Pennine View School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils at Pennine View are greeted warmly by staff at the start of each day. Pupils feel happy and cared for.

They have strong relationships with adults in the school.

Pupils recognise that behaviour has significantly improved. The pupils that we spoke to said that staff manage difficult behaviour well.

They said that instances often arise out of pupils' complex needs rather than misbehaviour. Bullying is rare. Pupils say that staff address this swiftly when it does happen.

But some pupils also said that swearing and derogatory language are used during breaktimes without staff knowing.

Pupils say that they feel challenged in some lessons. Wh...ere the curriculum is most successful, work is matched to meet pupils' varied special educational needs and/or disabilities.

The expectations that are set for their learning are appropriate, except in reading and writing.

Pupils feel confident that they can be themselves. They receive continual praise from staff.

Leaders organise events such as 'Pennine View's Got Talent' and a school-based residential so that pupils have a variety of experiences that add to their learning and help to build their self-esteem. Many parents are positive about the school.

What does the school do well and what does it need to do better?

Senior leaders have a clear understanding of the strengths and weaknesses of the school.

Trustees and governors are well-informed. They question leaders effectively and make good use of external support to quality assure the effect of actions to improve the school. All of the staff that we spoke to said that leaders were approachable and that they considered their workload to be reasonable.

Pupils learn a broad range of subjects. There is a strong emphasis on developing pupils' independent living skills. The majority of pupils move on to achieve functional literacy and mathematics qualifications by the end of key stage 4.

In mathematics, pupils are able to achieve their potential because the curriculum is designed to set increasingly high expectations of pupils' learning. Assessment is used effectively to enable teachers to plan learning that builds on what pupils have learned before. In key stages 3 and 4, pupils have meaningful opportunities to apply their knowledge in context, such as when using money to pay for public transport as part of their work on independent travel.

However, leaders have identified that more needs to be done to improve pupils' progress and attainment in English. There have been too many different approaches to the teaching of reading and writing in recent years. This has left staff lacking confidence in the way in which English is taught.

The curriculum does not set clear enough goals for pupils' learning. Pupils do not have opportunities to build on their prior knowledge. For example, in key stages 2 and 3, pupils do not remember familiar sounds and words.

This hinders their ability to read fluently. The books that pupils read do not reinforce their current and previous learning well enough. In addition, there is not a consistent approach to helping pupils catch up on their learning if they fall behind.

In writing, pupils' lack of knowledge means that they make basic mistakes which are often repeated.

In other subjects, there are clear aims set for pupils' learning, especially in science and physical education (PE) where pupils' knowledge is strong. However, in subjects such as geography and history, pupils do not have as many opportunities to build on their prior learning.

They learn too many facts that are not used to inform their future learning.

Leaders' commitment to providing all pupils with access to relevant learning, especially those with social, emotional and mental health needs, is commendable. For pupils in alternative provision, leaders check to make sure that they continue to progress in their functional skills in English and mathematics.

For those on part-time timetables, leaders have been successful in reintegrating pupils back into full-time education. Pupils are prepared well so that a large proportion remain in some form of education and employment when they leave the school. Pupils are also prepared well for life in modern Britain through a range of trips and visitors to school.

Leaders' records show that behaviour has improved greatly over the last few years. There are now fewer exclusions and the use of physical intervention has decreased dramatically. Pupils engage well with their work.

We saw no disruptions to pupils learning during the inspection.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

Staff are well trained.

There is a strong culture of safeguarding in the school. Pupils feel safe. They say that this is because of the care of staff.

They are taught about how to keep themselves safe from harm, including when online.

Trustees make sure that the statutory duties to safeguard pupils are met. Leaders check regularly to make sure that pupils in alternative provision are safe.

This is also true for a small number of pupils who attend the school on a part-time basis. Leaders work well with other agencies and to protect vulnerable pupils.

What does the school need to do to improve?

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

The curriculum for reading and writing does not set clear enough goals for pupils' learning.

Expectations are not high enough to enable pupils to make the progress that they are capable of. Leaders should improve pupils' achievement in reading and writing by ensuring that: – the curriculum for reading and writing is designed to build pupils' learning incrementally within and across different year groups; – pupils have more opportunities to consolidate their learning of familiar sounds and words to assist them in both their reading and writing; – there are effective arrangements to support pupils who need to catch up on essential learning; – the books pupils read match their abilities so that they consolidate their learning; – basic errors are addressed in pupils' writing so that they do not persist.

In geography and history, pupils do not have sufficient opportunities to build on their prior knowledge.

Pupils learn facts that are not useful for their future learning. Leaders should identify the essential knowledge that they want pupils to acquire and remember, so that they can build their knowledge meaningfully in these subjects. .

Despite significant improvements in behaviour, some pupils continue to swear and use derogatory language at breaktimes. This upsets some pupils. Leaders should continue to build on the good work done to improve pupils' behaviour to prevent the use of inappropriate language at breaktimes.

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