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INTRODUCTION
This inspection was carried out by two additional inspectors. Seventeen lessons were visited and eight teachers seen. Meetings were held with staff, members of the governing body and groups of pupils. Inspectors observed the school's work, and looked at pupils work, external inspection and improvement reports, analysis of attendance data, school timetable, policies and data attainment and progress. They analysed nine questionnaires returned by parents and carers, together with 24 from pupils and 12 from staff.
The inspection team reviewed many aspects of the school's work. It looked in detail at a number of key areas.
Description of the school
All pupils in this school have statements to support their special educational needs primarily for social, emotional and behavioural difficulties. There are currently no girls at the school. The proportion of pupils known to be eligible for free school meals is higher than in most other schools. Over three quarters of pupils are of White British heritage and a very small proportion of pupils have English as an additional language. A few pupils are looked after by foster carers or local authority. In September 2010, the school federated with another nearby special school. The headteacher of Westbury became executive headtacher for both and the schools share their governing body.
OVERALL EFFECTIVENESS OF THE SCHOOL
Grade: 2
This effective school provides a calm and highly supportive environment for its pupils. Nearly all the pupils are positive, friendly and polite most of the time. Most say they enjoy school. One pupil commented, 'We like being at school and want to learn.' Most parents and carers who responded to the questionnaire were positive about the school and appreciative of how it helps their sons. As one said, ' My son's only been here a short time, but in a few months he's been here he has learned more than he ever did previously and now he likes school.'
Outstanding leadership from the executive headteacher is at the forefront of all school improvements and developments. He has successfully galvanised a strong senior leadership team who effectively maintain the school's strengths in his absence as executive headteacher of the federation and National Leader of Education. Morale is very positive and retention of staff is high. Teamwork is effective and staff share common goals and high expectations for all pupils. Their highly-effective and consistent approach to behaviour contributes particularly well to pupils' safety and well-being. There are very few fixed-term exclusions and none that are permanent.
There have been several significant improvements since the last inspection. One example is relatively new federation with another local special school. This partnership is positive, providing more flexibility to meet pupils' needs and particularly to take them at any earlier age, where appropriate. Another is development of a vocational wing to the school, including extremely well-equipped facilities for motor engineering and design and technology. This is one key feature of the school's outstanding curriculum. In line with this the school has also adapted and developed it curriculum to take advantage of a variety of accredited courses. Achievement in these particularly good, providing all pupils with helpful qualifications for later life and learning.
All groups of pupils achieve well due to good teaching and the highly-engaging and relevant curriculum. Progress in some lessons is occasionally slowed, however, because teachers do not always use their accurate assessments of each pupil to show them the next steps in their learning. Sometimes pupils have to wait for the next instruction as they sometimes rely too much on teachers guidance and input. The small minority who have additional learning difficulties are supported well through frequent one-to-one intervention with a specifically trained and designated member of staff. The school is successfully helping all groups of pupils, especially those who attend regularly, to manage and overcome their difficulties.
Despite some excellent features in leadership and management, the one are which is showing slower improvements is the reduction of persistent absence. The majority of pupils attend well but too many, from all groups, are still persistently absent. Their progress is slower than those who attend frequently and they are not benefiting from all the positive things the school has to offer. Leaders continue to take very vigilant and concerted action, such as recently employing their own educational welfare officer and analysing patterns and trends in great detail. Few patterns have yet been identified and specific action to address these new findings is at an early stage.
Leaders have an accurate understanding of the school. Through perceptive self-evaluation, they recognise their effectiveness and the barriers they need to overcome. Given their track record of successful development, together with the many effective actions taken on the basis of astute evaluation and the commitment of the staff, the school's capacity for sustained improvement is good.
What the school should do to improve further
OUTCOMES FOR INDIVIDUALS AND GROUPS OF PUPILS
Grade: 2
Pupils start at school anywhere between Years 3 and 10; many do not start until Year 9 and Year 10. They have usually been involved in negative situations elsewhere and have often attended a number of previous schools. Attainment on entry is usually very low and, despite the good progress of all, some measures remain low. All pupils make good progress due to effective teaching and highly practical, relevant curriculum. The high number of qualifications acquired by some pupils, particularly those whose attendance is high, indicates that their progress is outstanding. The fact that all pupils gained at least one BTEC qualification in 2010 will help them in their later life and learning. Pupils who speak English as an additional language benefit greatly from the very practical curriculum and many opportunitites to talk with adults and peers.
Most pupils respond very well to consistent approaches and high expectations from staff. Challenges in attitude and behaviour are supported quickly and effectively. Volatile situations are diffused and pupils usually settle back to work quickly and purposefully. Consequently, pupils feel safe. Behaviour is usually good and sometimes outstanding, particularly in the most engaging lessons. This was very evident in an excellent design and technology lesson where the youngest pupils were making lamps and clocks. Some magnificent work was produced as pupils were helped to use sophisticated equipment and manual tools. They were all engaged and knew how to develop their work even when the teacher moved on to support someone else. Progress in a good in a good information and communication technology lesson, producing multi-media presentations for charity fundraising, was slightly slower because some of the pupils had to wait for further instructions once they had finished one aspect of their task. Behaviour was excellent, however, and pupils were calm, focused and engaged.
Pupils contribute well to their school and community by helping construct parts of the school, painting rooms, using initiative to raise money for charity, taking part in local music concerts and renovating local facilities on work experience. Pupils' commitment to keeping healthy is good. They partake in alot of physical exercise at school and have a good understanding about the importance of balanced diets. However, they also acknowledge that their choices outside school are not always the most beneficial.
TEACHING AND LEARNING
How effective is the provision?
The outstanding curriculum is continually being developed and refined to meet the needs of all pupils. English, mathematics and information and communication technology, such as a use of laptop computers, are integrated well into a range of subjects across the day. For example, pupils make books about items they make in design and technology and develop mathematical concepts and skills in producing their designs. They develop computer skills in a range of lessons, such as planning how to raise money for charity and use mathematical skills with sports and competitive games.
Pupils are supported and cared for well. Staff know them very well and are able to pre-empt many volatile situations. Behaviour management is highly consistent and effective. It includes many rewards such as 'bonus points', which pupils use as 'payment' for trips at the end of term, and sanctions, such as losing the opportunity to join enrichment lessons at the end of each day. The school liaises well with parents and carers to support all pupils, including those who are looked after by foster carers or the local authority. Despite many significant strengths in care, guidance and support, it had not been able to encourage enough pupils who are persistent absentees to attend school sufficiently frequently; although the majority of pupils attend well.
All staff have high expectations for the behaviour, attitudes and learning of all pupils. They skilfully use their very good subject knowledge and understanding of individual pupils to modify questions and vary tasks to meet their different needs. Teaching assistants make a significant contribution to pupils' good learning and behaviour, especially in pre-empting volatile situations so that classrooms remain calm and purposeful. Frequent detailed assessments are used well to identify pupils strengths and weaknesses, to adapt the curriculum and to target intervention. Marking and instructions do not always make the next steps of learning clear, however, and pupils are occasionally too dependent on adults to explain what to do next.
LEADERSHIP AND MANAGEMENT
How effective are leardership and management?
Grade: 2
Due to frequent detailed monitoring and astute evaluation, leaders know their school well. They are extremely proactive in celebrating strengths, implementing measures to address weakness, embedding ambition and driving improvement. This has resulted in a constantly developing and improving outward-looking school. The school's impact on community cohesion is good locally, nationally, and pupils sponsor three children in india. The governing body knows the school well and is effectively involved in supporting and challenging improvements. Its makeup has changed now that it is federated and specific roles and responsibilities are comprehensive and secure. They include briefings at the beginning and end of each day for all staff to discuss any concerns, so that they are all away and can take a consistent approach. There are well-established systems to record incidents, accidents and issues. A very few administrative details are not always as thorough as they could be. Despite rigorous and concerted action from all leaders and managers, such as some effective engagement with parents and carers, prosecuting where appropriate and collecting pupils from home, rates for persistent absence remain high. The school takes a strong approach to equal opportunities and combating discrimination. There has been one racist incident in the past year which resulted in a fixed-term exclusion. All groups of pupils who attend regularly achieve particularly well and make quicker progress than those who do not.
Views of parents and carers
A smaller proportion of parents and carers responded to the inspection questionnaire than in most special schools. Of these, the larger majority gave positive responses to all questions asked. Most of the responses were very positive for eight of the 13 questions. Seven responses were positive to all the questions. One parent had concerns about the suitable of the school for her child's needs. Inspectors sensitively followed this up through discussion and observation. All groups of pupils are progressing well, are safe and are generally very settled and positive throughout the day.
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