 438123 Fax number

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11 °19 Age group 12 °13 June 2007 Inspection dates 286386 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

Moorcroft is a community special school for students with severe and profound and multiple learning difficulties, some of whom have also additional medical needs and sensory impairments. Most come from Hillingdon although some students come from nearby London boroughs. All have statements of special educational needs and the cultures are diverse with approximately half being white British, one third being Asian heritage and a small number of other ethnic groups. One third of students have English as an additional language and approximately one third of the students are 'looked after' due to respite care needs. There are approximately twice as many boys as girls. Approximately 80% of the school population have severe learning difficulties. The school is part of a joint extended schools collaborative and is developing outreach services for other schools. The school is currently being re-designated to include students with Autistic Spectrum Disorder and complex needs and the number on roll

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Description of the school

will increase next year. The school has achieved recognition as a Healthy School and is seeking imminent renewal of Investors in People status.

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Key for inspection grades

Outstanding Grade 1 Good Grade 2 Satisfactory Grade 3 Inadequate Grade 4 3 of 12 Inspection Report: Moorcroft School, 12 °13 June 2007

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Grade: 2

Moorcroft is a good school with outstanding features. The students' personal development and well-being are excellent enabling them to achieve maximum independence. Achievement by students through the school, including the sixth form is good. Their behaviour is good and their spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is outstanding. The school ensures that all learners know about staying healthy, enjoy their lessons, and feel safe in an environment where they can achieve well and are well prepared for the next stage of their lives. The teachers and teaching assistants know the students well and plan relevant lessons with a very strong emphasis on effective communication and first hand experience. Relationships in school are excellent as is the accommodation which provides very well for academic and therapeutic needs. The overall quality of care, guidance and support provided for students is good. School

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Grade: 2

procedures ensure their well-being is appropriately safeguarded. Teachers' use of assessment is good. Careers education and guidance prepare the students very well for leaving school. Students receive a good range of therapies, including speech and language and creative therapies that improve their communication skills which help them to access all opportunities provided. Respect for the students' wishes and dignity in their personal care are strong features of daily life at school. Rare exceptions to this very strong aspect are the transport arrangements for a small number of students which are unsatisfactory. Leadership, management and governance are good. The headteacher has shown excellent leadership since arrival and with her team has ensured good improvement since the last inspection. The headteacher and senior staff have an accurate view of the school's effectiveness. They have rightly identified the need to review the curriculum to ensure it continues to meet

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Grade: 2

the increasingly complex needs of all students, in order to increase progress further. The school surveys staff, students and parents about their views of what works well and suggested areas for improvement. Parents are overwhelmingly supportive of the school. The governing body gives excellent support on personnel, student welfare and finance issues although their role in systematically evaluating students' achievement requires further development. The school's work with other partners within the extended schools' partnership and its outreach services are excellent. The school provides good value for money.

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Grade: 2

The sixth form is led and managed by the same staff as the rest of the school, as a result the students' achievement and the quality of provision is also good.

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What the school should do to improve further

• Extend the role of governors in evaluating students' achievements. • Review the daily transport and reception arrangements for some students. 4 of 12 Inspection Report: Moorcroft School, 12 °13 June 2007

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Grade for sixth form: 2

The students' achievements are good because they receive good quality education, care and support. The standards attained are inevitably well below average given the nature of their special educational needs. However, all students in the school and sixth form make good progress according to their abilities towards targets in their individual education plans (IEPs.) Achievement in relation to their starting points and capabilities, as measured by national criteria (P levels) is good. Key Stage 4 students and those in the sixth form achieve very well on work experience and in Award Scheme Development and Accreditation Network courses (ASDAN) at transition challenge and Bronze level. Data analysis shows no significant difference in achievement between any of the different groups of special educational need, race or gender.

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Grade for sixth form: 1

The students' personal development and well-being are outstanding. Their obvious expressions of excitement as they enter the school each morning show that they are happy to be there. Attendance is good and absences are invariably for medical reasons. In relation to their abilities to communicate, students show extremely positive attitudes to each other and staff. Students feel safe, their behaviour is good and there have been no exclusions in the last year. There are no recorded racist incidents and all faiths are addressed in religious education and ASDAN. Parents and carers are extremely positive about the school's impact on their children's personal development. Students' spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is outstanding. Spiritual development is promoted in assemblies and collective worship. They develop a growing self-awareness and understanding of the world around them as a result of regular use of the community, where

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Grade for sixth form: 1

they experience different social and cultural environments. The school is racially harmonious and cultural diversity is celebrated. Collectively, the students raise funds for others, such as 'fostering' a child in India from whose family they receive news. Weekly attendance by sixth form students at a local college of further education is a particularly rich social experience. Responsibilities are enthusiastically taken up throughout the school and the school council gives good opportunities to make the student voice heard. Wherever possible students respond well to opportunities to make decisions. They make informed choices, for example, options for physical activity and selecting meals from the healthy school menu. Older students' economic well-being and preparation for life after school are furthered by learning key skills and experiences of the world of work, including mini-enterprises. 5 of 12 Inspection Report: Moorcroft School, 12 °13 June 2007

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Grade for sixth form: 2

Teaching and learning are good. Teachers and teaching assistants have a very good knowledge of the students' needs and preferred learning styles and reflect this in their planning. A particular strength is the provision of practical experiences to consolidate learning and the promotion of communication and independence. Staff employ a wide variety of artefacts, communication methods and sensory experiences to engage the students' attention, and sensitivity to their wishes is clearly evident. For example, students were asked whether or they wanted to hold some ice in support of a story. Good account has been taken of national guidance for the structure of lessons and ways to involve learners in assessment. The teamwork between teachers and other staff is a strong feature. Although they do not plan jointly, the assistants are adequately briefed before the lessons and assist with assessment. Some teaching assistants have additional specialist roles and all offer

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Grade for sixth form: 2

excellent support for the students' personal care. On rare occasions, some students do not get the teaching support they require because teaching assistants are drawn away to attend to these needs. Expertise within the school's leadership team is reflected in the use of information and communication technology. Staff are familiar with devices to enable students to communicate effectively and the use of interactive whiteboards and new plasma screens is increasingly effective. Staff use digital cameras well to record achievements although the quality of display is variable. Staff also make good use of the school's excellent specialist accommodation.

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Grade for sixth form: 2

The curriculum is good. It has maintained the strengths identified in the last inspection and the school is quite properly reviewing and developing its provision to fully meet the increasingly wide and complex needs of the students. The school continues to focus upon communication, literacy and numeracy alongside the students' personal, social and physical development in order for students to achieve maximum independence. Students with additional complex learning needs access the curriculum through sensory experiences. In Key Stage 4 and the sixth form the curriculum furthers these elements and increases the amount of vocational education and preparation for life after school. The schemes of work are supplemented by accredited ASDAN modules and mini-enterprise projects that develop decision making and independence. Opportunities for integrating with students from other schools are few, although the sixth form

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Grade for sixth form: 2

link with a local college of education provides rich social and academic experiences. Lunch-times and breaks are well used to support the students' personal development via good enrichment activities, including clubs. Good use is made of the local community to enrich the curriculum as does the residential trip to a local activity centre. 6 of 12 Inspection Report: Moorcroft School, 12 °13 June 2007 Students receive appropriate therapies which further increase their ability to access the curriculum. For example, the creative therapies provided by music and drama therapists have a beneficial impact on the students' abilities to communicate. Physiotherapy, occupational therapy and hydrotherapy improve the students' mobility. Good speech and language therapy is provided in class and during discrete sessions. Skilful liaison between staff minimise the disruption to the students' to ensure they do not miss out on valuable experiences elsewhere.

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Grade for sixth form: 2

The combined experience of lessons and therapy prepares them well for their next stage of education.

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Grade for sixth form: 2

Good provision is made for the students' care, support and guidance. The school pays close attention to the students' personal development and well-being. Arrangements for safeguarding students are robust. Risk assessments are regularly undertaken, and child protection is given an appropriately high priority, as is the health and safety of the whole school community. The full-time nurse provides excellent support for all students' medical needs. Students are given excellent support and guidance to meet their half-termly individual targets. Annual reviews, conducted in a new more inclusive manner also enable the school to ensure that students' academic and personal needs are met as a result of good quality teaching and well-focussed intervention and guidance. Excellent liaison with the feeder schools helps students settle in on admission. Similar attention is given when moving from one class to the next and

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Grade for sixth form: 2

especially prior to leaving school. Relationships with other agencies, including care workers, therapists, medical staff and careers advisors, are excellent. The provision for careers education and guidance is a particular strength in preparing the students in Key Stage 4 and post 16 for life after school. Comprehensive reports keep parents very well informed about their children's progress and they are invited to discuss targets and achievements throughout the year. The Chair of Governors and headteacher both hold key positions within these partnerships. These strong relationships also ensure that the procedures for the many 'looked after children' are similarly effective. The school deploys its therapy resources very well. Transport to and from school for the majority of students works well. For a small number of students the arrangements are unsatisfactory on two counts. A small number of students'

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Grade for sixth form: 2

transport on one vehicle has no escort as specified in their most recent annual reviews. Furthermore, some students have to remain seated on their bus for at least half an hour until school begins. Attempts by the school's management to resolve this situation has thus far been unsuccessful. Parents are overwhelmingly supportive of the school. Some parents visit the school to take up the opportunity to develop their own computer skills. Several added comments via their pre-inspection questionnaires. These included, 'we feel very privileged for him to attend such a wonderful school ... all staff are hardworking, dedicated and approachable ... the daily feedback we get via the record book helps us get prepared at home.' 7 of 12 Inspection Report: Moorcroft School, 12 °13 June 2007

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Grade for sixth form: 2

In the two years she has held the post, the headteacher has shown excellent leadership and management. As a result, together with good support from her senior leadership team and staff, the school has made good improvement since the last inspection and has demonstrated that the capacity for further improvement is also good. One of the main challenges since the last inspection has been to adjust the school's provision to meet the changing special educational needs of the intake. The headteacher identified the need to audit the existing provision to ensure it met the increasingly diverse and complex needs of the student population. Close tracking of students' progress resulted in implementing changes to the curriculum which are nearly complete. Staff re-structuring has also been successful with much more clarity of role and the inclusion of a senior teaching assistant to the leadership team. The school has good systems to induct new staff and all benefit from performance

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Grade for sixth form: 2

management and targets are set to raise the achievement of students. Work to retain 'Investors in People' status is nearing completion. School development planning is comprehensive and involves all staff annually. Gathering evidence for self-evaluation is increasingly undertaken by middle managers. Monitoring procedures are effective in enabling the school's management to have an accurate evaluation of the school's performance. Governors provide good support for premises, personnel and curriculum. Some visit lessons and have particular expertise and this is used to good effect, especially in relation to safeguarding students' welfare. Their role in the school's self-evaluation is developing well, although their overview of achievement is underemphasised in the school improvement plan. Financial matters are well managed and appropriately audited. The school's central role within the extended schools' partnership and its 'Reaching Out' project

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Grade for sixth form: 2

is excellent in extending its expertise to the benefit of vulnerable students who do not attend the school. Feedback from staff and parents indicate overwhelming satisfaction for these well managed services. 8 of 12 Inspection Report: Moorcroft School, 12 °13 June 2007 .

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Grade for sixth form: 2

in the guidance 'Complaints about school inspection', which is available from Ofsted’s website: www.ofsted.gov.uk. 9 of 12 Inspection Report: Moorcroft School, 12 °13 June 2007

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Inspection judgements

16-19 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

2 2 How effective, efficient and inclusive is the provision of education, integrated care and any extended services in meeting the needs of learners? 1 1 How well does the school work in partnership with others to promote learners' well-being? 2 2 The effectiveness of the school's self-evaluation 2 2 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 How well learners with learning difficulties and disabilities make progress

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well-being of the learners?

The extent of learners' spiritual, moral, social and cultural development 2 The behaviour of learners 2 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 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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range of needs and interests of learners?

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

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range of 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 to below average; Grade 4 - Exceptionally low. 10 of 12 Inspection Report: Moorcroft School, 12 °13 June 2007

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achievement 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 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? 11 of 12 Inspection Report: Moorcroft School, 12 °13 June 2007

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

26 June 2007 Dear Students Inspection of Moorcroft School,Uxbridge,UB8 3BF Thank you for helping me get to know your school this week and for giving me such a warm welcome. I am pleased to say that you go to a good school. Some things are outstanding, especially your personal development and well-being. The headteacher leads the staff very well and they all work very hard for you. The teachers and teaching assistants make sure that your lessons help you to learn in lots of different ways. They provide you with choices and help you to communicate and use number where you all make good progress as well as becoming more confident and able to look after yourselves. Things like your school journey, time at college and awards are also very good to prepare you for leaving school. You get on well with the staff and do your very best to see that everyone can get on and learn in class. I was impressed by the way you look after each other in the playground

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

and know how much you enjoy the play equipment or just taking a break from your learning. I could see you were happy when you arrived at school and were tired when it was home time. You have lots of lessons, including swimming, games and movement lessons to keep you strong, fit and healthy. Your school meals are especially healthy and it's clear - tasty too! You obviously enjoy your lessons, especially using computers and practical subjects. I'm pleased I was able to help some of you on your Bear Hunt! The headteacher, the staff and governors are working hard to keep all your lessons just right and to improve the school even more, I'm asking her do a couple of things. One is to the governors are more closely involved in just how well you do in lessons and at college. The other is to improve the school bus arrangement for a few of you. I wish you lots of luck in the future and thank you once again for allowing me to see just how

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

well you are doing. Greg Sorrell Lead Inspector 12 of 12 Inspection Report: Moorcroft School, 12 °13 June 2007

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