Sherwood Park School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

Outcome

Sherwood Park School continues to be a good school.

What is it like to attend this school?

Sherwood Park School provides a nurturing environment in which pupils thrive.

Its commitment to 'breaking the mould' is not only a slogan, but a practice that is woven into the fabric of the school's culture.

Pupils' welfare, care and safety are at the centre of everything that staff do. Staff forge strong and trusting relationships with pupils based on an acute understanding of their individual needs.

This supports pupils to develop their self-regulation skills and their independence particularly well.

Not surprisingly, pupils like attending this school. They make ...friends and play together at breaktimes and lunchtimes.

Due to their special educational needs, some pupils find it difficult to understand what bullying is. However, they know adults will help them deal with any worries they may have. Occasionally, pupils become agitated or distressed because they are confused or frustrated.

Adults skilfully help pupils at these times so that lessons are rarely disrupted. Most parents and carers reported a substantial positive impact on their child's development since joining the school.

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

Most pupils are not ready for the national curriculum and follow a personalised programme.

Leaders have structured the curriculum into four pathways. They have designed these to meet pupils' additional needs. The informal pathways provide appropriate learning opportunities for pupils.

Pupils' sensory and communication needs are well provided for through these pathways. Work is underway to develop the curriculum further for those that can access more formal learning, particularly in mathematics.

The whole-school approach to literacy, catering to a range of readers, shows a firm commitment to every pupil being a reader and a writer.

This is irrespective of the complexity of pupils' needs, and includes pupils who are symbols-based communicators and those with physical disabilities that mean they are unable to write unaided.

Pupils' personal development is a large part of school life. This aspect of the curriculum is carefully planned.

Leaders provide an extensive range of activities that help to develop pupils' understanding of the wider world. These include trips to the supermarket, farms and to the aquarium.

The school provides pupils with valuable, age-appropriate information on relationships and sex education and health education.

Pupils respect and celebrate the many differences between themselves and others. Parents appreciate the school's consideration of their child's spirituality and individuality, creating an inclusive environment that celebrates diversity, such as hosting a 'Pride disco' and taking pupils on church visits. The engaging displays and welcoming atmosphere reflect the school's vibrant and inclusive culture.

Staff ably use a wide range of resources, such as objects of reference, signs, symbols and technology. This helps pupils who are non-verbal to communicate their wishes and to make choices and contributes to creating a school where every pupil has a voice.

Pupils are prepared exceptionally well to be confident, independent and ready for adulthood.

This is helped by providing meaningful opportunities for pupils to use their skills and contribute to the life of the school, for example with filling up soap dispensers, collecting leaves, and even fundraising for people who are suffering.

In recent years, the school has moved to an approach that helps pupils learn how to self-regulate or seek the support of staff when they cannot do this on their own. This has led to a significant improvement in the behaviour of some pupils.

While challenges persist around the shift to a new culture, steps are being taken to address these issues.

The school works closely with parents to understand and address any barriers that may prevent pupils from attending school. Most pupils attend school regularly.

Governors and leaders are committed to transparency, pupil welfare and staff collaboration. Most staff feel supported and carry out their roles with a high degree of integrity. They have welcomed recent changes to assessment that have helped to improve their workload and well-being.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

What does the school need to do to improve?

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

• The school's curriculum for pupils who can access more formal learning is not as well set out and sequenced as for the other pathways. This means that some pupils who are ready for more formal learning do not make as much progress as they could.

Leaders should complete the process of implementing the new curriculum. They should ensure that the essential knowledge that pupils need to learn over time is set out for all pathways.

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 school to be good in October 2013.