Manor Mead School

125473 Unique Reference Number Surrey Local Authority 293273 Inspection number 23 °24 November 2006 Inspection dates Melvyn Blackband 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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Laleham Road School address Special Type of school Shepperton Community special School category TW17 8EL 2 °11 Age range of pupils 01932 241834 Telephone number Mixed Gender of pupils 01932 248927 Fax number 68 Number on roll (school) Mr Iestyn Williams Chair The governing body Appropriate authority Mrs Fiona Neal Headteacher 24 September 2001 Date of previous school inspection

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Inspection number Inspection dates Age group 293273 23 °24 November 2006 2°11 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 additional inspector.

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Description of the school

Manor Mead is a special school for pupils with severe and profound learning difficulties. There is a separate small unit for pupils with autistic spectrum disorder. Pupils come from a wide range of social backgrounds. The school population is predominantly white British with a small number of pupils from minority ethnic groups. There are currently two pupils for whom English is not their first language.

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Key for inspection grades

Outstanding Grade 1 Good Grade 2 Satisfactory Grade 3 Inadequate Grade 4 1 Inspection Report: Manor Mead School, 23 °24 November 2006

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Grade: 1

Manor Mead is an outstanding school. It is highly valued by parents who recognise the excellent standards of care and support the school gives the pupils and the substantial gains they make in their academic, social and personal skills. One parent commented, 'We feel our special daughter is safe, motivated and loved at this school and that the staff are working hard to push her at all times to reach her full potential'. The school's work to support and involve parents is exemplary. Because of their learning difficulties the standards reached by pupils are very much below national averages but all pupils make outstanding progress including those for whom English is an additional language. Staff are extremely positive about the pupils' accomplishments and they care for and value them highly as individuals. There are clear expectations that the pupils will behave properly and learn well. The school is

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Grade: 1

calm and well ordered because pupils like and respect their teachers and understand what is expected of them. Any instances of challenging behaviour are very well managed by classroom staff so that teaching and learning continue undisturbed. The provision for Foundation Stage children and those with autism in the separate 'Rainbow' provision is excellent. The quality of teaching is outstanding although some of the classroom accommodation for older pupils is cramped. Teachers work with enthusiasm, the lessons have pace and maintain the pupils' interest. The pupils respond by working to the best of their ability. The curriculum is outstanding because it is so well adapted to the childrens' needs. This is a consequence of the excellent record keeping and assessment systems which inform the planning for each pupil. The curriculum is enriched by the valuable input of visitors to the school and the many opportunities for pupils to visit the community.

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Grade: 1

In this supportive and lively atmosphere the pupils develop confidence and self esteem. The strong emphasis on personal, health and social education (PHSE) effectively promotes the pupils' emotional and social development. They value the school. This is evident through their good relationships with staff and their very good attendance. There are very good links with other local special schools through the 'Network Learning Community' initiative. All this occurs because of outstanding leadership and management. The highly regarded head teacher works very effectively to ensure that all staff operate in a close knit team and share a common vision of continuous improvement. The school self evaluates its work very thoroughly. Governors are very effective. They provide a high calibre of challenge and support to the school's leadership. The school displays an excellent capacity to improve further and provides excellent value for money.

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What the school should do to improve further

• Ensure older pupils and pupils with complex needs have sufficient space to work in the classrooms. 2 Inspection Report: Manor Mead School, 23 °24 November 2006

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Grade: 1

Pupils make excellent progress in their communication skills and personal development throughout the Foundation Stage. This gives them a very good start. The school has excellent methods of measuring and recording progress. Learning targets are realistic and challenging. As a result all the pupils make exceptional progress. The pupils with autism make substantial gains in their communication and social skills. Pupils throughout the age range do particularly well in literacy and numeracy and in information and communications technology (ICT). The pupils make excellent progress in meeting the challenging targets in their individual education plans (IEPs) particularly in personal development. Those pupils with complex and profound needs achieve very well. They are set equally challenging targets and there are very high expectations of their progress.

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Grade: 1

The pupils display first rate attitudes to school and their behaviour is exemplary. Their spiritual, moral, social and cultural understanding is outstanding. Pupils enjoy school, they feel safe and their attendance is very good. As one parent commented, 'Every morning he has a smile on his face'. Pupils are extensively engaged in physical exercise and eat and drink very healthily while at school. Their learning is very good in all aspects of PHSE especially in managing their behaviour through their work in 'Emotional Literacy'. The pupils' views are listened to by staff and they are encouraged at many times throughout the day to contribute to the school community by making appropriate choices and looking after their own belongings. The pupils' very good progress in learning coupled with their improving ICT knowledge means they are developing valuable skills which will contribute to their future well being.

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Grade: 1

Teaching is outstanding overall and as a result the pupils make excellent progress. The teaching in the Foundation Stage and in the autism provision is of very high quality. Teachers ensure lessons proceed with pace and vigour. The occasional inefficient use of time, noted in the previous inspection, has been completely eradicated and pupils are continually engaged in learning. Planning and assessment are exceptionally good. As a result pupils are given work which is challenging and motivates them to do their best. For example, pupils in Year 6 with visual impairment were fascinated by the different sounds their teacher produced when pouring water into a bowl. They listened intently and were able to anticipate and recognise the sounds as the bowl was filling up. Pupils receive very good support from the teaching assistants. This gives the pupils 3 Inspection Report: Manor Mead School, 23 °24 November 2006

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Grade: 1

confidence to work independently, knowing help is never far away. Parents make a very good contribution to their children's education by reinforcing learning at home.

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Grade: 1

The curriculum is exceptionally well matched to the learning needs of each pupil. Programmes are appropriately broad and balanced and the curriculum is regularly monitored by subject leaders to ensure it is relevant and adapted correctly. Accommodation in some classrooms, particularly for older pupils and those with complex needs is cramped but the staff compensate effectively and the school has made very good use of available space. There is a very good range of activities to take pupils out of the classroom, teaching them that new things can be learned in all sorts of situations. The learning of basic skills is managed very effectively leading to the excellent progress of the pupils. The high quality of PHSE provision has a significant effect in developing pupils' personal skills, their knowledge about their own safety and the advantages of a healthy diet and of exercise. This has been further developed through productive

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Grade: 1

The school provides an exceptionally safe and caring environment for the children. Child protection procedures are exemplary and there is rigorous monitoring of health and safety requirements. The necessary checks on staff are in place. Staff are well trained in aspects of behaviour management and moving and handling techniques. Pupils are aware and proud of their achievements through the very good use of praise and encouragement. Parents confirm that their children understand how well they are doing. Where possible pupils attend their own Annual Review meeting and some are able to comment on their learning targets. The quality of links with parents is strong. Many parents praised the excellent communication and support from the school.

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Grade: 1

The leadership of the school has established an environment for pupils, which provides exemplary support for learners. There are very high expectations of pupils' progress in core skills and personal development. The head teacher leads a strong management team and the governing body is extremely effective in fulfilling its responsibilities to support and to challenge the leadership of the school. Communication is excellent. Staff feel fully consulted, involved and their contribution valued. The quality of training is very good and closely linked to the professional development of staff and the current school priorities. Because of this, teaching standards remain high and the opportunities for pupils to succeed are further enhanced. 4 Inspection Report: Manor Mead School, 23 °24 November 2006 The leadership has developed effective monitoring of every aspect of provision. Subject leaders are outstandingly effective because they have extensive but clearly defined

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Grade: 1

responsibility for improving standards and their work is carefully monitored by the senior team. The assessment and tracking of pupils' progress is exceptionally well managed. This enables staff to ensure every child reaches his or her potential. The detailed knowledge teachers have of the pupils' achievements and their learning needs, is a significant factor in the excellent communication with parents and the strength of home school partnerships. All staff have a clear understanding of the school's vision for development. Senior staff set very high standards and are passionately committed to continual improvement. Because of this the school has made impressive gains since the previous inspection and there is an excellent capacity to improve further. 5 Inspection Report: Manor Mead School, 23 °24 November 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. 6 Inspection Report: Manor Mead School, 23 °24 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 quality and standards in the Foundation Stage 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 1 The behaviour of learners 1 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 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. 7 Inspection Report: Manor Mead School, 23 °24 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: Manor Mead School, 23 °24 November 2006

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

Not long ago I came to the school to see how you were getting on and whether I could suggest anything to make the school better. You made me very welcome and I enjoyed eating lunch with some of you. Thank you and well done. I was with you for two days. That was long enough for me to realise that Manor Mead is a brilliant school. One of the reasons is that you make really good progress in learning to control your behaviour and in getting on with others. Another is that you are all making fantastic progress in your work. I particularly enjoyed visiting you in the classrooms. There were lots of other things that I liked. Here are a few: • you obviously enjoy school and work hard • the many different people at the school do their best to look after you • you are helped to be as independent as possible and to take responsibility for your own actions. There is one thing which I think would make the school better. The head teacher and the

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

governors of the school should consider how they can make a bit more space for you to work in. Please thank your parents for the many very helpful comments they made on the questionnaires. Best wishes and good luck in the future. Yours sincerely, Melvyn BlackbandLead Inspector 9 Inspection Report: Manor Mead School, 23 °24 November 2006

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