Southfield School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

This is a good school. Pupils make good progress in communication (using pictures, signing with their hands, pressing switches and speaking), reading, writing and mathematics because they are taught well. Work is mostly set at the right level for pupils and this helps to speed up their learning.

Children in the Early Years Foundation Stage make good gains in sitting still; looking at books; and making choices by pointing at pictures of what they want to do. Effective work between parents and carers and teachers supports families in contributing to their children's independence. For example, it supports them in helping their children to adopt good sleep patterns.
...r/>Pupils feel safe. They become less anxious as they begin to develop communication skills and their behaviour improves, often significantly. As this happens, they begin to enjoy their learning.

All leaders, including governors, are committed to removing obstacles that get in the way of pupils' learning. Thorough checking of teaching has resulted in changes which have contributed to good improvements for pupils. Consequently, opportunities to learn are increased for all pupils.

It is not yet an outstanding school because : Teachers do not always make sufficient use of their knowledge about what pupils already know to plan new and challenging work to move them on in their learning quickly enough. In a few lessons, pupils are not clear enough about what they are expected to do when moved from one activity to another or given the chance to take responsibility for their own learning. The most able readers and those pupils who are best at mathematics do not get opportunities to work alongside their peers in mainstream schools.

Information about this school

This school is designated as a school for pupils with moderate learning difficulties, speech and language difficulties and autistic spectrum disorders. Since the previous inspection, there has been a significant increase in the number of pupils with autistic spectrum disorders and associated complex challenging behaviours. Almost all of the children in the Early Years Foundation Stage and in Year 1 have complex autistic spectrum disorders.

A few pupils have hearing impairment and very few have physical disabilities. All pupils have a statement of special educational needs. An above average proportion of pupils are known to be eligible for the pupil premium (extra funding from the government for pupils in local authority care, those from service families and those known to be eligible for free school meals).

The proportion of pupils from minority ethnic backgrounds and those from families where the home language is not English is above the national average. These pupils are represented across all the different disability and special educational needs groups catered for by the school. The headteacher has been in post since September this year.

The school is housed in purpose- built accommodation. It is to be re-located on a different site at the start of the next school year, while an incinerator is constructed in close proximity to the current school site. Following its construction and also that of a dual carriageway, it is planned to move the school back again to its current site.

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