Manchester Hospital School

Inspection Report Manchester Hospital Schools and Home Teaching Service

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105602 Unique Reference Number Manchester Local Authority 287274 Inspection number 1 °2 November 2006 Inspection dates Susan Preece HMI 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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Charlestown Road School address Special Type of school Blackley, Manchester Community special School category Lancashire M9 7AA 3 °18 Age range of pupils 0161 9185118 Telephone number Mixed Gender of pupils 0161 9185600 Fax number 150 Number on roll (school) Ms Janet Pickering Chair The governing body Appropriate authority Mrs H Jones Headteacher 9 December 2002 Date of previous school inspection

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Inspection number Inspection dates Age group 287274 1 °2 November 2006 3°18 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 of Her Majesty's Inspectors and two Additional Inspectors.

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Description of the school

The school, which operates over six sites, makes provision for children with medical needs and for girls who become pregnant whilst still of school age. It includes ward and class teaching for in-patients and two home teaching centres. The Burgess Centre caters predominantly for younger children while the Leo Kelly Centre caters mainly for secondary age pupils, many of whom have mental health difficulties, and some school age mothers. The numbers of children receiving a service fluctuates daily but the school can cater for up to 150 pupils. On entry many pupils are working below their ability level as a result of illness or absence from school. At the time of the inspection there were 10 pupils from minority ethnic groups, 6 looked-after pupils and 10 pupils had a statement of special educational needs. Overall, a higher proportion of boys attend the school than girls. A new children's hospital school, located in the

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Description of the school

centre of Manchester, is due to open in summer 2009.

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Key for inspection grades

Outstanding Grade 1 Good Grade 2 Satisfactory Grade 3 Inadequate Grade 4 1 Inspection Report: Manchester Hospital Schools and Home Teaching Service, 1 °2 November 2006

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Grade: 1

Inspectors agree with the school's view that this is an outstanding school. The school is very successful in providing the security and encouragement needed to enable vulnerable pupils to be confident and enthusiastic learners. A culture of success, where the achievements of all pupils are celebrated, permeates the whole ethos of the school. The quality of teaching and learning is good overall and some is outstanding. The school adjusts very well to the varying needs of pupils on entry and as a result their progress is good. There are strong links with local schools and colleges. The outstanding curriculum responds to pupils' individual needs successfully supporting their learning and excellent personal development. Parents express great confidence in the school. The partnership between health and education is good and developing over time. The school is well led and management at all levels is good, although better use should

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Grade: 1

be made of the outcomes from lesson observations to support further improvement in the quality of teaching. The headteacher's vision and drive for excellence extends to all staff. Improvements since the last inspection have been achieved against a backdrop of changing intake and more pupils needing specialised help. Achievements have improved: the range and breadth of the curriculum are excellent as are the behaviour and motivation of the pupils; a registered nursery is now well established; and accommodation has improved. The school has an outstanding capacity to continue to develop as it meets and relishes new challenges.

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What the school should do to improve further

• Improve the use of outcomes from lesson observations to set targets for year-on-year improvement.

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Grade: 2

The school judged that pupils' achievements are good and inspectors agree with this view. Whatever their starting point or their capabilities, pupils make good progress socially and emotionally, and achieve well academically. By the time they leave school, standards overall approach those of learners of similar age in mainstream schools. Support for vulnerable pupils is very effective and this enables them to achieve more than expected. Pupils flourish in the positive climate for learning provided by the school. Pupils who leave school at age 16 do so with a good range of passes in external examinations. This includes the highest GCSE grades. Outcomes in art are outstanding. Boys' achievement is particularly strong in several subjects. The number and range of examination subjects is extensive and no pupil leaves the school at age 16 without at least one externally validated examination pass. Most do so with several, including

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Grade: 2

both English and mathematics at GCSE. Opportunities are provided to cultivate pupils' interests; for example, pupils have been able to pursue archaeology to GCSE level, 2 Inspection Report: Manchester Hospital Schools and Home Teaching Service, 1 °2 November 2006 while more able pupils are entered for GCSE statistics at the end of Year 10. Many achieve a good pass. Work related and life skills courses are effective and all pupils make particularly good progress in information and communications technology (ICT) and this effectively supports their learning in other subjects. Those pupils staying in the hospitals learn well and develop their knowledge and understanding so that they can make a successful move back into their own school. Basic skills develop well. Attentive listening and confident speaking are features of lessons across the age range. Pupils who, previously, have been non-school attenders

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Grade: 2

or otherwise disaffected achieve well. Whenever possible, young mothers are supported in their own school and achieve positive outcomes. Those who attend the Leo Kelly Centre also achieve well. Most pupils meet the challenging targets set for them.

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Grade: 1

Pupils' personal development and well-being, including their spiritual, moral, social and cultural development, is outstanding and built upon the excellent support and guidance they receive. Their behaviour in lessons is consistently exemplary. Pupils try very hard and demonstrate good study skills, setting them up well for their future lives. They report that 'we all get along well together' and say that all staff deal quickly and effectively with any incidents of bullying or racism. Pupils are successfully encouraged to eat healthily, for example, through the tuck shop, lunch menu and breakfast club. Cookery lessons help pupils to learn to produce healthy meals and young mothers to prepare baby food. A very active school council enables pupils to exercise responsibility and make choices. Pupils participate in a wide range of fundraising activities, the most recent being organised by the school council to cover

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Grade: 1

the cost of refurbishing the pool table. Throughout the school, development of basic skills raises pupils' economic awareness, and this is extended through initiatives such as 'the card factory', caf Á and other in-house work experience. In Year 11 there is a high emphasis on work related studies and employability. The impact of this outstanding provision is that pupils feel well prepared for life after school.

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Grade: 2

The quality of teaching and learning is good and inspectors agree with the school's judgement on this area. Relationships between teachers and pupils are outstanding, based on the staff's knowledge of individuals and the high expectations they set for learning. Pupils new to the school settle extraordinarily well. The climate for learning in classrooms is positive. Teachers are sensitive to pupils' needs and pupils support each other well, including in discussions. Good account is taken of the specific difficulties each learner must overcome in order to succeed. In a minority of cases the pace of lessons is slow because work set is not fully matched to needs, while at other 3 Inspection Report: Manchester Hospital Schools and Home Teaching Service, 1 °2 November 2006 times too many distractions interrupt the flow of the lesson. The expertise of teachers is good, and in some subjects, for example, art, it is outstanding. Teachers have

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Grade: 2

appropriate training and most are involved in working with pupils from across the school's diverse population. Teachers are flexible in their approach and quickly gain pupils' and parents' confidence and organise interesting work. The procedures for assessing pupils are good. Teachers and managers are skilled in determining pupils' individual needs. The assessment information is generally used well to match courses to pupils' needs. In lessons, pupils are given good guidance on what they must do in order to improve.

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Grade: 1

The curriculum and range of activities are outstanding. Where appropriate at Key Stages 1, 2 and 3 pupils follow the National Strategies, while older pupils have the opportunity to study a range of GCSE courses. At the Burgess and Leo Kelly Centres there is appropriate emphasis on activities to help pupils overcome their emotional and social difficulties. This assists them to deal with the challenges they may face in life. The curriculum is enriched through art and creative work which is of a very high standard. Educational visits and the valuable annual residential experience enable pupils to develop self-confidence and leadership skills. The curriculum is regularly reviewed to ensure flexibility in developing provision for each pupil. A very strong emphasis is placed upon personal, social and health education and emotional literacy. This makes an excellent contribution to personal development supporting pupils in

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Grade: 1

Care and guidance of the pupils is outstanding and especially significant given the pupils' vulnerability. Parents express great confidence in the school and feel that it does all it can to keep pupils safe. Child protection procedures and health and safety routines are well understood by the staff. Excellent partnerships with a range of agencies, such as the child and adolescent mental health team, enable pupils to access specialist support for their particular needs. The small number of pregnant school girls who are referred to the Leo Kelly Centre receive excellent support from the teenage pregnancy re-integration officer. Pupils are encouraged to talk to any member of staff with whom they feel comfortable, in the knowledge that appropriate and timely action will follow. There are excellent procedures in place to help pupils settle well when they are admitted to the school or to move on to the next stage of their education. Strong

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Grade: 1

links have been established with local schools and colleges. Pupils' personal levels of development are very closely monitored. Academic guidance is good. Pupils are satisfied that teachers give very clear and helpful instructions and guidance about how to improve. The school has been awarded the Healthy Schools Silver Award. 4 Inspection Report: Manchester Hospital Schools and Home Teaching Service, 1 °2 November 2006

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Grade: 2

Inspectors agree with the school that leadership and management are good with some excellent features, most notably the very purposeful leadership from the headteacher. She has an acute understanding of the school's strengths and areas for further development. There are excellent arrangements for teachers to work across different settings and have varied roles. Staff work unstintingly towards the common goal of improving the learning opportunities for all the children in their care. Although a highly complex organisation, the school and home teaching service operate very smoothly on a day-to-day basis; there are clear lines of management responsibility and staff are well deployed. Self-evaluation is accurate; systematic monitoring of teaching is robust and correctly identifies strengths and ways forward. The evaluations of these lessons are generally detailed and helpful but the outcomes are not effectively

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Grade: 2

analysed or used for setting whole school improvement targets year-on-year. School improvement planning is good and is used to direct improvements. The local authority provides regular and valuable contribution to quality improvement processes. The school regularly seeks the views of parents and carers and other stakeholders; pupils were successfully involved in the appointment of the new headteacher who will take up her post in January 2007. Accommodation is good at all the sites. The promotion of equality and diversity is outstanding. Learning resources successfully challenge stereotypical attitudes. There is zero tolerance of any incidence of bullying or racism and pupils feel valued, safe and supported well in their learning. The governing body fulfil its statutory role well with an appropriate balance of challenge and support. The continuing development of the school since the last inspection, including the

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Grade: 2

maintenance of high quality teaching and learning, exemplary care, support and guidance and links with other multidisciplinary agencies demonstrates it has outstanding capacity for further improvement. Value for money is very good. 5 Inspection Report: Manchester Hospital Schools and Home Teaching Service, 1 °2 November 2006 .

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Grade: 2

set out in the guidance 'Complaints about school inspection', which is available from Ofsted’s website: www.ofsted.gov.uk. 6 Inspection Report: Manchester Hospital Schools and Home Teaching Service, 1 °2 November 2006

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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? 1 The effectiveness of the school's self-evaluation 1 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? 3 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?

1 The extent of learners' spiritual, moral, social and cultural development 1 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 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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and interests of learners?

1 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. 7 Inspection Report: Manchester Hospital Schools and Home Teaching Service, 1 °2 November 2006

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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? 8 Inspection Report: Manchester Hospital Schools and Home Teaching Service, 1 °2 November 2006

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

Thank you for making us so welcome when we visited your school. You were certainly keen to tell us about all the great things that happen there and we agree with you, Manchester Hospital School and Home Teaching Service is an outstanding school. These are just some of the things we found about your school. • When you arrive, the staff help you settle in very well and become part of the school. What is really good is that so many of you make good progress in your work because of the help you receive and your own determination to succeed. • Every school needs a leader and we think that you have a really special one in your headteacher. Managers, staff and governors are guiding and supporting you well so that you can achieve great things. • We asked your parents and carers for their views of your school. They have great confidence in the work of the school in caring for you and leading you to success. • You try hard with your behaviour and we were impressed with your knowledge about staying

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

healthy and safe. • There are some brilliant opportunities to take part in exciting activities as well as good support for you when you need to decide about where to go next in life. • You are taught well but we have asked that your school keeps a close eye on lessons in order to help you to achieve even more. You are rightly proud of your school and, on behalf of the inspection team, I wish you lots of success for all that you do in the future. 9 Inspection Report: Manchester Hospital Schools and Home Teaching Service, 1 °2 November 2006

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