Ashmount School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

This is an outstanding school.

Pupils make outstanding progress in English and mathematics because they are taught exceptionally well. Children in the Early Years Foundation Stage make rapid progress. Their achievement is outstanding.

The sixth form is outstanding. Students develop excellent employability skills. All go to college when they leave school.

Support for communication is a part of every lesson. Consequently, pupils make rapid progress in communicating using gesture, pictures, specialist technology and words. Teaching is outstanding because of the ways in which it inspires pupils to learn and enables their outstanding progress.

Inn...ovative activities are planned at the correct level of challenge. Behaviour is outstanding. Pupils are adept at keeping themselves safe.

The specially modified furniture and resources help remove obstacles that would otherwise get in the way of pupils' learning. Pupils' complex intimate care needs are met exceptionally well. A rich range of therapeutic programs and subjects contribute to pupils' outstanding learning.

The very effective leadership of the senior leadership team and the governing body contributes to improving the quality of teaching and raising pupils' achievement.

Information about this school

This school makes provision for pupils with profound and multiple learning difficulties, severe and additional learning difficulties, autism spectrum disorder and visual impairment. A significant number of pupils have additional complex medical needs.

All pupils have a statement of special educational needs. The school admits pupils from all over North East Leicestershire. The school moved into new purpose-built premises on a site with a mainstream secondary school in January 2014.

At this time its designation changed to become an area special school with a full range of pupils with special educational needs and it is planned that numbers will rise to above 125. The staffing structure has been put in place ahead of the increase in pupil numbers (the new pupils will follow at a later date). Because of this the school runs with a small and approved deficit budget with a clear plan to eradicate that deficit.

In March 2014, at the time of the inspection, the school gained status as a National Teaching School. The proportion of pupils for whom the school receives pupil premium funding is above the national average. This is additional government funding for those known to be eligible for free school meals, from service families or who are looked after by the local authority.

The proportion of pupils from minority ethnic backgrounds is below the national average, as is the proportion from families who speak English as an additional language. The school makes use of off-site alternative provision to enable Year 11 and sixth form students to have job opportunities. It also uses Loughborough College to provide students with opportunities to follow work-related courses in catering, horticulture, animal care and hair and beauty.

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