Rodney House School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

This is an outstanding school. All aspects of this wonderful school's work are outstanding because leaders and managers, including the governing body, are continually seeking ways to raise standards and to improve the quality of teaching even further. They ensure that Rodney House continues to be a centre of excellence for Early Years Foundation Stage children who have complex special educational needs.

Although the school's self-evaluation document is accurate, there remains scope to refine the school's monitoring further by taking greater account of the data that track children's progress and using these to support their evaluations of children's achievement and the ...quality of teaching. Almost all children make outstanding progress from exceptionally low starting points, especially in the areas of personal and social development, and communication and language. Children's achievement is outstanding because : the quality of teaching is outstanding.

Teachers and teaching assistants are highly knowledgeable and make sure they plan work which is matched to the needs of every individual child. It is clear that children gain huge enjoyment from their time in school. Their behaviour and safety are of paramount importance and behaviour is outstanding because strategies to manage it are consistent across all settings.

The school provides enormous support to parents and, through its outreach role, to other early years settings. The exceptional partnerships with health professionals ensure all needs are met so that children are ready to learn.

Information about this school

Rodney House provides for children in the Early Years Foundation Stage and just beyond, who have a range of complex special educational needs.

These include profound and multiple learning difficulties, global developmental delay, and social and communication difficulties. At the time of the inspection almost half of the children either had a diagnosis or were undergoing assessment for autistic spectrum disorders. This proportion is not necessarily typical and can change with new admissions.

Children are admitted by referral from a multi-disciplinary assessment panel at any time in the year. At the time of the inspection the number of children attending was quite low but expected to build across the school year. Provision is at the Rodney House base and at four other satellite bases in children's centres across the city.

These are at: Old Moat Children's Centre (Sure Start); Lyndene Road Children's Centre (Barnardos); Sacred Heart Children's Centre (Sure Start); and Martenscroft Children's Centre (Sure Start). Children usually attend the base closest to where they live. All satellite bases are managed and staffed from Rodney House in liaison with the children's centre staff.

The school also provides outreach services on request to other early years settings across the city. Only a very small proportion of children are eligible for the pupil premium. The school holds a number of awards including Parent Partnership Award, National Healthy Schools status, Inclusion Quality Mark and Investors in People.