Haymerle School

100878 Unique Reference Number Southwark Local Authority 307515 Inspection number 6–7 November 2008 Inspection dates Kay Charlton Reporting inspector

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This inspection of the school was carried out under section 5 of the Education Act 2005. The registered childcare, managed by the governing body, was inspected under section 49 of the Childcare Act 2006.

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Special Type of school Community special School category 5–11 Age range of pupils Mixed Gender of pupils Number on roll 55 School (total) 2 Government funded early education provision for children aged 3 to the end of the EYFS 0 Childcare provision for children aged 0 to 3 years The governing body Appropriate authority Ms Doreen Turner Chair Ms Elizabeth Nolan Headteacher 6 June 2005 Date of previous school inspection Not previously inspected Date of previous funded early education inspection Not previously inspected Date of previous childcare inspection Haymerle Road School address London SE15 6SY 020 7639 6080 Telephone number 020 7277 9906 Fax number

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5–11 Age group 6–7 November 2008 Inspection dates 307515 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. 2 of 11 Inspection Report: Haymerle School, 6–7 November 2008

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Introduction

The inspection was carried out by an Additional Inspector.

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Description of the school

Haymerle School caters for pupils with a wide range of learning difficulties and/or disabilities. The vast majority are on the autistic spectrum and have social and communication difficulties. All have a statement of special educational needs. On entry, recent cohorts of pupils have a greater complexity of need than has been the case in the past. Pupils generally come from within Southwark Local Authority. They are from a wide range of ethnic backgrounds and about half are of Black African origin. A very high percentage of the pupils have English as an additional language. A significant number join the school other than at the usual point of entry. Children in the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) are taught in the Reception class. The school has achieved Activemark and Artsmark Gold as well as a London Environmental Schools award.

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Key for inspection grades

Outstanding Grade 1 Good Grade 2 Satisfactory Grade 3 Inadequate Grade 4 3 of 11 Inspection Report: Haymerle School, 6–7 November 2008

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Grade: 2

Haymerle is a good school. Pupils thrive in the multicultural environment, where they learn to manage their own behaviour and work effectively with others. Parents and carers hold the school in high regard. As one commented, 'My son's needs are understood by staff and he is treated as a valued member of the school.' The good achievement of pupils of different backgrounds and abilities is based on good teaching and learning. Staff work very well as a team and they use praise very effectively to improve pupils' self-esteem, concentration and behaviour. Teachers plan lessons conscientiously, and they make good use of 'hands-on' activities to make learning fun. Assessment is much improved since the last inspection and staff help pupils to review their learning effectively and ensure that they are clear about what they need to do to improve further. There are models of outstanding teaching where staff make excellent use of a very wide range of techniques to

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Grade: 2

engage pupils with particularly effective use of signs, symbols and picture cues. However, there are occasions when teaching does not fully challenge the learning of all pupils, and in these situations some do not achieve as well as they might. Personal development is a cornerstone of the school's work, and pupils' behaviour and their attendance are good. This represents substantial improvement for most pupils since they started at the school, and is based on well-established systems to promote and reward their every effort. Pupils thoroughly enjoy school and are keen to point out how it has helped them. They enjoy the calm and purposeful lessons and are very positive about the extra activities that they undertake, such as performing at the Globe Theatre and working with local artists. Bullying is rare and pupils know what they should do if any occurs. They learn to respect others of different backgrounds and beliefs, and their spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is good.

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Grade: 2

The care pupils receive is of very high quality. Health and safety are on everyone's agenda, and pupils feel safe and learn to trust others. They say that, 'There is always an adult or a friend to turn to if we have a problem.' The support for those new to the school caters sensitively for pupils' individual needs and ensures that they start to make progress as quickly as possible. Leadership is good overall. The headteacher leads by example. Along with the deputy, she provides the commitment, enthusiasm and determination to ensure that all pupils are given the opportunity to reach their potential. She sets a climate of strong teamwork amongst the adults so that they all realise they have a part to play in achieving improvement. A high emphasis is given to the professional development of staff, and all are well equipped to deal with the increasing complexity of pupils' needs. Middle leaders have developed their roles well since

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Grade: 2

the last inspection and make a good contribution to developments. The school's self-evaluation is robust, based on rigorous and discerning monitoring by the headteacher and deputy headteacher. As a result, everyone is aware of the most important areas in need of improvement and the school is well placed to improve further. Governors are supportive of the school and ensure that finances are well managed. However, they do not provide sufficient challenge to ensure that the school's performance is as good as it can be.

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Grade: 2

Children's achievements are good because of good teaching. The arrangements to introduce young children to the school are very effective. This ensures that children settle very quickly 4 of 11 Inspection Report: Haymerle School, 6–7 November 2008 and develop the daily routines and independence that form the foundation of their future learning. Staff are experienced in working with children of this age and match learning well to the needs of individuals. The leadership of the EYFS is good. The coordinator and deputy headteacher have worked well to establish very effective assessment systems and tracking, which fully meet the needs of the new EYFS curriculum. They have rightly highlighted the need to develop the use of the outdoor area so that all teaching fully challenges the children.

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What the school should do to improve further

■ Ensure that teaching consistently challenges pupils of different abilities so that all achieve their best. ■ Ensure that the governing body challenges the school fully to ensure that its performance is as good as it can be.

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Grade: 2

Pupils invariably reach or exceed their challenging targets. Although standards are well below those in mainstream schools, this represents good achievement and progress given pupils' very low starting points on entry. A number of pupils have experienced difficulty in their previous schools but all who join Haymerle quickly develop a determination to succeed. This is largely because of the clear targets they are set and the confidence they develop, based on a belief that, 'If at first you don't succeed there is always an opportunity to try again.' Pupils, including those for whom English is an additional language, develop the key skills of communication, numeracy, and information and communication technology well; moreover, they learn to apply these skills effectively across all areas of learning. This plays an important part in their development for life beyond school.

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Grade: 2

All pupils make significant gains in developing confidence, independence and self-discipline because staff value them as individuals and have high expectations of each one. The ways in which pupils learn to think through their actions and the effects of these on others ensure that they work and play together in a harmonious atmosphere. Pupils understand about a wide range of cultures, for instance through many visits to local places of worship, and through activities linked to events such as Black History Month. They are confident in giving their views because they know these are taken into account and their ideas respected. A good example was when they designed equipment for the playground. Pupils make an extremely strong contribution to the wider community. This is exemplified through their work on environmental issues and through their exceptional contribution to community arts projects. All pupils show

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Grade: 2

good awareness of the need for a healthy lifestyle, they pay excellent attention to acting safely, and they look after each other well. They take on extra responsibilities with enthusiasm and effectively develop the basic skills needed for their future economic well-being. Their attendance and behaviour have improved since the last inspection because of the school's good systems. 5 of 11 Inspection Report: Haymerle School, 6–7 November 2008

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Grade: 2

The school's programme of monitoring of teaching and learning, along with the focused programme of professional development, has been effective in bringing about improvements in classroom practice since the last inspection. It has ensured that all staff, including support staff, have the skills and confidence they need to address the growing complexity of pupils' needs. Orderly and purposeful lessons, underpinned by very good relationships, are the order of the day. Staff treat pupils with respect and consideration and, in turn, pupils try hard. Teachers assess pupils' learning very carefully and, as a result, activities are well matched to pupils' needs in the vast majority of lessons. In an outstanding literacy lesson seen in Year 5, staff set very high expectations of all and used an exceptionally wide range of techniques so that every pupil achieved their best. This practice, however, is not consistent across the school

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Grade: 2

and there are a small minority of lessons where teaching does not fully challenge the learning of pupils, who have widely differing needs.

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Grade: 2

The school's good curriculum goes a long way to meeting pupils' needs, with a very strong focus on personal development. There is a very good level of enrichment, particularly through high-quality art and music activities. All of these extras add to pupils' enjoyment. In order to respond both to changing demands nationally and to the changing needs of the pupil population, the school is rightly reviewing and extending its curriculum. The recent review of literacy planning, which details very small steps in expected outcomes for specific topics, sets a good model for other subjects to follow.

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Grade: 2

Staff make sure that all pupils, including those who arrive at different times throughout the year, settle happily into school and feel confident about moving to the next stage of their education. The systems for supporting pupils' personal development are very effective. There is comprehensive tracking of each pupil's academic and behavioural progress. This information is used well to organise extra support for individuals, including a range of therapies if required. It is also used well to set targets in each subject, although staff do not always make best use of these in every lesson. There are thorough child protection procedures and the care provided by all staff is of a very high quality. Parents and carers are seen as partners in their child's education and the school works extremely well with them, and with a wide range of outside agencies, to support pupils' development.

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Grade: 2

The school's leadership has ensured that significant improvements have taken place since the last inspection, and is effectively focusing its efforts towards those areas that are most in need of further improvement. The headteacher provides a very strong lead and she is well supported 6 of 11 Inspection Report: Haymerle School, 6–7 November 2008 by the deputy headteacher. They have been instrumental in ensuring that there are excellent links with a wide range of groups and agencies to support pupils' learning and to encourage community cohesion. Middle leaders are well informed and they have put carefully thought-out action plans in place to improve practice in their areas of responsibility. The governing body shows commitment to supporting the school, and it ensures that all statutory requirements are met. It has not, however, sufficiently developed its role to act as an effective 'critical friend'

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Grade: 2

to the school. 7 of 11 Inspection Report: Haymerle School, 6–7 November 2008 .

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Grade: 2

in the guidance 'Complaints about school inspection', which is available from Ofsted’s website: www.ofsted.gov.uk. 8 of 11 Inspection Report: Haymerle School, 6–7 November 2008

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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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needs of learners?

Yes Effective steps have been taken to promote improvement since the last inspection How well does the school work in partnership with others to promote learners' well being? 2 The capacity to make any necessary improvements

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EYFS?

2 How well do children in the EYFS achieve? How good are the overall personal development and well-being of the children in the EYFS? 2 How effectively are children in the EYFS helped to learn and develop? 2 How effectively is the welfare of children in the EYFS promoted? 2 How effectively is provision in the EYFS led and managed?

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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/or disabilities make progress

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Achievement and standards

1 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. 9 of 11 Inspection Report: Haymerle School, 6–7 November 2008

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learners?

2 The extent of learners' spiritual, moral, social and cultural development 2 The extent to which learners adopt healthy lifestyles 1 The extent to which learners adopt safe practices 1 The extent to which learners enjoy their education 2 The attendance of learners 2 The behaviour of learners 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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learners' needs?

How well do the curriculum and other activities meet the range of needs and interests of learners? 2 How well are learners cared for, guided and supported?

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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 2 How effectively leaders and managers use challenging targets to raise standards 2 The effectiveness of the school's self-evaluation 2 How well equality of opportunity is promoted and discrimination eliminated 2 How well does the school contribute to community cohesion? 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? 10 of 11 Inspection Report: Haymerle School, 6–7 November 2008

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

20 November 2008 Dear Pupils Inspection of Haymerle School,London,SE15 6SY Thank you for all the help you gave me when I came to visit your school. I particularly enjoyed the discussions I had with you. You told me that pupils are well behaved and you make good friends. I was glad to hear that you enjoy school. I was very impressed with the ways in which you look after each other in school so that you all feel safe. I was also impressed with the way you work with others outside school - for example, when you work with artists, as I saw when you were making a felt wall hanging, and when you worked with other schools to give a performance at the Globe Theatre. I agree that you get a lot of support from staff so that you quickly gain confidence and your behaviour is good. It is also clear that staff care for you very well indeed. All staff are keen to see the school improve even further. To be certain this happens, I have

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

asked them to improve teaching to make sure that all of you always achieve your best. I have also said to governors that they should ask more searching questions to check that the school is doing as well as it possibly can. By trying your hardest at all times you can also help make sure the school improves. Yours sincerely Kay Charlton Lead Inspector 11 of 11 Inspection Report: Haymerle School, 6–7 November 2008

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