Tor View School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

This is an outstanding school. School leaders are totally focused on developing outstanding teaching and learning opportunities for pupils and staff.

As a result, staff have excellent training to meet the complex needs of the pupils and ensure they make progress. Pupils' achievement is outstanding. Pupils make exceptional progress from their individual starting points across all the key stages.

They make significant progress in improving their reading, writing, and communication and mathematics skills during their key skills lessons as well as in other subjects. Teachers, and other adults in the class, are highly skilled at understanding and meeting the needs ...of the pupils. Pupils' individual targets are challenging and broken down into small steps so that all progress is evident.

The wide range of developmental activities, inside and outside school hours, gives pupils and parents excellent support to manage the complex difficulties they face and prepare for their future. The pupils in the further education department have excellent resources to develop their independence and relish the opportunities available. Pupils' behaviour and attitudes to learning are outstanding.

They are very keen to attend school and take advantage of the activities outside school hours. Staff have excellent skills in managing pupils' behaviour through the positive relationships they develop and by having high expectations. Pupils respond positively and get on well together.

All pupils take part in a variety of physical and sensory activities to develop their physical skills and well-being. All pupils are involved in the Christmas performance at some level and this reflects the outstanding teamwork that is apparent across the whole school. High quality partnerships exist with other educational providers to improve the quality of teaching and pupils' achievement even further.

The mission statement: 'Together we inspire, learn, enjoy and achieve' is shared by staff and governors due to the passion and commitment of the Principal and headteacher. As a result, there is a harmonious staff team totally committed to continuous school development.

Information about this school

Tor View is a generic learning disabilities school that provides education for pupils aged 3-19 with a wide range of special educational needs, ranging from moderate learning difficulties to severe and complex learning difficulties, including profound and multiple learning difficulties.

Throughout the school several pupils have additional needs arising from physical disabilities and sensory impairments. The intensive support centre accommodates up to 10 young people with autistic spectrum conditions and challenging behaviour. The school has recently moved its further education department to a site close to the school.

Twenty two Tor View pupils attend Haslingden Primary School, Haslingden High School or Accrington and Rossendale College for part of their school week and some pupils from other mainstream schools join Tor View to access their resources. Pupils are mainly drawn from the Rossendale area but also from further afield including neighbouring local authorities. The majority of pupils join the school at Reception and Year 7 and most stay on into the further education provision.

Nearly all pupils are of White British backgrounds with a small proportion of Pakistani or Bangladeshi heritage pupils. The proportion of students for whom the school receives pupil premium funding, (additional funding allocated by the government for certain groups of pupils, in this case, those who are eligible for free school meals and who are looked after by the local authority) is well above the national average. Since its last inspection the school has achieved Artsmark Gold, Quality in Study Support (Advanced), National Support School Status, Financial Management Standard in Schools and is at the final stage of accreditation for Leading Parent Partnership Award and with the National Autistic Society.

Tor View was accredited as a National Teaching School in March 2013. The Principal is a national leader of education and the headteacher and two other senior staff are specialist leaders of education. Recent changes to the leadership structure have involved internal promotions and more delegated leadership as a result of the Teaching School status.