Ellen Tinkham School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this school?

Ellen Tinkham School is a warm, caring community. The school's vision that 'everyone will be the best that they can be' is evident in all aspects of school life.

Pupils have a range of special educational needs and/or disabilities. These complex needs could become long-term barriers to learning and life. However, this is a school where there are the highest expectations for what pupils can achieve.

Staff work tirelessly to break down barriers to learning. Consequently, pupils are happy, confident learners, well prepared for the next stage of their education and life in modern Britain.

Pupils feel well supported by staff, who build strong, caring relationships... with them and their families.

This helps pupils feel safe. Behaviour in lessons and around the school is positive. Well-trained staff support pupils who become unsettled to re-engage in learning.

Bullying is not an issue in school. Pupils know that staff would intervene swiftly if it were to occur.

Leaders have created a highly inclusive school environment.

Pupils have opportunities to take part in a wide range of activities outside the classroom. Staff find creative and imaginative ways to ensure that all pupils can participate, no matter how complex their needs are.

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

Leaders and staff are highly ambitious for every pupil.

From the moment a child joins the school in the early years until a student leaves the sixth form, leaders want them to achieve their full potential, regardless of their additional needs. Starting in the early years, staff carefully identify each child's needs. This continues throughout the school.

As a result, staff know the pupils, and their needs, well. Leaders use this precise knowledge to provide a personalised and ambitious curriculum. Pupils develop their knowledge and skills well across a range of subjects and become more independent because of this.

They are well prepared for life when they leave school.

Leaders ensure that the curriculum in each subject sets out the important knowledge that pupils should learn. Beyond the core subjects of English, mathematics and personal, social, health and economic (PSHE) education, teachers use themes to build on pupils' interests.

However, in some subjects, staff teach outside their main area of expertise. As a result, there are times when learning is not closely matched to pupils' needs. This limits the achievement of these pupils.

Pupils in key stage 4 can select from a range of options. This helps to prepare them for the next stage of their education. Work experience and work-related learning start in key stage 4 and continue into the sixth form.

This helps pupils to gain academic and vocational qualifications and the skills needed to be more independent.

Teachers use assessment effectively to identify and address gaps in pupils' understanding. This helps pupils to build knowledge securely over time.

Leaders place a high priority on reading. Pupils read often. Staff benefit from the training they receive to teach phonics effectively.

Books that pupils read match the sounds they learn, which helps them gain confidence. Teachers ensure that learning is embedded before the pupil moves on to the next stage of the reading curriculum.

Personal development is a real strength of the school.

The PSHE curriculum provides the basis for this. Pupils learn the importance of respecting people from different cultures and with different lifestyles. Leaders have a strong commitment to giving pupils a voice.

Pupils value this and know that staff will listen to them. An impressive range of opportunities to learn outside the classroom helps pupils to build confidence and independence. Careers education starts with the pupils in primary years.

It helps to build the pupils' aspirations for what they could achieve in the future.

Most pupils attend school regularly. Parents say that their children are eager to come to school in the morning.

An enthusiasm for learning extends from children in the early years to the oldest students. Across both sites, pupils show very high levels of respect towards staff and each other. Staff endeavour to understand why a pupil's behaviour may become challenging and put the right support in place.

As a result, disruption to learning is rare.

Leaders and governors engage with staff effectively. They are keen to ensure that staff do not experience undue pressure due to workload demands.

Staff speak warmly about the care shown by leaders for their mental health and well-being.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

Leaders have established a strong culture of safeguarding across both school sites.

Procedures to check adults before their employment are robust. Staff are well trained. They receive regular updates to develop their practice further.

Leaders keep detailed records and are quick to respond to any safeguarding concerns. They work well with external agencies. This ensures pupils receive support promptly.

In addition, staff are aware of pupils' additional vulnerabilities due to their complex needs.

The school has suitable policies in place to raise awareness among staff and parents about the dangers of sexual harassment, online sexual abuse and sexual violence.

What does the school need to do to improve?

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

• In a few subjects, teachers do not have the expertise to deliver the curriculum as intended.

When this happens, learning is not sufficiently well matched to the needs of pupils. As a result, pupils do not achieve as well as they could. Leaders should ensure teachers have the knowledge they need to deliver all subjects effectively.

Also at this postcode