Thomas Wolsey Ormiston Academy

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils experience a good education at their school. They access a curriculum that supports all aspects of their learning and prepares them well as they move on to further study. Making sure that pupils are able to express themselves is of utmost importance in this curriculum.

Pupils become skilled at communicating using a variety of methods and devices. They become confident in communicating with different people to share their ideas, their likes and dislikes, and their views.

Pupils enjoy attending school.

They enjoy playtime, and they like playing games together in the playground. The relationships between pupils and staff are very positive. There is a real... 'can do' approach and staff are highly ambitious for what every pupil can achieve, both in their time in school and after they leave.

Pupils are confident that if they had a problem with another pupil, staff would help sort it out quickly and effectively.

A highlight of many pupils' week is the music and movement club for pupils of all ages and abilities. Pupils get lots of opportunities for physical development that matches their varied abilities, interests and needs.

In particular, many pupils find swimming fun, and it helps their development.

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

The curriculum is well planned to meet the varied and complex needs of pupils who attend the school. Pupils access a broad range of subjects in all year groups.

Curriculum plans provide a level of detail that ensures that all pupils get access to the same high-quality curriculum and that teachers can use and adapt these plans to support individual pupils' needs across lessons. Leaders have ensured that this curriculum supports pupils to make progress in a range of areas that prepare them well to move on to their next stages as young adults.

In the early years, staff get to know children and their families well.

They have a good understanding of the expectations for the early years foundation stage and of children's individual needs. Leaders have created a curriculum that sets children up well for moving into Year 1 and builds their confidence and skills securely. The classroom and resources are well organised to support children's learning and physical needs.

Leaders have identified that the early years outdoor area does not reflect the same high-quality support for pupils' development, and it is currently being refurbished.

Central to the school's curriculum is the development of communication, literacy and reading. Most staff are well trained in the various methods of communication used by pupils.

These staff members use these methods to help encourage pupils to actively participate in discussions about their learning and their views. Most staff use an appropriate range of resources to support the development of pupils' communication, including sensory resources, music, light and sound. Early reading is taught well, as staff are well trained and use the school's chosen phonics programme and resources appropriately.

Reading and a love of stories is encouraged throughout the school. Older pupils access stories and texts that are appropriate to their abilities and interests. Most staff are adept at adapting texts and using different communication methods to engage pupils with stories.

Where remote learning is needed on occasion to support individual pupils for a period of time, these pupils follow the same curriculum as their class in school and access online lessons to stay in touch with their class and their teacher.

However, despite the many strengths in the planning and delivery of the curriculum, some staff are not as well trained in adapting the curriculum for specific pupils' sensory needs or in using the intended resources effectively when delivering the curriculum to pupils. On these occasions, pupils can disengage with the learning and go off task.

The curriculum is underpinned by a high-quality trips, visits and extra-curricular programme, which is well adapted to ensure that pupils can access a full range of activities. These activities include residential trips focused on climbing and using zip wires, sailing, theatre and musical performances, and a wide range of art, music and dance activities. This supports pupils' understanding of community participation, while also building their communication and physical skills.

Leaders focus on pupils' transition to adulthood throughout their time at the school. This programme of support and guidance includes independent careers education and work experience, or work-related learning opportunities which are relevant to pupils' interests, abilities and aspirations. All pupils have careers education and experience of work or work experience opportunities.

There is a well-established programme of college visits to enable pupils and parents to make informed choices about the next step. Leaders also work closely with other external agencies to make sure that pupils and their families are best supported for other aspects of pupils' transition to adulthood, independent living, health support and financial guidance.

Pupils are well behaved.

They are very respectful of each other and their differences. They understand that they have different needs. Where pupils do struggle with behaviour, highly consistent approaches mean that they are supported in a positive way to improve.

Leaders from the school, the multi-academy trust and governors know what leaders are doing well and areas that are in need of further development. Leaders and other staff have benefited from the school improvement work put in place by the multi-academy trust. However, the written plans for improvement are not yet clear enough on who will do what and when.

The wider staff team do not all know what they need to do to improve provision and why.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.Leaders and staff are well trained and take all reasonable actions to keep pupils safe, including timely and effective engagement with external agencies.

Staff use a comprehensive recording system to note communication with all relevant agencies, including health, social care, parents/carers, and other appropriate agencies. Leaders track all aspects of pupils' development, including unusual behaviours. This enables leaders to have a joined-up view of each pupil and to spot early signs that a pupil may be vulnerable.

Leaders are skilled at identifying where a pupil may need additional support to keep themselves safe. They adapt the curriculum as needed to meet the needs of the pupils as issues arise.

What does the school need to do to improve?

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

• Some staff are not as well trained and confident to use sensory strategies or practical resources to fully enhance aspects of the curriculum and meet pupils' needs.

When this occurs, pupils do not have the appropriate physical reference points for learning and can become disengaged, waiting rather than learning. Staff need to be supported to develop strategies to support pupils' sensory needs and use the intended curriculum resources more effectively so that pupils are actively engaged in their learning and access the curriculum as fully as intended. ? Leaders know what to do to further improve the school, but this is not clearly planned out in terms of what will happen and when.

This means that it is not clear who will do what. Staff do not know what the improvement journey means for them. Whole-school improvement planning needs to be more detailed and shared more effectively with staff so that they know their responsibilities in improving provision.

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