Sherbourne Fields School

Sherbourne Fields School Inspection report - amended

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103760 Unique Reference Number Coventry Local Authority 323893 Inspection number 25–26 November 2008 Inspection dates Elizabeth Bull 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 2–19 Age range of pupils Mixed Gender of pupils Number on roll 108 School (total) 21 Sixth form 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 David Rounsley Chair David Southeard Headteacher 20 October 2005 Date of previous school inspection Not previously inspected Date of previous funded early education inspection Not previously inspected Date of previous childcare inspection Rowington Close School address Coventry CV6 1PS 02476 591501 Telephone number 02476 590517 Fax number

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2–19 Age group 25–26 November 2008 Inspection dates 323893 Inspection number

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Amended Report Addendum

Report amended due to administration error

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Amended Report Addendum

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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Amended Report Addendum

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: Sherbourne Fields School, 25–26 November 2008

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Introduction

The inspection was carried out by two Additional Inspectors.

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Description of the school

Sherbourne Fields School provides education for pupils with physical disabilities. An increasing number of pupils have more complex needs and some pupils have severe or profound multiple learning difficulties. Pupils have a diverse range of backgrounds. About 80% of pupils are from White British families. The others come from a range of minority ethnic groups and over half of these pupils do not have English as their first language. The catchment area is wide. The school caters for children in the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS). These children are in the Nursery or Reception Years. Implementation of the strategy for inclusion in Coventry will result in four new broad-spectrum special schools being established in the city. Two will be primary and two secondary and they will be co-located with mainstream schools. The first primary school is due for completion in 2010 and both the secondary schools are scheduled to open in 2012. At this point Sherbourne

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Description of the school

Fields' secondary age pupils will transfer to the new schools and Sherbourne Fields will continue as a primary school until the second broad-spectrum primary school is ready at a time yet to be determined.

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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: Sherbourne Fields School, 25–26 November 2008

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Grade: 2

Sherbourne Fields is a good school. It has some outstanding features in pupils' personal development and the way they are cared for and supported. Leadership has ensured that, despite a considerable period of uncertainty, the school has maintained its strengths. Pupils greatly enjoy coming to school and the calm, positive ethos enables them to grow in self-belief and independence. Most of them achieve these attributes extremely well. Parents confirm this. They are overwhelmingly positive about all aspects of the school. As one parent commented, 'Our son is always eager to come to school and seems to be happy and content in his learning environment. We believe the school has a strong, caring ethos and a commitment to the well-being of the pupils.' The school is diligent in keeping people safe, both within school and when out in the community. Pupils' enjoyment of lessons is very evident in their excellent behaviour, good attendance and

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Grade: 2

in the great enthusiasm they have for their work. Lessons are carefully planned, taking into account the needs of each pupil. Teachers use a good range of strategies that make learning interesting and keep pupils focused. As a result of this good teaching, achievement throughout the school is good. The curriculum is good. It is enriched through its links with other schools, agencies and the local community. Relationships are a very strong feature and pupils appreciate the outstanding care and support they receive; as a result, their personal development and well-being are excellent. Work experience and community use are very effective in preparing pupils for their future pathways on leaving school. Pupils are taught how to stay safe, make healthy choices and become responsible young citizens. Most achieve these skills extremely well. Leadership and management are good overall. Governors are professional and effective

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Grade: 2

in the way they support and challenge the school. Support for staff is very strong and phase leaders have a very good understanding of what needs improvement in their areas. Nevertheless, some aspects of self-evaluation could be more systematic. For example, information from assessment is very carefully used to set targets for pupils and this ensures individual education plans are relevant and meaningful; however, some opportunities are missed to look for patterns in assessment data, so whole-school target setting does not consistently draw on this sort of analysis to raise achievement. Similarly, strategic planning is effective in securing improvement, but senior leaders do not formally evaluate the effectiveness of any initiatives taken to raise standards.

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Grade: 2

The sixth form is good with some outstanding features. Students make good progress and achieve well because the department is led and managed effectively. There is a clear view about its purpose, and an accurate view of how it should develop and improve, though evaluation of its success tends to be informal. The curriculum prepares students effectively for life after school where many take up the option of continuing their education at local colleges. There is a good balance between developing academic, personal and vocational skills. Students' personal development is outstanding and they thoroughly enjoy their time in the sixth form. They are given expert guidance not only about how they are learning and making progress but also about what they might do in the future. Students benefit from good teaching and a carefully organised curriculum, personalised to meet individual needs. As a result, students make good

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Grade: 2

progress and are very well prepared for life beyond school. 4 of 11 Inspection Report: Sherbourne Fields School, 25–26 November 2008

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Grade: 2

Children make good progress during their time in the EYFS given their capabilities and starting points. They achieve well against their learning targets. Provision for their personal and social development is outstanding. Staff are highly committed and work closely with parents and other agencies and as a result children settle in quickly, are very happy and behave very well. Children with additional needs, particularly those with speech and language difficulties, receive excellent support from the school's specialist language staff. Planning is very good and firmly based on the EYFS requirements but suitably adapted to meet the needs of individual children. It rightly gives special attention to developing children's language and social skills and as a result the children grow in confidence and self-esteem as they become better at communicating. Excellent attention is given to ensure children are safe and well cared for. New assessment

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Grade: 2

arrangements are being implemented well and staff keep careful records of children's progress through their assessment profiles. The leadership of the EYFS is good, but evaluation of improvements tends to be informal.

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What the school should do to improve further

■ Fine-tune the analysis of assessment data so as to provide a clearer picture of patterns in pupils' achievements across the school, and use this information to set whole-school targets and identify areas for improvement. ■ Formalise the way the school's work and its improvements are evaluated.

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Grade: 2

Whilst standards are significantly below average, pupils, including those in the EYFS and sixth form, make good progress from their very low attainment on entry. They achieve well because their individual needs are met. Individual education plans provide relevant and challenging targets for pupils to work towards and they rise to these challenges well. Pupils with additional needs make just as good progress as others. Older pupils gain impressive results in a range of accredited courses, preparing them well for further study or training beyond school. Significant numbers of pupils take part in sporting competitions at regional and national level.

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Grade: 1

The personal development and well-being of pupils are outstanding as is their spiritual, moral and social development. Excellent relationships between pupils and staff lead to pupils becoming confident, happy learners. Behaviour is outstanding because of the sensitive approach used by staff to managing any challenges. Racial harmony and an appreciation of each other are good features within the school. Attendance is good, although as expected in a school of this type a number miss school for medical appointments. Pupils say how very aware they are that the school is a safe place. They contribute to its safety by using their wheelchairs carefully when moving around the site. Pupils show an excellent understanding of healthy living by the mature choices they make at lunchtime and by the range of sporting activities they attend. Swimming is a sport in which many excel. Pupils welcome the opportunity to take on responsibility within

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Grade: 1

their class groups. The school council plays an active role in the life of the school. Pupils raise money for a wide range of charities both locally and nationally; this helps them to appreciate 5 of 11 Inspection Report: Sherbourne Fields School, 25–26 November 2008 and have empathy for those who are less fortunate than themselves. Older pupils develop very good enterprise, work-place and independence skills because of the wide range of activities they experience.

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Grade: 2

Teaching and learning are good throughout the school, including in the EYFS and the sixth form. The school now provides for pupils with more complex educational needs and teachers have had to readjust their planning and teaching to take full account of the range of needs that the pupils present. In the best lessons very good planning ensures that pupils are frequently engaged in active and collaborative tasks that capture their interest and attention. The introduction of a commercial scheme to help identify small steps of achievement is helping teachers to refine activities, though it is not yet being used in all subjects. Some good use of questioning engages pupils and extends their learning. The knowledgeable teaching assistants support teachers and pupils effectively. Teachers manage behaviour very well. They successfully maintain a calm and purposeful learning environment through their expertise in creating clearly

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Grade: 2

structured learning activities. These factors enable pupils to work with increased levels of concentration and help them to enjoy their lessons.

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Grade: 2

Pupils in all key stages enjoy purposeful and interesting activities as the curriculum provides many good opportunities for learning. Pupils greatly benefit from an extensive programme of activities, visits and residential trips, which support their personal development very well and contribute positively to their achievement. Improved facilities for information and communication technology have further enhanced pupils' learning opportunities. The curriculum successfully sets out to enable all pupils to develop confidence and responsibility, and extend their knowledge and understanding of the world around them. The school works closely with other schools, colleges and employers. Sixth form courses, including work-related learning opportunities, enterprise activities and a range of college courses, have been extended and are benefiting pupils as their needs, abilities and interests are met more effectively and students gain

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Grade: 2

appropriate accreditation for their work.

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Grade: 1

Pastoral care is outstanding and the school works hard to ensure success in nurturing strong partnerships with parents so that they can support their children's personal development and well-being. All of the parents who returned questionnaires are fully supportive of the school. 'Superb school ethos', 'warm, caring atmosphere' and 'my child loves school because the teachers work hard with all the children' are typical of the comments made by parents. Links with outside agencies and other professionals working in the school are very good and ensure that pupils with additional medical needs get the support they need. Child protection procedures and arrangements for safeguarding pupils are effective and reviewed regularly. Health and safety procedures and risk assessments for visits and trips are thorough. Assessment procedures are good and information from assessment is used effectively to set targets for improvement and

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Grade: 1

6 of 11 Inspection Report: Sherbourne Fields School, 25–26 November 2008 to target support for pupils who need extra help with their work. Pupils know their targets and what they have to do to achieve them.

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Grade: 2

Leadership and management are good. The excellent supportive climate promoted in the school has made pupils feel very secure and underpins their good progress. The quality of professional training is very good and is suitably focused on raising standards. Phase leaders, including those in the EYFS and sixth form, monitor the curriculum effectively and play a significant role in maintaining good standards of teaching and learning. Some opportunities to take a whole-school view through monitoring and evaluation, however, are missed and evaluation sometimes lacks rigour. Nevertheless, there has been continued improvement since the previous inspection and the school identifies its strengths and weaknesses accurately. It has a good capacity to improve further. Governors are actively and productively involved in the life of the school. They ensure that statutory requirements are met and the school makes a good

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Grade: 2

contribution to community cohesion. The school delivers good value for money. 7 of 11 Inspection Report: Sherbourne Fields School, 25–26 November 2008 .

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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: Sherbourne Fields School, 25–26 November 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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meeting the needs of learners?

Yes Yes Effective steps have been taken to promote improvement since the last inspection 2 2 How well does the school work in partnership with others to promote learners' well being? 2 2 The capacity to make any necessary improvements

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children in the EYFS?

2 How well do children in the EYFS achieve? How good are the overall personal development and well-being of the children in the EYFS? How effectively are children in the EYFS helped to learn and develop? 1 How effectively is the welfare of children in the EYFS promoted? 2 How effectively is provision in the EYFS led and managed?

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Achievement and standards

2 2 How well do learners achieve? 4 4 The standards 1 reached by learners 2 2 How well learners make progress, taking account of any significant variations between groups of learners 2 2 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: Sherbourne Fields School, 25–26 November 2008

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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 The extent to which learners enjoy their education 2 2 The attendance of learners 1 1 The behaviour of learners 1 2 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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full range of learners' needs?

2 2 How well do the curriculum and other activities meet the range of needs and interests of learners? 1 1 How well are learners cared for, guided and supported?

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achievement 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 How effectively leaders and managers use challenging targets to raise standards 2 2 The effectiveness of the school's self-evaluation How well equality of opportunity is promoted and discrimination eliminated 2 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 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: Sherbourne Fields School, 25–26 November 2008

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

27 November 2008 Dear Pupils Inspection of Sherbourne Fields School, Coventry CV6 1PS Thank you for making us feel so welcome when we visited your school. We very much enjoyed our time with you. Now I am writing to let you know what we found out about your school. Your school is a good school with some excellent features. These are its strengths:

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

■ the school is a happy place to be and you really enjoy being there

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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. You do outstandingly well in your personal development and your behaviour is excellent ■ you are very well looked after and staff do their best to make sure your lessons are interesting and fun ■ the older students amongst you have lots of opportunities to learn skills which will be useful when you leave school ■ you also have the chance to mix with students from other schools. This will help you to be more confident when you go into new situations. The headteacher and the senior team know how they want your school to be better. I have asked them to check the information about how well you do to help see exactly where changes can be made. I have also asked them to make sure they know how any changes they make are helping all of you to learn more. You can help them by continuing to do your very best and making the most of all the opportunities the school provides for you.

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

Thank you again for being so helpful and friendly. We wish you every success in the future. Yours sincerely Liz Bull Lead inspector 11 of 11 Inspection Report: Sherbourne Fields School, 25–26 November 2008

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