Potterspury Lodge School: Reports & Results: Ofsted Summary

Summary of the OfSTED inspection

undertaken on 22 - 25 May 2006

This inspection was carried out by the Office for Standards in Education under Section 162A of the Education Act 2002 in order to advise the Secretary of State for Education and Skills about the school’s suitability for continued registration as an independent school.

Potterspury Lodge School, situated on the outskirts of Towcester, is an independent day and residential special school for 53 pupils with emotional, social and behavioural difficulties and difficulties associated with autism, Tourette’s and Asperger’s Syndromes. It is located in spacious and attractive grounds which provide a peaceful setting. The accommodation includes both education and residential provision. The school was originally founded according to the principles of Rudolf Steiner. Potterspury Lodge admits boys between the ages of 8 and 16 years, all of whom have statements of special educational need. There are currently 53 pupils aged 11 to 16 on roll, and the school draws its pupils from a wide area.

Twenty seven pupils travel into school each day from as far away as Luton. All pupils are placed in the school by local authorities. Pupils come from diverse backgrounds, but all enter the school with missed opportunities for learning, and histories of educational failure. Attainment on entry covers a wide range, but all pupils are underachieving on admission. The school seeks to provide a broad and balanced curriculum, which follows the principles of the

National Curriculum within a setting making 24-hour provision. The principles of Rudolf Steiner still guide the philosophy of the school, with an emphasis on creativity, seasonal festivals, and morning song. The provision for pupils is designed to enable each to reach their academic potential as well as to enrich their spiritual and cultural experiences. There are no pupils with English as an additional language and nearly all are of white British heritage.

Potterspury Lodge School is a good school with some outstanding features. It fully achieves its stated aims. The school meets nearly all the requirements for registration. The school has a calm welcoming and positive ethos, in which highly committed staff work skilfully to promote the interests and welfare of pupils. The provision for safeguarding pupils is outstanding. Teaching is good and sometimes excellent. It effectively promotes pupils’ learning and achievements, developing their capacity to communicate socially and manage change in their lives. The provision for personal and social development is outstanding, enabling pupils to be very well prepared for their future after school. The well-thought-out curriculum is effectively adapted to meet individual needs with excellent opportunities to enrich learning. The assessment of learning and personal development is good, although individual targets set for pupils are not always specific enough. Pupils are enthusiastic about what they do and this impacts well on their achievements and understanding. The school provides very good standards of care and welfare to ensure that the needs of all pupils are met.

· It provides high quality teaching so that pupils are challenged in their learning and achieve well;

· it has very good procedures to ensure health and safety which are exceptionally well implemented;

· it maintains regular contact with parents, providing good information so that they are well informed of their children’s progress; and

· it provides very good training, support and induction for staff so that they meet the needs of all pupils.

· implement the plans to provide appropriate changing facilities for physical education.

Whilst not required by the regulations, the school might wish to consider the following point for development:

· improve the quality of individual education and care plans to ensure all targets set are specific, measurable, achievable and realistic.