The Beacon Folkestone

Highlights from Latest Inspection

Outcome

The Beacon Folkestone continues to be an outstanding school.

What is it like to attend this school?

All pupils at The Beacon Folkestone are exceptionally well cared for and supported. Staff have a deep understanding of each child's special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), including their communication needs.

Pupils say that staff take very good care of them. Those pupils who do not express themselves verbally are able to use their communication systems to express their preferences, and to communicate when they need help. Staff are consistently attentive and responsive to the needs of all pupils.

Pupils achieve exceptionally well because the school ensures that... all staff are expert in how to best support them to learn and thrive. Each pupil's curriculum is planned extremely carefully to enable them to access learning, and the wider life of the school, in a way that works for them. Staff know exactly what each pupil's next step is and utilise every available opportunity to help pupils make progress.

Pupils who spoke to inspectors said that the teaching and support the school provides helps them to learn in an enjoyable way, but also helps them in their wider lives.

Pupils are polite and consistently well mannered. Pupils greet visitors with enthusiasm.

They are proud of their school and want to share their positive experiences. Pupils particularly enjoy the trips and visits the school provides. For example, pupils enjoyed a 'bouldering' trip, where they were able to climb harness-free.

The school is very ambitious for every pupil, and pupils learn that if they work hard, they can achieve well now and in the future. The school ensures that no pupil feels limited by their SEND.

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

The school's curriculum for all pupils is driven by its ambition for pupils' futures.

Right from the start of early years, the curriculum has been designed to develop children's independence and to prepare them for life beyond The Beacon. Staff in early years have expert understanding of child development, and of the early years foundation stage. They ensure that every child's curriculum is underpinned by their education, health and care (EHC) plan, and that the next step for each child is precisely what will make the biggest difference to their learning, or their ability to access learning.

Every opportunity is utilised to help children make progress towards their targets.

Some pupils will continue to work on a curriculum that is heavily underpinned by their EHC plan throughout their time at school. The school ensures that the curriculum for these pupils is enriching and engaging, but consistently supports pupils in achieving the ambitious and relevant targets set for them.

For example, pupils with profound and multiple learning difficulties delight in their music lessons and are able to develop their attention and engagement. Additionally, staff ensure that each pupil continues to work on their own targets. For example, within music, a pupil might be supported to develop strength on a particular side of their body, so that in the future, they will be able to propel their wheelchair independently.

Many pupils reach a developmental stage that enables them to begin to learn to read. The school has introduced a very clear phonics programme. All staff are trained in the teaching of early reading.

Pupils receive careful instruction to ensure that they learn the sounds that letters make. As they progress through the phonics programme, the school ensures that pupils have ongoing opportunities to practise their reading so that, over time, they become increasingly confident and fluent readers. Pupils' engagement with, and love of, reading is promoted from the start of early years, where children are immersed in stories, rhymes and poems.

Children who are not able to learn to read continue to benefit from enthusing sensory storytelling, and ongoing exposure to songs and music.

The school ensures that those pupils who are able study a broad range of academic subjects. The school's academic curriculum has been very carefully planned, with small steps of learning set out clearly.

Older pupils, and students in the sixth form, are taught by subject specialist teachers. Teachers have a very clear understanding of the small steps of learning that pupils need to take in order to achieve the best possible academic outcomes. Teachers explain and model learning precisely to support all pupils to develop their knowledge and understanding.

Staff provide excellent support for pupils' social, emotional and mental health, including when these are very complex needs, interlinked with their autism. The programme for pupils' personal, social and health education (PSHE) and relationships and sex education is well considered and appropriate to pupils' needs and stages of development. Through the school's wider development programme, pupils are supported to identify and develop their talents and interests, so that their lives are enriched.

In a number of subjects, the curriculum has been developed to support pupils for whom independent living is appropriate. For example, through the curriculum for mathematics, pupils learn about their personal finances and budgeting. All pupils work towards greater independence in a way that is appropriate for them.

The school has a very clear careers programme, through which pupils are supported to understand routes into paid, voluntary and supported employment. Pupils have ongoing opportunities to prepare for employment. For example, the school runs an annual festival for pupils and their families, 'Beaconfest'.

This gives pupils the experience of attending a festival, in a supportive and accessible location with expert staff supporting. In addition, pupils get valuable work experience by running stalls. Consequently, the school realises its ambition for every pupil to leave the school with a clear onward pathway.

Pupils, and students in the sixth form, appreciate the belief that staff have in them. Pupils work hard in their lessons because they value what they are taught and recognise the positive impact it has on their lives. Some pupils require a highly specialist approach to support them to manage within a school environment.

The school has an expert team which supports this group of pupils. As a result of the support they receive with behaviour, these pupils have been able to engage with education for the first time. Most pupils attend very well because they enjoy school and all that it offers them.

Some pupils have medical conditions that make it harder for them to attend regularly. Staff work sensitively with these pupils and their families. Where the school feels that a pupil could attend more regularly, it takes effective action to promote better attendance.

Leaders work very carefully to support staff with their workload and well-being. The school recognises that, until recently, staff absence has negatively impacted on the work-life balance of some other staff. The school has now taken effective action to address this issue.

The school has also taken prompt action to ensure that, as the complexity of their pupil population increases, staff have the expertise they need to be able to understand and meet these pupils' needs, including in relation to behaviour.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

Background

When we have judged a school outstanding, we will then normally go into the school about once every four years to confirm that the school remains outstanding.

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 the school to be outstanding in February 2019.