Kingsbury Primary Special School

Kingsbury Primary Special School Inspection report

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131259 Unique Reference Number Lancashire Local Authority 315765 Inspection number 14 November 2007 Inspection date Mel 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 2 °11 Age range of pupils Mixed Gender of pupils Number on roll 32 School The governing body Appropriate authority Mr Alex Young Chair Mr John Hajnrych Headteacher 1 September 2005 Date of previous school inspection School Lane School address Chapel House Skelmersdale Lancashire WN8 8EH 01695 722 991 Telephone number 01695 51428 Fax number

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2-11 Age group 14 November 2007 Inspection date 315765 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 one Additional Inspector.

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Description of the school

Kingsbury Primary Special School provides for pupils with a range of learning difficulties. Almost half of the pupils have autistic spectrum conditions. Other pupils have moderate learning difficulties (MLD), severe learning difficulties (SLD) or profound and multiple learning difficulties (PMLD). There is a small number of pupils in the Foundation Stage. Some pupils with MLD and SLD are taught alongside mainstream pupils in a local primary school. Kingsbury School is due to co-locate with this school in two years time.

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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: Kingsbury Primary Special School, 14 November 2007

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Grade: 2

This is a good school with some outstanding features. Because of their learning difficulties, the standards reached by pupils are exceptionally low, but all pupils achieve well in their studies and some make excellent progress. Pupils love coming to school and parents are very happy for their children to attend, knowing they will be safe and that the school has high expectations of their success. Relationships with parents are extremely good because communication between home and school is very well organised and parents are actively encouraged to be involved with their child’s education. One parent’s comment was typical: ‘Kingsbury has brought out the best in my child’. Pupils’ achievements are underpinned by the excellent progress they make in their personal development. Pupils enjoy their lessons and respond by trying their best. The teaching is good especially because of the well deployed staffing, which enables each pupil to receive a high level of

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Grade: 2

individual tuition and support from the teachers and learning assistants. The classroom staff know pupils’ attainment very well and this ensures a secure and accurate base for the tracking of pupils’ overall achievement. As a result of this, learning activities are usually well tailored to pupils’ needs and this has a positive impact on their progress. On occasions, however, teachers’ lesson planning is not linked clearly enough to pupils’ individual learning targets and their short-term achievements, so that there is some mismatch between tasks in lessons and the what pupils need to learn next. All pupils, including those with PMLD and those with autism are fully included in the curriculum. The provision is enriched by excellent procedures that enable higher ability pupils to learn and mix socially with pupils at the nearby mainstream school. Pupils thrive within the caring and supportive ethos of the school. They feel very secure and

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Grade: 2

well supported. They learn how to remain healthy, to keep safe and to behave extremely well. They value the school and this is evident through the very good relationships they have with staff and the excellent attendance of most pupils. They are exceptionally well prepared for moving on to secondary school. All this is driven by good leadership and management. The headteacher and his deputy have been very effective in monitoring and improving standards. The governing body is supportive, but some governors do not have a comprehensive enough overview of its work. The school evaluates its own work extremely well. School managers are well aware, for instance, of the inconsistencies in planning and recording, and have invested appropriately in relevant professional development and coaching for staff. The school has made substantial progress since it opened in 2006 and already has established a good quality of provision. Because of the

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Grade: 2

continual and very effective self-evaluation, it has an outstanding capacity to improve further.

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Grade: 1

Provision is outstanding because all the children make excellent progress in their knowledge and understanding, and in their personal development. Teachers know the children very well. They adapt activities skilfully to meet the needs of each child and, as a result, supported by enthusiastic teaching, children enjoy their work and try their best. The Nursery is calm because the children feel safe and routines are well established. Staff are warm and encouraging, and manage children’s behaviour very well; as a result, relationships are excellent. Parents are 4 of 11 Inspection Report: Kingsbury Primary Special School, 14 November 2007 welcomed into the Nursery and they are informed each day about their child’s progress. The Foundation Stage is very well led and managed. There are very good procedures for children’s transition into the main school.

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What the school should do to improve further

■ Improve the consistency of teachers’ planning and recording of pupils’ learning so that they effectively adapt work to meet each pupil’s needs. ■ Enable all governors to have a comprehensive view of the school’s work.

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Grade: 2

Pupils in the Foundation Stage make excellent progress and this gets them off to a flying start when they join the main school. All pupils, including those with PMLD, achieve well and some make outstanding progress. Pupils on the autistic spectrum make excellent progress in their communication and personal development. The school’s overview of pupils’ progress is outstanding, and this has a significant impact on their continuing achievement. On some occasions, however, teachers do not use their knowledge of pupils’ short-term progress well enough when planning lessons to adapt learning activities so that all pupils are suitably challenged. Pupils make very good progress in meeting challenging personal development targets in their individual education plans (IEPs). Some pupils who are taught at the nearby primary school have made sufficient progress to join appropriate lessons in mainstream classes.

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Grade: 1

The pupils’ excellent progress in their personal development reflects the school’s strong management of behaviour and emphasis on moral and social values. Pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is outstanding particularly as these areas of learning are emphasised in their personal development targets. They gradually develop an awareness of the importance of healthy lifestyles through the many opportunities to take part in physical activity. They make excellent gains in their social skills and their ability to collaborate with others because teachers provide many structured opportunities for them to work and play together. Pupils are encouraged to practise and generalise their personal skills throughout the day in all their activities. All the pupils make clear, measurable gains in the personal development targets in their IEPs. They feel safe and confident, and know what is expected from them within the

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Grade: 1

school’s calm and supportive atmosphere. They really enjoy their activities and school life. Parents say that their children love to be at school and this is reflected in their outstanding attendance. Pupils’ enthusiastic attitudes to school have a substantial impact on their achievements. Those parents who returned questionnaires were unanimous in their unqualified praise for the school and its impact on their children’s lives. One parent, for instance, wrote, ‘My child’s progress has been amazing’. Pupils are exceptionally well prepared for moving on the next stage of their education. 5 of 11 Inspection Report: Kingsbury Primary Special School, 14 November 2007

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Grade: 2

Teachers and their assistants know their pupils very well and so work effectively with small groups or individuals. This high level of support has a positive impact on their achievement. Planning for lessons and recording of pupils’ progress are generally good although there are inconsistencies in a small number of lessons when teachers do not clearly adapt work enough to each pupil’s needs or efficiently record each small step in their progress. Pupils like their teachers and the support staff, and so respond very well in lessons. Pupils on the autistic spectrum benefit from an effective emphasis on the development of their communication skills and this significantly enhances the pupils’ involvement in learning activities. The management of behaviour is excellent. Pupils understand and respond to clear routines. When a pupil’s behaviour becomes unacceptable, it is dealt with calmly and with understanding and support

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Grade: 2

The curriculum is good and is well planned for the needs of the pupils. Programmes in personal, social and health education (PSHE) underpin much of the school’s work and these have a significant impact on pupils’ achievement in their personal skills, their knowledge about the advantages of a healthy lifestyle and about their own safety. The school’s provision for the development of pupils’ communication skills is extremely effective. There is a good range of activities to take pupils out of the classroom, teaching them to behave appropriately in the community. The school provides opportunities for higher attaining pupils to work in the mainstream school. This adds substantially to the pupils’ social skills, their self-confidence and their interest in learning. There are well managed and effective programmes in basic skills, especially where teachers add rigour to their planning by using the National Strategies for

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Grade: 1

The school provides a high standard of care. It maintains excellent links with outside agencies to help ensure that all needs are fully addressed. Child protection procedures are effective. There are appropriate procedures for risk assessments and the necessary checks on staff are in place. There are very good relationships throughout the school and pupils feel confident to talk to adults. Families are closely supported by the home-school liaison officer. A positive result of this initiative is that almost all parents attend annual review meetings. Procedures to track the progress pupils make, particularly in their basic skills, are excellent and the information is used very well to involve pupils in their learning. Pupils are proud of their successes and they like the way staff tell them how well they are doing in both their work and personal development. The information which is given to parents for Annual Review meetings is of a high standard.

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Grade: 1

Parents report a high degree of satisfaction with their level of involvement in their child’s education. 6 of 11 Inspection Report: Kingsbury Primary Special School, 14 November 2007

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Grade: 2

The headteacher shows outstanding leadership through his determination to set high standards for the improvement in pupils’ progress. He is supported by a very effective deputy headteacher. Curriculum leaders have a good overview of provision in their subject. The effective way managers monitor, evaluate and improve aspects of the school’s provision is a strength of the school. There are very efficient and supportive procedures, for instance, to monitor and improve staff performance. Managers are clearly aware of the inconsistencies in planning and recording, and have begun to make improvements in these areas. Governors are supportive and well led by an active and experienced chair, but some governors lack detailed knowledge and understanding of the school’s strengths and weaknesses. Communication within the school is excellent. The staff feel fully consulted, involved and valued. There are excellent procedures to support new staff and the quality of professional

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Grade: 2

training is outstanding. This makes a significant contribution to sustaining pupils’ achievements. 7 of 11 Inspection Report: Kingsbury Primary Special School, 14 November 2007 .

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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: Kingsbury Primary Special School, 14 November 2007

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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? NA 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 effectiveness of the Foundation Stage 1 The capacity to make any necessary improvements

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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 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 1 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. 9 of 11 Inspection Report: Kingsbury Primary Special School, 14 November 2007

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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 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: Kingsbury Primary Special School, 14 November 2007

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

Dear Pupils Inspection of Kingsbury Primary Special School, Lancashire, WN8 8EH 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. Thank you and well done. I was only with you for one day. That was long enough for me to realise that you go to a good school. I could see that you all enjoy school very much. There were lots of things that I liked. Here are a few.

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

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

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

■ You are given a good range of activities, particularly those that help you become independent, make choices and mix with other pupils from different schools. ■ Your teachers and other staff tell you regularly how well you are doing, and you are taught well. ■ 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

■ Your school is well run by your headteacher who is supported by everyone else including your parents. I think the school could improve even further if the staff were to plan to make sure that all of you were able to improve as much as possible in every lesson. It would also help the school if all the governors were able to spare a bit more time to get to know you and decide how they could help you improve even faster. You can help too, just by going on working as hard as you have been doing! Please thank your parents for the helpful comments they made on the questionnaires. Best wishes and good luck! Mel Blackband Lead inspector 11 of 11 Inspection Report: Kingsbury Primary Special School, 14 November 2007

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