Mayfield School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

This is an inadequate school Leaders and governors have not created a safe school. Some staff are unclear about the school's policy in relation to managing a concern about a pupil. Necessary risk assessments have not been established for some pupils.

Early years welfare requirements are not met or fully understood by leaders. The recording of physical intervention lacks rigour. Induction procedures are not fully embedded.

The headteacher has not established clearly defined roles and responsibilities for some senior leaders. Some of their actions are not strategic or well organised. Governors have failed to hold the headteacher to account.

They have no...t adequately monitored developments and do not have an accurate view of the school's effectiveness. Some parents, carers and staff express concerns about the school. Staff are not united and too many lack confidence in the headteacher and other leaders.

Some stakeholders are not confident that their feedback is acted upon by leaders. Several outdoor areas have not been developed and have little equipment. Pupils cannot play and learn safely in parts of the primary site.

The internal environment in the early years is unappealing. Some additional funding is not adequately monitored by governors or used effectively. The school's action plans lack the detail required to secure improvement.

Teaching, learning and assessment are not yet good. Assessment systems have been established but are very new. Progress information is not yet reliable and does not tally with the standard of work in pupils' books.

Some strategies to improve teaching, reading, attendance, the curriculum and middle leadership are new and require monitoring to check that they have the desired impact. Pupils are not given enough opportunities to improve their writing. On occasion, pupils are not adequately challenged.

The school has the following strengths Despite some of the serious shortcomings, staff have good working relationships with pupils and are committed to helping them learn. The sixth-form leader has vision and enthusiasm and has devised an effective curriculum.

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.

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