Norman Gate School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

This is an outstanding school.

Pupils make excellent progress and their achievement has continued to improve strongly since the school's previous inspection. Pupils' learning in a wide range of subjects, including English and mathematics, is often rapid. The development of pupils' personal and social skills is a strength of the school.

Pupils' reading, language and literacy skills develop especially quickly because they have frequent opportunities to read, write, speak and listen in all lessons. Pupils' numeracy skills also improve well. The consistently high quality of the teaching leads to pupils making excellent progress from their different starting points....

Teachers make clear and useful links between lessons to help pupils see how learning in different subjects is connected. Teachers' checks on pupils' learning and progress are accurate and regular. The school makes very good use of partnerships with other schools, both special and mainstream, to check the quality of their assessments.

Teachers use assessment information very well to personalise lessons so that they are well matched to the abilities of individual pupils. Almost all pupils are consistently given appropriately challenging work. However, occasionally, the most able pupils are not challenged to achieve as much as possible.

Staff use the school's chosen sign and symbol systems very well, both when teaching and when making resources for lessons. They target this support accurately so that pupils are given the right amount of help to understand the lesson well. Pupils respond well to the school's culture of promoting both rights and responsibilities.

They feel safe at school and enjoy their lessons. Pupils almost always have very positive attitudes to learning. Those who experience social and behavioural difficulties make very significant improvements.

Pupils' attendance has continued to improve well. Leaders and governors are extremely effective in making sure the school goes from strength to strength. The headteacher and deputy headteacher check the work of the school regularly and thoroughly.

They use the detailed information they gather to make astute decisions about how to improve the school. Training for staff is highly focused and successful. Staff place a high priority on the well-being of pupils through rigorous safeguarding procedures and systems.

The governing body checks school leaders' judgements and decisions rigorously and provides excellent support. Governors have a full understanding about the effectiveness of the school and do not shy from asking school leaders challenging questions.

Information about this school

All pupils have statements of special educational needs.

The main needs of pupils are moderate learning difficulties and autism spectrum disorders. The school also has smaller proportions of pupils who have severe learning difficulties and speech, language and communication needs. Pupils are educated in classes which take account of their stage of development.

The Early Years Foundation Stage consists of a Nursery class and a class which educates pupils in Reception and Year 1. There are a further three classes with mixed age groups, and a separate class for pupils in Year 6. The proportion of pupils known to be eligible for the pupil premium, which is additional funding for looked after children, pupils known to be eligible for free school meals and children of service families, is above average.

Almost all pupils come from White British backgrounds. The school shares its site with a children's centre which is subject to separate inspection arrangements. The school does not make use of alternative provision.

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