The Kingfisher School

The Kingfisher School Inspection report Unique Reference Number 13108 Local Authority Worcestershire Inspection number 360206 Inspection dates 5 October 2010 Reporting inspector Patricia Pothecary This inspection of the school was carried out under section 5 of the Education Act 2005. Type of school Special School category Community Age range of pupils 7 16 Gender of pupils Mixed Number of pupils on the school roll 7 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Chris Hindle Headteacher Ian Taylor Date of previous school inspection 15 January 2008 School address Clifton Close Matchborough Redditch B98 0HF Telephone number 01527 50286 Fax number 01527 502290 Email address head@kingfisher.worcs.sch.uk Age group 7 16 Inspection date(s) 5 October 2010 Inspection number 360206

Inspection report: The Kingfisher School, 5 October 2010 2 of 1 The Office for Standards in Education, Children's Services and Skills (Ofsted) regulates and inspects to 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. 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. If you would like a copy of this document in a different format, such as large print or Braille, please telephone 0300 123 23, 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. To receive regular email alerts about new publications, including survey reports and school inspection reports, please visit our website and go to Subscribe. Royal Exchange Buildings St Ann's Square Manchester M2 7LA T: 0300 123 23 Textphone: 0161 618 852 E: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk W: www.ofsted.gov.uk Crown copyright 2010

Inspection report: The Kingfisher School, 5 October 2010 3 of 1 Introduction This inspection was carried out by two additional inspectors. Eight lessons were observed and six teachers seen. Meetings were held with groups of pupils, representatives of the governing body, local authority representatives and staff. The inspectors observed the school s work and looked at information about pupils progress, staff and pupil surveys and safeguarding procedures. The inspectors analysed one response to the parents and carers questionnaire. The inspection team reviewed many aspects of the school s work. It looked in detail at the following: whether pupils, including the more-able, make enough progress, particularly in literacy and numeracy the effectiveness of actions taken to improve attendance and behaviour and reduce exclusions the level of challenge in courses and lessons, and how well this is supported by assessment the effectiveness of school s leaders, including the governing body, in driving improvement. Information about the school The Kingfisher is a smaller-than-average special school. All pupils have a statement of special educational needs with behavioural, emotional and social difficulties as the primary need. A few have additional autistic spectrum disorders or mental health issues. The proportion of pupils known to be eligible for free school meals is higher than average. Most pupils are from White British backgrounds with a small number from a range of other minority ethnic groups. A few pupils are looked after by the local authority. The school has achieved many local and national awards including the Every Child Matters Gold Quality Mark, the Leading Parent Partnership Award and the National Breakfast Club Award. There are currently no Key Stage 2 pupils in the school, by arrangement with another school for pupils with similar difficulties. Three members of the senior leadership team, including the headteacher, left during the previous academic year. An acting headteacher and acting deputy headteacher were appointed in September 2010. In addition, a new assistant headteacher was appointed in June 2010.

Inspection report: The Kingfisher School, 5 October 2010 of 1 Inspection grades: 1 is outstanding, 2 is good, 3 is satisfactory, and is inadequate Please turn to the glossary for a description of the grades and inspection terms Inspection judgements Overall effectiveness: how good is the school? The school s capacity for sustained improvement Main findings In accordance with section 13 (3) of the Education Act 2005, Her Majesty s Chief Inspector is of the opinion that this school requires special measures because it is failing to give its pupils an acceptable standard of education and the persons responsible for leading, managing or governing the school are not demonstrating the capacity to secure the necessary improvement. The school s overall effectiveness is inadequate. Pupils develop their personal skills to a satisfactory level but their achievement, attainment and academic progress are inadequate. This is largely because the courses they study do not provide sufficient challenge, especially for the more-able pupils. It is also because their attendance is poor and exclusions remain high. School leaders, including the governing body, have not demonstrated sufficient capacity to drive improvement. There have been some recent improvements but these are still being embedded. Progress is too slow over time in all age and ability groups, especially in English and mathematics. Very few pupils, up until this September, have taken GCSE or similar level courses. Much of their time is spent in motivating and relevant work-related activities, but these do not enable them to achieve sufficient qualifications to properly support their future. This has recently been recognised by senior leaders and the number of pupils taking higher-level courses has increased. Nevertheless, there are still not enough of these courses to meet the needs of more-able pupils. Teaching and the assessment of pupils attainment have improved and are currently satisfactory. This means that, very recently, work has been matched better to pupils individual learning needs. However, as yet, this is insufficient to overcome the legacy of underachievement and poor attendance. In addition, practice is still not securely consistent in a few lessons where expectations are not high enough. Progress for pupils with additional special educational needs and/or disabilities is equally inadequate, in part because the school does not have the specialist skills and has not put in place a curriculum to meet fully the needs of those with autistic spectrum disorders and mental health issues. Despite this, many staff show a sound understanding of how to accommodate and include such pupils. The school has a welcoming, attractive and caring environment which pupils appreciate and staff work effectively to support them personally and keep them safe. There are several strengths in the school, especially the way pupils are helped to contribute to the wider community. For example they are highly valued by local residents, particularly in caring for the elderly, cooking meals, gardening and making

Inspection report: The Kingfisher School, 5 October 2010 5 of 1 Inspection grades: 1 is outstanding, 2 is good, 3 is satisfactory, and is inadequate Please turn to the glossary for a description of the grades and inspection terms bird feeders. Pupils who attend regularly also have a good understanding of why they should keep healthy: they take plenty of exercise and enjoy a balanced diet. There has been a significant decrease in incidents of challenging behaviour over the last three years as several improvements have become established, even though exclusions remain relatively high. The majority of pupils go on successfully to further education or training. Very recently, school leaders have had a much clearer idea of how to improve the school, based upon a satisfactory self-evaluation of how well pupils are doing. This has only just begun to include the governing body, whose members have been unaware of the poor progress being made. The monitoring and analysis of information about pupils progress in order to support improvement, remain underdeveloped by leaders at all levels. In addition, there is insufficient accountability by teachers for the progress being made in subjects and classes. Senior staff now work more closely and effectively as a team and share the range of necessary skills and experience. This has resulted, for example, in a recent improvement in teaching, assessment and learning, with more challenging tasks in many lessons. The development plan has been rewritten and the school has begun to introduce necessary changes to the curriculum. All this is at a very early stage of development and it is too soon to see any impact on pupils academic progress, their attendance or the rate of exclusions. This is why the capacity to improve, based upon proven sustained impact, is inadequate. What does the school need to do to improve further? Increase the progress being made by all pupils, especially in English and mathematics, by: ensuring that expectations and the rate of progress in all lessons are sufficiently high establishing consistently good practice in the way pupils attainment is assessed and targets are used to help them make progress improving attendance and reducing exclusions to levels which are in line with other schools. Improve the curriculum by: increasing the number of more challenging qualifications offered reassessing the balance of time spent on alternative activities improving specialist provision for pupils with autistic spectrum disorders and mental health issues. Establish leaders capacity to secure rapid improvements to teaching and learning by: improving the skills of leaders at all levels, including members of the governing body, in analysing information about pupils progress, to better and more quickly identify issues and drive school improvement making all staff regularly accountable for the progress pupils are making.

Inspection report: The Kingfisher School, 5 October 2010 6 of 1 Inspection grades: 1 is outstanding, 2 is good, 3 is satisfactory, and is inadequate Please turn to the glossary for a description of the grades and inspection terms Outcomes for individuals and groups of pupils Most pupils show a willingness to do well and make a confident contribution in lessons. The majority of those who attend regularly enjoy and value their time at school. In one science lesson, pupils were careful to use scientific equipment safely and in the school as a whole, they all show a lot of interest in practical activities. Attainment is low and achievement is inadequate because pupils of all age groups and abilities, including those with additional special educational needs, make insufficient progress over time. Poor attendance is a significant barrier to progress despite an increase, very recently, in the amount of satisfactory progress being made by those who attend more regularly. In Key Stage 3 particularly, lessons sometimes have up to half of pupils absent, or returning after time off, which slows their learning considerably. Inadequate progress over time is not only evident in English and mathematics, but also in science and information and communication technology. A few pupils make quite rapid progress in aspects of their work. In one lesson, for example, pupils produced a two-course meal to a high standard despite having little experience of catering. Nevertheless, most pupils in Key Stages 3 and have not made enough progress from their starting points. Although the number of qualifications achieved year on year is increasing, few of these are at the level expected. Last year, for example, only two pupils gained a total of three GCSE passes between them. Steps have been taken to increase the range of provision and this term most Key Stage pupils are studying towards GCSE qualifications in English and/or mathematics. Pupils gain useful experience in work-related courses such as motor vehicle maintenance, bricklaying and horticulture, but too few of these activities are properly accredited. Behaviour varies but is usually respectful, especially as pupils grow older, and they take exceptionally good care of their attractive school environment. Behaviour is notably good in the dining hall and at breakfast club. Pupils usually feel safe, although sometimes a few are unkind to others. Attendance is low, especially for the younger pupils when they first join the school. As they enter Key Stage, attendance improves and pupils have more positive attitudes to learning. The relatively high levels of exclusion, poor attendance and low level of accreditation mean that pupils are not sufficiently well prepared for the future. Nevertheless, most move on to colleges or work-based training when they leave, having developed a greater sense of ambition and purpose about the future. A few are able to return successfully to mainstream schools. When they attend, pupils spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is satisfactory especially in the way they like to help others, represent the school and enjoy and respect links with people from a variety of other cultures. These are the grades for pupils outcomes Pupils achievement and the extent to which they enjoy their learning

Inspection report: The Kingfisher School, 5 October 2010 7 of 1 Inspection grades: 1 is outstanding, 2 is good, 3 is satisfactory, and is inadequate Please turn to the glossary for a description of the grades and inspection terms Taking into account: Pupils attainment 1 The quality of pupils learning and their progress The quality of learning for pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities and their progress The extent to which pupils feel safe 3 Pupils behaviour 3 The extent to which pupils adopt healthy lifestyles 2 The extent to which pupils contribute to the school and wider community 2 The extent to which pupils develop workplace and other skills that will contribute to their future economic well-being Taking into account: Pupils attendance 1 The extent of pupils spiritual, moral, social and cultural development 3 How effective is the provision? Teaching has improved very recently because the new, more rigorous system for regularly assessing pupils attainment has led to better target setting. Pupils are now more aware of how they can reach the next level in their work and lessons are better matched to different needs. Relationships in lessons are positive and supportive, enabling pupils to contribute their ideas with confidence. For these reasons, most teaching is now satisfactory and lessons are beginning to be more challenging. The more effective use of assessment is not yet firmly established and practice remains inconsistent. This means that in a few lessons, expectations of what pupils can achieve are still not high enough. Moreover, the generally satisfactory teaching is not enough to help pupils make the good progress necessary to counteract weak achievement in the past and reach expected levels of attainment. A wide range of interesting and innovative curricular activities is provided at both key stages and these have increased pupils motivation, enjoyment and social skills, enabling them to learn how to contribute well to society. There is, however, an imbalance between time spent on these activities and time spent on basic skills and higher-level accredited courses. Opportunities to take GCSE or equivalent courses in some subjects are lacking even though several pupils have the ability. Consequently, the curriculum is inadequate. The school has several pupils with additional autistic spectrum disorders or mental health issues. Curricular provision for them is not specialised enough, for example, with regard to the use of specific strategies and techniques to support their learning. This is overcome to a certain extent by the care provided by staff, who try to adapt approaches and include them. The practical and work-based nature of the curriculum is very suited to most pupils interests and the school has identified, rightly, a need for these to be properly accredited. The facilities 1 The grades for attainment and attendance are: 1 is high; 2 is above average; 3 is broadly average; and is low

Inspection report: The Kingfisher School, 5 October 2010 8 of 1 Inspection grades: 1 is outstanding, 2 is good, 3 is satisfactory, and is inadequate Please turn to the glossary for a description of the grades and inspection terms are of good quality, with, for example an excellent horticultural area, workshops and climbing wall and the grounds and building are attractive places to be. New care and support systems, such as the breakfast club which brings all staff and pupils together in a family-type atmosphere, have resulted in a much smoother start to the day. As one pupil commented, It helps me a lot to talk about things. Some strong systems and links with other organisations enable staff to support and care for individual pupils, helping them successfully to develop personally and improve their behaviour. As one pupil commented, This place has helped me a lot. At the same time, efforts to motivate pupils to attend and strategies used to reduce exclusions are not yet effective enough and this has a negative effect on pupils achievement. There are indications, however, that exclusions have begun to reduce in the last half term. These are the grades for the quality of provision The quality of teaching Taking into account: The use of assessment to support learning The extent to which the curriculum meets pupils needs, including, where relevant, through partnerships 3 3 The effectiveness of care, guidance and support 3 How effective are leadership and management? Leadership, including governance, is inadequate because the rate of school improvement slowed during the previous year and pupils did not make enough progress. These weaknesses had developed over time and senior leaders, including the governing body, are at a very early stage in tackling them. The quality of selfevaluation, including analysis of pupils performance has until very recently been inadequate. The new leadership team is aware of, and beginning to address, the main priorities for improvement. Leaders now have a clear and accurate idea of what needs to be achieved, but are newly appointed to their roles, two of which are in an acting capacity. Improvements are at a very early stage of development. Information about pupils progress is only just beginning to be used by the senior leadership team to analyse where improvements are needed and to monitor quality. Staff are not yet held fully accountable for the progress pupils are making. Nevertheless, there have been improvements, most importantly in the quality of teaching, in more effective use of assessment and in the increased number of accredited courses being taken this year. The governing body ensures that statutory duties are fulfilled and its members work hard to support the school. However, they have not provided the required level of challenge in order to identify and address concerns at an earlier stage. The school has many good quality initiatives to engage parents and carers. Although the response to the inspection questionnaire was low, a high proportion of parents

Inspection report: The Kingfisher School, 5 October 2010 9 of 1 Inspection grades: 1 is outstanding, 2 is good, 3 is satisfactory, and is inadequate Please turn to the glossary for a description of the grades and inspection terms and carers returned a survey conducted by the school and were very positive about the way the school involves them. In addition, a wide range of partnerships with other organisations provides several support placements and courses for pupils, although the impact of these on their learning and well-being is mixed. The school is committed to providing equal opportunities and there is no evidence of any discrimination: pupils receive the same level of care and provision, regardless of ability, ethnicity or gender. Safeguarding procedures meet all requirements. They are rigorous, of good quality and are regularly reviewed. High levels of supervision, extensive site security and detailed record keeping ensure that pupils are kept safe while at school. Community cohesion is promoted well, with good quality international, national and local involvement, and this is enabling pupils to understand others and successfully integrate more productively in society. These are the grades for leadership and management The effectiveness of leadership and management in embedding ambition and driving improvement Taking into account: The leadership and management of teaching and learning The effectiveness of the governing body in challenging and supporting the school so that weaknesses are tackled decisively and statutory responsibilities met The effectiveness of the school s engagement with parents and carers 2 The effectiveness of partnerships in promoting learning and well-being 3 The effectiveness with which the school promotes equality of opportunity and tackles discrimination 3 The effectiveness of safeguarding procedures 2 The effectiveness with which the school promotes community cohesion 2 The effectiveness with which the school deploys resources to achieve value for money Views of parents and carers Only one parental questionnaire was returned, and this showed a positive view of all aspects of the school. No comments were received.

Inspection report: The Kingfisher School, 5 October 2010 10 of 1 Responses from parents and carers to Ofsted s questionnaire Ofsted invited all the registered parents and carers of pupils registered at The Kingfisher School to complete a questionnaire about their views of the school. In the questionnaire, parents and carers were asked to record how strongly they agreed with 13 statements about the school. The inspection team received one completed questionnaires by the end of the on-site inspection. In total, there are 7 pupils registered at the school. Statements Strongly Strongly Agree Disagree agree disagree Total % Total % Total % Total % My child enjoys school 0 0 1 100 0 0 0 0 The school keeps my child safe The school informs me about my child s progress My child is making enough progress at this school The teaching is good at this school The school helps me to support my child s learning The school helps my child to have a healthy lifestyle The school makes sure that my child is well prepared for the future (for example changing year group, changing school, and for children who are finishing school, entering further or higher education, or entering employment) The school meets my child s particular needs The school deals effectively with unacceptable behaviour The school takes account of my suggestions and concerns The school is led and managed effectively Overall, I am happy with my child s experience at this school 0 0 1 100 0 0 0 0 The table above summarises the responses that parents and carers made to each statement. The percentages indicate the proportion of parents and carers giving that response out of the total number of completed questionnaires. Where one or more parents and carers chose not to answer a particular question, the percentages will not add up to 100%.

Inspection report: The Kingfisher School, 5 October 2010 11 of 1 Glossary What inspection judgements mean Grade Judgement Description Grade 1 Outstanding These features are highly effective. An outstanding school provides exceptionally well for all its pupils needs. Grade 2 Good These are very positive features of a school. A school that is good is serving its pupils well. Grade 3 Satisfactory These features are of reasonable quality. A satisfactory school is providing adequately for its pupils. Grade Inadequate These features are not of an acceptable standard. An inadequate school needs to make significant improvement in order to meet the needs of its pupils. Ofsted inspectors will make further visits until it improves. Overall effectiveness of schools Overall effectiveness judgement (percentage of schools) Type of school Outstanding Good Satisfactory Inadequate Nursery schools 58 36 2 Primary schools 8 3 0 9 Secondary schools 10 35 2 13 Sixth forms 13 39 5 3 Special schools 33 2 20 Pupil referral units 18 0 29 12 All schools 11 2 38 9 New school inspection arrangements were introduced on 1 September 2009. This means that inspectors now make some additional judgements that were not made previously. The data in the table above are for the period 1 September 2009 to 31 March 2010 and are the most recently published data available (see www.ofsted.gov.uk). Please note that the sample of schools inspected during the autumn and spring term 2009/10 was not representative of all schools nationally, as weaker schools are inspected more frequently than good or outstanding schools. Percentages are rounded and do not always add exactly to 100. Secondary school figures include those that have sixth forms, and sixth form figures include only the data specifically for sixth form inspection judgements.

Inspection report: The Kingfisher School, 5 October 2010 12 of 1 Common terminology used by inspectors Achievement: Attainment: Capacity to improve: Leadership and management: Learning: Overall effectiveness: Progress: the progress and success of a pupil in their learning, development or training. the standard of the pupils work shown by test and examination results and in lessons. the proven ability of the school to continue improving. Inspectors base this judgement on what the school has accomplished so far and on the quality of its systems to maintain improvement. the contribution of all the staff with responsibilities, not just the headteacher, to identifying priorities, directing and motivating staff and running the school. how well pupils acquire knowledge, develop their understanding, learn and practise skills and are developing their competence as learners. inspectors form a judgement on a school s overall effectiveness based on the findings from their inspection of the school. The following judgements, in particular, influence what the overall effectiveness judgement will be. The school s capacity for sustained improvement. Outcomes for individuals and groups of pupils. The quality of teaching. The extent to which the curriculum meets pupils needs, including, where relevant, through partnerships. The effectiveness of care, guidance and support. the rate at which pupils are learning in lessons and over longer periods of time. It is often measured by comparing the pupils attainment at the end of a key stage with their attainment when they started.

Inspection report: The Kingfisher School, 5 October 2010 13 of 1 This letter is provided for the school, parents and carers to share with their children. It describes Ofsted s main findings from the inspection of their school. 6 October 2010 Dear Pupils Inspection of The Kingfisher School, Redditch, B98 0HF Thank you for being so welcoming when we visited your school. We very much enjoyed meeting you, joining you for lunch and seeing some of your lessons. Your school is a welcoming and caring community, but we have judged that it should be placed in special measures because you have not been making the progress you should in your work. However, things are beginning to change for the better and you are well looked after by staff. Your lessons are now satisfactory, with many interesting things going on, just as you described. Your behaviour is satisfactory, especially in the way you value learning, although sometimes a few of you are not kind enough to each other. You show good respect and understanding towards others in the community who have different lives to yourselves. You were keen to tell us that the school looks after you well and helps you improve your personal skills. It is, therefore, good to see just how well you are helping yourselves by taking plenty of exercise and eating such a healthy diet. This, alongside the impressive contribution you make in the local community, helps you to develop many of your personal skills well. We have asked senior staff to put improvements in place so that the progress you make is increased and you are better prepared for the future. They have agreed to: help all of you to make more progress and have accurate targets which you are clear about, especially in English and mathematics make sure that you are offered more courses at a challenging level improve attendance and reduce exclusions improve specialist provision for those of you with additional needs make sure that school leaders, including members of the governing body, improve the school more rapidly through better use of information about the progress you are making. We expect you would all like to help staff in this, by sharing your ideas, coming to school regularly and working hard. Yours sincerely Patricia Pothecary Lead inspector

Inspection report: The Kingfisher School, 5 October 2010 1 of 1 Any complaints about the inspection or the report should be made following the procedures set out in the guidance 'Complaining about inspections', which is available from Ofsted s website: www.ofsted.gov.uk. If you would like Ofsted to send you a copy of the guidance, please telephone 0300 123 23, or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk.