Sidestrand Hall School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

This is a good school. Good leadership and management, including effective support from governors, provide well-targeted training for teachers that benefits pupils. The school meets the minimum standards for residential special schools.

Residential pupils receive high quality care. Democracy is promoted well through the elected school council. Pupils are consulted on how to improve their residential experience.

Pupils experience tolerance of other faiths and cultures. Through team work projects they develop good social skills. Behaviour is good.

Pupils' understanding of how to keep safe in the work-place is good. Teaching is good. Relevant activities ...that focus on developing pupils' life and employability skills typify teaching.

Pupils make good progress in English and mathematics. Sixth-form provision is good for the very few students who attend. Year 11 pupils leave school with qualifications and skills that make them ready for their next step in education or training.

It is not yet an outstanding school because : Assessments of pupils are sometimes insufficiently used to set them activities at the correct level of challenge. On occasions, teachers and teaching assistants move in too quickly to support pupils rather than giving them space to complete an activity themselves. Safe recruitment checks are made, but there is some inconsistency in the way staff check references by telephone for potential residential employees.

Information about this school

Sidestrand Hall School provides for pupils aged 7 to 19 with a range of complex needs (although designated for pupils' aged 3 to 19 existing arrangements are for pupils aged 7 to 19). It offers residential provision in two blocks of accommodation. The main school residential provision caters for 23 pupils who generally receive one to two nights in residence per week.

The second residential provision, Clement Lodge, was opened in September 2013 for pupils on the autistic spectrum disorder. It caters for six pupils residing from Sunday to Friday. All pupils have statements of special educational needs.

Their needs include moderate learning difficulties, behavioural, emotional and social difficulties, autistic spectrum disorder (this is severe for a minority of pupils, accompanied by complex learning difficulties and challenging behaviour) and speech, language and communication difficulties. A very few have disabilities such as severe learning difficulties, physical disabilities and additional medical conditions. In September 2014 the school opened primary and secondary provisions specifically for pupils with Asperger's syndrome.

The school has been awarded a grant to build a 40-place post-16 provision, but this project has been delayed due to an ecology survey discovering that the site allocated was a pathway for crested newts. A very small sixth form opened in September 2014 based in a temporary building. The school has recently refurbished workshops for vocational courses in motor mechanics, construction and hair and beauty.

These facilities are also used by 38 pupils from other schools (all of these students are taught by instructors and teachers at this school). There is a school charity shop in Cromer used to provide work-related experience for pupils. The school does not make use of alternative provision.

There is a plan to create an 'independence flat' to assist some of the older pupils with complex needs to experience living independently. Through a scheme called 'School-2-School Support' the school supports other schools across the county in supporting pupils with special educational needs and disabilities. There are more boys on roll than girls.

An above average proportion of pupils receive the pupil premium, the additional government funding for those eligible for free school meals or who are looked after by their local authority. Most pupils are from White British backgrounds and very few are from families who speak an additional language. However, the number of pupils from Eastern Europe families is beginning to rise.

The school is part of a Cooperative Trust with nine other special schools in Norfolk. The initial partners are the local authority and the University of East Anglia. There is a Trust Board but each school has its own governing body.