Summerdown School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this school?

The school's core values are the golden threads that underpin the provision that pupils receive. Over time, pupils develop the capacity to show these values of independence, confidence, enjoyment, participation and determination.

In doing so, they meet the school's relentless ambition that pupils will leave here ready for the next stage in their lives.

Pupils are independent and confident communicators. They have a range of well-planned activities to practise these vital social skills.

These include seaside trips to 'ALFIE' the caravan. During these trips, pupils work together to complete a range of tasks, such as cooking and cleaning. This helps to develop t...heir life skills.

Pupils flourish because they attend this transformative school. They have a wide range of communication, sensory and medical needs. Some pupils have life-limiting and degenerative conditions and receive intensive, specialist care.

Despite these complex needs, the school has the highest ambition for what all pupils will achieve and experience. These ambitions are realised. Central to this work is the excellent relationships between pupils and staff.

Expertly trained staff know pupils' needs exceedingly well, and pupils trust that staff will take care of them. Pupils consistently follow the rules and routines that adults set. Pupils work well together and show genuine care and compassion towards each other.

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

The school's ambitious curriculum is meticulously mapped out into precise learning steps. It encompasses the essential areas of learning for pupils. This includes English and mathematics, as well as communication and personal development.

The school has identified every aspect of knowledge and skill that pupils need to succeed. This knowledge is coherently sequenced from the start of early years all the way through to key stage 4. Staff create 'individual plans' (IPs) that set out the personalised curriculum offer that each pupil will receive.

Pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) have their complex needs met with high levels of precision and skill.

Staff are expert teachers of SEND. They know the curriculum they teach very well.

Staff have superb knowledge of autism and profound and multiple learning difficulties. Consequently, the support pupils receive across the school is excellent. Staff in the Southfield Centre, supported by onsite therapists and nurses, provide pupils with exemplary specialist care.

Staff put in place highly effective and adapted activities that help pupils to learn how to communicate and read. When pupils arrive, the school rapidly assesses their needs in all areas of the curriculum. These checks continue to take place regularly for pupils, from early years onwards.

Staff use the information from these checks to put in place bespoke provision to help pupils to close gaps in their knowledge and achieve well.

Pupils achieve exceptionally well. They show this, for example, in their secure knowledge of early mathematics and phonics.

Strong impact of the school's work is also seen in pupils' confident use of their communication, social and life skills.

The school's offer is enhanced by the brilliant personal development provision. Most pupils come here with little understanding of the world around them.

The school's robust teaching of life, social and thinking skills enables pupils to recognise who they are and what their place in the world is. Pupils learn how to be part of a community, many for the first time, by learning to respect that people are different and may not think the same way as them. Pupils are well prepared for their next stage.

Children in the early years learn the concept of moving from one space to another. Over time, this extends to more complex transitions to prepare pupils for more notable life changes.

Pupils' conduct is exceptional.

They consistently show a love and enthusiasm for learning. They use their own communication methods to clearly express their likes and dislikes and do so respectfully. On the rare occasion that pupils struggle to manage their emotions, staff provide effective support.

Every sensory and physical aspect of the school has been carefully considered. Classrooms and therapeutic areas provide the optimum learning environment for pupils.

Staff receive high-quality and specialist training to meet the needs of pupils.

They are passionate and motivated by the vision of the school. Staff know that their views are valued by school leaders and acted upon. Leadership at all levels is highly adept.

Governors, trust leaders and school leaders work well together to ensure that the school provision is of the highest quality. They are driven by the same aim that pupils who attend this school will leave here well prepared for the future.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.