Mayfield School Ofsted Report

Full report

In accordance with section 44(2) of the Education Act 2005, Her Majesty’s Chief Inspector is of the opinion that this school requires significant improvement, because it is performing significantly less well than it might in all the circumstances reasonably be expected to perform.

What does the school need to do to improve further?

• Immediately address safeguarding concerns by ensuring that:
  • all stakeholders are clear about how to report any concerns that they may have about a pupil
  • a culture of vigilance and high expectations about safe practice is established in all key stages
  • records of restrictive physical intervention are detailed, monitored and evaluated, and properly analysed to identify any necessary actions, including staff training
  • induction procedures develop so that staff that are new to a class have a full understanding of pupils’ needs
  • risk assessments are established for individual pupils as required and detail any necessary control measures to keep them safe
  • leaders take full account of the views expressed by all stakeholders and use this information to establish lasting changes that secure a culture of safeguarding.
• Improve leadership and management by making sure that:
  • governors fully hold the headteacher to account for the quality of standards and welfare across the organisation
  • the roles and responsibilities of senior leaders are clarified and documented, to include all key areas of the school’s work, so leaders can be better held to account
  • the most senior leaders share their evaluations of the school’s strengths and areas for development and use these findings to implement an action plan that governors can monitor for impact
  • the school’s development plan details timescales, financial commitments and success criteria by which improvements can be checked against over time
  • leaders and governors more fully evaluate the school’s overall effectiveness so that they are clear about what is working and what is not
  • there is a more organised approach to how the school uses additional funding and how governors monitor the impact it has on pupils’ progress and welfare
  • recent developments to the curriculum are built upon further
  • the local authority and leaders satisfy themselves that staff with responsibility for leading classes have the necessary skills and qualifications to do so
  • work continues to develop middle leaders.
• Improve teaching, learning and assessment, and thereby outcomes for pupils, by ensuring that:
  • teachers’ planning better matches the needs of pupils
  • assessment information is more fully triangulated with work in pupils’ books so that judgements about outcomes are more valid and reliable
  • work continues to provide staff with opportunities to share their practice and learn from one another
  • where appropriate, pupils have further opportunities to write at length and practise their basic skills
  • recent developments in the teaching of phonics are monitored for impact.
• Improve pupils’ personal development, behaviour and welfare by:
  • further developing strategies to improve pupils’ attendance
  • developing the outdoor environments and resources so that they offer wider opportunities for pupils to learn and play
  • identifying which leader is responsible for monitoring and tracking behaviour and ensuring that findings from analysis are acted upon to secure further improvements.
• Improve provision within the school’s early years by:
  • addressing unmet early years welfare requirements with urgency
  • ensuring that senior leaders and relevant staff have an appropriate working knowledge of the early years welfare requirements
  • developing the internal learning environment so that it is appealing and fully promotes children’s learning. An external review of governance should be undertaken in order to assess how this aspect of leadership and management may be improved. An external review of the school’s use of the pupil premium funding should be undertaken in order to assess how this aspect of leadership and management may be improved.

Inspection judgements

Effectiveness of leadership and management Inadequate

• Leaders and governors have not ensured that safeguarding is effective at this school. Improvements since the last inspection have not been quick enough and some aspects of the school have declined. Some parents and staff share mixed views about the school’s effectiveness. Staff are not united. Some staff raised concerns about the quality of leadership, the strategic management of the school, the level of temporary and unqualified staff leading classes, and the standard of education and care offered to pupils.
• Significant work is required to ensure that a culture of safeguarding is established at the school. Some staff do not feel that the issues they raise are fully acknowledged or acted upon by leaders and governors. Inspectors did not find a culture of openness and transparency among the staff.
• The headteacher has not been adequately held to account by governors. She has made several leadership appointments but has not established clear roles and responsibilities for some members of the senior leadership team. Leaders are unclear about who has responsibility for some areas of the provision. Senior leaders have not shared their key strengths or areas for development with one another. The headteacher has not established a plan by which to develop the skills of the leadership team. As a result, governors are unable to pinpoint how successful leaders’ actions are.
• Some key improvement areas identified at the last inspection are developing too slowly. In particular, school improvement plans and self-evaluation documents lack detail. The school’s self-evaluation is not complete. As a result, leaders and governors do not have an accurate view of their effectiveness.
• Leaders’ and governors’ capacity to improve is not strong. Too many important changes are new. There is not enough demonstrable impact of leaders’ actions at this stage. The accuracy and rigour of self-evaluation is poor. The school is reliant on external support to ensure that it secures improvement.
• Pupil premium funding has been used more effectively in the last two years than in the past. However, the analysis of the impact of funding is not yet detailed enough and governors have limited oversight of this expenditure. Leaders are not clear about the precise improvements that they hope to secure as a result of investing in different strategies.
• Year 7 catch-up funding is being used effectively. Leaders assess and evaluate the impact of this funding well and can evidence demonstrable impact. For example, pupils are showing considerable gains in their basic English and mathematics skills. Though this improvement is very positive, leaders recognise that, given the early stage of developments in assessment, the uplift in pupils’ progress must be checked against other sources of information, such as work in pupils’ books, and moderated further.
• The school has made effective links with a partner school. This work has had a very positive impact on developments in the school’s assessment and monitoring cycle. It has also helped middle leaders develop a range of new skills.
• Historically, primary physical education (PE) and sport premium funding has not been effectively utilised or monitored. Some resources have recently been purchased to support pupils’ participation in sports at lunchtimes. The school’s strategy for expenditure and a programme for monitoring the impact of this funding are not established.
• The school’s curriculum has begun to evolve over the last year. There is a more organised approach to how pupils acquire skills, particularly in core subjects. However, some aspects of curriculum planning require development. For example, the school’s approach to the teaching of writing is not adequately focused on how pupils will systematically build on their skills from term to term. Though developing, there is a lack of rigour in the wider curriculum. For example, the importance of developing scientific skills is now improving but has been overlooked in previous years. These developments require embedding and monitoring for impact.
• Senior leaders do have a range of important skills, experience and knowledge. However, these strengths have not yet been brought together to secure an effective and functional senior team with a clear strategic plan for improvement.
• Despite shortcomings in safeguarding, there are strengths in some aspects of leadership in the early years. Leadership in the sixth form and the school’s Bridge is a key strength. Some of the staff across both the primary and secondary sites are pleased with the support and guidance they receive from the deputy headteachers.
• Middle leaders have benefited from effective support from a partner school. Though they are at the start of their development as leaders, they are passionate about what they do, have devised action plans to prioritise their work and are keen to secure improvements.
• The curriculum takes account of pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development. For example, pupils visit a range of places of worship in the local community to learn about different faiths. The school effectively promotes fundamental British values, including through its well-organised programme of assemblies.
• There were too few responses to Ofsted’s online questionnaire, Parent View, to generate results. However, inspectors spoke to some parents at the start of the school day and received written feedback. Some parents are very happy with the school and state that staff respond well to their questions and communication is good. Some written feedback identifies concerns about the school’s effectiveness. The school conducted their own questionnaire earlier in the year and received responses from 46 parents. The results of the questionnaire are largely positive. The vast majority of parents stated that they feel their children are happy and safe at school.

Governance of the school

• Governors have not held the headteacher to account for standards in the school. They welcome the opportunity to commission a review of their effectiveness.
• Governors have not ensured that there is a culture of safeguarding.
• Governors have not adequately monitored improvements or ensured that they are clear about the school’s effectiveness.
• The governing body has not made regular checks on the impact of additional funding.

Safeguarding

• The arrangements for safeguarding are not effective.
• Welfare requirements in the early years are not met. At the time of the inspection, the sleeping area within the early years was not of an acceptable standard. Arrangements for monitoring the standard and quality of bedding require review.
• Some staff across the school are not able to clearly explain the process for reporting a concern about a pupil.
• Records of physical intervention are not always fully completed. Leaders have begun to analyse incidents, but monitoring systems require greater rigour.
• When staff move from class to class, they do not receive a formal induction so that they have a full understanding of pupils’ needs. Leaders accept this oversight and have established new arrangements. These arrangements require monitoring to ensure that they adequately ensure that staff are able to effectively support pupils.
• Risk assessments have not been established to mitigate risks or respond to incidents for some individual pupils. Leaders have established further training for staff. Some staff do not express confidence in the risk assessment process and state that further training and resources are required in areas such as moving and handling.
• Many staff met with inspectors throughout the inspection process. Some staff identified strengths of the school, including the care and support they receive from some leaders and the positive impact of training from a partner school. However, many staff identified a range of concerns about the quality of communication between themselves and the senior leadership team. In particular, some staff do not feel that the concerns they raise are routinely acted upon. Staff are therefore not united. This ill feeling does not promote a culture of openness and transparency.
• The school’s single central record is compliant and includes all the necessary checks required by the department for education.

Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Requires improvement

• Many very positive steps have been taken to improve teaching, learning and assessment over the last year. These include opportunities for teachers to observe one another and share best practice. The approach to assessment is much more organised and systematic; it provides a strong foundation for future work. However, much of this work is new. Leaders recognise that it must now be fully embedded and monitored to check further for impact.
• The information that is being generated from the new assessment system is not yet valid and reliable. For example, data indicates that outcomes are quite positive in some subjects in key stage 4. However, work in pupils’ books does not demonstrate the same strengths. In particular, the teaching of writing and resulting outcomes can be quite variable. Teachers’ planning and sequences of learning do not ensure that pupils progressively build on their writing skills over time.
• In some parts of the school, teachers are not routinely planning learning that allows pupils to develop their basic skills. Opportunities for pupils to write at length are not yet commonplace. This is sometimes because activities only require pupils to write in small boxes, or complete a particular worksheet. While these activities can promote learning, they do not provide pupils with a chance to fully practise and apply what they can already do. Some activities therefore lack challenge.
• The teaching of some wider aspects of the curriculum is not as strong as that found in core subjects. Developments in the science curriculum are quite new and some of the pupils’ experiences and learning remain limited.
• Some teachers at the primary site have adopted a new approach to the teaching of phonics. This structured approach allows pupils to learn sounds and effectively develop their confidence in reading. However, it was only fully established at the end of 2017 and does not yet have an action plan by which its success can be measured.
• The teaching of mathematics is a strength. Teachers strike a good balance between offering opportunities for pupils to consolidate their skills and feel challenged.
• Teachers have strong relationships with their pupils. Pupils show very positive levels of engagement and respond well to staff’s effective questioning. For example, in the secondary class for pupils with profound and multiple learning difficulties, pupils are exploring the countryside. During the inspection, pupils were exploring the texture and smell of a range of different vegetables. One pupil was effectively using a switch to communicate how long an appliance should pulp a carrot for.
• There is a strong sense of teamwork within different classes across the school. This includes within the school’s secondary autism team, where inspectors observed well-established routines and exciting activities for pupils.
• Teachers demonstrate secure subject knowledge. They carefully record pupils’ different starting points and, with the new assessment system, are beginning to make regular checks on pupils’ progress.
• The Bridge supports pupils to reintegrate into mainstream schools. Though small in numbers, pupils here are very settled and the work in their books demonstrates strong progress. The environment is well organised, staff are skilled and the building provides a valuable resource for the pupils that attend.
• It is clear that teachers and support staff really care for the children. Support staff are an important part of the teaching team. Like teachers, they question pupils effectively. Teachers and support staff work well together in their respective teams. Staff are beginning to have opportunities to share their practice more widely with one another through useful peer observations.

Personal development, behaviour and welfare Inadequate

Personal development and welfare

• The school’s work to promote pupils’ personal development and welfare is inadequate because welfare arrangements are not good enough.
• Several important aspects of pupils’ welfare lack rigour. These areas are detailed in the preceding section on safeguarding. There is work to do in ensuring that a culture of safeguarding is established.
• The curriculum offers pupils a wide range of opportunities to learn how to be safe. For example, pupils are taught about e-safety, water safety and how to cross a road safely. At an appropriate time, given pupils’ age and stage of development, pupils learn about sex and relationships.
• Older pupils take on responsibilities. For example, some sixth-form students are peer mentors and support one another to feel confident. Other students are sports leaders and support the play of pupils in key stage 3.
• Pupils’ strong relationships with staff support them to grow in self-confidence. Throughout the inspection, pupils were keen to engage with inspectors, welcome them to their classrooms and share what they were doing.

Behaviour

• The behaviour of pupils requires improvement.
• Leaders are beginning to have a much better grasp of patterns and trends in behaviour. Though at an early stage, systems are developing to track behaviour and help build a picture of any trends. However, leaders are unclear about who holds specific responsibility for monitoring and reporting on this key area.
• Attendance levels are below those found nationally. Since February of this year, leaders have introduced new strategies for promoting attendance. These include providing teachers with sharper information about any trends in their respective classes and creating ‘learning packs’ for any pupils that are away from school for longer periods of time. This work must now be sustained and monitored further.
• Many parts of the school’s common areas and outdoor learning environment are underdeveloped and lack appeal. This is the case in both the primary and secondary sites. Plans are in place to develop areas and work was already under way during the inspection. For example, fences were being painted with different colours and garden borders were being tidied and pruned. Nonetheless, many areas do not promote learning or offer an inviting space for pupils to play in.
• Some staff report that resources for pupils to play with at lunchtime are limited. Leaders state that new resources have been purchased, using additional funding, and are being shared with departments.
• Pupils conduct themselves well around the school. Pupils listen to staff and try to do the right thing. Pupils were very welcoming to the inspection team.

Outcomes for pupils Requires improvement

• Outcomes across the school are variable. The new assessment system has not yet had the time to provide valid and reliable data. As a result, in some cases, there is a mismatch between what the data indicates about pupils’ progress and what is evident in work in books.
• It is evident from work in pupils’ writing books that there are some gaps in pupils’ learning. Leaders have acknowledged this and have reviewed the teaching of phonics. Currently, some pupils make routine errors in their writing and do not have frequent enough opportunities to consolidate their skills.
• Pupils’ progress in the wider curriculum is also variable. Though there has been some development in the curriculum, the experiences offered to pupils are not yet wide or rich enough. Pupils’ progress in science across the school is not as strong as that found in subjects like mathematics. Before recent changes, pupils’ progress in science was very limited.
• Pupils make much better rates of progress in mathematics. Pupils, including the most able, make stronger progress because learning provides opportunities for them to consolidate their basic skills and be challenged.
• The progress made by children in the early years and students in the sixth form is also a strength. This is as a result of some strengths in leadership and the much richer curriculum offer.
• By the end of key stage 4, some pupils secure strong outcomes, given their starting points.

Early years provision Inadequate

• As a result of ineffective safeguarding, early years provision is inadequate. Some leaders do not have an adequate understanding of the early years welfare requirements. During the inspection, inspectors found that the sleeping arrangements for children were not acceptable. The quality of bedding and the general cleanliness of the environment was not good enough. During the inspection, leaders began work to address this issue and the impact of this will require further monitoring.
• Leaders’ evaluation of the provision’s effectiveness is not accurate. The internal learning environment is unappealing. The outdoor environment is stronger and better promotes early learning. For example, outdoor resources are arranged to promote early mark-making and the recognition of numbers and patterns.
• Despite these serious concerns, the early years leader has established several improvements within the provision. Improvements include: the thoughts and feelings of parents are comprehensively gathered before children start at the school; the assessment system is robust and has been moderated by external professionals; and children’s learning journals show the strong progress that they are making from their different starting points. However, progress could be supported further by a more appealing and engaging internal environment.
• The early years leader has also established an action plan to focus on key developments. This is a useful starting point for securing further improvements.
• Staff visit children and families in their homes or current settings before they join the school to establish their needs and prepare for their transition.
• Teaching is effective and staff use helpful questions and prompts to encourage children to engage in learning. Staff form positive relationships with children. Given children’s diverse needs, staff have successfully established routines that ensure children settle quickly and are ready to learn.

16 to 19 study programmes Inadequate

• The school’s sixth form is inadequate because of ineffective safeguarding across the whole school. However, the leadership and vision for this aspect of the school are strengths.
• The leader of the sixth form has a clear, forward-thinking approach. She leads with enthusiasm and has carefully thought through the curriculum.
• Teaching is effective in the sixth form. Teachers support students to develop their basic skills well. Students are encouraged to share their views and feelings. For example, during the inspection, teachers had planned an activity focused on the imminent Royal wedding. Students had considered who they would invite to the wedding, they had made invitations, learned about the royals involved and chosen music and bunting. The teachers had planned a highly effective and engaging session.
• Travel training is done thoughtfully and meaningfully. Students have the chance to travel as independently as they can to different destinations, such as work experience. Careers guidance is well established and includes visits to colleges. Parents and carers are invited to coffee mornings and open days so that they can feel fully involved in making decisions about the options available to their children. All students progress to a successful destination.
• Students with more complex needs learn about their local environment, for example how to cross roads, or the sounds that they might hear as they are doing so.
• Options and courses are challenging in the sixth form and strike a good balance between students’ vocational and academic development. Several students have just completed their bronze Duke of Edinburgh award and are now planning to work towards silver.
• Courses and accreditation are well thought out for different groups of learners. Staff focus on equipping students with the skills and knowledge required for successful transition to the next stage of learning.
• Staff help students to develop their empathy and understand the value of helping other people. Some students take on additional responsibilities and are trained as sports leaders and peer mentors. These opportunities instil confidence in the students.

School details

Unique reference number Local authority Inspection number 103619 Birmingham 10047081 This inspection was carried out under section 8 of the Education Act 2005. The inspection was also deemed a section 5 inspection under the same Act. Type of school All-through special School category Age range of pupils Gender of pupils Gender of pupils in 16 to 19 study programmes Number of pupils on the school roll Of which, number on roll in 16 to 19 study programmes Maintained special 3 to 19 Mixed Mixed 266 39 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Headteacher Telephone number Website Email address Vicky Wynne Sue Bainbridge 0121 523 7321 www.mayfield.bham.sch.uk enquiry@mayfield.bham.sch.uk Date of previous inspection 23–24 May 2017

Information about this school

• Mayfield School is set across two sites. The primary site, for pupils aged 3 to 11, also makes use of a house which was once designated for use by a caretaker. The house is called the Bridge and supports a small number of pupils to reintegrate to mainstream settings. The secondary site, for pupils aged 11 to 16 and students aged 16 to 19, shares a complex with a local mainstream primary and secondary school. This shared site was opened in 2011.
• All pupils have an education, health and care plan. Approximately half of the pupils have severe learning difficulties and around one third have a diagnosis of autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Other pupils have a range of primary needs, including profound and multiple learning difficulties (PMLD).
• The proportion of disadvantaged pupils and those who speak English as an additional language is above the national average.
• Since the last inspection, an assistant headteacher has left the school. A deputy headteacher has recently been appointed and will shortly be leading the secondary phase. The new deputy headteacher is an existing member of staff who is currently the school’s intervention manager.
• The school does not use any alternative provision.

Information about this inspection

• After the initial one-day monitoring inspection, Ofsted decided that it was necessary to return to the school to gather further evidence to complete the inspection as a result of concerns about the effectiveness of safeguarding. It was also deemed a section 5 inspection.
• Inspectors observed teaching and learning across both sites. Some observations were undertaken jointly with leaders. Inspectors scrutinised the work in pupils’ books in a range of subjects. These activities were undertaken with leaders.
• A range of documentation was reviewed during the inspection, including: the single central record, child protection records, risk assessments, departmental action plans, minutes of meetings of the governing body, attendance information and the analysis of records relating to physical intervention.
• Inspectors held regular meetings with the school’s senior leadership team throughout the inspection. Meetings were also held with middle leaders, the pastoral lead and those with responsibility for the curriculum, the early years and the sixth form.
• There were too few responses to Parent View to generate results. Inspectors met with some parents before the school day and also received communications via email.
• The views of staff were gathered throughout the inspection across both sites. Some members of staff provided written feedback and contacted Ofsted directly via the main call centre.
• The lead inspector met with governors in two separate meetings. One meeting was attended by the chair of governors and vice chair of governors.
• The lead inspector spoke with the school’s improvement adviser via the telephone. Representatives from the local authority attended the final feedback meeting.

Inspection team

Jonathan Keay, lead inspector Susan Morris-King Derek Barnes Matt Wilson Her Majesty’s Inspector Her Majesty’s Inspector Ofsted Inspector Ofsted Inspector