Queen’s Croft High School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

This is a good school School leaders are unswerving in their commitment to making sure that the school secures successful outcomes for all its pupils. Pupils make good progress, often from very low starting points when they enter school. They achieve good results in a range of subjects.

They are very well prepared for their next steps in education, employment or training. Pupils are well behaved. They display excellent manners and show consideration for others.

They are proud of what they have achieved at the school. They grow by being part of a caring community. The curriculum is appropriate and interesting.

Pupils and students receive high-quality s...upport, advice and guidance. They are presented with choices and options at different stages of their time in school. The support for pupils with complex needs has been developed sensitively and creatively to promote a sensory curriculum appropriate to their needs.

The sixth form is well led, and students are happy, safe and make good progress. They receive very good-quality advice. This helps them make choices about the next steps of their education.

Governors know the school well. They carry out their roles effectively. They ask challenging questions of leaders and hold the school to account effectively.

Teaching is generally good. There are some inconsistencies in pupils' learning when teaching is not matched closely enough to all pupils' needs. Teachers and leaders are developing revised ways of assessing pupils' progress.

They know that they need to continue to extend this work, so that they can use this information to plan the next steps of learning for all pupils and students. The school has grown over the past few years. Higher numbers of pupils with more varied needs have put extra pressure on school leaders and staff.

Necessary changes to improve the impact of the school on outcomes for its pupils have not always been accepted successfully.

Information about this school

Queen's Croft High School is a secondary special school which caters for pupils who have a range of special educational needs and/or disabilities. These include moderate learning difficulties, severe learning difficulties, autism spectrum disorders, speech and communication disorders, and social, emotional and mental health difficulties.

The school has grown over the past few years. There are more pupils, and the range of their needs is greater. The post-16 provision has also been extended.

These changes have largely been in response to the changing nature of provision for children with special educational needs in the local authority. All pupils have a statement of special educational needs or an education, health and care plan. Most pupils are White British, with a small number having other ethnic backgrounds.

All pupils are placed in the school by Staffordshire local authority. Currently there are 14 pupils who are looked after. The proportion of pupils eligible for free school meals is below the national average.

The school has a number of pupils, currently five, who are accessing reduced timetables in agreement with parents and following Staffordshire local authority's guidelines. The school has a sixth form. Students do not attend any alternative provision for their education or training.