Humberston Park School

Inspection report

Unique Reference Number	118143
Local Authority	North East Lincolnshire
Inspection number	339151
Inspection dates	23—24 June 2010
Reporting inspector	Gina White HMI

This inspection of the school was carried out under section 5 of the Education Act 2005.

Type of school	Special
School category	Community special
Age range of pupils	3—19
Gender of pupils	Mixed
Gender of pupils in the sixth form	Mixed
Number of pupils on the school roll	107
Of which, number on roll in the sixth form	18
Appropriate authority	The governing body
Chair	Mrs Peggy Ingham
Headteacher	Mr A Zielinski
Date of previous school inspection	20 March 2007
School address	St Thomas Close
Humberston, Grimsby
North East Lincs DN36 4HS
Telephone number	01472 590645
Fax number	01472 590643
Email address	office@hp.tlfe.org

Age group	3—19
Inspection dates	23—24 June 2010
Inspection number	339151

The Office for Standards in Education, Children's Services and Skills (Ofsted) regulates and inspects to achieve excellence in the care of children and young people, and in education and skills for learners of all ages. It regulates and inspects childcare and children's social care, and inspects the Children and Family Court Advisory Support Service (Cafcass), schools, colleges, initial teacher training, work-based learning and skills training, adult and community learning, and education and training in prisons and other secure establishments. It rates council children's services, and inspects services for looked after children, safeguarding and child protection.

Further copies of this report are obtainable from the school. Under the Education Act 2005, the school must provide a copy of this report free of charge to certain categories of people. A charge not exceeding the full cost of reproduction may be made for any other copies supplied.

If you would like a copy of this document in a different format, such as large print or Braille, please telephone 08456 404045, or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk.

You may copy all or parts of this document for non-commercial educational purposes, as long as you give details of the source and date of publication and do not alter the documentation in any way.

Royal Exchange Buildings
St Ann's Square
Manchester M2 7LA

T: 08456 404045
Textphone: 0161 618 8524
E: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk
W: www.ofsted.gov.uk

Introduction

This inspection was carried out by one of Her Majesty's Inspectors and one additional inspector. Inspectors observed 10 lessons taught by 10 different teachers. Meetings were held with parents, groups of pupils, governors and staff. Inspectors observed the school's work and looked at safeguarding policies and documentation, tracking of pupils' progress, case studies, school plans, reports and evaluations. Questionnaires from pupils and 52 parents and carers were scrutinised.

The inspection team reviewed many aspects of the school's work. It looked in detail at the following:

the impact of the curriculum and teaching to support and challenge the most-able pupils and those with the most profound and complex needs

how leadership and management tackled the issue from the last inspection to improve the quality of teaching and learning and the impact of this work

how well the school protects the most vulnerable pupils and implements effective safeguarding practice and arrangements.

Information about the school

The school provides Early Years Foundation Stage, primary, secondary and sixth-form provision for pupils with severe or profound and multiple learning difficulties and disabilities. Significant groups of pupils have physical and mobility needs and approximately a tenth of pupils have autistic spectrum disorders. The school draws pupils from a wide range of backgrounds across North East Lincolnshire. Well above average numbers of pupils are known to be entitled to free school meals. Almost all pupils are from White British backgrounds, with a few pupils from diverse cultural backgrounds. A small number of pupils are looked after by the local authority. The school has gained a number of awards including Healthy School Award, Sports Mark and the Federation of Disability Sport Organisations' Quality Mark.

Inspection grades: 1 is outstanding, 2 is good, 3 is satisfactory, and 4 is inadequate
Please turn to the glossary for a description of the grades and inspection terms

Inspection judgements

Overall effectiveness: how good is the school?	1

The school's capacity for sustained improvement	1

Main findings

Since the last inspection the school has developed further as an outstanding school under the excellent collaborative leadership of the headteacher and senior leadership team. Meeting pupils' individual care and welfare needs, engaging them in learning and improving the quality of their lives remain at the heart of everything the school does. The school has enhanced its provision for all pupils and especially for pupils with the most profound and complex needs.

Due to their special educational needs and/or disabilities the attainment of pupils on entry to the school and when they leave is low. Their achievement is outstanding, from the Early Years Foundation Stage through to the sixth form. This is because their individual needs are sharply identified and supported. As a result most pupils are able to make small and progressive steps to secure exceptional gains in their learning and skills for life. The school has successfully risen to the challenge of improving the quality of teaching and learning since the last inspection and this is now outstanding. Teachers and support staff work together in highly effective class teams. Their knowledge of how best to challenge pupils in their learning and their caring support for pupils' personal needs is excellent. The emphasis on learning and becoming independent starts from the moment the pupils enter the building in the morning and continues until the very last pupil is collected at the end of the day. Assessment, a strength in the last inspection, continues to be used exceptionally well in the classroom.

The curriculum is outstanding and enhanced in relation to provision for sport and movement, particularly for those with physical disabilities and degenerative conditions. Innovative work to extend the school year in the summer term has proved successful in maintaining pupils' development and engagement in learning. Pupils with deteriorating conditions benefit from being able to continue to access a range of therapeutic programmes. School data show pupils make gains in their learning and regress less over the summer period in their fitness and movement. Parents are highly supportive of the extended school year: pupils' attendance has risen as more and more parents see the benefits it brings to their child's progress.

Pupils thrive in this outstandingly supportive environment and receive expert care to promote their well-being. Parents are delighted with their children's progress and say their children feel completely safe at Humberston Park.

The school's capacity to improve is outstanding. The benefits of the school's significant investment in training and continual development of staff are well demonstrated in many facets of the school's work. Leaders are rigorous in critically analysing performance to identify where improvements can be made to promote and support pupils even further. However, the impact of the school's work to promote community cohesion is not evaluated to the same depth and detail. Governors meet their responsibilities and challenge aspects of the school's work. However, further training is required to develop this aspect of their performance and to extend their understanding of community cohesion.

What does the school need to do to improve further?

Provide training to enable governors to develop their ability further in challenging the school and to understand their role in promoting community cohesion.

Ensure greater rigour and formality in evaluating the impact of the school's work to promote community cohesion.

Outcomes for individuals and groups of pupils	1

Pupils enter the school at very early stages of development. Their cognitive abilities are exceptionally low as a result of their severe and complex needs. Excellent systems, introduced since the last inspection, have improved the way pupils' starting points are measured as well as the small steps in their progress. This is used effectively to develop challenging targets and personalised learning plans. Pupils, including those looked after by the local authority and those who are the most able, make at least good progress, and many make outstanding progress from their starting points. Interventions to support 20 boys who were making slow progress have had a positive impact and all are on track to achieve their literacy targets. The oldest pupils achieve qualifications in using literacy, numeracy and work-related skills. A trend of pupils continuing their education and training when they leave the school is well established.

Pupils make significant gains in their learning and progress in lessons to acquire communication skills and develop their independence. This is demonstrated in the concentration and persistence that pupils show when making individual responses in their art lessons: one girl used the smallest bodily movement to progressively build up a painting and communicated excellently with staff to ask for a different colour. The impact of this is demonstrated in the outstanding progress pupils make to achieve their targets.

Pupils' behaviour in lessons and around the school is outstanding. Behaviour management strategies help some pupils to exercise self-control, interact well with each other and with the adults they know. Pupils try to sustain concentration and know how to let others know when they need help. They know how to stay healthy and safe and demonstrate this in washing their hands when getting ready for lunch and, for example, in encouraging visitors to eat fruit. Pupils give generously to charity, run errands and those who are able willingly take on sport leader roles. This makes a good contribution to their social, moral and cultural development. Sixth formers work to improve their locality and this has brought benefits to the local community but there is less evidence of such contributions across the main school.

These are the grades for pupils' outcomes

Pupils' achievement and the extent to which they enjoy their learning Taking into account: Pupils' attainment¹ The quality of pupils' learning and their progress The quality of learning for pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities and their progress	1
	*
	1
	1
The extent to which pupils feel safe	1
Pupils' behaviour	1
The extent to which pupils adopt healthy lifestyles	1
The extent to which pupils contribute to the school and wider community	2
The extent to which pupils develop workplace and other skills that will contribute to their future economic well-being Taking into account: Pupils' attendance¹	2
	2
The extent of pupils' spiritual, moral, social and cultural development	2

¹ The grades for attainment and attendance are: 1 is high; 2 is above average; 3 is broadly average; and 4 is low
* In some special schools inspectors do not make a judgement about attainment in relation to expectations of the pupils' age.

How effective is the provision?

Teaching is outstanding and never less than good. Excellent team work between teachers and teaching assistants ensures a consistent approach to meet pupils' needs. Teaching methods and resources are used to superb effect to engage pupils in learning. Pupils enjoy their lessons and the variety of opportunities they provide to explore the world around them. For example, in Year 2 pupils were excited and curious to see the developments taking place to the tadpoles they had cared for.

Pupils are enthusiastic in their movement session: with support they followed the instructions and rolled and moved around the floor. Some pupils achieved their targets by joining in to tap on the floor and move unaided in response to music. Supportive feedback, encouragement and praise help pupils to know how well they are doing.

The curriculum provides breadth and flexibility to meet pupils' learning, welfare and physical needs exceptionally well. There is a strong emphasis on literacy, numeracy and computer skills. The school makes effective use of resources such as its hydrotherapy pool, and the investments made in training staff to teach specialist movement and therapy programmes are demonstrated in the improved outcomes for pupils with physical disabilities. The well-planned personal, social, health and education programme promotes pupils' personal development effectively through teaching pupils how to stay safe, the dangers of smoking and alcohol and their awareness of sex and relationships. The curriculum is enriched with memorable events such as talent shows, trips, guest speakers and visitors that contribute enormously to pupils' enjoyment of school life.

The school provides excellent care, guidance and support for all pupils, particularly the most vulnerable. Policies and procedures are in place to ensure the safeguarding and well-being of pupils. They are closely monitored and the impact they have is regularly evaluated. The specialist knowledge of the school's outreach support team together with excellent close partnerships with a range of external health and social services enable the school to meet pupils' complex medical needs exceptionally well. The school has worked effectively with partners to provide easier access to specialist clinics and services such as physiotherapy and orthotics. Together with highly specialist advice and guidance this has a positive impact on pupils' well-being and successfully meets pupils', parents' and carers' needs.

These are the grades for the quality of provision

The quality of teaching Taking into account: The use of assessment to support learning	1
	1
The extent to which the curriculum meets pupils' needs, including, where relevant, through partnerships	1
The effectiveness of care, guidance and support	1

How effective are leadership and management?

The headteacher and senior leadership team's drive and commitment to improve outcomes for pupils are clearly reflected in rigorous systems to check and analyse pupils' progress and the quality of teaching. This clear focus embeds the ambition for continuous improvement and is a key reason why this school is able to improve teaching while not being deflected by staffing changes. The implementation of astute and highly focused plans and investment in the training and development of staff have successfully distributed leadership and accountability throughout the school.

Well-established partnerships with health specialists and others are used effectively by the school to contribute to the outstanding care and learning needs of pupils.

Staff work exceptionally well to promote communication between home and school and this is reflected in the high regard parents have for the school's work and the huge impact it has on their children's progress. At the time of the inspection, procedures to safeguard pupils were outstanding. Systems for safeguarding are continually reviewed and training is prioritised and relevant to the roles staff have. The school community works successfully together to promote equality and diversity. The school does all it can to enable pupils to tackle their individual barriers to learning and despite their conditions prepares all pupils to be as independent as they can. This is reflected in the focus in all lessons on making choices and providing pupils with advice and guidance to make decisions.

Governors meet their statutory responsibilities and are strongly supportive of the school. Some aspects of governance are not fully developed or understood, such as the promotion of community cohesion. Senior staff know and understand the needs of their community and this informs their planning for community cohesion. Although the range of activity is reviewed it is not undertaken with the depth and rigour that characterises the high quality of the school's evaluation of other aspects of its work.

These are the grades for leadership and management

The effectiveness of leadership and management in embedding ambition and driving improvement Taking into account: The leadership and management of teaching and learning	1
	1
The effectiveness of the governing body in challenging and supporting the school so that weaknesses are tackled decisively and statutory responsibilities met	2
The effectiveness of the school's engagement with parents and carers	1
The effectiveness of partnerships in promoting learning and well-being	1
The effectiveness with which the school promotes equality of opportunity and tackles discrimination	1
The effectiveness of safeguarding procedures	1
The effectiveness with which the school promotes community cohesion	2
The effectiveness with which the school deploys resources to achieve value for money	1

Early Years Foundation Stage

The majority of children make outstanding progress from low starting points. They settle well at school as a result of the excellent links established with parents and carers. Children are happy and secure as a result of outstanding care and support. The quality of planning and assessment for children's individual learning needs is exceptional: staff focus on developing their independence from the outset. Space is used very effectively and resources are of high quality. Staff use them expertly and organise children's learning imaginatively to engage them and develop their curiosity. Leadership is outstanding and highly organised. This ensures all requirements are met and the staff team are very well trained.

These are the grades for the Early Years Foundation Stage

Overall effectiveness of the Early Years Foundation Stage Taking into account: Outcomes for children in the Early Years Foundation Stage The quality of provision in the Early Years Foundation Stage The effectiveness of leadership and management of the Early Years Foundation Stage	1
	1
	1
	1

Sixth form

Sixth-form students make excellent progress; they grow in confidence and are very well prepared for moving onto further education and training. There is a very good emphasis on preparing for life and work. Students follow a range of courses, providing opportunities for accreditation of these skills. Opportunities to take responsibility and contribute to the school and wider community are well developed and help to promote students' social skills. Teaching is excellent and well matched to students' interests and abilities. For example, one sixth former concentrated well to achieve his target to make marks in clay with the support of his teaching assistant. In a sixth form current affairs lesson able students used computers effectively to write a brief report about the latest news that interested them. One student wrote about the progress the England football team had made in the World Cup and was able to discuss his work. Leadership and management are excellent; the work of the sixth-form team contributes fully to students' learning and progress as young adults.

These are the grades for the sixth form

Overall effectiveness of the sixth form Taking into account: Outcomes for students in the sixth form The quality of provision in the sixth form Leadership and management of the sixth form	1
	1
	1
	1

Views of parents and carers

Just over half of the parents responded to the questionnaire. They are highly positive about all aspects of the school. Inspectors met with a small number of parents. They spoke about the small steps in their children's progress and a clear and consistent theme in their responses is summed up by a parent who said, 'I cannot speak too highly of the difference the school has made to us. The staff are fantastic: they aren't soft with my son, they make it clear he has to take some responsibility but they persist and his progress has come on in leaps and bounds. The school has encouraged and supported us too, and I don't know where he and the family would be if it wasn't for this school.'

Responses from parents and carers to Ofsted's questionnaire

Ofsted invited all the registered parents and carers of pupils registered at Humberston Park School to complete a questionnaire about their views of the school.

In the questionnaire, parents and carers were asked to record how strongly they agreed with 13 statements about the school.

The inspection team received 52 completed questionnaires by the end of the on-site inspection. In total, there are 100 pupils registered at the school.

Statements	Strongly agree		Agree		Disagree		Strongly disagree
Total	%	Total	%	Total	%	Total	%
My child enjoys school	43	83	8	15	1	2	0	0
The school keeps my child safe	47	90	4	8	0	0	0	0
My school informs me about my child's progress	44	85	7	13	0	0	0	0
My child is making enough progress at this school	39	75	13	25	0	0	0	0
The teaching is good at this school	44	85	8	15	0	0	0	0
The school helps me to support my child's learning	41	79	11	21	0	0	0	0
The school helps my child to have a healthy lifestyle	40	77	10	19	0	0	0	0
The school makes sure that my child is well prepared for the future (for example changing year group, changing school, and for children who are finishing school, entering further or higher education, or entering employment)	36	69	11	21	0	0	0	0
The school meets my child's particular needs	47	90	4	8	0	0	0	0
The school deals effectively with unacceptable behaviour	44	85	7	13	0	0	0	0
The school takes account of my suggestions and concerns	40	77	12	23	0	0	0	0
The school is led and managed effectively	42	81	10	19	0	0	0	0
Overall, I am happy with my child's experience at this school	43	83	8	15	0	0	0	0

The table above summarises the responses that parents and carers made to each statement. The percentages indicate the proportion of parents and carers giving that response out of the total number of completed questionnaires. Where one or more parents and carers chose not to answer a particular question, the percentages will not add up to 100%.

Glossary

What inspection judgements mean

Grade	Judgement	Description
Grade 1	Outstanding	These features are highly effective. An oustanding school provides exceptionally well for all its pupils' needs.
Grade 2	Good	These are very positive features of a school. A school that is good is serving its pupils well.
Grade 3	Satisfactory	These features are of reasonable quality. A satisfactory school is providing adequately for its pupils.
Grade 4	Inadequate	These features are not of an acceptable standard. An inadequate school needs to make significant improvement in order to meet the needs of its pupils. Ofsted inspectors will make further visits until it improves.

Overall effectiveness of schools

Overall effectiveness judgement (percentage of schools)
Type of school	Outstanding	Good	Satisfactory	Inadequate
Nursery schools	51	45	0	4
Primary schools	6	41	42	10
Secondary schools	8	34	44	14
Sixth forms	10	37	50	3
Special schools	32	38	25	5
Pupil referral units	12	43	31	14
All schools	9	40	40	10

New school inspection arrangements were introduced on 1 September 2009. This means that inspectors now make some additional judgements that were not made previously.

The data in the table above is for the period 1 September to 31 December 2009 and is the most recently published data available (see www.ofsted.gov.uk). Please note that the sample of schools inspected during the autumn term 2009 was not representative of all schools nationally, as weaker schools are inspected more frequently than good or outstanding schools.

Percentages are rounded and do not always add exactly to 100. Secondary school figures include those that have sixth forms, and sixth form figures include only the data specifically for sixth form inspection judgements.

Common terminology used by inspectors

Achievement:	the progress and success of a pupil in their learning, development or training.
Attainment:	the standard of the pupils' work shown by test and examination results and in lessons.
Capacity to improve:	the proven ability of the school to continue improving. Inspectors base this judgement on what the school has accomplished so far and on the quality of its systems to maintain improvement.
Leadership and management:	the contribution of all the staff with responsibilities, not just the headteacher, to identifying priorities, directing and motivating staff and running the school.
Learning:	how well pupils acquire knowledge, develop their understanding, learn and practise skills and are developing their competence as learners.
Overall effectiveness:	inspectors form a judgement on a school's overall effectiveness based on the findings from their inspection of the school. The following judgements, in particular, influence what the overall effectiveness judgement will be.
The school's capacity for sustained improvement. Outcomes for individuals and groups of pupils. The quality of teaching. The extent to which the curriculum meets pupils' needs, including, where relevant, through partnerships. The effectiveness of care, guidance and support.
Progress:	the rate at which pupils are learning in lessons and over longer periods of time. It is often measured by comparing the pupils' attainment at the end of a key stage with their attainment when they started.

This letter is provided for the school, parents and
carers to share with their children. It describes Ofsted's
main findings from the inspection of their school.

26 June 2010

Dear Pupils

Inspection of Humberston Park School, Grimsby, DN36 4HS

Thank you for your help during the inspection of your school. You made me and my colleague very welcome. We enjoyed meeting you and learning about your school. I am writing to tell you what we found out.

We found that your school is providing you with an outstanding education. Staff care extremely well for all your needs. You enjoy coming to school and your behaviour is excellent. In lessons you work very hard and make progress in small steps to achieve your targets. This builds up so that you make excellent progress overall. All of this happens because the school is very well led. Staff work together really well so that teaching is the very best it can be.

To help leaders make your school even better we have asked them to improve the way they check the impact of the school's work to promote community cohesion.

Governors do a good job but we have asked them to become even better in challenging the school and understanding how they can help the school with its task to promote community cohesion.

I wish all of you success in your studies and thank you once again for your help in this inspection.

Yours sincerely

Gina White

Her Majesty's Inspector

Any complaints about the inspection or the report should be made following the procedures set out in the guidance 'Complaining about inspections', which is available from Ofsted's website: www.ofsted.gov.uk. If you would like Ofsted to send you a copy of the guidance, please telephone 08456 404045, or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk.