Tettenhall Wood School

Tettenhall Wood School Inspection report

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104414 Unique Reference Number Wolverhampton Local Authority 308593 Inspection number 26 June 2008 Inspection date 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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Special Type of school Community special School category 5 °19 Age range of pupils Mixed Gender of pupils Number on roll 48 School 9 6th form The governing body Appropriate authority Paul Williams Chair Mostyn Mahoney Headteacher 3 November 2003 Date of previous school inspection School Road School address Tettenhall Wood Wolverhampton WV6 8EJ 01902 556519 Telephone number 01902 556520 Fax number

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5-19 Age group 26 June 2008 Inspection date 308593 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 two Additional Inspectors.

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Description of the school

The school provides for pupils with severe and complex learning difficulties. Half of the pupils have a diagnosis of autistic spectrum disorder (ASD). There are twice as many boys as girls. Although most pupils are White British, a significant minority of pupils are from other ethnic backgrounds. About a quarter of the pupils are entitled to free school meals. The school has achieved a number of national awards for the quality of its work.

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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: Tettenhall Wood School, 26 June 2008

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Grade: 1

Tettenhall Wood is an outstanding school where all staff continually strive to improve the provision for the learners. Because of their learning difficulties, the standards reached by pupils in most cases are exceptionally low, but pupils do very well in their studies and many make outstanding progress. The pupils make excellent gains in their personal development. They gain an acute awareness of how to remain healthy, to keep safe and to behave well. They value the school and this is evident through the excellent relationships they have with staff and their very good attendance. The pupils love coming to school and parents are very happy for their children to attend, knowing they will be safe, that they enjoy their lessons and that the school has high expectations of their progress. One parent's comment was typical: '[We] have seen a dramatic improvement in our daughter.' The quality of teaching is excellent. The pupils enjoy their lessons and respond by trying their

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Grade: 1

best. Teachers plan their lessons exceptionally well and the well-trained teaching assistants provide a high level of individual support. The school's monitoring and tracking of pupils' overall achievement is very good and plays a significant part in ensuring that most pupils are consistently challenged to make excellent progress. The curriculum is outstanding because, through the excellent quality of assessment, it is so well tailored to pupils' needs. There is highly effective provision to support the pupils with autistic spectrum conditions. The school is particularly successful in helping these pupils develop their behavioural skills and understanding. Locally the school is held in high regard. It offers a valuable consultancy and outreach service to mainstream schools and special schools across the city. Provision in the post-16 part of the school is outstanding. Post-16 students make excellent

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Grade: 1

gains in their level of maturity and self-confidence, helped by outstanding work experience programmes. The students are very well prepared for moving on to the next stage in their lives. The school has developed good relationships with a range of local and residential colleges and most students, when they leave the school, are able to continue their education. The curriculum, however, does not always sufficiently allow for all the differing interests and abilities of the students in post-16 provision, given the wide range of their learning needs. Exceptional leadership and management have driven the impressive progress in a school which was already judged very good in the previous inspection. The headteacher's work has been outstanding over a sustained period in maintaining and improving standards. A very able deputy headteacher and senior leadership team support him and this team has been very effective in

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Grade: 1

leading staff in the drive to improve pupils' achievements further. The school monitors and evaluates its work extremely well. For instance, teachers have recently revised the curriculum on thematic lines to enable them to adapt learning activities even more closely to the needs of each pupil. The governing body is supportive and monitors aspects of the school's work robustly. The school has consolidated and improved on its high standards of performance since the previous inspection and has an outstanding capacity to improve further.

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Grade: 1

Students make outstanding progress in their personal development because of excellent procedures to help them gain experiences of adult life. The staff promote an adult ethos and mature behaviour. The management of the provision is outstanding. Students of all abilities 4 of 11 Inspection Report: Tettenhall Wood School, 26 June 2008 make excellent progress. The students achieve very well in literacy, numeracy and information and communication technology. They make very good progress in the development of their independence and work-related learning skills. This contributes substantially to their self-confidence. Teachers are very aware that the curriculum does not always allow for all the differing interests and abilities of the students, and they have appropriate plans to improve the situation. The school has good links with colleges and transition arrangements are outstanding.

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What the school should do to improve further

■ Teachers should ensure that activities for post-16 students are always clearly matched to the interests and abilities of every student.

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Grade for sixth form: 1

All the pupils achieve well and many make outstanding progress, including those from minority ethnic backgrounds and students in the post-16 provision. Their attainment, however, remains significantly lower than that expected in mainstream schools because of the nature of their learning difficulties. The outstanding support for pupils with ASD ensures these pupils make excellent progress. The assessment and tracking of pupils' achievements in the acquisition of basic skills are excellent and this has a significant impact on their progress. Pupils consistently meet focused academic and personal development targets, which challenge them to do their best. A small number of pupils each year make sufficient progress to transfer to other special schools that provide for pupils with a higher range of ability. Students in Year 14 are able to demonstrate their potential through nationally accredited qualifications.

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Grade for sixth form: 1

The pupils' outstanding progress in their personal development reflects the school's strong management of behaviour and emphasis on moral and social values. Pupils' spiritual and cultural development is also outstanding. For instance, pupils gain spiritual understanding from visits to inspiring natural places. The pupils develop a strong awareness of the importance of healthy lifestyles and of keeping themselves safe through the excellent provision for personal, health and social education (PHSE). They make very good gains in their social skills through the inclusive placements they share with mainstream pupils. Similarly, older pupils make excellent gains in acquiring valuable life skills through work experience and effective careers provision. Pupils feel safe and confident and know what is expected from them within the school's calm and supportive atmosphere. Behaviour and attendance are outstanding because pupils enjoy

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Grade for sixth form: 1

school so much and love to be there. Those pupils who were spoken to were emphatic that they felt free from bullying or unpleasantness and that they really looked forward to coming to school. The parents who returned questionnaires were unanimous in their unqualified praise for the school and its impact on their children's lives. One parent was typical of many when writing, 'I cannot thank the staff enough.' 5 of 11 Inspection Report: Tettenhall Wood School, 26 June 2008

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Grade for sixth form: 1

Teaching is outstanding and this reflects the effective monitoring by senior staff. Teachers know their pupils very well and this enables them to give interesting, well-paced lessons. The pupils enjoy their lessons and try their best. There are very good relationships between classroom teams. All classroom staff play a full part in assessing and recording each small step in pupils' progress. As a result, the teachers are able to set exceptionally well-focused and challenging individual targets for each pupil. For example, in a Year 1 numeracy lesson, the pupils practised counting spots on a ladybird's wings. The number of spots, their size and frequency had been very carefully adapted by the teacher for each pupil. As a result, the pupils found the work challenging but absorbing and they made excellent progress. The effectiveness of target-setting is a strength of the school. The management of behaviour is excellent. Pupils understand and

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Grade for sixth form: 1

respond to clear routines. When a pupil's behaviour becomes unacceptable, staff deal with it calmly and with understanding and support for the pupil involved.

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Grade for sixth form: 2

Pupils enjoy the recently introduced and carefully constructed themed curriculum, which has been very well adapted to their individual needs. All pupils have equal access to learning opportunities because of the excellent levels of support for those with extra learning difficulties. For instance, the quality of the adapted programmes, resources and accommodation for pupils with ASD is outstanding. Senior staff rigorously monitor the curriculum for its effectiveness. There are excellent programmes for the great majority of post-16 students, particularly in the provision for work-related learning. The provision for pupils' development in PHSE underpins much of the school's work. This has a significant impact on the pupils' achievement in personal skills. The school's excellent provision for the development of pupils' basic literacy and numeracy skills is extremely effective in promoting their confidence and access to learning opportunities

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Grade for sixth form: 2

in other subjects. There is a very good range of activities to take pupils out of the classroom, teaching them to behave appropriately in the community. This adds substantially to the pupils' social skills, their self-confidence and their interest in learning. For example, the school has national recognition for the high quality of its swimming provision.

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Grade for sixth form: 1

There are rigorous safeguarding systems, such as child protection procedures and checks on staff, and these help to ensure the school is a safe and happy place. The pupils with additional difficulties in communication or ASD clearly understand and try to meet targets to improve their behaviour. They make outstanding progress in their personal skills as a result. Pupils are confident that should they be upset, they can turn to a number of trusted adults who know them very well. Teachers use constructive praise effectively and pupils are made aware of the 6 of 11 Inspection Report: Tettenhall Wood School, 26 June 2008 progress they have made. They also use focused short-term targets to ensure that where appropriate, pupils have a good understanding of how to improve their work further.

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Grade for sixth form: 1

The headteacher shows exceptional leadership through his determination to maintain the highest standards of teaching and the pupils' progress. He is supported by a strong senior leadership team, which shares his vision of continually examining procedures and provision to make things ever better for the pupils. A strength of the school lies in the rigorous and effective way managers monitor, evaluate and improve on every aspect of both the school's performance and the pupils' achievements. Because of the excellent procedures for assessment and tracking, the management team retains a very good overview of pupils' progress and is able to ensure that all pupils have equal access to learning opportunities and that their targets are both relevant and challenging. Senior staff are aware, however, that this information is not presented in a clear, accessible way. Communication within the school is excellent. Staff feel fully consulted, involved and valued.

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Grade for sixth form: 1

Governors provide strong support to the school. They work with individual staff and they rigorously monitor the school's strengths and areas for development. Relationships with parents are extremely good. 7 of 11 Inspection Report: Tettenhall Wood School, 26 June 2008 .

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Grade for sixth form: 1

in the guidance 'Complaints about school inspection', which is available from Ofsted’s website: www.ofsted.gov.uk. 8 of 11 Inspection Report: Tettenhall Wood School, 26 June 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

1 1 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? 1 1 The capacity to make any necessary improvements

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Achievement and standards

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

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Achievement and standards

1 1 How well learners make progress, taking account of any significant variations between groups of learners 1 1 How well learners with learning difficulties and disabilities make progress

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well-being of the learners?

1 1 The extent of learners' spiritual, moral, social and cultural development 1 1 The extent to which learners adopt healthy lifestyles 1 1 The extent to which learners adopt safe practices 1 1 How well learners enjoy their education 1 1 The attendance of learners 1 1 The behaviour of learners 1 1 The extent to which learners make a positive contribution to the community 1 1 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?

1 1 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: Tettenhall Wood School, 26 June 2008

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achievement and supporting all learners?

1 1 How effectively leaders and managers at all levels set clear direction leading to improvement and promote high quality of care and education 1 1 How effectively leaders and managers use challenging targets to raise standards 1 1 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 1 1 How effectively and efficiently resources, including staff, are deployed to achieve value for money 1 1 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: Tettenhall Wood School, 26 June 2008

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

27 June 2008 Dear Pupils Inspection of Tettenhall Wood School, Wolverhampton, WV6 8EJ Not long ago my colleague and I came to the school to see how you were getting on and to look at whether we could suggest anything to make the school better. You made us very welcome and we enjoyed meeting some of you in the classrooms and at lunchtime. Thank you and well done. We were only with you for one day. That was long enough for us to realise that you go to an outstandingly good school. We could see that you all enjoy school very much. We liked many things. Here are a few:

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

■ You work hard and make excellent progress in your work and in your personal development.

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

■ The many different people at the school look after you very well.

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

■ There is an excellent range of activities, including those that help you become independent, make choices and learn how to behave well. ■ You receive excellent teaching and your teachers and other staff are very good at recording all the progress you make. This helps them to prepare interesting work for each of you. ■ Your school is extremely well run by your headteacher, who is very well supported by everyone else, including your parents. There was one thing which we thought would help the school to improve. Teachers in post-16 should make sure that all the activities they provide are useful and interesting to every student. I hope you will continue to work as hard as you do at present. Please thank your parents for their helpful comments on the questionnaires. Best wishes Yours sincerely Mel Blackband Lead inspector 11 of 11 Inspection Report: Tettenhall Wood School, 26 June 2008

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