Elleray Park School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this school?

Elleray Park School is an inspiring place to be.

Pupils, and children in the early years, flourish. Each day, they are greeted with a warm smile and a friendly face. Pupils benefit from strong, caring relationships with staff who know them extremely well.

Leaders have the highest expectations of what pupils can achieve in their learning and behaviour. Leaders' unrelenting ambition for pupils starts from the moment they join the school. The school's curriculum places no ceiling on pupils' success.

It prepares children and pupils, all of whom have special educational needs and/or disabilities, exceptionally well for their next steps in education and life in mod...ern Britain.

All pupils behave exceptionally well. This is because staff are highly attuned to the feelings and anxieties of pupils and are successful at minimising them.

Staff skilfully help pupils to learn to regulate their behaviour and manage their emotions.

Staff treat pupils with dignity and respect. Bullying is extremely rare.

If it should happen, pupils know that adults will deal with any issues immediately and sensitively.

Preparing pupils for the world around them is a top priority. Pupils benefit from an impressive range of activities to promote their wider personal development.

Older pupils have the opportunity to attend a residential where they take part in group activities to challenge and inspire them.

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

Leaders have designed a highly effective and ambitious curriculum. Learning goals in pupils' education, health and care (EHC) plans are seamlessly interwoven into all aspects of the curriculum.

Leaders have expertly created clear learning pathways that exactly pinpoint the knowledge, skills and understanding that pupils must learn in order to achieve future success. This well-thought-out and well-designed curriculum helps pupils' achievement to be exceptional.

Teachers are experts at using the information that they have about each pupil to break down learning into small, manageable steps.

Staff have a deep understanding of how to adapt the delivery of the curriculum for all pupils. Teachers are highly attuned to how calm or anxious pupils are in lessons. They expertly use this knowledge to maximise moments of engagement or to give pupils a break from learning.

At the heart of the school's work is leaders' determination that all pupils will communicate well. The school's systematic approach to developing communication begins the day children arrive in early years. Adults carefully consider the best way to use the wide range of strategies available to help pupils communicate.

For example, they use visual signing and picture-based communication systems to help pupils build their attention and listening skills, as well as to encourage them to make choices and engage in activities.

Reading and enjoying books and stories has a high profile in school. Those pupils who are not at a developmental stage that enables them to learn phonics, enjoy spoken stories.

These stories bring wobbly jelly fish and rainy days to life for pupils by stimulating their senses. Many pupils are encouraged to recognise letter sounds, to form words and eventually read sentences. Staff are trained and are experts in early reading.

Expectations are high. There is a determination that all pupils who can will read by the time they leave school at the end of key stage 2. Pupils told inspectors that they were proud to be able to read.

They were excited to talk about their favourite books.

Early years staff work closely with parents and carers to build strong, productive relationships. Adults know children really well, which helps children to get off to an excellent start.

Staff build strong and trusting relationships whichensure that children settle quickly and flourish.

Pupils behave exceptionally well. All staff recognise negative behaviour is a form of communication.

Pupils benefit from staff's highly effective strategies to support their behaviour needs. Over time, they increase their ability to manage their own behaviour. Pupils enjoy a harmonious environment that supports their effective learning.

Parents say that their children are eager to come to school in the morning. An enthusiasm for learning extends from children in early years to the oldest pupils.

The school's personal, social, health and economic curriculum provides an exceptional basis for pupils' personal development.

All pupils are given an activity passport of over 40 activities and experiences that they will take part in while they are at the school. Experiences range from going to the beach, blowing bubbles, buying an ice cream and planting seeds. Staff are determined that all pupils will access all experiences, even if it means they have to push a wheelchair to the top of a hill.

If a pupil cannot go to the theatre, the theatre comes to them in school.

The outstanding school leadership team is supported by a highly effective and experienced governing body. They are successful at holding leaders fully to account.

Staff are well supported with their workload and well-being. They are proud to work at the school.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

There is a strong safeguarding culture throughout school. Leaders and staff are well trained and the procedures in place to identify and report concerns are well understood by staff. Staff are strong advocates for all pupils.

They are vigilant in looking for indications that pupils could be at risk of harm, especially as most pupils are unable to communicate easily.

When safeguarding needs are identified, leaders engage very well with external agencies to get timely support for pupils and their families.

Leaders ensure that pupils learn about different risks in a way that is appropriate for their age and ability to process information.