Lindon Bennett School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

Outcome

Lindon Bennett School continues to be a good school.

What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils are happy at Lindon Bennett School. Parents and carers say that this school has made a big difference to their children's lives. Pupils make great strides in their personal development.

Pupils feel safe and are kept safe. They enjoy coming into school and are well supported. Pupils' behaviour is managed well.

Relationships between pupils and staff are extremely positive. The importance of keeping safe, maintaining healthy lifestyles and having respectful relationships is regularly reinforced in different situations. Bullying is not a problem in this school.

Pupils kn...ow who can help them if they are upset. They are helped to identify their emotions and are taught strategies to keep themselves calm and focused. Leaders have high expectations of what pupils can achieve.

Leaders provide a wide range of interesting activities, such as enrichment days and visits in the community. Lessons include regular visits to local shops. This means that pupils have opportunities to broaden their horizons.

They practise the skills they have learned in the classroom and become more confident.Parents are positive in their views about the school. One comment, typical of many, was: 'My child loves coming to school and has made great progress.'

Parents particularly value the wide range of workshops and training opportunities that are offered to them.

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

Leaders have ensured that the curriculum allows pupils to progress towards their education, health and care plan (EHC plan) targets. Staff, therapists and parents work together to set short-term individual objectives for pupils based on their EHC plan targets.

Everyone works on these throughout the year and in all subjects. Leaders and staff check pupils' progress towards these targets regularly. This makes a significant contribution to pupils' personal development.

Teachers are well trained and knowledgeable about the pupils they teach. They think carefully about the skills they want pupils to learn. Teachers deliver the curriculum well.

They are passionate about supporting pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities. Teachers and support staff check pupils' understanding often. Teachers provide opportunities for pupils to review and revisit concepts in different contexts.

This helps pupils to generalise and practise their skills.Subject leaders are developing their curriculum thinking to make the subject-specific knowledge that they want pupils to learn more explicit. In some subjects, the curriculum does not precisely identify the important bits of knowledge that leaders want pupils to learn and remember.

Leaders and staff provide pupils with a broad range of experiences beyond the main curriculum. For example, pupils are helped to develop their social understanding by taking part in activities such as the school council.Daily reading for pleasure within each class group helps pupils to develop an interest in and a love of reading.

Leaders have established a whole-school approach to the teaching of phonics for the small number of pupils who are ready for this. However, this approach is not used consistently, and instead some adults rely on pupils memorising words by sight. This limits pupils' ability to read unfamiliar words.

Staff have a good understanding of pupils' abilities, likes and dislikes. Teaching opportunities are well matched to pupils' interests. This helps pupils to engage with and be enthusiastic about their learning.

Teachers use a wide range of interesting resources and provide lots of opportunities for pupils to make choices.The atmosphere in lessons is calm and focused. Routines are well established and pupils are well supported by adults.

Pupils can focus on their work because behaviour is managed well. Leaders and teachers are clear about the behaviours that they expect from pupils. Pupils understand exactly what is expected of them because this is well communicated to them.

Pupils are helped to work with their peers, and staff facilitate interaction well. There is a consistent use of signing, symbols and communication books to support pupils' access to the curriculum.Leaders have ensured that the personal, social, health and economic (PSHE) education programme prepares pupils for life beyond the school community.

For example, pupils visit places of interest such as museums.Governors make regular visits to the school and know the school well. They are working with senior leaders to make sure that the school's improvement priorities are achievable and measurable.

Most staff feel that leaders are appreciative of their workload and say that it is manageable. Staff are supportive of each other. The sharing of resources and good practice enables them to work effectively as a team.

Staff speak positively about leaders' support for their well-being.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

Leaders and staff know their pupils exceptionally well and are well trained in safeguarding matters.

Because of this, they are quick to identify and help those pupils and families who need it. Leaders check that this support is helping families, and if not, they find other alternatives, including sourcing support from external agencies. Pupils are learning how to look after themselves and keep themselves safe.

Staff and governors know their responsibilities and ask for information and help if needed. Staff know how to report concerns and they do so diligently.

What does the school need to do to improve?

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

• In some subjects, the curriculum does not set out the knowledge and vocabulary that leaders want pupils to acquire.

Therefore, sometimes, class staff do not focus their teaching sharply on this key knowledge. Leaders should ensure that the curriculum sets out clearly the key knowledge and vocabulary that pupils will learn in each subject.

Background

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

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 good in July 2014.