Wigston Birkett House Community Special School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils enjoy attending this welcoming school.

Pupils say that they feel safe and are happy at the school. Staff are very caring and supportive. They understand pupils' individual needs well.

Parents and carers appreciate the help that staff give them and their children. One parent expressed a view that was shared by others when they stated, 'This school has been incredible to both our child and our family as a whole.'

Relationships between staff and pupils are very positive.

Pupils know staff will look after them and help them to learn. Staff are very skilled at meeting the pupils' complex needs.

Leaders have high expectations that there wi...ll be 'no glass ceiling' for any pupil.

They want all pupils to be ready for their next steps. They ensure that the school supports all pupils to make progress towards this aim.

Pupils' behaviour is good.

They engage well with their learning. Lessons are not affected by disruption since staff support pupils to understand and manage their emotions. Distress is minimised because staff understand pupils' needs.

Pupils say that bullying rarely happens. They are certain that if bullying did happen staff will deal with it quickly and effectively.

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

Leaders have rewritten the curriculum to cater for pupils' wide-ranging needs and abilities.

After an assessment of their needs, each pupil joins one of three 'coloured' curriculum pathways.

Pupils on the blue pathway experience a sensory-based curriculum. Teachers establish clear routines and expectations.

They adapt the learning environment to suit pupils' needs, paying careful attention to any sensory needs. Pupils enjoy well-planned therapeutic activities. Staff establish caring relationships with pupils.

They help them to feel safe and secure.

On the yellow and green pathways, most subjects meet pupils' needs well. Teaching by skilled teachers ensures that pupils develop their knowledge and skills well.

However, in mathematics, leaders have not given enough thought to how they teach the curriculum so that they cater for pupils' individual needs. As a result, pupils are often introduced to new mathematical concepts before they are ready to learn them.

Leaders have prioritised reading for pupils on the green and yellow pathways.

They have adopted a systematic phonics programme to support the teaching of early reading. Pupils are able to apply their phonics knowledge effectively when reading unfamiliar words. Staff are well trained to help pupils become more confident and fluent readers.

Children get off to a strong start in the early years. This is because leaders are ambitious for all children to achieve their potential. They have ensured that communication should 'underpin everything' so children can be successful.

Older students on the senior site benefit from a curriculum that helps to make them ready for their adult lives. Leaders and staff provide access to high-quality careers education, information and guidance. This is delivered in conjunction with an external provider.

Leaders have provided opportunities for work experience and taster days at colleges. Students speak enthusiastically about how much they have gained from these experiences.

Staff know all pupils well.

The class teams work well together to ensure that they meet individual pupils' needs. Staff provide consistent care and attention to all pupils.

Teachers use targets from pupils' education, health and care (EHC) plans to produce individual education plans (IEPs) that outline the support for each pupil.

However, there is not a consistent approach to checking the effectiveness of targets in IEPs. Some targets may not be the most appropriate for pupils. Teachers are not always aware of the targets that previous teachers have set.

The information leaders gather about pupils' learning and development does not always provide clear evidence of the progress that pupils are making towards achieving their targets.

Developing pupils as individuals is a strength of the school's provision. Leaders and staff make sure that pupils are aware of key values such as respecting and valuing differences.

They have also found ways of introducing pupils to the concept of democracy through voting. Pupils who are part of the school council help to plan event days such as the recent Jubilee party. Pupils enjoy a range of lunchtime clubs and activities, with the 'Kahoot club' being a firm favourite.

Pupils benefit from clear and simple routines. Staff encourage pupils to focus on what is happening in the classroom. They support pupils to manage their behaviour well.

Most pupils pay attention and join in with lessons because of the consistent efforts of the staff.

Leaders have ensured that they maintain close contact with families. All parents inspectors met said that they appreciate the efforts staff make to keep them updated about their children's learning and welfare.

Staff value the support leaders give them. They say that leaders care about their well-being and are considerate of their workload.

Governors have an ambitious vision for what they want pupils to achieve.

They have ensured that there is a clear strategy to achieve this vision. They are working with leaders to try to overcome the difficulties of operating a school over five different sites.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

The safeguarding team is knowledgeable about pupils' individual needs and particular vulnerabilities. Staff are well trained to recognise any signs that might cause concern about pupils' welfare. Leaders closely monitor behavioural changes of any non-verbal pupils to identify any early indicators of concern.

Safeguarding records are accurate. Leaders act on any concerns in a timely manner. They work with appropriate agencies when appropriate so that pupils receive the right support.

Leaders have appropriate procedures in place to manage any allegations. There is an honest and open culture around safeguarding. Staff work with pupils and parents to ensure that pupils understand how to keep themselves safe, including when working online.

What does the school need to do to improve?

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

• Leaders have not ensured that the mathematics curriculum is precisely sequenced towards clearly defined end points. Teachers do not consider well enough how they take into account pupils' needs and build on what pupils do or do not already know. As a result, pupils often learn about new mathematical concepts before they are ready to do so.

Leaders need to ensure that the mathematics curriculum is coherently sequenced to meet all pupils' needs. ? Leaders have not ensured that they have a comprehensive overview of the targets that pupils are set through their IEPs. Leaders and teachers do not always know how pupils' targets have developed over time.

Some targets are not always precise enough to allow pupils to make the maximum amount of progress possible. Leaders must ensure that their oversight of IEPs is sufficiently comprehensive so that the targets pupils are set focus precisely on catering for their individual needs. This, in turn, will help pupils to achieve as highly as they should in their learning and development.

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