Newfield School

104982 Unique Reference Number Sefton Local Authority 308724 Inspection number 11 °12 June 2008 Inspection dates Arif Hussain 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 °16 Age range of pupils Mixed Gender of pupils Number on roll 81 School The governing body Appropriate authority Mr Ray Hurst Chair Ms Sylvia Evans Headteacher 25 April 2005 Date of previous school inspection Edge Lane School address Crosby Liverpool Merseyside L23 4TG 0151 9342991 Telephone number 0151 9315025 Fax number

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5-16 Age group 11 °12 June 2008 Inspection dates 308724 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

This school, which has recently been awarded specialist college status, provides for boys and girls who have behavioural, emotional and social difficulties. A small number also have additional barriers to learning, including specific literacy difficulties. Most have a statement of special educational need. Almost all the pupils are boys and all are White British. Because of their learning difficulties and/or disabilities the standards of students on entry are below those expected. The school has gained the Sportsmark, the Activemark, Investors in People and the National Healthy Schools Award.

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Key for inspection grades

Outstanding Grade 1 Good Grade 2 Satisfactory Grade 3 Inadequate Grade 4 3 of 10 Inspection Report: Newfield School, 11 °12 June 2008

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Grade: 1

This is an outstanding school. It deserves its excellent reputation in the community. It is appreciated both for its work with its own pupils and for the excellence of its outreach services. Parents credit the school with helping their children to improve. They say that their sons and daughters enjoy going to school and that they achieve much more than they expected. Almost from the outset, students make rapid progress and achieve exceptionally well. From very low starting points they reach standards that are broadly average by the time they leave. Students achieve so well because teaching and learning are outstanding. Teachers motivate students very well offering them work that captures and sustains their interest. As a result, students develop excellent attitudes towards learning. The curriculum is excellent because it fully provides for students' interests and needs. Rich and imaginative learning opportunities

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Grade: 1

encourage students to develop their literacy, numeracy and personal skills. This helps to prepare them for the future exceptionally well. Students receive outstanding care, guidance and support. All are treated as individuals and the praise and reward they are given for their achievements make an excellent contribution to their self-esteem. The school values its students thoroughly and provides each with exceptional opportunities to succeed. It regularly reviews its policies to ensure that students are kept safe and healthy. Personal development is exceptional. Students quickly develop into well mannered, mature, thoughtful, young citizens. They have a very good understanding of healthy living. Their behaviour is excellent. Students make an exceptional contribution to their community through the school council and their suggestions have led to many school improvements. Attendance is good because the vast majority of students have greatly improved their attendance

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Grade: 1

since joining the school. Outstanding leadership and management underpin students' excellent progress and their developing sense of well-being. The headteacher's clear vision, drive and determination have ensured unity of purpose across the school. Governors have a firm grasp of educational priorities and hold the school to account particularly well on matters such as spending and staff performance. Safeguarding procedures meet current requirements. The school monitors its performance thoroughly. The individual standards attained by pupils and the progress that they make are accurately recorded. However, information summarizing achievement and standards overall is not presented as clearly as it should be. This makes it difficult to analyse trends in performance so that comparative weaknesses in students' achievements can be speedily recognised and dealt with. The school has fully addressed the issues raised at the last inspection.

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Grade: 1

Its capacity for further improvement and the value for money it provides are exceptional.

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What the school should do to improve further

■ Summarise information on achievement and standards more effectively so that trends are easier to spot and any weaknesses in performance more readily recognised and dealt with.

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Grade: 1

In each key stage students make impressive progress. Achievement in English, mathematics, and information and communication technology is outstanding while it is good in science. The school's emphasis on promoting a love of books has resulted in very good progress in reading. 4 of 10 Inspection Report: Newfield School, 11 °12 June 2008 Challenging targets have been met across the school to a high degree. There are no significant differences in achievement between boys and girls. Students who have learning difficulties and/or disabilities in addition to behavioural, emotional and social difficulties achieve as well as their peers because of the excellent support they receive in the classroom. The vast majority of leavers are very successful at GCSE level and in other externally accredited courses including those in personal skills, number handling and design technology.

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Grade: 1

Students' remarkable personal development makes an excellent contribution to their learning. Spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is outstanding. Students are thoughtful in discussion. They deal with potentially controversial matters in a mature manner. They recognise the right of individuals to practise their religion and they respect the cultural choices of others. They have developed exceptionally positive attitudes towards diversity. This promotes race relations and community cohesion very effectively. Students respond very well to the school's high expectations regarding attitudes and achievement. They say that bullying is not a problem and they are confident that adults are caring and supportive if students have any worries. They all enjoy taking some form of exercise and make sensible choices about what they eat. Parents confirm that their children are managed especially well and that behaviour in the school is

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Grade: 1

The teaching of basic skills in literacy and numeracy is exceptionally good. Teachers capture the interest of students from the outset, emphasise the importance of practical experiences to promote learning and always make the fullest use of the time available. Teaching assistants make an exceptional contribution to the success of lessons through very skilful support, taking full account of students' individual needs. Assessment and marking of work are excellent. Information collected is very well used to modify teaching, meet individual needs and set challenging learning targets. Students are fully involved in assessing their own and each other's work.

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Grade: 1

The curriculum provides a very wide variety of enjoyable learning opportunities that are matched precisely to individual needs. Personal, social and health education is exceptional and is woven into all aspects of the curriculum. Parents value the wide-ranging opportunities that the school provides for their children to gain examination passes and qualifications. Preparation for the future is a strength of the school and students are given many opportunities to develop enterprise skills, attend college courses and benefit from work experience placements. Extra-curricular activities include sports clubs and residential visits for older students. Provision for the performing arts is excellent and this makes a remarkable contribution to personal development. 5 of 10 Inspection Report: Newfield School, 11 °12 June 2008

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Grade: 1

Students feel safe and well looked after. They state that there are many adults they can turn to for help. They say that lessons are fun and that their teachers are really patient in explaining things. The school is calm, welcoming and harmonious. Procedures to ensure health and safety are firmly in place. The school does all it can to raise attendance levels. Support for vulnerable students and arrangements for child protection are clear and widely understood. Links with external agencies such as the peripatetic reading service support the school's work very effectively. Students feel valued because they receive praise for all their achievements, including personal and academic achievements. They have a clear understanding of how to improve their work through very effective target-setting procedures.

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Grade: 1

The leadership of the school is successfully focused on achievement and promoting the personal development and well-being of all students. It works very effectively with the local authority to promote school development, and this has been an important factor in the many improvements since the last inspection. The school correctly judges itself as outstanding. It is well informed about the strengths of its provision. Through its monitoring it knows the individual progress of its pupils; however, since changing its method of checking achievement in 2007, the school has yet to develop a means of summarising overall performance so as to show trends clearly. Arrangements for professional development are exceptional. Teachers work together closely to share with one another the most effective practice. Resources such as electronic whiteboards are used very effectively to support learning. The school runs very smoothly on a

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Grade: 1

day-to-day basis with administrative staff and the site manager making an exceptional contribution. 6 of 10 Inspection Report: Newfield School, 11 °12 June 2008 .

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Grade: 1

in the guidance 'Complaints about school inspection', which is available from Ofsted’s website: www.ofsted.gov.uk. 7 of 10 Inspection Report: Newfield School, 11 °12 June 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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Overall effectiveness

How effective, efficient and inclusive is the provision of education, integrated care and any extended services in meeting the 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? 1 The capacity to make any necessary improvements

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Achievement and standards

1 How well do learners achieve? 3 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 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 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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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. 8 of 10 Inspection Report: Newfield School, 11 °12 June 2008

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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 1 How effectively leaders and managers use challenging targets to raise standards 2 The effectiveness of the school's self-evaluation 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? 9 of 10 Inspection Report: Newfield School, 11 °12 June 2008

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

Inspection of Newfield School, Liverpool, L23 4TG Thank you for making the inspectors so welcome at your school and for all your help during the inspection. This letter is to tell you about what we found. Your parents say that Newfield is a 'fantastic' school and we agree! Your attitudes towards learning and behaviour are outstanding. Well done! You have a great understanding of how to lead a healthy life. You also know what you have to do in order to stay safe. We can see that you all make an excellent contribution to your community. The school council is brilliant. We were really impressed with your ideas to improve the school. We're not surprised that the steel band is so popular in the community! It is one of the best we have ever heard. Teaching is excellent and you obviously enjoy learning. We are very pleased to see that you are getting on so well with your work and you make outstanding progress. The curriculum is

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

excellent because there are so many chances for you to learn in different ways, take examinations and gain certificates for your work. This helps you prepare particularly well for the future. The school looks after you really well and gives you extra help when you need it. The leadership and management of your school are outstanding. The headteacher, staff and governors are working very hard to make sure you carry on doing so well. I know that the school's leaders and managers recently changed the way information about your progress and standards is kept. It's not a big problem, but I have asked the school to make sure that a whole-school summary of information is kept so that it is easier to spot what is going well and what might need to be improved. Even though the school is outstanding, you can make sure it stays that way by carrying on working hard and doing your best. Once again, thank you for the welcome you gave us. It made our visit really enjoyable.

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

10 of 10 Inspection Report: Newfield School, 11 °12 June 2008

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