Wathen Grange School

Wathen Grange School Independent Special School

p.1

DCSF registration number 937/6104 Unique reference number 134614 Inspection number 345520 Inspection dates 1 December 2009 Reporting inspector Mick Megee

p.1

This inspection visit to the school was carried out under section 162A of the Education Act 2002 at the request of the registering authority for independent schools.

p.1

Age group: 11-16 Published: Reference no: 090137 achieve excellence in the care of children and young people, and in education and skills for learners of all ages. It regulates and inspects childcare and children's social care, and inspects the Children and Family Court Advisory Support Service (Cafcass), schools, colleges, initial teacher training, work-based learning and skills training, adult and community learning, and education and training in prisons and other secure establishments. It rates council children’s services, and inspects services for looked after children, safeguarding and child protection. If you would like a copy of this document in a different format, such as large print or Braille, please telephone 08456 404040, or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk . You may copy all or parts of this document for non-commercial educational purposes, as long as you give details of the source and date of publication and do not alter the information in any way.

p.1

Royal Exchange Buildings St Ann's Square Manchester M2 7LA

p.2

T: 08456 404040 Textphone: 0161 618 8524 E: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk W: www.ofsted.gov.uk No. 090137 Inspection report template – progress monitoring

p.2

Purpose and scope of the visit

This inspection visit was carried out by Ofsted under Section 162A of the Education Act 2002.

p.3

Purpose and scope of the visit

The visit was conducted at the request of the Registration Authority for independent schools in order to monitor the progress the school has made in implementing its action plan following the previous inspection.

p.3

Information about the school

Wathen School offers day provision for a maximum of 40 students ages 11 to 16 with emotional, social and behavioural difficulties. The school operates on two sites. The original buildings in Leamington Spa, which opened in September 2000, have a tutorial unit for three students who have severe emotional difficulties and who require 1:1 tuition. The main site was established some 25 miles away in Mancetter near Atherstone in 2007. The site currently has 22 students on roll. Most of the pupils currently come from Leicester City and Leicestershire. The school aims to prepare its students for social challenges, economic independence and the demands of adulthood. It also aims to offers a curriculum that broadly follows the National Curriculum whilst incorporating an appropriate range of knowledge, skills and experiences beyond the classroom situation. The school fosters partnerships with carers and other professionals who are significant in students’ lives and to

p.3

Information about the school

promote positive relationships with all students. The headteacher has been absent since September 2009, and the newly appointed deputy headteacher has assumed the overall leadership responsibilities. She is supported in this role by the school improvement partner, a behaviour consultant and a consultant headteacher.

p.3

Context of the visit

Ofsted last inspected the school in May 2008. Following this inspection, the school produced an action plan that was accepted by the DCSF in July 2008. This is the school’s first monitoring visit since the inspection.

p.3

action plan

The school has made satisfactory progress in implementing the agreed action plan, although it has yet to meet one requirement.

p.3

action plan

At the last inspection, the school did not provide a scheme of work for all subject areas so that effective planning and teaching could take place. The school has ensured that schemes of work are now in place for all subjects, and teachers’ planning accurately reflects the schemes. Almost all students attend for 25 hours per week, although there is a small number of students whose emotional difficulties are too severe for this to be possible. The school sensibly adapts nationally recognised schemes of work, such as those from the Qualifications and Curriculum Authority Inspection report template – progress monitoring (QCA), to meet the needs of the students. There is a strong emphasis on art and music, especially in the regular themed weeks. There is a good curriculum for personal, social and health education that supports students’ personal development well. The curriculum is enriched well by activities such bike skills, bike maintenance

p.3

action plan

and fishing. The school’s action is sufficient to meet this requirement.

p.4

action plan

The last inspection found that the school did not meet all of the requirements specified in the students’ statements of special educational needs. The school has appointed a Special Needs Coordinator to ensure that the school complies fully with the requirements. For example, it now provides the full range of National Curriculum subjects and access to therapeutic support where this is necessary. The school now meets this regulation.

p.4

action plan

The last inspection found that teachers did not have sufficient understanding of students’ aptitudes, needs and prior attainment through an effective assessment system. The school has introduced a new assessment framework that is already yielding good information that could be used in planning teaching and in managing behaviour. Baseline information is established when students join the school, and this information is beginning to be used as a benchmark to judge future progress. The school has improved the way in which teachers set and review targets so that underachievement can be identified quickly. The school now makes use of regular reading and spelling tests to support the teaching of basic skills. These are all useful innovations, but many of them are too recent to have a significant impact, and not all teachers are yet equally effective in using assessment information to set work at exactly the right level for each student. The school has made a good start in

p.4

action plan

addressing these issues but the regulations are not yet fully met as students are often not sufficiently challenged by the lesson activities.

p.4

action plan

The last inspection found that the behaviour policy did not effectively identify sanctions and strategies to manage students’ behaviour. The school has revised its positive behaviour policy and put clear procedures in place. All staff have received training on the new policy and procedures. Staff are beginning to implement the policy consistently, and this has brought about good improvements in students’ behaviour. Students say that they understand the system and feel that staff use it fairly. Lesson observations show that staff manage difficult behaviour well, although they are not yet as skilled in preventing difficult behaviour from arising. Students have individual behaviour plans, although the targets in the plans are not always as precise as they could be. This makes it difficult to judge failure and success. Despite this, the school’s action is sufficient for it to meet the regulation.

p.4

action plan

The last inspection found that the Mancetter site did not offer facilities for students who are ill and some aspects of the accommodation were unsafe. These included windows which lacked safety catches to prevent students from falling out, an uneven surface in the playground and the school’s fire alarm could not be heard clearly inside the art room and workshops. The school has addressed all these issues effectively. A room with washing facilities is now available for students who are ill, adjacent to a toilet. All windows have restrainers or safety catches. The playground has been levelled and the fire alarm has been extended to include all the teaching Inspection report template – progress monitoring accommodation. The alarm was tested during the visit to demonstrate its effectiveness. The school has responded well to these issues and meets the relevant regulations.

p.4

Compliance with regulatory requirements

As a result of this inspection visit, the school must take action to meet the Education (Independent School Standards) (England) Regulations 2003 1 as amended (‘the Regulations’), as follows:

p.5

Compliance with regulatory requirements

 ensure that information from assessment is utilised effectively to plan teaching so that pupils can make progress (paragraph 1(3)(g)).

p.5

Compliance with regulatory requirements

1 www.opsi.gov.uk/si/si2003/20031910.htm Inspection report template – progress monitoring

p.5

School details

Name of school Wathen Grange School DCSF number 937/6104 Unique reference number 134614 Type of school Special for students with BESD Status Independent Date school opened 2000 Age range of pupils 11-16 Gender of pupils Mixed Number on roll (full-time pupils) Boys: 22 Girls: 0 Total: 22 Number on roll (part-time pupils) Boys: Girls: Total: Number of pupils with a statement of special educational need Boys: 22 Girls: 0 Total:22

p.6

School details

Number of pupils who are looked after Boys: 7 Girls: 0 Total: 7 Annual fees (day pupils) £38000-£41000 Address of school Lillington Road Leamington Road Leamington Spa Warwickshire CV32 5YY and

p.6

School details

Church Walk Mancetter Nr Atherstone Warwickshire CV9 1PZ Telephone number 01827 714454 Fax number 01827 716509 Email address wathen.grange@completecare-warks . co.uk Headteacher Chris Nock Proprietor Mr Steve Shinner, Mr Mike Finnie, Mr Viron Mangat and Mr Paul Mangat Reporting inspector Mick Megee Date of inspection 1 December 2009

p.6