Like most other types of school, special schools are inspected under the education inspection framework.
Latest Ofsted data shows that 89 per cent of special schools were graded “good” or “outstanding” with six per cent graded “requires improvement” and five per cent judged “inadequate”.
The framework, introduced in September 2019, looks at four keys areas – the quality of education, behaviour and attitudes, personal development and leadership and management.
It places particular emphasis on providing an ambitious curriculum that gives all pupils – particularly the most disadvantaged and those with special educational needs or disabilities (SEND) – the knowledge and skills they need to succeed in life.
Special schools vary widely in size, set-up and the types of needs they cater for and this can present challenges when preparing for inspection and understanding how Ofsted’s inspection criteria apply.
Ofsted’s research shows children with SEND were particularly hard-hit by the pandemic and for some, their education has yet to return to normal.
With these issues in mind, Ofsted recently hosted a webinar looking at how the framework is applied in special schools. Here are some of the key messages.
1. Inspector training. Inspectors who inspect special schools get the same training as other school inspectors but also get extra training on working with special schools, which is updated every year.
“It is about ensuring the inspector that comes to your school or setting, the team that walks up the school path, is aware of the context in which special schools are working,” says Lee Owston, Ofsted’s deputy director for cross remit education.
Inspectors will also read the local area SEND inspection report to understand wider issues affecting the school, pupils and families.
2. The initial phone call. This is school leaders’ opportunity to explain to the lead inspector what makes their setting tick “because no two special schools are the same –indeed, no two inspections are the same”, says Owston. “It is absolutely crucial to understand the school’s SEND context – the level of need and complexity of need, the exact circumstances in which you are working.” Where a school set-up is complex – such as multi-site settings – this will be taken into account with initial conversations used to determine the size of the inspection team.
3. Adapting the approach. “While our methodology is no different to the approach to inspecting quality of education in all settings, we do adapt the approach to fit the circumstances of each school being inspected,” explains John Lucas, specialist adviser at Ofsted’s curriculum unit. “In the phone call, we’ll explore what curriculum is on offer and to who. We want to understand each school’s approach and then agree subjects or areas that the team will deep dive into.”
Depending on the size and organisation of the school, most special schools can expect between three to five deep dives. Where there is a small team or one staff member is the lead for several key areas, the lead inspector will want to work with the school to ensure no one is over-burdened.
4. The curriculum. Ofsted does not expect the curriculum to be organised in a certain way. In a special school, traditional subject areas and lessons may not be appropriate or the best way to meet pupils’ needs. Schools may decide to bring subjects together into wider areas of learning. “For example, rather than doing history, geography, religious education and citizenship the school might have decided to group those subjects into an ‘awareness of the world around them’, ‘global development’ or ‘knowledge of the world outside our door’ and that’s okay,” says HM Inspector of schools Chris Pollitt, from Ofsted’s West Midlands inspection team.
Residential special schools may operate a system of continuous learning known as a 24-hour curriculum or “waking day curriculum”. “In these cases, Ofsted will be very keen to find out how the education and care teams work together to develop that curriculum,” says Pollitt.
5. Deep dives. Faced with a non-standard curriculum, inspectors will not expect to do deep dives into traditional subjects, explains Pollitt. “A deep dive might look at something like communication and language, personal social education or knowledge and understanding of the world rather than discrete subject areas,” he explains. However, as with any other deep dive, they will want to visit classrooms, speak to teachers and – wherever possible – speak to pupils and look at their work. This may involve visiting classrooms at different times to see how skills are taught across the day. Workbooks may not be appropriate for some pupils. “But there will be some way your school is recording the work your pupils are doing,” says Pollitt.
6. Reading. Inspections of special schools will include a deep dive into reading and/or communication, says Pollitt. “In the vast majority of cases that deep dive in reading will happen,” he stresses. Many special school pupils – including senior pupils – will still be learning to read. Strong settings “will never give up on teaching children those essential reading skills”, says Pollitt. However, reading may not be appropriate for some. In those cases, inspectors will want to know how school leaders and staff have assured themselves a child – including those that do not use spoken language – cannot take meaning from text.
7. Safeguarding. “Children and young people with SEND may face significant additional safeguarding challenges and vulnerabilities and inspectors will wish to evaluate how leaders have put in place safeguarding arrangements that reflect pupils’ vulnerabilities and explore with leaders that pupils are safe,” says John Lucas. For example, inspectors will want to speak to staff about the safeguarding training they have received.
8. Managing challenging behaviour. “Inspectors understand that sudden changes in behaviour could be an indication of change in another aspect of a child’s life or perhaps an unmet or developing need,” says Lucas. “An inspector will want to work with leaders to consider how well they spot and act to address patterns of behaviour. A school will not automatically be downgraded if a pupil exhibits challenging behaviours. Inspectors will want to look at how staff respond to these behaviours, linking that to leaders’ policy and processes.”
9. Physical interventions. Ofsted will want to know about use of physical restraint, isolation or withdrawal spaces to deal with challenging behaviour. Crucially, inspectors will want to be assured the school has learned from any incidents to prevent similar situations occurring again and there is a “culture of early intervention” where staff have the skills to act swiftly and stop children going into crisis, says Pollitt. Ofsted produced guidance for inspectors on physical intervention and restrictions of liberty in 2018, which was updated last year. The document - Positive Environments Where Children Can Flourish – is key to helping schools understand Ofsted’s approach.
10. Attendance. The pandemic had a significant impact on school attendance among children with SEND who may have health conditions that make them especially vulnerable to Covid. Many parents continue to be anxious about children returning to school. Inspectors will want to understand the school’s overall approach to attendance as well as how that is implemented on a case-by-case basis. “We know it has been difficult for many to return,” says Pollitt. “What we want to find out on inspection is: Are leaders doing everything practicable to get pupils back through the door learning?” Where pupils are not in school then inspectors will want to be assured they are safe and still accessing learning – perhaps through remote education.
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Education inspection framework from www.gov.uk/government/publications/education-inspection-framework/education-inspection-framework
INSPECTION SHORTS
SOCIAL CARE
The vacancy rate among registered managers of residential schools also operating as children’s homes has increased significantly since the pandemic from nine to 14 per cent, according to Ofsted. The regulator told a national review into safeguarding children with disabilities and complex health needs in residential settings that all settings faced staffing shortages and used agency staff. However, stronger settings trained and inducted agency staff well.
SCHOOLS
The quality of tutoring designed to help pupils catch up following the pandemic varies widely and more must be done to assess impact, found new research by Ofsted. The regulator looked at tutoring in 63 schools and 21 further education and skills providers. Most schools put measures in place to ensure pupils being tutored did not miss out on other learning and activities but leaders in a fifth of schools visited had not thought through the disruption caused by taking children out of regular classes.
EARLY YEARS
Nearly 55,000 providers offering more than 750,000 childcare places have closed in the past 10 years, suggests the latest data from Ofsted. The data shows 54,962 providers – including 39,855 childminders – left Ofsted’s Early Years Register since September 2012. Most resigned from the register but some will have had their registration cancelled or changed the type of services they were offering. The data does not show the number of providers that have joined the register over the same period.
SCHOOLS
Secondary schools that successfully support struggling readers to advance their skills invest in extra teaching for those pupils as well as training for staff, suggests new research by Ofsted. The regulator visited six schools where a higher-than-expected proportion of initially poor readers achieved a pass in English language at GCSE. They found leaders prioritised reading by investing in additional, bespoke help for those who had fallen behind their peers and in skilling up staff who taught reading with clear procedures in place to monitor impact.
YOUTH JUSTICE
Havering Youth Justice Service has been given an overall rating of “good” following an inspection by HM Inspectorate of Probation. Inspectors found the service was particularly strong at managing children who go through the courts, helping them move away from crime. However, they said improvements were needed in the way the service dealt with out-of-court cases, especially when it came to assessing children’s needs and the risk they may pose to others.
