Applebee Wood Community Specialist School

Inspection Report Lostock Hall Moor Hey School

p.1

119880 Unique Reference Number Lancashire Local Authority 291559 Inspection number 20 °21 September 2006 Inspection dates Susan Preece HMI Reporting inspector

p.1

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

p.1

Far Croft School address Special Type of school Lostock Hall, Preston Community special School category Lancashire, PR5 5SS 4 °16 Age range of pupils 01772 336 976 Telephone number Mixed Gender of pupils 01772 696 670 Fax number 84 Number on roll (school) Mr George Woods MBE Chair The governing body Appropriate authority Mr Will Wilson Headteacher Not previously inspected Date of previous school inspection

p.1

Inspection number Inspection dates Age group 291559 20 °21 September 2006 4°16 Website: www.ofsted.gov.uk

p.1

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.

p.2

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.

p.2

Introduction

The inspection was carried out by two of Her Majesty’s Inspectors.

p.3

Description of the school

Lostock Hall Moor Hey School is a day special school for boys and girls with moderate and complex learning difficulties, many of whom have additional behavioural and emotional needs. All of the pupils have a statement of special educational need. Two thirds of the pupils are boys. A higher than average proportion of pupils have free school meals. Pupils are drawn from across the area of Preston and South Ribble; 95% are of White British heritage and nearly all pupils speak English as their first language. A very small number of pupils are in the care of the local authority.

p.3

Key for inspection grades

Outstanding Grade 1 Good Grade 2 Satisfactory Grade 3 Inadequate Grade 4 1 Inspection Report: Lostock Hall Moor Hey School, 20 °21 September 2006

p.3

Grade: 2

Lostock Hall Moor Hey School is a good school with some significant strengths. Pupils make good progress and achieve well. As a result, their life chances are much improved. They make particularly good progress in their personal development. Pupils enjoy coming to school and are proud of their achievements; most behave very well and are enthusiastic about their work. The curriculum is broad and balanced, well taught and enriched by an exceptional range of extra activities. The school provides outstanding inclusion opportunities for its pupils through the South Ribble Learning Federation, which is composed of local high schools. Parents are very positive about the school. Strong leadership by the headteacher and determination by the staff and partners in the community make major contributions to the success of the school. Through its effective self-evaluation, based partly upon the careful canvassing of the

p.4

Grade: 2

views of staff, pupils, parents and other agencies, managers have a secure understanding of its strengths and areas for improvement. The school retains its forward momentum but its current priorities are not as clear as they might be for all staff. For example, the overall targets in the school improvement plan are not always translated into specific objectives. The school has a good track record of bringing about improvements. There have been significant advances since the last inspection, especially in developing information and communication technology (ICT) and in design and technology (D&T). In order to raise achievement even further the school should ensure that best practice in teaching and learning is shared with all staff and that planning for improvement is more detailed. Governance is adequate but the school acknowledges the need for an increased level of challenge and support from the governors. The school demonstrates good capacity for further improvement and

p.4

What the school should do to improve further

• Ensure best practice in lesson planning, marking and target-setting is shared throughout the school. • Develop an annual cycle of self-evaluation and good quality improvement planning to raise pupils’ achievement even higher. • Increase the level of challenge and support provided by the governing body.

p.4

Grade: 2

The school judged that pupils’ achievements are good and inspectors agree with this view. Due to the school’s effective provision, the standards achieved by all groups of pupils are good given their capabilities and very low starting points. By the time pupils leave Key Stage 2, they have made good gains, especially in literacy and social skills. Key Stage 3 and 4 pupils continue to make good progress. They acquire skills which equip them well for the next stage in their learning and for life after school. All pupils 2 Inspection Report: Lostock Hall Moor Hey School, 20 °21 September 2006 gain a useful range of accredited qualifications and many acquire the confidence to use these to gain college places or employment appropriate to their needs. The school has introduced more robust systems to assess pupils’ progress, but recognises that staff need to make better use of the assessment information to set

p.4

Grade: 2

targets. More could also be done to make sure that all teachers use the data consistently in planning future lessons.

p.5

Grade: 2

The personal development and well-being of pupils are good. Nearly all pupils enjoy coming to school. Attendance is satisfactory and pupils are punctual. Almost all pupils are enthusiastic in lessons and behave very well. Any instances of poor behaviour are managed well by all staff. Overall, the pupils are considerate to one another and show respect to the staff and school environment. Pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and social development is good. Pupils are excited by activities in assemblies and the use of ICT. For example, pupils in a Key Stage 2 ICT lesson gasped in wonder at the changing font sizes and colours of a piece of writing. They have a good awareness of cultures other than their own and this is enhanced by their partnership with a school in Ghana. Pupils know what to do to be safe in lessons and around school. They adopt healthy lifestyles, for example participating in a good range of sporting activities and

p.5

Grade: 2

increasingly choosing fruit at lunchtimes. Pupils make a good contribution to the school and wider community. Via the school council, they support overseas charities. They work very well with neighbouring schools in a variety of projects such as design and technology days. Good progress in learning, coupled with improving ICT skills, and strong links with local schools and businesses, means that pupils are developing very good workplace and other skills. These successfully contribute to their future economic well-being.

p.5

Grade: 2

Inspectors agree that teaching is good overall and, as a result, pupils make good progress. Nearly all lessons are stimulating and include a range of activities that provide good support and challenge to pupils with opportunities for group and independent work. Teachers and their assistants make good use of questioning and draw on a variety of resources and learning aids, including ICT. This enables pupils to work confidently and achieve well. For example, pupils in Key Stage 3 read play scripts with much enthusiasm and were then able to identify adjectives in a variety of sentences. However, planning is not consistent across the school and as a result, a minority of lessons lack clear focus. Marking and the use of assessment, while informative in most classes, do 3 Inspection Report: Lostock Hall Moor Hey School, 20 °21 September 2006 not always provide clear guidance to assist teachers in moving pupils on to the next

p.5

Grade: 2

steps of their learning. As a result, activities are not always matched as well as they could be to the needs of all the pupils.

p.6

Grade: 2

The school and inspectors agree that the curriculum is good. It is broad, balanced and adapted well to meet the needs of all pupils. Key features include the improved use of ICT and the highly positive relationships with local schools and businesses. As a result, the curriculum is inclusive and develops academic and vocational knowledge, skills and understanding well. Pupils in Years 10 and 11 enjoy a strong work-related dimension adapted to meet their needs. The curriculum for Years 7 to 9, a weakness in the previous inspection, is now much improved. It ensures that skills developed in Years 3 to 6 are built upon according to individual need. Pupils in Years 3 to 6 benefit from specialist teaching in ICT and French. Comprehensive schemes of work are in place for all subjects. However, although opportunities exist to develop pupils’ wider cultural awareness through the curriculum, these links are not always well planned. The curriculum is enhanced by an excellent

p.6

Grade: 2

range of extra-curricular activities. These include theatre visits, dance groups and outdoor pursuits. Such activities add very good value to the pupils’ learning and development of skills for life.

p.6

Grade: 2

The quality of care, guidance and support provided is good and staff care deeply for their pupils. However, in rating this area as outstanding the school was too positive in its view. Health, safety and child protection procedures, coupled with strong links with outside agencies, ensure pupils are adequately safeguarded. Parents greatly value this care and support. Arrangements for pupils starting school and for those moving on to work or further education are good. Risk assessments are of high quality. A number of good quality programmes to include vulnerable pupils in the life of the school are available. Pupils know they have safe places to go and report that all staff are approachable and take timely action if they have concerns. The school supports pupils very well in their development of skills for life. Pupils are helped to achieve success in their learning and social development through detailed individual plans.

p.6

Grade: 2

However, it is not always made clear to the pupils exactly what they are expected to achieve by the end of each key stage.

p.6

Grade: 2

The quality of leadership and management is good overall. This judgement supports the school’s self-evaluation of this area. Strong leadership by the headteacher has set 4 Inspection Report: Lostock Hall Moor Hey School, 20 °21 September 2006 a clear direction leading to improvements and the promotion of good quality education. An ethos of respect and commitment to pupils’ success is firmly established and shared by all staff. Very good progress has been made since the last inspection, especially with regard to ICT and D&T. The school runs very smoothly day-to-day. The school’s evaluation of its work is mainly accurate. Through effective self-evaluation, managers have a good knowledge of its strengths and areas for improvement. However, its current priorities are not as clear as they might be for all staff. For example, the overall targets in the school improvement plan are not always translated into specific objectives. Best practice in lesson planning,

p.6

Grade: 2

marking and target-setting is insufficiently shared throughout the school to raise pupils’ achievement even higher. Equality of opportunity is promoted well. Any incidents of bullying and discrimination are swiftly tackled. There are very good links with external agencies and the wider community, who have a high regard for the school. There are outstanding opportunities for inclusion and social development. Accommodation is improving with the addition of two new classrooms; this is a direct result of the local authority’s commitment to listening carefully to staff and creating what pupils need. Governance is adequate but the school acknowledges the need for an increased level of challenge and support from the governors. All adults working with children are properly vetted in accordance with current guidance. The school demonstrates good capacity for further improvement and provides good value for money.

p.7

Grade: 2

5 Inspection Report: Lostock Hall Moor Hey School, 20 °21 September 2006 .

p.7

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: Lostock Hall Moor Hey School, 20 °21 September 2006

p.8

Inspection judgements

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

p.9

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 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

p.9

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

p.9

learners?

2 The extent of learners' spiritual, moral, social and cultural development 1 The behaviour of learners 3 The attendance of learners 2 How well learners enjoy their education 2 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

p.9

and interests of learners?

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

p.9

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: Lostock Hall Moor Hey School, 20 °21 September 2006

p.9

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: Lostock Hall Moor Hey School, 20 °21 September 2006

p.10

Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

The Pupils Far Croft Lostock Hall Preston Lancashire PR5 5SS 22 September 2006 Dear Pupils As you know Mr Williams and I recently visited your school to find out how well you are doing. Thank you for looking after us and making us feel so welcome ° we really enjoyed it and learned a lot about your school. Thank you for telling us about the things you do and how you think your teachers and other staff are helping you to learn. What I liked about your school • You all enjoy school and want to learn. • You make good progress, especially in your reading. • There are lots of computers and whiteboards in your school. • All staff work together to take good care of you and help you to learn. • The headteacher makes sure the school is working well. • Your behaviour and enthusiasm for learning are very good. • You have very good opportunities to learn in the community and to go to other schools and colleges. What I have asked your school to do now

p.11

Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

• To help staff to share with each other all the really good lessons. • To look carefully at the teaching to help you achieve even better than you do now, for instance by telling you more about what you need to learn. • To ask the governors to help to make things even better in school. Best wishes Sue Preece Her Majesty’s Inspector 9 Inspection Report: Lostock Hall Moor Hey School, 20 °21 September 2006

p.11