Hatton Special School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

Outcome

There has been no change to this school's overall judgement of outstanding as a result of this ungraded (section 8) inspection. However, the evidence gathered suggests that the inspection grade might not be as high if a graded (section 5) inspection were carried out now. The school's next inspection will be a graded inspection.

What is it like to attend this school?

This is a school where every pupil's experience is personalised to their needs. All staff have high aspirations for what all pupils can achieve.

Pupils are taught by an enthusiastic staff team, whose members have a strong understanding of pupils' needs and interests.

Staff use this knowledge to keep pupils safe... and to ensure that the right support is in place. The school is a calm place to be. Pupils are taught to think about their actions and to be friendly towards others.

Pupils are well looked after and consequentially pupils behave well overall.

Pupils are encouraged to value the differences that make each person special and unique. The development of character is carefully and deliberately planned.

For example, pupils are taught about kindness and are rewarded for demonstrating this quality in their daily conduct. Pupils are taught about different faiths and religions. They raise money for charities selected for their relevance to the school's community.

Pupils perform songs together and warmly celebrate the achievements and successes of their peers.

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

The school has undergone recent changes in leadership and swift action has been taken to improve teaching and pupils' learning. In place, is an ambitious curriculum that is broad and progressive.

The curriculum is structured to build, reinforce and strengthen pupils' knowledge and skills. Teachers appreciate the work that the school has put into developing the curriculum, and the positive effect of the curriculum on their workload. All pupils have a personalised curriculum that is designed to enable them to progress to new learning at the right time for them individually.

The school aims to ensure that pupils have the right foundations of knowledge to be able to learn more and do more over time. Staff adapt teaching creatively to ensure that all pupils, including children in the early years, are keen to learn. As result, pupils concentrate on their learning.

The school has put systems in place to check most pupils' understanding. These are used well in areas of the curriculum such as reading, building independence and communication exchanges. In some other areas of the curriculum, checks on what pupils know and can do are not as typically effective in identifying gaps in pupils' recall or understanding, or in identifying where pupils need help to ensure that their learning is secure.

Consequently, gaps in pupils' prior learning hinder them from achieving more complex skills and get in the way of pupils' progression through the curriculum and in meeting their targets.

The school teaches early reading effectively. Leaders have identified the foundation skills that pupils need to be ready to begin learning the sounds that letters make.

The school effectively measures pupils' reading skills and where there are phonics gaps. This enables leaders to identify the right next steps in reading for each pupil. All pupils are read to regularly.

Pupils who read books, read books that are matched to the sounds they know and adaptations are made to ensure that pupils are motivated by the texts they read.

All staff are well trained in understanding the triggers and possible purpose behind behaviour. The school takes into consideration each pupil's needs.

Typically, staff are skilled at preventing problem behaviour from arising. If pupils do become upset or anxious, staff help pupils to manage their feelings and emotions.

The school has put in place some personalised and creative solutions for pupils who do not attend school regularly.

Generally, leaders work alongside parents and pupils to understand the barriers to them coming to school regularly and on time. Typically, as a consequence, pupils' attendance rates improve over time. Sometimes, information about pupils' attendance rates is not analysed as routinely well so as to ensure that any patterns to pupils' absence are identified so that targeted support can be put in place.

Some pupils' attendance rates do not improve as swiftly when action to secure good attendance is not as robust or proactive.

The school is ambitions for all pupils to be able to function in their community and to prepare them for their adult lives. From the moment pupils join the school, they are taught skills that help to develop their independence.

Pupils are encouraged to practise and build up fluency through activities such as teeth brushing, travel training and over-night stays at outdoor activity centres. The school provides opportunities for all pupils to develop their interests, such as rock climbing, sailing and listening to orchestras perform music at the school.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

What does the school need to do to improve?

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

• The measuring and checking of what pupils know and can do are not effective across all aspects of the curriculum. This means that for some pupils, progression through the curriculum to meet their personalised goals is hindered. Leaders should ensure that for all pupils, personalised curriculums are reviewed regularly, and gaps in pupils' component knowledge identified and addressed.

• Sometimes, information about pupils' attendance rates is not analysed routinely well to ensure that any patterns to pupils' absence are identified so that targeted support can be put in place. The school should ensure that data is used to identify where action to secure good attendance is needed and targeted support put in place so that all pupils attend school regularly.

Background

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

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 outstanding in 2015.

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