Samuel Rhodes MLD School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

This is an outstanding school The headteacher, supported extremely effectively by the senior team, is relentless in her pursuit to improve pupils' life chances. Samuel Rhodes School provides an outstanding quality of education for its pupils. Governance is highly effective.

Governors challenge leaders effectively and offer the right amount of support to ensure that standards remain high. Safeguarding is effective. Strong partnership links with external agencies and parents ensure that pupils' safety is given the highest priority.

The quality of teaching, learning and assessment is outstanding. Teachers plan engaging and challenging tasks that skilfully match p...upils' needs. A strong team spirit exists within the school.

Teaching assistants make a strong contribution to pupils' high-quality learning. Pupils make at least good and often rapid progress from their low starting points. Aspirational targets and individual learning routes underpin this success.

The quality of the 16 to 19 study programmes offered to students is outstanding. Work-related experiences and the development of academic skills prepare students extremely well for adulthood and their future careers. Pupils' personal development and welfare are a real strength of the school.

The nurturing and caring ethos promotes all aspects of pupils' well-being and self-belief. Pupils' behaviour is excellent. Pupils are respectful towards adults, including visitors, and show high levels of care towards each other.

This has an extremely positive impact on pupils' achievements. Pupils enjoy school, so the majority of pupils' attendance is improving and unauthorised absences are low. Leaders are effective in tackling the poor attendance of a small proportion of pupils.

Pupils' progress is tracked using the 'I can' statements that pupils fully understand. Leaders accept that more can be done to ensure that this practice is firmly embedded across all subjects.

Information about this school

The school meets requirements on the publication of specified information on its website.

Samuel Rhodes School caters for pupils and sixth-form students with moderate learning difficulties. Many pupils have additional needs, including autistic spectrum disorder and social, emotional and behavioural difficulties. All pupils have an education, health and care plan or a statement of special educational needs.

This school is smaller than the average-sized community special school for pupils aged five to 19. The school is on two sites, approximately one mile apart. The primary phase is co-located on the top floor of a mainstream primary school.

The secondary phase is co-located to a mainstream secondary school, with shared dining and sports facilities. The school extended its provision three years ago to include 16 to 19 study programmes. The school does not use alternative provision.

The school operates after-school clubs. The school has brokered support through a national schools network and the local authority. The headteacher and the school's outreach service provide support to other schools.