Elemore Hall School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this school?

Elemore Hall School is a growing multi-site school. It ensures pupils are safe and can develop into happy and successful members of the school community. Leaders have skilfully combined two other provisions into the school.

The additional provisions are now thriving places to learn. The school has high expectations for pupils' academic and wider development.

All pupils have special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND).

Some pupils live on the school sites during the week. Adults expertly gain pupils' trust to make a positive difference in their lives. Staff want the best for pupils.

They patiently help pupils to get back on track with learnin...g. This helps pupils to feel calm in school.

Many pupils need help to manage their feelings and behaviour.

Some need support to attend school well. Staff provide considered and persistent support to help pupils improve their attendance and behaviour choices. Pupils learn how to be responsible citizens by following the school's values.

These prepare pupils well for adulthood.

Pupils benefit from a broad curriculum. Reading and the development of pupils' language are important parts of the curriculum.

Pupils who struggle to read receive effective support. This helps them experience success and access the wider curriculum fully.

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

Curriculum leaders are passionate about their subjects.

In most subjects, the curriculum is well organised and resourced. Teachers skilfully engage pupils with learning while taking account of pupils' individual SEND. Most lessons are well delivered and ambitious.

Teachers inspire pupils to deepen their language use when speaking. Pupils are encouraged to use bold language and express themselves, in written form, clearly.

The school has invested in training and resources to support and develop pupils' early reading.

Phonics and early reading support is being embedded. Pupils receiving reading support demonstrate progress over time. They develop greater confidence to further improve their reading.

However, the school has not provided parents and carers with information on how they can support their child's reading at home.

Staff and pupils' relationships are highly secure. Staff motivate pupils to engage well with learning.

Pupils are responsive to staff input and welcome their support happily. Most pupils behave well in lessons and around school. They are positively supervised by staff to ensure that the school environment is calm.

Pupils are encouraged to attend well. Many pupils show demonstrable improvements in their attendance since joining the school. Improved school attendance is promoted through school rewards.

Pupils know that the school will chase up absences if they remain off school. However, some pupils are persistently absent from school.

Pupils experience a broad wider development offer.

It is supported by a comprehensive 'culture' curriculum that brings together lessons that include health, religion and relationships learning. Pupils' personal development is closely monitored. Pupils are set targets based upon their individual needs and from their education, health and care (EHC) plans.

Pupils have a voice in their own target setting. This gives them ownership of their development.

Pupils learn to keep mentally and physically healthy.

For example, some pupils speak highly of working on the school farm to help their well-being. Pupils develop their talents and interests. These include musical, sporting or creative endeavours like 3D modelling.

Pupils speak fondly of going to the theatre throughout the year and have performed Shakespeare's 'Macbeth'. They visit local places of interest, like Durham Cathedral.

In 2021, Elemore School successfully amalgamated with two schools in more challenging circumstances.

Skilled leaders have worked tirelessly to ensure the consistency of the quality, and equity, of education between school sites. Governors are knowledgeable. They visit the school to understand the curriculum and to make sure its implementation is as intended.

Governors are prepared to challenge leaders to ensure pupils' learning experience is high quality. They have correctly identified that the Personalised Alternative Curriculum Centre (PACC) requires modernisation. Most staff speak positively about their professional development and work.

They say leaders are supportive and consider their work-life balance well.

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 does not have an embedded system to encourage pupils to read outside of school.

This means that some pupils do not have consistent opportunities to practise their reading and phonics skills. The school should ensure parents and carers understand the school's reading and phonics approach so that they can confidently encourage their child's reading at home. ? Some pupils are persistently absent from school.

They miss essential learning, which negatively impacts their education and wider development. The school's efforts to improve pupils' persistent absence demonstrates some impact but some parents and carers are resistant to the school's work to improve their child's attendance. The school should concentrate its work with parents and carers to overcome any barriers to regular attendance.