Snowfields Academy

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils at Snowfields academy are rightly proud of their school. They talk openly about feeling 'accepted' and 'comfortable'.

Pupils fully appreciate being part of a community where everyone's differences are valued, nurtured and celebrated.

Pupils achieve exceptionally well, both academically and personally. The school's motto of 'where nurture meets aspiration' permeates the school.

From the moment pupils join, they begin to develop the knowledge and skills they will need to move onto paid employment later in life. They work hard to gain appropriate, useful qualifications. In addition, everyone strives to ensure that pupils develop the self-understanding, co...nfidence and resilience that allow them to live well with their autism.

The school environment is thoughtfully designed. Pupils benefit from resources such as trampolines and the on-site working farm, which help them learn to self-regulate. These resources, alongside sensory equipment and quiet spaces to reduce stimulation, mean that pupils are able to access their learning fully.

The school values of 'be kind, work hard, communicate, stay safe and be happy' underpin everything. Pupils know and understand these values and work diligently to live up to them. They appreciate everyone's individuality and treat each other with consistently high levels of respect.

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

Leaders and staff have the highest ambitions for what pupils can achieve. The content pupils learn is considered carefully and organised meticulously. Teachers are highly skilled in delivering their subjects.

All staff are experts in teaching and supporting pupils with autism. Teachers deliver activities in ways that engage pupils fully and get the best from them. Teachers monitor pupils' learning closely and ensure that pupils' individual, specific targets remain aspirational.

Staff work collaboratively to support pupils to achieve their personal education, health and care plan (EHC plan) targets successfully alongside important qualifications. As a result, pupils thrive.

Pupils, including struggling readers, benefit hugely from a wide variety of useful additional help.

They also benefit from working with a range of staff and therapists with specific, relevant expertise. Consequently, pupils can overcome any barriers to learning they have as a result of their special educational needs and/or disabilities.

Leaders have ensured that the focus on developing pupils' social communication is key.

As a result of regular communication lessons, tailored to meet pupils' specific needs, pupils learn to understand themselves and the world around them.

Pupils are keen to come to school. This includes those who, prior to joining the school, were unable to attend school regularly due to their specific needs.

This is because staff build trusting relationships with pupils quickly. The warm, friendly, supportive culture of the school is tangible.Pupils are undoubtedly ready for their next stage of life when they leave Snowfields.

They are encouraged to aim high. Pupils are supported well through useful careers information, education, advice and guidance to make informed decisions about their future. Leaders have an unfaltering focus on promoting pupils' personal development.

They provide pupils with extensive, rich opportunities to develop their interests and talents. Pupils benefit from invaluable activities and clubs, such as the 'young farmer's club'. In this club, pupils were keen to show me their confidence and skill in grooming the heifers.

The weekly Snowfields celebration assembly is a highlight of the week. Pupils look forward to celebrating the successes of their friends, alongside their own achievements. 'Pupil ambassadors' play an important role in representing pupils' voices to leaders.

They told us how tokens, given to reward excellent behaviour and attitudes to learning, can now be exchanged for rewards pupils have chosen themselves. Incentives such as these help to motivate and encourage pupils. Pupils' behaviour and attitudes are exceptional and this can be seen consistently across the school.

Staff feel valued and extremely well supported by leaders. They fully appreciate the range of useful development opportunities they receive. Staff talk with warmth about the culture of mutual support that school and multi-academy trust leaders have created throughout the school.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

Staff ensure that they get to know all pupils and their families particularly well, as quickly as possible. As a result of training, all staff are extremely knowledgeable about the additional safeguarding vulnerabilities of pupils as a result of their needs.

Staff understand school safeguarding systems well, and any concerns are recorded and acted on swiftly. The wealth of pastoral and therapeutic support available means that pupils are well supported as soon as any concerns or worries are identified.

Staff help pupils to understand and manage risks effectively through the school's social, personal, health, emotions, relationships and employment curriculum.

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