Mandeville School

101968 Unique Reference Number Ealing Local Authority 323558 Inspection number 9–10 June 2009 Inspection dates Melvyn Blackband Reporting inspector

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This inspection of the school was carried out under section 5 of the Education Act 2005. The registered childcare, managed by the governing body, was inspected under section 49 of the Childcare Act 2006.

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Special Type of school Community special School category 3–11 Age range of pupils Mixed Gender of pupils Number on roll 74 School (total) 0 Government funded early education provision for children aged 3 to the end of the EYFS 0 Childcare provision for children aged 0 to 3 years The governing body Appropriate authority Mr Bassam Mahfouz Chair Mrs Christine Marks Headteacher 2 May 2006 Date of previous school inspection Not previously inspected Date of previous funded early education inspection Not previously inspected Date of previous childcare inspection Horsenden Lane North School address Greenford Middlesex UB6 0PA 020 8864 4921 Telephone number 020 8966 1289 Fax number

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3–11 Age group 9–10 June 2009 Inspection dates 323558 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. 2 of 11 Inspection Report: Mandeville School, 9–10 June 2009

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Introduction

The inspection was carried out by an Additional Inspector.

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Description of the school

The school provides for pupils with autistic spectrum disorders and those with severe or profound learning difficulties. Pupils come from a wide range of ethnic and cultural backgrounds and 45 pupils are at the early stages of learning English. The school has achieved the Investors in People and Healthy School awards.

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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: Mandeville School, 9–10 June 2009

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Grade: 1

Mandeville is an outstanding school, which continually strives to improve the provision for all its learners. Because of their learning difficulties, the standards reached by pupils in most cases are exceptionally low, but all pupils do very well in their studies and many make excellent progress, especially in the basic skills of literacy and numeracy and communication. Provision in the Early Years Foundation Stage is outstanding. The pupils quickly settle in the school through excellent teaching and care. The quality of teaching is excellent. Lessons are very well planned and they are characterised by the high quality of support given to pupils by well-trained teachers and learning assistants. The high level of staffing means pupils receive a great deal of individual attention and tuition. This helps them to make the best progress that they can. The school's assessment, monitoring and tracking of pupils' overall achievement is thorough and accurate and this represents a

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Grade: 1

significant improvement since the previous inspection. School leaders, however, are determined to revise and strengthen the system even further. The curriculum is outstanding because, through the excellent quality of assessment, it is so well tailored to each pupil's needs. There is well-organised and effective provision to support pupils with profound and multiple learning difficulties (PMLD) and to support the pupils with autistic spectrum conditions. The school is particularly successful in helping all the pupils to develop their communication. This is of great benefit to those pupils at the early stages of learning English as well as pupils with PMLD and those with speech and language difficulties. Many of the pupils with severe learning difficulties also make outstanding progress in their communication and in their personal and academic skills. One of the school's strengths is in the outstanding support pupils receive from other

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Grade: 1

professionals who work at the school. Therapists from several disciplines effectively contribute to the pupils' overall development. They work closely with school staff to establish realistic but challenging individual targets for each pupil's progress. The pupils feel very safe and well supported. They make excellent gains in their personal development because of the high level of support they receive and because of the outstanding teaching and curriculum provision in personal, health and social education. They learn to remain healthy, to keep safe and to behave well. The pupils love coming to school. 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: 'I couldn't wish for a better school for my son. He loves it!' Pupils value the school and this is

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Grade: 1

evident through the excellent relationships they have with staff and the pleasure they all display in greeting visitors. Since the previous inspection, the school has developed much more effective strategies to extend the learning of the small minority of pupils with complex needs who exhibit challenging behaviour. As a result, these pupils are gradually overcoming the barriers to their learning and they generally behave extremely well. Most pupils have very good attendance, but a minority do not attend as regularly and this can affect the pace of their learning. Excellent leadership and management drive all this. The headteacher's work is outstanding in maintaining and improving standards. A very able senior team supports her. The school monitors and evaluates its work very well and this has played a vital part in the school's improvement since the previous inspection. The governing body is supportive and also monitors aspects of

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Grade: 1

the school's work robustly. The school has consolidated and improved its performance very successfully since the previous inspection and has an outstanding capacity to improve further. 4 of 11 Inspection Report: Mandeville School, 9–10 June 2009

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Grade: 1

The records in the department clearly show that children make very good progress. They soon settle into familiar routines and they are relaxed and happy. They enter the classroom enthusiastically with big smiles of greeting for their teachers. Assessment is rigorous and work is very well matched to appropriate small steps in learning. The staff know their children very well and demonstrate this in the excellent standards of planning and teaching, tailored to the needs of each individual. The children receive a high level of individual attention by caring and competent support staff. As a result, the children make excellent progress in their personal development. This provides a very good basis for their future success in the school. The teacher and support staff are skilled in creating many opportunities for communication. This reinforces the children's experience of listening carefully and responding to speech, symbols and signing.

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Grade: 1

There are very good resources which enable the children to play and learn both in the classroom and outside in their covered playground. The department is very well led and managed.

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What the school should do to improve further

■ Develop strategies to ensure that all pupils attend school as regularly as possible.

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Grade: 1

All the pupils achieve well and many make outstanding progress. Their attainment remains far below that expected of mainstream pupils, but the outstanding support for pupils with the most severe impairments ensures they make excellent progress in very small steps. Most pupils make very good progress in meeting challenging targets in literacy and mathematics and in their personal development. The pupils make outstanding progress in their communication skills and this has a significant impact on their achievement throughout the curriculum. There is no evidence of underachievement by any individual or group of pupils. Pupils with PMLD develop their confidence and awareness through sensory activities and where appropriate by expressing their likes and choices through eye and hand movement or by using electronic switches. The pupils with complex needs and communication difficulties make outstanding progress in using signs and symbols to indicate their wishes, for instance their choices of drink,

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Grade: 1

and in successfully interacting with staff during their learning activities. The school pays careful attention to meeting the needs of pupils with English as an additional language. As a result, these pupils also achieve very well.

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Grade: 1

The pupils' excellent progress in personal development reflects the school's strong emphasis on moral and social values. Pupils feel safe and confident within the school's calm and supportive atmosphere. Bullying does not exist and the overwhelming majority of pupils behave extremely well. Pupils' spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is outstanding. This is demonstrated, for instance, in the tolerance and care which pupils show to their friends and classmates and in the pleasure pupils take in visiting other localities and in welcoming visitors from other countries into their school. The multi-ethnicity of the school's population leads pupils to willingly accept and celebrate the diversity among their friends. They also enjoy the opportunities to 5 of 11 Inspection Report: Mandeville School, 9–10 June 2009 meet together for assembly and social occasions and they gain a very good understanding of

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Grade: 1

the togetherness and the cohesion of their school community. Pupils learn the importance of healthy lifestyles through their involvement in the many well-organised opportunities for physical activity such as in swimming or horse-riding. The pupils' excellent development has been confirmed by the school achieving the Healthy School Award. Pupils make excellent gains in their social skills through the many communal activities. All pupils are encouraged and supported where necessary in making their views known, through the school council, in circle time and in many informal opportunities for communication throughout the day. Pupils learn many social skills which range from engaging in eye contact to shaking hands and asking each other's name. Where possible the pupils learn functional literacy and numeracy skills such as recognising a room by its symbol or counting out cups at drinks time. This promotes their independence and helps prepare them for the next stage in

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Grade: 1

their education. The pupils enjoy school and this shows in their happy faces when they arrive. The attendance of most pupils is very good, but for a minority it is only satisfactory. Parents feel welcomed by the school as partners in their child's education. All parents agreed that the school asks for and responds to their views.

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Grade: 1

Teaching standards are exceptionally good throughout the school. Teachers capture each small step in progress that pupils make, and this leads to very well-focused targets for each pupil's further improvement. Teachers know their pupils very well and this enables them to plan interesting well-paced activities, which motivate the pupils to do their best. Teachers effectively emphasise the development of communication skills and this significantly enhances the pupils' involvement in learning activities. The teachers' work is made even more effective by the excellent teamwork in each class. Teaching assistants are well trained, they take a full part in helping plan and assess each pupil's learning activities and they give every pupil a very high level of individual attention. As a result, the pupils are constantly encouraged and challenged to do their best and this has a very positive effect on their progress. The management of

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Grade: 1

behaviour is excellent. Pupils understand and respond to clear routines. When a pupil's behaviour occasionally becomes unacceptable, it is dealt with calmly and with understanding and support for the pupil involved.

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Grade: 1

Pupils enjoy a carefully constructed and rigorously monitored curriculum, which is exceptionally well adapted to their individual needs. This is very well supported by outside therapists and medical professionals who contribute extremely effectively to helping tailor specific activities for each pupil to help develop their physical ability, communication and self-help and independence skills. The excellent levels of support for those with additional difficulties ensure that all pupils have equal access to learning opportunities. Programmes in the Early Years Foundation Stage have been carefully adapted to meet each pupil's early learning needs. The provision for the development of pupils' personal skills has a significant impact on the pupils' achievement. The school's excellent programmes to develop pupils' communication and their 6 of 11 Inspection Report: Mandeville School, 9–10 June 2009 basic literacy and numeracy skills are extremely effective in promoting their confidence and

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Grade: 1

access to learning opportunities in other areas. There are a wide range of activities involving visitors to the school such as artists and dance and drama specialists. Pupils have many opportunities to go out of the classroom and into the community, where they discover that new things can be learned in many different situations. This adds substantially to their social skills, their self-confidence and their interest in learning.

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Grade: 1

The safeguarding of students is the school's highest priority and exceeds national expectations. The staff maintain excellent links with outside agencies to help ensure that all needs are fully addressed. The school works collaboratively with an extended multi-disciplinary team to promote pupils' access to learning, their health and their independence. The generous staffing means pupils have many opportunities to communicate with favourite adults and there are supportive relationships. The pupils are proud of their successes, and they like the way that staff tell them how well they are doing in both their work and personal development and reward them with praise and encouragement. Wherever possible, pupils are shown how to improve their work. The school makes determined efforts to monitor and address the relatively high absence of a small minority of pupils. There has been some success during this year but for a very few pupils

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Grade: 1

The headteacher and senior team have led staff extremely well in the drive to improve standards of teaching and the pupils' progress. One of the school's strengths is in the effective way managers monitor, evaluate and improve on aspects of the school's performance and the pupils' achievements. The team, for instance, has clearly identified and promoted the school's strengths in ensuring students have a very good grasp of community cohesion. The development of procedures to track and analyse the pupils' progress has been very effective in raising their achievement and leaders are determined to improve the process even further. Because of these procedures the management team retain a very good overview of pupils' achievements and are able to ensure that all pupils have equal access to learning opportunities and that their targets are both relevant and challenging. Communication within the school is excellent. The staff feel fully consulted, involved and

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Grade: 1

valued. There are excellent procedures to support new staff and to ensure that all staff take full advantage of professional training. The school has been awarded Investors in People status as a confirmation of the importance given to staff training and development. There is very good management of systems to measure and improve staff performance. Governors provide outstanding support to the school. They work closely with individual staff and they rigorously monitor the school's strengths and areas for development. Relationships with parents are extremely good. The communication between home and school is very well organised and parents are actively encouraged to be involved in their child's education. 7 of 11 Inspection Report: Mandeville School, 9–10 June 2009 .

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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: Mandeville School, 9–10 June 2009

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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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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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EYFS?

1 How well do children in the EYFS achieve? How good are the overall personal development and well-being of the children in the EYFS? 1 How effectively are children in the EYFS helped to learn and develop? 1 How effectively is the welfare of children in the EYFS promoted? 1 How effectively is provision in the EYFS led and managed?

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Achievement and standards

1 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 1 How well learners with learning difficulties and/or disabilities make progress

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Achievement and standards

1 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: Mandeville School, 9–10 June 2009

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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 The extent to which 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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learners' needs?

How well do the curriculum and other activities meet the range of needs and interests of learners? 1 How well are learners cared for, guided and supported?

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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 1 The effectiveness of the school's self-evaluation 1 How well equality of opportunity is promoted and discrimination eliminated 1 How well does the school contribute to community cohesion? 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: Mandeville School, 9–10 June 2009

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

23 June 2009 Dear Pupils Inspection of Mandeville School,Middlesex,UB6 0PA Not long ago I came to the school to see how you were getting on and whether I could help to make the school better. You made me very welcome and I enjoyed meeting you in the classroom, at the school council and at lunchtime. Mandeville is an outstanding school. I 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

■ you do lots of activities to help you become independent, make your own choices and learn how to behave well ■ you have excellent teachers who are very good at writing down all the progress you make. This helps them to prepare interesting work for each of you ■ the senior staff run your school extremely well. Everyone else, including your parents gives them very good support. There is one thing I should like the school to improve on.

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

■ There should be even more effort made to encourage those of you with poor attendance to come to school more regularly. You can help, too, just by working as hard as you have been doing! Please thank your parents for the helpful comments they made on the questionnaires. Best wishes, Yours faithfully Mel Blackband Lead Inspector 11 of 11 Inspection Report: Mandeville School, 9–10 June 2009

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