Glenwood School

116639 Unique Reference Number Hampshire Local Authority 312352 Inspection number 7 °8 May 2008 Inspection dates Melvyn Blackband Reporting inspector

p.1

This inspection of the school was carried out under section 5 of the Education Act 2005.

p.1

Secondary Type of school Community special School category 11 °16 Age range of pupils Mixed Gender of pupils Number on roll 93 School The governing body Appropriate authority Mr John Blaber Chair Mr Phillip Johnson Headteacher 4 October 2004 Date of previous school inspection Washington Road School address Emsworth PO10 7NN 01243 373120 Telephone number 01243 373103 Fax number

p.1

11-16 Age group 7 °8 May 2008 Inspection dates 312352 Inspection number .

p.1

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.

p.2

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.

p.2

Introduction

The inspection was carried out by an Additional Inspector.

p.3

Description of the school

The school provides for secondary aged pupils with moderate learning disabilities. The pupils are almost all white British and none speaks English as an alternative language. There are twice as many boys as girls. The school has gained several awards for the pupils' achievements. There are currently three pupils looked after by the local authority.

p.3

Key for inspection grades

Outstanding Grade 1 Good Grade 2 Satisfactory Grade 3 Inadequate Grade 4 3 of 11 Inspection Report: Glenwood School, 7 °8 May 2008

p.3

Grade: 1

Glenwood is an outstanding school because almost all pupils make exceptional progress both academically and in their personal development. These achievements are supported by excellent teaching and by an outstanding curriculum, which is very well tailored to the differing needs of the learners. The pupils love coming to school and parents are very pleased for their children to attend, knowing that they are safe and happy. The school sets challenging academic targets for every pupil and all the adults have high expectations for the pupils' success. As one parent put it, 'The quality of provision is outstanding.' All the pupils do well in their studies and many make outstanding progress. By the time they leave almost every pupil achieves success in a range of nationally accredited qualifications, including a large minority who gain at least one GCSE pass. These achievements are underpinned by the excellent progress the pupils make in English and mathematics. The oldest pupils in Year

p.4

Grade: 1

11, for instance are well equipped with basic literacy and numeracy skills by the time they leave. Almost without exception, they are able to move on to college courses or recognised training. The high quality of teaching means that pupils enjoy their lessons and respond by trying their best. Lessons are notable for their sustained pace and for the quality of the questions with which teachers challenge their pupils. The pupils are encouraged to take a full part in the assessment of their own progress, in collaboration with their teachers and they, therefore, have a clear grasp of how well they are doing. The teachers do not always use the same systems to record the pupils' progress. This sometimes makes the collection of relevant data more time consuming. However, the school's overall procedures for assessment and for tracking pupils' progress towards their targets are exceptional and this ensures that no pupils achieve below their best.

p.4

Grade: 1

The pupils feel safe and happy in the friendly and supportive ethos of the school. They look forward to their learning and this is confirmed by their good attendance. This in turn has a substantial impact on their rates of progress. The pupils learn to remain healthy, to keep safe and to behave very well. They value the school and this is evident through their very good relationships with staff and the obvious pride they have in their school and their own achievements. The headteacher's experience and his clear vision have enabled him to give outstanding leadership to the school. He receives excellent support from a committed staff team. The governing body monitors the school's work outstandingly well and challenges leaders continually to improve provision for the learners. Glenwood School has a very high reputation locally because the pupils, in their behaviour and their positive attitudes, act as excellent ambassadors

p.4

Grade: 1

for the school. Staff evaluate the school's work extremely effectively. They have consistently improved provision since the last inspection, when Glenwood was already judged a very good school. There is an outstanding capacity to continue this improvement.

p.4

What the school should do to improve further

■ Ensure that teachers follow consistent procedures when they record the pupils' progress. 4 of 11 Inspection Report: Glenwood School, 7 °8 May 2008

p.4

Grade: 1

All the pupils achieve well and many make outstanding progress. The pupils usually enter the school with low levels of attainment and this attainment remains generally below national expectations. However, the school's records show that almost all the pupils make rapid progress throughout the school and so realise their potential. The pupils make excellent progress in English and mathematics. This enables them to gain a range of appropriate Entry Level qualifications. Higher ability pupils leave school with success at GCSE in mathematics and science. There is no evidence of underachievement by any individual or group. Many pupils make excellent progress in meeting their challenging behavioural targets.

p.5

Grade: 1

The pupils' outstanding progress in personal development reflects the strong management of behaviour and the emphasis on moral and social values. The pupils' spiritual and cultural development is very good. The pupils are calm and very well behaved because they feel safe and confident and know what is expected from them. Pupils are very supportive of each other and this contributes to the extremely positive school ethos. They have a very clear understanding of the value of exercise and healthy eating, through excellent personal, health and social education (PHSE) programmes and they are enthusiastic about the many opportunities to take part in physical activity. The pupils learn how to keep themselves safe and those pupils spoken to reported no bullying or intimidation. Above all, pupils really enjoy school, because learning is interesting and because they gain pleasure through their own achievements. They demonstrate

p.5

Grade: 1

this through their very good attitudes to learning and their good attendance. Parents say their children 'love school'. The pupils are encouraged wherever possible to contribute to the well being of the school community. All the pupils benefit from the many different opportunities, for example through the school council, which they have to express their views, and to consider the opinions of others. As a result the pupils become more confident and develop clear understanding of the personal skills which will help them to effectively function in the community. The pupils' outstanding progress in basic skills together with excellent opportunities to learn work related skills enables all the pupils to access appropriate college or training places when they leave the school.

p.5

Grade: 1

Senior staff ensure that the excellent quality of teaching is maintained, by means of regular monitoring. Teachers know their pupils very well and this enables them to plan challenging, well-paced and interesting activities for each pupil. There are very good relationships between staff and pupils in all classrooms. The skilled teaching assistants are well deployed to give the pupils high levels of individual tuition. This gives them confidence to try new things and so they enjoy their lessons and try their best. Staff assess and record steps in the pupils' progress very effectively and this has a positive impact on their achievement. However, the recording procedures are not consistent throughout the school. Teachers manage the pupils' behaviour 5 of 11 Inspection Report: Glenwood School, 7 °8 May 2008 extremely well. Pupils understand and respond to clear routines. This enables teachers to maintain a clear focus on learning. Parents reported that they feel appropriately involved in

p.5

Grade: 1

their child's learning although a small minority of parents pointed out that they feel communication from the school is inconsistent. The evidence suggests however, that in the great majority of cases there is extremely good communication between home and school.

p.6

Grade: 1

The curriculum is outstanding because subject leaders monitor schemes of work regularly to ensure they both interest the pupils and challenge them to learn new things. As a result, activities are very well adapted to the needs of pupils. The school has excellent provision for teaching the basic skills. The school's curriculum is underpinned, very successfully, by programmes to ensure pupils understand the value of living healthily and that they are as well informed as possible about how to keep themselves safe. There are, for instance, annual 'Focus days' such as one entitled, 'Looking good, Feeling good', which have a positive impact on the pupils' self-esteem and confidence. Teachers have successfully adapted learning activities to encourage pupils' awareness of the school as a learning community. Teachers often plan lessons so that pupils work collaboratively. All pupils take a keen interest in expressing their views

p.6

Grade: 1

through the school council. There are many and varied trips and visits so that pupils learn new things in different situations. The oldest pupils apply their skills in the outstanding programmes to teach them about the world of work. As a result, they gain a very good understanding of what it means to be a useful citizen. The activities successfully motivate them to continue their education in college or on training places.

p.6

Grade: 1

All aspects of care are treated with the utmost importance. Routine risk assessments are rigorous and safeguarding and child protection procedures are very robust. There is an outstanding level of assessment and recording of the pupils' achievement. Parents thus receive a high standard of information at Annual Review meetings. Pupils who require additional support have the benefit of an individual education plan. These provide challenging personal development targets and pupils' progress towards achieving them is monitored and evaluated very closely. Teachers set challenging academic targets in all subjects and the pupils' achievements are tracked closely. Pupils are made aware of their targets and in most cases help to assess their own efforts. As a result they are very aware of what they need to do to improve their work.

p.6

Grade: 1

The management team retains an excellent overview of pupils' achievements through their procedures for assessment and tracking. As a result, they effectively ensure that all pupils have equal access to learning opportunities and that their targets are relevant and challenging. The school's procedures for self- evaluation are outstanding and a strength of the school. Managers are rigorous in the way they monitor and improve on every aspect of the school's performance and the pupils' achievements. Subject leaders add significantly to the maintenance of standards. 6 of 11 Inspection Report: Glenwood School, 7 °8 May 2008 Communication within the school is excellent. Staff feel fully consulted, involved and valued. Governors provide outstanding support to the school, they work closely with senior staff and they rigorously monitor the school's strengths and areas for development. 7 of 11 Inspection Report: Glenwood School, 7 °8 May 2008

p.6

Grade: 1

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

p.8

Inspection judgements

School Overall Key to judgements: grade 1 is outstanding, grade 2 good, grade 3 satisfactory, and grade 4 inadequate

p.9

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

p.9

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

p.9

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

p.9

and interests of learners?

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

p.9

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: Glenwood School, 7 °8 May 2008

p.9

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 1 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? 10 of 11 Inspection Report: Glenwood School, 7 °8 May 2008

p.10

Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

21 May 2008 Dear Pupils Inspection of Glenwood School,Emsworth,PO10 7NN 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 meeting some of you in the classroom, at school council and at lunchtimes. Thank you and well done. I was with you for two days. That was long enough for me to see that you go to an outstandingly good school. I could see that you all enjoy school very much. I liked many things. Here are a few.

p.11

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.

p.11

Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

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

p.11

Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

■ There is an excellent range of activities including those that help you become more self-confident and help to prepare you for when you leave school. ■ You receive excellent teaching and you talk regularly to your teachers and other staff about the progress you are making. This helps teachers to prepare interesting and challenging work for each of you. ■ Your headteacher runs the school extremely well and everyone else including your parents gives him good support. I would like the teachers to make sure that when they record the important things about how you are getting on in your work, they all write it down in the same way. You can help too, just by working as hard as you have been doing! Please thank your parents for all the helpful comments they made on the questionnaires. Yours sincerely Mel Blackband Lead Inspector 11 of 11 Inspection Report: Glenwood School, 7 °8 May 2008

p.11