Penny Field School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

This is a school that requires improvement Despite improvements, the quality of teaching is not consistently good across the school. Currently, the progress that pupils make is too reliant on which class they are in.

For example, mathematics teaching does not always help individual pupils to make good progress. The quality of the learning environment is too variable across the different sites. Outdoor environments do not help pupils to develop their social or physical skills.

Middle leaders have only been put into place recently to further strengthen the school. Consequently, the impact of their work so far has not been felt. The systems that school leaders us...e to check the progress that pupils are making, and the standards that they are reaching, are new.

Although the systems are much more precise, teachers have not had time to use them to identify exactly what individual pupils need to do to improve and to help them in doing so. Not all students in the sixth form make strong progress. Too often, most-able students are not stretched sufficiently in their learning.

New curriculum plans are in place for the sixth form, including developing the guidance given to support students' next steps after school. However, these plans are in their infancy. The school has the following strengths The impact of senior leaders, none of whom were in position at the time of the last inspection, is impressive.

There has been a palpable change of culture at school. This has been noted by pupils and parents and carers, who now have the utmost confidence in the school. In the words of one parent, the school is on the up and up.

Standards of behaviour have been turned around, specifically on the Green Meadows site. Pupils now focus very well in lessons. They are respectful, courteous and welcoming.

The attention to detail in planning to meet individuals' needs is developing strongly. It is having a strong impact on the progress that children in early years and pupils with the most complex needs make. Staff put the individual needs of pupils at the centre of their work.

Pupils are happy, and they are making increasingly strong progress. The interim executive board and local authority have supported the school's improvement effectively.

Information about this school

The North West Specialist Inclusive Learning Centre (NWSILC) is a special school which teaches pupils at seven different sites.

All of the pupils are taught by NWSILC teachers and staff, led and managed by the NWSILC interim executive principal, senior leaders and the interim executive board. The three specialist sites are: Green Meadows Primary, Green Meadows Secondary and Post 16, and Penny Field for pupils aged three to 19. The four mainstream sites are: Rawdon St Peters Church of England Primary School; Brudenell Primary School; Allerton High School; and Benton Park School.

The school's size is above average for special schools. There is a high proportion of disadvantaged pupils for whom the school receives pupil premium funding. All pupils have an education, health and care plan.

The pupils' primary needs range from moderate learning difficulties to those with very complex needs. A significant proportion of pupils have communication needs and/or a diagnosis of autism. Since the time of the last inspection, there have been major staffing changes.

Since September 2016, an interim executive principal has been leading the school. The senior leadership team also changed significantly, and new leaders are now in place at the three specialist sites. In addition, the two assistant principals were not in position at the time of the previous inspection.

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