Chasetown Community School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils who attend Chasetown Community School have education, health and care plans (EHC) for their special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). Many have experienced significant challenges in their previous educational settings.

At this school, they learn to value their education again.

The school has developed a curriculum that is ambitious for all pupils. This curriculum has raised expectations for what pupils can achieve.

Many more pupils are now achieving better.

Pupils benefit from highly personalised care. Staff get to know pupils well.

Some pupils experience challenges with changes to their daily routine or when trying to com...municate with others. They are supported well by staff, who help them to manage their feelings and behaviour. This care ensures pupils feel safe and happy at school.

Pupils benefit from a wide range of educational visits that help bring their learning to life. They enjoy their learning most when it is practical and fun. Pupils experience many 'memorable moments' during their time here.

Opportunities to visit parks, places of worship, the equine centre or going to the cinema, are exciting new experiences for them. Pupils understand that it is important for everybody to feel included at their school. They accept and celebrate differences.

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

Since the last inspection, the school has worked quickly to improve. It has prioritised the design and implementation of a new curriculum. This is well sequenced.

The pace of change and improvement has been rapid. They identify that time is now needed to ensure that such changes are embedded. The school ensures improvements are made in the best interests of the pupils and families they serve.

The curriculum is broad and balanced. The school has ensured that those responsible for subject leadership have successfully identified the key knowledge they want pupils to acquire. This curriculum now provides pupils with the knowledge they need to pursue subjects when they leave this school.

However, some pupils have gaps in their knowledge due to the curriculum being relatively recently introduced. Some staff do not identify these gaps or address them, which means pupils develop a superficial understanding of their learning.

Pupils arrive at this school with their special educational needs already identified.

However, the school makes additional checks to establish any further support that pupils may need. Staff identify barriers to pupils' understanding. They work well with partner agencies and parents and carers to put effective support plans in place.

Parents offer valuable information, which helps the school to identify what motivates their children to learn.

Increasing numbers of pupils attend the school with language and communication needs. The school ensures that pupils receive clear instructions and information to help them to understand their learning.

However, this is not consistent across school. In some classes, instructions are too complex for pupils to understand. This prevents them from being able to complete their learning independently.

Pupils at the early stages of learning to read are well supported. They receive help to address the gaps in their knowledge. This supports many pupils to learn to read fluently.

Staff read books to pupils regularly. They share their love of reading to help motivate pupils to develop an enjoyment of books. Pupils prefer books that are matched to their interests.

This encourages them to take books home to read more frequently.

Many pupils experience difficulties understanding and controlling their emotions. Staff take time to understand what causes them to feel like they do.

These positive relationships help pupils to feel comfortable sharing their feelings, which in turn helps them to modify their behaviour. Pupils attend school regularly. Fewer pupils are persistently absent from school.

This helps them to keep up with their learning.

Pupils in key stage 3 benefit from effective careers guidance. This enables them to experience the world of work and prepare them for the next stage of education.

It helps many to develop ideas of the occupations they may want to consider when they leave school. Pupils become motivated to achieve well to fulfil these new-found ambitions.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

What does the school need to do to improve?

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

• Some pupils have gaps in their knowledge that are not always identified and addressed in a timely way. This means that pupils are unable to connect current learning to what they already know or build on their learning securely. The school should ensure that any gaps in pupils' knowledge are identified and addressed before they move on to subsequent learning.

• The instructions and information given to pupils are, at times, not clear and too complex. Pupils are unable to then access the required learning independently. The school should ensure a consistent, clear use of language from all staff to support pupils to understand their learning and what is expected of them.