All pupils, including those in the early years, are happy, safe and well looked after at Broadmeadow. Staff know the pupils really well. Staff think carefully about how to plan activities that will interest the pupils and help them to learn. Staff help pupils learn how to behave well. Some pupils might need a bit of extra support with this. Staff give this help in a calm way. Throughout the day, staff keep a close eye on children to make sure that there is no bullying. Pupils get a lot of help to improve their language and communication. Staff are skilled at helping pupils to get better at explaining how they are feeling. Pupils learn to do this by using objects, pictures or sign language. This helps pupils let staff know what they like and want to do. It also means that staff can help pupils understand daily routines, like ‘now’ and ‘next’. Parents and carers are really pleased with the school. Their children are happy and are getting on well. During the inspection, one parent echoed the feelings of others, saying, ‘I just can’t thank them enough for the work they’ve put into my child.’ What does the school do well and what does it need to do better? When pupils join the school, staff work hard to help them settle. Staff quickly build good relationships and help pupils understand how to follow routines. They help pupils to learn in different ways through activities such as rebound and play therapy. Staff help pupils to become more independent. Pupils have plenty of opportunities to keep active. They enjoy riding bikes and playing in the forest school area. Pupils learn skills like how to dress or brush their teeth. Sometimes, staff are too quick to help pupils rather than letting them have a go. Lunchtimes are calm. The extra ‘fun with food’ activities help pupils try new foods. Some parents told us that their children are now trying new foods at home. In the playground, there is a variety of equipment for pupils to enjoy. However, a few pupils do not get involved in activities. Currently, teachers make their own decisions about what they teach, and when. This includes which topics they teach. Often, this works well because teachers are skilled at matching topics to pupils’ interests. However, leaders have not made sure that pupils do not repeat topics. Staff have been working together to improve the checks they make on pupils’ learning in all subjects. Staff now intend to develop schemes of work and make sure that activities are sequenced. Leaders know that developing pupils’ love of books is important. Pupils have the chance to take part in sensory stories to develop their interest and attention. Inspectors saw pupils enjoying the story of the ‘Three Little Pigs’, exploring the textures of straw and sticks. Pupils can choose to sit quietly at lunchtime and look at picture books. The small number of pupils who can read do so with confidence. Inspection report: Broadmeadow Special School 8–9 October 2019 2 They use their phonics skills to decode unfamiliar words. But they do not get the chance to read often enough. Their reading skills therefore do not develop as quickly as they might. Staff help pupils to manage their behaviour well and identify any extra help pupils need. This helps to ensure that behaviour is usually quite calm. Physical interventions are rarely used. Leaders do not use exclusions as a strategy for managing behaviour. They know that pupils are better off in school, being supported. Leaders know that good attendance is important for pupils. They work hard to make sure that pupils come to school regularly. Attendance is high. Leaders have made sure that pupils learn about British values in a meaningful way. Staff enrich pupils’ spiritual and cultural development through visits and celebrations of other faiths. Leaders make sure that families are well supported because staff get to know them well. Parents value the additional workshops that the school provides. Both the chief executive officer (CEO) of the trust and the governors have good oversight of the school. They are proud of the difference the school is making for its pupils. They keep a close check on leaders’ work. The school is well led. Leaders are sensitive to the pressures working in a small school can bring. They have reduced staff’s workload and look after their well-being. Staff value this. They also appreciate the training they receive.