Fortuna School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

This is an outstanding school. The headteacher and senior leaders, with strong support from subject leaders and governors, are providing outstanding leadership and management in sustaining excellent teaching and achievement and continuously improving the school. School leaders promote pupils' personal development, including their spiritual, moral, social and cultural development, extremely well.

Pupils' behaviour in lessons and around the school is outstanding. They respond exceptionally well to the consistent management of their behaviour. Pupils make very rapid improvements in their behaviour and attendance, and develop excellent attitudes to learning.

Pupil...s feel very safe and know who to speak to if they feel anxious. Pupils' learning flourishes because the quality of teaching over time is outstanding. Teachers and teaching assistants work seamlessly together in setting very high expectations for pupils' learning and behaviour in lessons.

Staff nurture pupils' emotional development exceptionally well, so that pupils grow rapidly in confidence and self-esteem. Teachers have a thorough knowledge of each pupil and make excellent use of well-chosen resources to plan exciting activities. Pupils' achievement is outstanding.

They make rapid progress in learning relative to their low starting points on joining the school. They are well prepared for the next stage of their education, as the gap between their standards, and those of others of the same age, narrows significantly.

Information about this school

Fortuna School caters for pupils who have behavioural, emotional and social difficulties.

Many have additional needs, such as attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). All pupils have a statement of special educational needs or an education, health and care plan. Most pupils are White British and few pupils speak English as an additional language.

There are approximately five times more boys than girls. A high proportion of pupils, approximately two thirds, are eligible for pupil premium funding. This is additional funding for pupils known to be eligible for free school meals and those in care of the local authority.

Although the school is designated for pupils aged from four years old, the youngest pupils attending the school during the inspection were in Year 1. This is similar to the time of the previous inspection when the youngest pupils attending were in Year 2. Most pupils start at different times during the first half of the autumn term each year, although 21 new pupils arrived together at the beginning of September 2014.

Most pupils have experienced previous disruption to their education and a significant number, nearly one third, have been excluded from their previous schools. Since the last inspection, the nature and severity of pupils' needs has increased. For example, there has been almost a five-fold increase in the number of pupils referred to the school who are in local authority care.

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