Landgate School, Bryn

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this school?

This is a joyful place where pupils and students in the sixth form flourish. A passion for pupils' success underpins everything the school does.

Staff inspire pupils to become curious and independent beyond the classroom. Pupils are happy and kept safe.

The school puts no ceiling on pupils' academic or social achievements.

The curriculum is designed to help pupils thrive. From their first day at school, pupils receive highly individualised and specialist support. Every aspect of pupils' needs is considered and meticulously planned for.

Pupils achieve highly from their various starting points.

Staff treat pupils with warmth and kindness. They... know each pupil extremely well.

Staff understand the different ways pupils communicate their needs. This contributes significantly to pupils' growing self-confidence and to their sense of belonging. Across the school, pupils behave exceptionally well.

The school provides pupils with the tools and firm foundations for their next step in life. For example, its actions to involve pupils in the local community are tangible. This includes the school sharing its communication tools with local supermarkets and a garden centre.

This helps sixth-form students to socially interact with retail staff when learning to shop independently and supports the school's families when shopping at the weekend.

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

The quality of education at Landgate School is excellent. The school has designed a broad, rich and ambitious curriculum.

This is meticulously tailored around each pupil and incorporates their education, health and care (EHC) plan outcomes. For each subject, the school has identified thoughtful cultural capital opportunities that are linked directly to pupils' learning. Pupils benefit from a vast array of educational visits and experiences that bring their learning to life.

Across subjects, staff design purposeful activities underpinned by their deep understanding of pupils' precise communication or sensory needs. Staff deftly adapt learning in the moment. They reshape learning flexibly in response to pupils' handling of new concepts and ideas.

Where pupils are nonverbal or have limited speech, they are supported to express what they need through signs and symbols. Staff regularly spot any misconceptions as they arise, and they address these before moving pupils on to new learning. Staff use a range of strategies to check on pupils' learning.

This means that learning pinpoints the precise gaps in pupils' knowledge and is matched to their individual needs.

Staff have superb knowledge about the learning difficulties faced by pupils in the school. Effective strategies are in place to identify any additional special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) that pupils may have.

Staff work collaboratively to review each pupil's 'learner profile' to ensure that the needs of all pupils are met securely in the classroom.

The school is a reading and language-rich environment. Staff exploit every opportunity to give pupils reading experiences.

This may involve sensory stories, accessing 'the lodge' library and participating in role-play activities. Children in the early years relish the range of stories, songs and rhymes.

Across the key stages, pupils follow a structured phonics approach.

This helps pupils to read at a level that is appropriate for them. Staff give pupils lots of opportunities to practise the sounds that different letters make. For example, in the early years, children achieve this through mark making with paint and sand.

In the sixth form, students continue to learn phonics. Over time, they build their vocabulary well. This helps them in working towards recognised entry-level accreditations.

Learning environments are typically harmonious and purposeful. On the rare occasion that a pupil is unsettled, staff help them skilfully and effectively. Most pupils attend school very well.

They want to be there. The school takes sensitive action to ensure that pupils with medical needs attend school as often as they can.

The personal development offer for pupils is exceptional.

It is a golden thread through all that the school does. Pupils learn about topics such as how to keep themselves healthy and positive relationships. They all have access to a rich set of coherently planned experiences that enhance their learning, develop their character and promote managed risk-taking.

For example, pupils delight in regular visits to the school's woodland provision, where they learn how to build dens and use tools. Furthermore, this provision facilitates sixth-form students' work towards The Duke of Edinburgh's Award. The personal, social, health and economic (PSHE) curriculum is sensitively crafted around what pupils and sixth-form students need to prepare them well for adulthood.

The school provides purposeful careers advice and support to all pupils. Careers events provide pupils with meaningful encounters with local employers. Comprehensive independent living and employability curriculums ensure that pupils and sixth-form students are well prepared for adulthood.

The school builds positive working relationships with parents and carers. Parents and carers highly appreciate the level of care and attention their children receive. One parent, typical of many, said, 'This school has quite simply changed our family's life.

The support and guidance are second to none.'

The school, together with governors, evaluates accurately the quality of provision for pupils. Its precise oversight ensures continual school improvement and consistently high standards of education.

Staff are extremely proud to work at this school. They feel listened to and that they make a valuable contribution to what the school offers.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.