Lakeside School

116603 Unique Reference Number Hampshire Local Authority 290559 Inspection number 12 October 2006 Inspection date Susan Kara 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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Winchester Road School address Special Type of school Chandler's Ford Community special School category Eastleigh SO53 2DW 11 °16 Age range of pupils 02380266633 Telephone number Boys Gender of pupils 02380267147 Fax number 58 Number on roll (school) Mrs Marianne Ormon Chair The governing body Appropriate authority Mr Gareth Evans Headteacher 14 May 2001 Date of previous school inspection

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Inspection number Inspection date Age group 290559 12 October 2006 11 °16 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 two of Her Majesty's Inspectors and an Additional Inspector.

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Description of the school

Lakeside is a day and weekly boarding school for sixty three boys with behavioural, emotional and social difficulties. A number of the boys also have additional learning needs including specific learning difficulties; all of them have a statement of special educational need. The school is to the north of Southampton and serves the whole of Hampshire. Consequently a number of the boys have very long daily journeys to school. All of the boys are of White British origin. There is residential provision for eighteen weekly boarders but at the time of the inspection there were only ten pupils in the boarding house. Many of the boys do not live with their parents, many have very disrupted home lives and eight of the pupils are 'looked after'. A majority of the pupils have had significant disruption to their lives including lengthy spells out of school. The boys typically arrive at the school with levels of attainment well below their

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Description of the school

capabilities and well below that seen nationally. Since the time of the last inspection a new headteacher has been appointed and a major refurbishment and rebuilding programme has been completed.

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Key for inspection grades

Outstanding Grade 1 Good Grade 2 Satisfactory Grade 3 Inadequate Grade 4 1 Inspection Report: Lakeside School, 12 October 2006

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Grade: 1

This is an outstanding school which gives excellent value for money. It is a school where the pupils can put their past behind them and look towards their future. One parent commented that, and;quot;this is a very well-managed school with a good team of workers.and;quot; The headteacher is providing outstanding leadership and management. He is very well supported by a skilled and committed group of staff who work together as one to create an exemplary climate for learning. The school's self evaluation was accurate in all respects; its capacity for improvement is excellent. The school is very successful in keeping parents and carers informed about their child's progress. Detailed written reports go home twice a year but tutors are often in weekly and sometimes daily contact. The parents are very positive about the school and value the support that is given to their sons and to them. One parent wrote and;quot;there

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Grade: 1

is always someone on the end of the phone if you need someone to talk to.and;quot; The school social worker visits every new pupil at home and maintains regular contact with families. She also ensures the effective involvement of wide range of external partners who work with the school. The school has made outstanding progress since the inspection of 2001. It was left with six areas for improvement, a number of which were fundamental to its success, for instance, timetabling, staffing, the curriculum and the low expectations of pupils' behaviour. In addition, there were no opportunities for the pupils to leave with accreditation and none of their work was stored to measure progress. English standards were poor compared to other subjects and the provision for spiritual, cultural and creative education was poor. All of the areas have been thoughtfully and vigorously dealt with and are now strengths of the school.

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Grade: 1

Routines are well established and the school runs very smoothly on a day-to day-basis. The atmosphere is calm and purposeful. The learning environment is greatly enhanced by the well-respected wall displays that celebrate pupils work and achievements. The key aims of the 'Every Child Matters' agenda are lived out in the everyday life of the school. Standards are well below those seen nationally; however, the pupils clearly enjoy being at school and make excellent progress in their learning during their time at Lakeside. Attendance is not as good as it should be and the school does not use the rewards system to promote good attendance well enough. There is an increasing emphasis on being healthy as the school prepares to try to gain the 'Healthy Schools Award.' The pupils report that they feel safe both in the school and the boarding house. The improvements in the core skills of English, mathematics and information

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Grade: 1

and communication technology means that pupils' economic well-being is now outstanding. Although, the school has very detailed records on all of the pupils' attainment and progress this is not held centrally. Consequently pupil progress over time and trends for particular groups of pupils are time consuming to work out. The pupils are being well prepared to make a positive contribution to society in the future through the expectations that are placed on them to fulfill that role in the school community. 2 Inspection Report: Lakeside School, 12 October 2006

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Grade: 2

The boarding provision was inspected by Commission for Social Care Inspectorate (CSCI) at the same time as this inspection. The boarding provision is well managed and monitored. The school has consistently acted on recommendations made in previous CSCI reports and with a few minor shortfalls, has met the National Minimum Standards this year. The care staff work closely with the teaching staff to support the pupils well in achieving their educational targets. There are good handover procedures at the start and end of the day. The pupils who board have elected to do so and report that they are happy with their choice. There is a good range of activities in the evening which the pupils enjoy. The pupils' health needs are met well and they are encouraged to develop their independent living skills. The pupils spoke of bullying taking place occasionally but reported that the staff acted quickly to deal with it so that they felt

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Grade: 2

safe. A strength of the boarding provision is that the pupils are routinely consulted about all aspects of their care.

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What the school should do to improve further

• develop an easily accessed centrally-held record of the pupil progress and attainment • adapt the rewards system to secure better attendance.

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Grade: 1

The majority of pupils enter the school with attainment that is usually below or well below that expected for their age. However, the small numbers and the challenging educational backgrounds of many of the pupils make it inappropriate to judge their attainment against age-related national averages. Since the last inspection, the school has made raising standards one of it prime aims and it has been very successful. The minimum expectation is that all of the pupils will make gains of at least two national curriculum levels whilst at the school. The Governing Body set challenging targets for the end of Key Stage 3 and they have been exceeded. The GCSE points score has risen every year since the 2001 inspection and in over the last four years has doubled. A variety of accreditation is used by the school so that all of the pupils leave with qualifications. All of the pupils make good progress and most make excellent progress during their

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Grade: 1

time at Lakeside. The school monitors individual progress regularly and very carefully but does not hold attainment and progress information centrally. The pupils make very good progress in dealing with the difficulties they have in controlling their behaviour and emotions. 3 Inspection Report: Lakeside School, 12 October 2006

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Grade: 2

The personal development of the pupils is good with some outstanding features. Each pupil's social, moral, spiritual and cultural development is excellent. They are able to express themselves creatively through a range of experiences. The staff skill in supporting individuals and persuading groups to give of their best ensures that behaviour in and around the school is very good. The rewards system is particularly appreciated by the pupils. Pupils are encouraged to take on responsibilities, to communicate effectively and to self- assess their own conduct. Attendance is carefully monitored and has improved but remains too low. Exclusions have been steadily falling over the last four years with the exception of the Spring Term 2006. The school's detailed records indicate that many of the exclusions were for health and safety reasons as the middle of the school was a building site at that time. Pupils truly enjoy their school experiences, often for the first time. Many of them

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Grade: 2

talked enthusiastically about life at Lakeside. Excellent relationships exist between staff and each individual learner and there is an atmosphere of trust. The pupils feel safe, are safety conscious themselves and show excellent respect for their school environment. Through the school council, the pupils have a voice in how the school develops and a chance to fund raise and interact positively with the local community. They are being successfully encouraged to adopt healthy lifestyles through the increase in sports sessions offered, the development of a breakfast club and an emphasis on promoting good diet and exercise through the curriculum.

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Grade: 1

The teaching is outstanding; it motivates and inspires the boys to achieve. It is very well planned to match their individual needs. The learning support assistants are very well deployed and make a significant contribution to the pupils' academic and social progress. In all of the lessons seen the teachers made the learning aims clear at the start of the lesson and in the best lessons they checked the pupils' learning at the end. The pupils particularly enjoyed the interactive opportunities in lessons, described by one pupil and;quot;as a lot of hands-on.and;quot; They commented that they liked how the staff were always available to help them but encouraged them to try for themselves. The staff use shared humour very effectively to defuse potentially challenging situations. The pace of learning and the variety of activities ensured that for most of the time, the pupils enjoyed their work and remained focussed on it.

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Grade: 1

Learning is carefully planned to make sure each boy has many opportunities to take turns, work productively on their own and share ideas with their peers. 4 Inspection Report: Lakeside School, 12 October 2006

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Grade: 1

Since the 2001 inspection, the school has worked tirelessly to develop a wide range of educational, social and cultural outings and extra curricular opportunities. The curriculum is broad and balanced. It provides the pupils with a wide range of personalised learning opportunities. The timetable is well constructed with the more academic subjects in the morning and the more practical activities, sports, technology, art and outdoor pursuits timetabled for the afternoon. This maximises the pupils' concentration and motivation levels. There are good links with local colleges with many of the older pupils following a vocational part-time college course. Literacy is given a high priority, appropriately with a set period of reading for twenty minutes for the whole school before the morning break period. This takes place in the tutor groups but it is personalised so that each pupil can achieve. Many pupils work very

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Grade: 1

well on a one-to-one basis with a learning support assistant and on some occasions the older pupils are used as reading mentors for younger, less able pupils. This helps to build the self-esteem of the older pupils.

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Grade: 1

The staff's high level of commitment to provide personalised support and guidance for each boy and his family ensures that the care, guidance and support to pupils and their families are outstanding. Great care is taken to make a comprehensive risk assessment of each boy upon transfer to the school in order to provide individualised support and guidance. Supervision is very good, unobtrusively ensuring that the pupils have a very good awareness of health and safety. Together, the staff team provide a supportive and stimulating environment for the students. Each pupil has an individual education plan through which challenging targets are set and progress towards them monitored. The staff team liaise with each other very effectively. They regularly share with each pupil and their families reviews of personal progress towards targets. Processes for supporting pupils' development of strategies for good behaviour and promoting an anti-bullying culture are very good and ensure

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Grade: 1

students feel safe and supported. Arrangements for safeguarding pupils are robust. The school works closely with a wide range of external services in order to make provision for the full range of needs. The school social worker, in conjunction with teachers and the education psychologist and other external partners work effectively together to ensure that every obstacle to a pupil's learning is removed.

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Grade: 1

The headteacher has led the transformation of the school since the 2001 inspection. He is an excellent leader and manager. He is well supported by a team of staff with a 5 Inspection Report: Lakeside School, 12 October 2006 wide range of relevant skills. The headteacher and deputy form a particularly effective partnership. There is a very clear sense of teamwork and a shared vision of helping every boy to achieve well in all aspects of school life. Support and development opportunities for staff are good. The teaching assistants are valued as equal partners in the school. The governing body is very effective and provides very good support and challenge. 6 Inspection Report: Lakeside School, 12 October 2006 .

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Grade: 1

set out in the guidance 'Complaints about school inspection', which is available from Ofsted’s website: www.ofsted.gov.uk. 7 Inspection Report: Lakeside School, 12 October 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? 2 The effectiveness and efficiency of boarding provision 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

1 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 1 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 2 The behaviour of learners 4 The attendance of learners 1 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?

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. 8 Inspection Report: Lakeside School, 12 October 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? 9 Inspection Report: Lakeside School, 12 October 2006

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

Thank you so much for the way you welcomed us into your school on Thursday 12 October. We very much appreciated the way you answered our questions and explained things to us. We think that Lakeside is an outstanding school. Mr Evans and all of the staff have transformed the school into somewhere you enjoy coming to and where you know you can do well. What we liked most about your school: • the way that all of the staff both in the school and the boarding house work as one team to give you as much help and support as they can to provide you with a happy and safe place to be; • the encouragement you are given to take responsibilities, for example in the school council which you know is listened to by the staff; • the very good teaching which is enabling you to make really good progress so that the older pupils are leaving with qualifications and going on to college courses or work; • the rewards system which is really clear and which you think is fair. We especially like the

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

range of activities that you can choose on a Friday afternoon. What we have asked your school to do to improve further • the school knows each of you very well and has a lot of data on your test and examination results. We have asked them to put this into a clear central system so it is easy to see at a glance the progress each of you has made • raise attendance. This is an area where you can really help. Too many of you are taking days off when you could probably have come to school. We really enjoyed our day with you, you are right to wear you uniform with pride, Lakeside is a school to be proud of. Susan Kara Her Majesty's Inspector 10 Inspection Report: Lakeside School, 12 October 2006

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