Mill Ford School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

This is a good school. During their time at the school, pupils achieve well, making good progress in communicating, reading, numeracy and in their personal development. Children in the Early Years Foundation Stage make a good start at the school, and students at post-16 achieve well in their national qualifications.

Teachers receive lots of relevant training so that teaching is good. The school cares for the pupils well and keeps them safe. Behaviour is good and pupils attend well.

The school promotes pupils' spiritual, moral, social and cultural development well through the carefully planned curriculum and through good opportunities to mix and integrate with ...mainstream pupils. The recently appointed headteacher is committed to improving the school and has inspired both staff and pupils and reinvigorated the school. Governors and senior managers have an accurate view of the school's performance which has improved significantly since the last inspection.

It is not yet an outstanding school because: Not all staff are equally skilful in teaching to pupils the sounds that letters make. Pupils are not always clear about their individual learning targets. Occasionally teachers do not move the pupils on to interesting activities quickly enough in their lessons.

Teaching assistants sometimes forget to make their meaning clear with signing and symbols. The accommodation does not enable post-16 students to socialise easily.

Information about this school

Mill Ford is an all-age special school for pupils with severe, profound and multiple learning difficulties or autism spectrum disorders.

All pupils have a statement of special educational needs. The proportion of pupils eligible for the pupil premium (additional funding for those known to be eligible for free school meals, those looked after by the local authority and those from other groups) is high. A small number of pupils are in the care of the local authority.

Apart from the main site, the school has additional classroom accommodation within the neighbouring primary school for its nursery and primary-aged pupils. There is no other off-site provision. Since the last inspection, a new headteacher and senior management team have been appointed.