Baycroft School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

Outcome

Baycroft School continues to be a good school.

What is it like to attend this school?

Baycroft is a very special place.

Echoing the views of so many, one pupil told the lead inspector, 'I really love this school.' Pupils feel well cared for, safe and happy. Consequently, their attendance is high.

Staff invest time and energy in developing pupils' creativity, curiosity, independence, well-being and self-regulation. This helps pupils to achieve well.

Strong relationships between staff and pupils help to encourage highly positive attitudes.

Pupils develop secure friendships with each other. While they occasionally fall out, staff help them to resolve issues ...swiftly and effectively. This leads to a harmonious and calm atmosphere.

Social times are a positive experience for pupils. Some enjoy playing football or using the outdoor climbing equipment, while others enjoy talking with staff and their friends.

There are high expectations for pupils' learning.

A well-designed curriculum is delivered effectively, which ensures that pupils receive a good quality of education. Importantly, pupils are prepared well for the future because of the knowledge and skills they learn. Many achieve several recognised qualifications.

Staff are extremely successful in preparing pupils for their next steps in education, training or employment. Many pupils successfully attend college when they leave. This is supported by a high-quality careers programme.

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

The school recognises the great importance its work has on the future lives of Baycroft pupils. Staff are rightly determined that all pupils achieve success. The school has a positive culture of learning.

An infectious enthusiasm for learning is woven into the fabric of the school.

The school has overhauled the curriculum since the last inspection. Pupils study a wide range of subjects as they move through the school.

In key stage 4, the options process ensures that pupils experience a broad range of learning, including subjects such as engineering, horticulture and photography. A well-designed and well-sequenced curriculum sets out the key knowledge and skills pupils learn and develop in each subject. Importantly, sensible tweaks to the curriculum mean that it is highly personalised and bespoke to each pupil.

As a result, pupils' learning is highly successful.

Staff make effective checks on pupils' learning. This helps them to identify what pupils know and can do and what they need to learn next.

Staff use this information well to organise suitable support. The school rightly recognises that the way staff track pupils' progress through the curriculum needs further refinement to ensure that it provides more precise information about how well pupils are learning the curriculum. As a result, the curriculum could be tailored even more to meet pupils' needs so that they achieve highly in all areas of the curriculum.

Reading is a high priority across the school. A wide range of books ensures that pupils are exposed to different genres. Pupils enjoy reading and talk positively about their visits to the library.

The school's phonics programme is well thought through and is successful in supporting pupils' reading. Additional literacy support also has a highly positive impact. Pupils read fluently and with confidence and enthusiasm.

Pupils' behaviour is excellent. A set of clear explanations, known as 'Baycroft Expects', helps pupils to understand what is expected of them. Positive praise and reinforcement encourage pupils to make good choices.

As a result, lessons are very calm and purposeful.

Pupils make great strides in their personal development during their time at Baycroft. Important topics and themes form part of the school's extensive personal development programme.

Several trips, clubs and events help pupils to develop their talents and interests. Pupils are actively involved in decision-making. Pupils' spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is of a high quality.

As a result, pupils are well prepared to take their place in the world.

Staff describe themselves as the 'Baycroft Family'. They are highly supportive of each other and are very well supported by school leaders and governors.

Leaders prioritise staff workload and well-being. Governors have a deep knowledge and understanding of the school. They strike the right balance between holding leaders to account and supporting them.

The school welcomes the challenge and support provided by the local authority.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

What does the school need to do to improve?

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

• The school's assessment arrangements do not consistently give the precise information it needs in all subjects about how well pupils are learning the curriculum.

This means that the curriculum could be tailored even more to meet pupils' needs so that they achieve highly in all areas of the curriculum. The school should refine the assessment arrangements so that it can use this information to inform the curriculum further.

Background

When we have judged a school to be good, we will then normally go into the school about once every four years to confirm that the school remains good.

This is called an ungraded inspection, and it is carried out under section 8 of the Education Act 2005. We do not give graded judgements on an ungraded inspection. However, if we find evidence that a school would now receive a higher or lower grade, then the next inspection will be a graded inspection, which is carried out under section 5 of the Act.

Usually this is within one to two years of the date of the ungraded inspection. If we have serious concerns about safeguarding, behaviour or the quality of education, we will deem the ungraded inspection a graded inspection immediately.

This is the second ungraded inspection since we judged the school to be good in September 2013.