Queen Elizabeth II Jubilee School

Queen Elizabeth II Jubilee School Inspection report

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101184 Unique Reference Number Westminster Local Authority 307607 Inspection number 19 °20 March 2008 Inspection dates Judith Charlesworth 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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Special Type of school Community special School category 5 °19 Age range of pupils Mixed Gender of pupils Number on roll 69 School 16 6th form The governing body Appropriate authority Mr Gordon Slater Chair Mr Scott Pickard (Acting) Headteacher 11 October 2004 Date of previous school inspection Kennet Road School address London W9 3LG 020 7641 5825 Telephone number 020 7641 5823 Fax number

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5-19 Age group 19 °20 March 2008 Inspection dates 307607 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.

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Introduction

The inspection was carried out by an Additional Inspector.

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Description of the school

The school caters for pupils with severe learning difficulties (SLD) and profound and multiple learning difficulties (PMLD). A small number of junior aged pupils with significant autistic spectrum disorder (ASD) are based in a class of their own. The school is situated in a multi-cultural area where pupil mobility is high. Over half the pupils have English as an additional language, the main groups being Arabic and Bengali. Pupils come mainly from Westminster, but also from neighbouring local authorities. The school is part of the Westminster Building Schools for the Future initiative, and whole-scale refurbishment is planned to begin at the end of this year. The school has been led by an acting headteacher (the substantive deputy head) since September 2007, and the nature of its future leadership is under discussion.

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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: Queen Elizabeth II Jubilee School, 19 °20 March 2008

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Grade: 2

The Queen Elizabeth II Jubilee is a good school. It was judged to be good in its last inspection, and has addressed the issues identified for improvement effectively so that the good quality of provision has been maintained. As a result, although the standards they reach are understandably low, all groups of pupils make good progress and their personal development is outstanding. The vast majority of parents are pleased with all aspects of the school and say that their children are 'doing well'. One parent wrote, ' ..a wonderful school with high expectations of all children, but within a supportive environment. Staff are the key to this school, they work as a team.' School and therapy staff work together very effectively to develop personalised learning and care programmes for each pupil. Providing support for effective communication and personal development is central to the school's work. This includes good support for pupils with English

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Grade: 2

as an additional language, through specialist staff, everyday work and the multicultural staff group. Good individual education plans (IEPs) provide both long and short-term targets for learning and personal development. The best lessons have the clear dual purpose of meeting individuals' personal needs while also supporting learning in the various subjects. Teaching is good, and at its best when staff promote learning consistently, for example by providing motivating activities and ensuring their communications are understood. The curriculum is good and has been successfully adapted to meet the particular needs of pupils with ASD and PMLD. Curriculum enrichment is outstanding. The school has long-standing partnerships with a number of arts organisations such as the English National Opera and the National Theatre. Pupils take part in externally run workshops and community events such as the sporting Panathalon and

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Grade: 2

music festivals. This prepares them very well for fulfilled adult lives. The care, guidance and support for pupils is good overall, but some aspects have been affected by weak management systems. The support for pupils' personal development and well-being is outstanding. Staff address their complex needs very well and are alert to the needs of individuals who may not be able to communicate them as such. Pupils' spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is outstanding because the school pays specific attention to these aspects of pupils' development. Attendance is good because pupils enjoy school and their parents want them to attend. Their behaviour and attitudes to learning and to each other are excellent. Pupils receive good guidance through the IEP and annual review systems, and are prepared well for leaving school. However, the system for tracking individuals' progress is not yet robust enough to be used as a secure basis for planning or for whole school improvement.

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Grade: 2

Safeguarding and health and safety procedures are well established, but a number of the policies that underpin the provision of care and support for pupils' welfare have not been regularly reviewed and are out of date. The leadership and management of the school are currently compromised by a longer than anticipated period between substantive headteachers; a leadership team comprising members who are all working in an 'acting' capacity, and no acting deputy head. The governing body fulfils its statutory duties adequately, but does not question the school sufficiently to assure its performance. The interim leadership team is, however, working effectively under the leadership of the acting head teacher to maintain the school on an even keel and move forward with planned developments. However, it has not had the time, nor been in the position, to implement more than a few of the improvements identified by recent, rigorous school

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Grade: 2

self-evaluation and development work. The good quality of provision has not so far been 4 of 11 Inspection Report: Queen Elizabeth II Jubilee School, 19 °20 March 2008 affected by this current situation due to the stable, committed and effective staff. Parents remain highly positive about the leadership of the school. However, its effectiveness is not well enough assured at the moment, and until this situation resolves, the school's capacity for further improvement is only satisfactory.

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Grade: 2

The sixth form provides good education and care for its students. Their personal development is good and they achieve well. The students are relaxed, friendly, interesting and capable young adults. They work well together and are responsible and generally self-assured. The sixth form works as autonomously as possible and provides students with an appropriately adult environment. Much of their work takes place in the community, which prepares students well for adulthood. The quality of teaching and the curriculum are good. The curriculum has improved since the last inspection. It supports students' independence and self-help skills very effectively and now allows them nationally recognised accreditation for their work.

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What the school should do to improve further

■ Clarify and develop the leadership and management of the school so that identified improvements and developments can be effectively implemented. ■ Improve the use of performance data to support planning and school improvement.

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Grade for sixth form: 2

Attainment on entry is low. However, all pupils achieve well and make good progress in relation to their starting points and capabilities. This is because each individual's educational, personal and communication needs are met well by careful planning, a good curriculum that suits their age and abilities, and good quality teaching, support and guidance. IEPs provide suitable, challenging targets which promote learning and personal development. Generic targets related to broad ability bands are also set in curriculum subjects, which provide a good focus for learning in lessons. Pupils with ASD make great strides in communication and personal, social and emotional development, which helps them conform, concentrate and achieve well in other areas of the curriculum. Effective specialised provision helps pupils with PMLD develop greater self-awareness, better communication skills, and the ability to have a direct effect on their

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Grade for sixth form: 1

The pupils' spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is outstanding. The school's attention to pupils' spiritual development has a very positive effect on their personal development. They all develop greater self-awareness, and most develop excellent relationships and understand a range of emotions such as pride and empathy, as shown, for example, in a poignant assembly where pupils acted out the Easter story. The pupils make an excellent contribution to the school and wider community, in which they are frequent, active participants. Their behaviour is outstanding and often elicits positive comments from the public. Pupils acquire the social and 5 of 11 Inspection Report: Queen Elizabeth II Jubilee School, 19 °20 March 2008 academic skills to help them live positive adult lives. They are considerate and generally relate very well to one another, including across the age groups. The school's multi-cultural pupil and

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Grade for sixth form: 1

staff group provides an excellent basis for understanding and celebrating diverse cultural heritage. Pupils enjoy celebrations and culturally-based drama, art and music. They take part enthusiastically in various physical activities. Some know whether foods are healthy or not, and can explain their choices ('but I LIKE white bread!'). The great majority of parents confirm that their children feel 'safe and happy' and do not suffer bullying or harassment. There have been no reported racial incidents or recent exclusions. Attendance is good, and absenteeism is almost always due to illness and medical appointments.

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Grade for sixth form: 2

Teaching is mainly good. Variations relate to individual teachers' skills rather than to subjects or departments of the school. Pupils learn well and make good progress overall. Most teachers know how to present material so that pupils enjoy and understand their lessons. Sometimes, however, the purpose of an activity is not made clear enough, and there is not enough reference to past work to explain the context of the present lesson. Nevertheless, staff usually match work closely to individuals' needs, for example by a careful choice of tasks or questioning. Different forms of support for communication, such as signing or symbols, are used as needed. The best lessons incorporate therapists' advice and take good account of pupils' IEP targets as well as the subject targets for the lesson. Teachers generally use resources well, particularly the interactive white boards which pupils find very motivating and engaging. The effectiveness

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Grade for sixth form: 2

of teaching assistants is variable. The majority provide outstanding support, whereas a few are too passive and do not use their initiative sufficiently well. Pupils' behaviour is always very well addressed. Assessment of learning during lessons is good, and staff will generally re-present materials or ideas if they feel pupils have not understood. Staff make notes on the outcomes of each lesson and on individuals' progress towards their various targets. This information is used effectively to support the next lesson's planning.

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Grade for sixth form: 2

The curriculum provides well for all pupils. The curriculum in the main school includes all subjects of the National Curriculum, and that for the sixth form students comprises subjects which strongly support their growing independence and adult life. Information and communication technology is used increasingly well for both teaching and learning, and pupils learn the core skills in literacy and numeracy that will support their future well-being. Subjects are not systematically reviewed or monitored, consequently some plans are more up to date than others. Nevertheless, most subjects have clear, well-devised plans that include relevant learning targets and ensure pupils' skills are built up systematically. The balance of subjects taught relates to pupils' ages and needs. Throughout the school there is a strong focus on personal development and supporting pupils' communication skills. These areas form the majority of the curriculum

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Grade for sixth form: 2

for pupils with PMLD. The curriculum for pupils with ASD has a strong emphasis on supporting their understanding and communication, so reducing their anxieties. They learn to apply these 6 of 11 Inspection Report: Queen Elizabeth II Jubilee School, 19 °20 March 2008 skills to all aspects of their education and therefore make good progress. The school makes excellent use of its central London location and a wide range of enrichment activities enhance and support learning very effectively.

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Grade for sixth form: 2

The staff show outstanding consideration for individuals' well-being. They work closely with therapy staff and together, ensure pupils are safe, healthy, comfortable and have suitable means of communication. This provides the best context for learning. Safeguarding and health and safety procedures are well-established. However a number of the policies underpinning these practices are out of date. The school gives pupils good guidance through the IEP and annual review systems, and works very well in partnership with parents. One parent wrote 'the school makes parents feel safe and in charge of the children's education and health care.' The school uses several means to record pupils' attainment and track their progress in subjects. One of these is a nationally used, externally run commercial system. However, the school acknowledges that entries on pupils' levels of attainment have not always been reliable.

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Grade for sixth form: 2

Consequently, it does not use the system routinely to provide a reliable overview of performance, or use such information to help set targets for improvement.

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Grade for sixth form: 3

Leadership and management are currently compromised by the interim nature of the leadership team. Much has been accomplished in the past two terms, for example, rigorous self-evaluation and staff development work have taken place; performance management has been re-introduced; the school is forging ahead with its plans under Building Schools for the Future, and work has been completed to make tracking pupils' attainment and progress in English more effective. Nevertheless, several existing systems, such as the systematic review of policies and curriculum areas, have lapsed. The interim leadership team, which is one member short, has not yet been able to address all the areas identified for improvement, and the governing body has not checked that the school is keeping fully abreast of all it should do. The lack of some strategic management tools, such as reliable overviews of aspects of the school's performance, means

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Grade for sixth form: 3

that the targets for improvement, as expressed in the school improvement plan, are not always sufficiently sharp or challenging. In addition, although some exciting new developments, supported by a new staff structure, have been outlined, the interim leadership has not been in a position to implement them because of the lack of clarity over the substantive headship. 7 of 11 Inspection Report: Queen Elizabeth II Jubilee School, 19 °20 March 2008 .

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Grade for sixth form: 3

in the guidance 'Complaints about school inspection', which is available from Ofsted’s website: www.ofsted.gov.uk. 8 of 11 Inspection Report: Queen Elizabeth II Jubilee School, 19 °20 March 2008

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Inspection judgements

16-19 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

2 2 How effective, efficient and inclusive is the provision of education, integrated care and any extended services in meeting the needs of learners? Yes Yes Effective steps have been taken to promote improvement since the last inspection 1 1 How well does the school work in partnership with others to promote learners' well-being? 3 3 The capacity to make any necessary improvements

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Achievement and standards

2 2 How well do learners achieve? 4 4 The standards 1 reached by learners

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Achievement and standards

2 2 How well learners make progress, taking account of any significant variations between groups of learners 2 2 How well learners with learning difficulties and disabilities make progress

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well-being of the learners?

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

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

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range of needs 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. 9 of 11 Inspection Report: Queen Elizabeth II Jubilee School, 19 °20 March 2008

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achievement and supporting all learners?

3 3 How effectively leaders and managers at all levels set clear direction leading to improvement and promote high quality of care and education 3 3 How effectively leaders and managers use challenging targets to raise standards 2 2 The effectiveness of the school's self-evaluation 1 1 How well equality of opportunity is promoted and discrimination tackled so that all learners achieve as well as they can 2 2 How effectively and efficiently resources, including staff, are deployed to achieve value for money 3 3 The extent to which governors and other supervisory boards discharge their responsibilities Yes 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: Queen Elizabeth II Jubilee School, 19 °20 March 2008

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

02 April 2008 Dear Pupils Inspection of Queen Elizabeth II Jubilee School,London,W9 3LG Thank you very much for welcoming me into school earlier this week, and particularly for letting me sit in on your lessons. I came to your school to see how it was working and how well you were all doing and I was pleased with what I found. I think that the Queen Elizabeth II Jubilee is a good school, and your parents think so too. I was very impressed by your excellent behaviour and attitude to work in every lesson I came to. You should be very proud of yourselves. You make good progress in your learning and your relationships, behaviour and personal development are outstanding. The staff work very hard to help you stay safe and healthy, enjoy your work and prepare you for leaving school as young adults. They work very closely with the therapists to make sure that you are comfortable and have the means of communicating that suits you best. I thought

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

that those of you who use symbols do so really well. Most staff know how to make lessons interesting so that you learn well. You particularly enjoy the interactive white boards, don't you? The school gives you a good, interesting range of things to do. I like the way that activities are provided that meet everyone's individual needs, and as you get older, give you lots of opportunity for practising your skills in real life situations. The range of extra activities that you do with organisations such as the Royal Shakespeare Company and the Panathlon are excellent. I have asked the school to improve two aspects of its work. The first is to track your progress in subjects better. The staff can then use the information more easily to plan for your progress, and to improve the school too. The second is to clarify and develop the leadership and management of the school. The senior managers need to bring some of the school's paperwork

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

up to date. They will also be able to implement some exciting new plans that the staff have made to make the school even better than it is now. I wish you all the best for your futures. Yours sincerely, Judith Charlesworth Lead Inspector 11 of 11 Inspection Report: Queen Elizabeth II Jubilee School, 19 °20 March 2008

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