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The Annual Report of Her Majesty's Chief Inspector of Schools

Special education provision

Overview of special schools

Chart 18 Special schools (percentage of schools)

Special schools

220 There are approximately 1,200 maintained special schools in England. Those inspected under Section 10 this year provide for a wide range of learning difficulties and disabilities and include hospital schools. Data are presented separately only for the three largest groups of schools, which are those catering for pupils with moderate and severe learning difficulties (MLD and SLD) and for pupils with emotional and behavioural difficulties (EBD).

Educational standards achieved

221 Pupils are achieving well in most special schools; the proportion of schools in which achievement is unsatisfactory continues to fall in all types of school as recent improvements in the quality of teaching are more fully reflected in pupils' performance. In the schools inspected this year, for the first time, pupils are achieving slightly better (within the three major groups) in schools for pupils with MLD. Schools for pupils with EBD are maintaining their more rapid improvement from a low baseline, despite their continuing difficulties in recruiting teachers, particularly subject specialists.

222 Pupils achieve best in the early years, where achievement is very good or excellent in a third of schools and is good or better in almost nine out of ten. Achievement at Key Stage 3 is weaker than at other key stages. These contrasts are more marked in schools for pupils with MLD. Although evidence is limited, it appears that the dip in achievement at Key Stage 3 may be associated with the delay in introducing specific initiatives in literacy and numeracy in some schools which are for pupils of secondary age only. Many all-age schools have introduced the national initiatives throughout the age-range and the benefits are now becoming apparent in terms of pupils' performance.

223 Between inspections, pupils' achievement has risen most in English and mathematics, in large part reflecting schools' successful implementation of the national strategies for literacy and numeracy. It is becoming increasingly common, for example, to find pupils with MLD and with SLD who are not only reading well but who also speak confidently about the technicalities of language. They are, for example, naming parts of speech and referring to upper and lower case letters as they discuss a piece of text.

Leadership and management

224 Leadership and management continue to improve in all types of special school. However, although school self-evaluation is part of the management process in about nine out of ten schools, in one school in six having a full inspection, systems for monitoring the quality of teaching are unsatisfactory. Self-evaluation is yielding clear evidence of strengths to be disseminated and weaknesses to be addressed. It is being established more slowly in schools for pupils with EBD, in some of which short-term demands on headteachers and senior managers continue to divert the energies of even the most committed staff from longer-term developments. In all schools, the roles of subject co-ordinators are becoming more widely established to include the oversight of the quality of teaching in their subjects. Co-ordinators are increasingly being given the financial and management responsibilities to address priorities within their own development plans.

Chart 19 How well the pupils achieve (percentage of schools)

225 The monitoring of the quality of teaching in many schools is spreading good classroom practice and supporting subject teaching by non-specialists. It is ensuring that schemes of work inform non-specialists adequately and that staff adhere to the schemes so as to provide pupils with a continuity and progression of learning experience. Monitoring is also making teachers more reflective about the features of successful teaching and learning. As schools introduce classroom observation and giving and receiving feedback about teaching, staff are led to discuss and agree what constitutes effective practice in each subject or context.

226 Governors play an effective role in the majority of special schools, but in about one in ten they are insufficiently informed to make their own judgements on the strengths and weaknesses of the school. There are some striking contrasts in the extent of governors' involvement in management. At best, governors are well informed and have a good understanding of the work of the school, while, at the other extreme, some governors are unaware of the contents of the school development plan. The role of many governing bodies has been greatly strengthened by the appointment of a co-opted governor with experience in financial management who is able to assist the senior management team with financial planning and with ensuring and demonstrating that the school provides value for money.

227 The development of specialist subject accommodation has been a priority in many schools. In a third, libraries have recently been either newly established or upgraded. While nine out of ten schools now have a library, this is poorly located (for example in a corridor) in one in three. There is not enough use of libraries to support literacy and research across the curriculum in one in three schools.

228 The range of funding between schools is becoming smaller. However, it is still possible to find similar schools where funding levels are almost double. Most school development plans now include costings for initiatives and it is increasingly common for headteachers and governors to evaluate these developments in terms of the value for money they yield. Many subject co-ordinators and other post holders are now given control of a budget for their area of responsibility. These factors are improving the accountability of schools and, alongside the continued improvement in the quality of teaching, are improving the value for money they obtain from their funding. Financial planning is now supporting development satisfactorily in nine out of ten schools and it is good in two thirds.

The quality of teaching

229 Overall, the quality of teaching is similar to that in the schools inspected last year. It is highest in the core subjects of mathematics, English and science, and in music, art and physical education (PE), and it remains lowest in information and communication technology (ICT), except in schools for pupils with physical disability and in hospital schools (see chart 73 in Annex 3).

230 The quality of teaching varies according to the type of school (see chart 21). There is more very good teaching and less weak teaching in SLD schools, and the proportion of good or better teaching is lower in EBD schools than elsewhere. Nevertheless, this year has seen a significant decrease in the proportion of EBD schools in which the teaching is weak. As with mainstream secondary schools, the quality of teaching in Key Stage 3 is weaker than in Key Stage 4 (see chart 72 in Annex 3).

231 The national strategies for literacy and numeracy are becoming firmly embedded in special schools. Good practice is becoming widespread and is beginning to raise standards. In literacy lessons, for example, in schools which have pupils with SLD and those with communication problems, the development of the fluency of both pupils and staff in signing skills is being incorporated effectively into the sessions. The inclusion of the least able pupils in reading sessions is being increasingly supported by strategies such as the preparation of sets of practical resources to enliven the group reading of stories and to increase pupils' understanding. The use by teachers and pupils of computer software which substitutes pictorial symbols for text is also supporting early literacy work very effectively.

232 A survey by HMI of the introduction of the National Literacy Strategy (NLS) into special schools found that the quality of teaching in NLS sessions was high.⁷ Teachers were impressed with pupils' enthusiasm for the literacy hour. They were becoming increasingly confident in fine-tuning the structure and content of the sessions to meet their pupils' needs even more effectively. The survey suggested that many schools should pay greater attention to the progressive teaching of phonic skills and to the development of writing.

233 An HMI survey of the first year of the National Numeracy Strategy (NNS) in special schools found that teachers had welcomed their involvement in the Strategy but had had some difficulty in aligning the specific format for planning the NNS sessions with the format of their schemes of work for other subjects.⁸ Schools have also found it difficult to link the planning for both the Numeracy and Literacy Strategies with the writing of individual education plans. The quality of teaching observed in NNS sessions was satisfactory or better in three-quarters of lessons and good or very good in more than half. The initial period of oral and mental work was generally the most successful element of the sessions.

234 The national ICT training scheme for teachers, provided through New Opportunity Funding (NOF), has been slow to become established in special schools, having started later than in mainstream schools. Indications from HMI surveys are that teachers are responding positively to the courses offered. In some schools the intended focus on curricular issues is diverted into basic awareness training for staff who have not so far developed confidence in use of computers. This basic awareness training has often had a positive effect in encouraging staff to make use of ICT, especially where confidence was low. However, schools which were already making good use of ICT, have generally benefited most from the NOF training as they have used the opportunity to extend the variety and quality of their use of ICT within other subjects. In addition, where the training has been less well matched to the school's needs or has been poorly presented, the stronger schools have had the confidence and capability to adapt it to their needs. In some, the ICT co-ordinator has even taken over the delivery of NOF courses, while less confident teachers have remained passive (and disenchanted) recipients of less than ideal training.

Chart 21 Quality of teaching (percentage of schools)

235 The NOF ICT scheme specifically excluded teaching assistants (TAs) from training, but many schools have found the means of including them. This has proved to be a successful strategy in all types of school, enabling TAs to contribute at a higher professional level to the teaching.

The quality of the curriculum

236 All schools inspected this year gave equal access to the curriculum for girls and boys and for pupils from minority ethnic backgrounds. The acknowledgement of ethnic diversity and the celebration of festivals reflecting other faiths than Christianity have become very visible strengths in many schools. This is evident in library collections and teaching materials as well as in displays.

237 There is some shortfall in the provision of the full National Curriculum in one school in five in terms of lack of access for a group of pupils to one or more subjects, most frequently music or modern foreign languages (MFL). A third of schools for pupils with EBD fail to offer a MFL to all the pupils in Key Stage 3. A quarter of schools need to improve the breadth and relevance of the programmes of study they offer within ICT, and one in five within design and technology.

238 A quarter of parents feel that their children do not receive the right amount of homework or that there are inconsistencies between teachers in setting homework. Many schools of all types have yet to document a policy on the setting of homework and to clarify their expectations for the benefit of parents. However, homework is increasingly being provided on a planned basis, and in a third of schools homework contributes strongly to learning. Some schools for pupils with SLD, for instance, have developed homework packs related to topics or to work in literacy sessions which present an extended range of activities undertaken over a period of time, rather than only sending home tasks for a single session. Schools for pupils with EBD are often faced with a challenge in managing negative attitudes towards homework held by some pupils and parents.

239 The amount of time spent in mainstream schools by pupils from special schools varies widely between similar types of school. Evidence from inspection reports indicates that the number of pupils who benefit from this arrangement is increasing slowly, mainly at the initiative of individual schools rather than as the result of LEA-wide schemes. This is beginning to change as LEAs put their plans for increasing inclusion into practice.

Assessment and recording

240 Schools are continuing to improve their systems for assessing and recording pupils' progress. Almost nine out of ten schools now have systems which are at least satisfactory, and they are good in about a half.

241 Teachers of pupils with SLD and younger pupils with MLD have welcomed the publication of the "P" scales, which provide a widely accepted scheme to record the attainments and progress of pupils working towards Level 1 of the National Curriculum.⁹ The "P" scales have enabled the progress of individual pupils to be traced with greater certainty and have also supported the setting of whole-school targets for improvement. There is a growing interest among schools in comparing their performance with other similar schools using these or other published scales, and, where pupils are more able, using data on gains in National Curriculum levels of attainment.

242 The writing of individual education plans (IEPs) is not yet done well in all schools. In some, the writing of these plans, which are intended to set a small number of measurable targets for the term, has developed into the production of lengthy and over-detailed documents. Other schools have yet to develop the skills of setting measurable targets which can be achieved within the span of the IEP. However, even where targets are not readily measurable or are life-long aims such as "improve communication skills", teachers are increasingly sharing them with their pupils. The pupils remember their targets and strive all the harder to make progress against them. Schools find rather less difficulty in setting targets for the annual reviews of pupils' statements, but the formats used for recording the reviews in some LEAs still do not encourage the reporting of pupils' progress in terms of the targets set in the previous year.

243 Schools are continuing to refine their institutional targets for improvement. Many schools were late into the target-setting process, not least because many LEAs found it difficult to advise and challenge heads and senior managers effectively within their specialised context. The sense of purpose in the whole process of assessment and recording has been enhanced by the setting of whole-school targets, with its emphasis on tracking the measurable progress made by pupils. It has provided an added impetus for schools to adopt a unified system for recording individuals' progress and for senior managers to ensure, through monitoring, that the system is followed by all staff.

244 For the first time this year, schools' use of information from assessment and recording to support planning for the match of activities to the needs of individuals and groups features in inspection reports more frequently as a strength than as a weakness. However, a quarter of schools still do not make effective use of this information in their lesson planning for groups and individuals. The use of information from assessment to improve the match of teaching to pupils' needs is best in English and mathematics and weakest in design and technology and ICT.

Residential provision in special schools

245 The majority of the 16 maintained, non-maintained and approved independent residential schools inspected in 2000/01 make good or very good residential provision and in all it was at least satisfactory. Standards have improved in each school since its previous inspection. In 12 of the schools, residential provision has become a strength.

246 Most schools are getting better at addressing the individual needs of pupils as they improve arrangements for setting objectives, specify targets for pupils' personal development and devise more detailed care plans. There has also been an improvement in the monitoring of pupils' educational progress by care staff where they co-operate with teachers in the joint preparation and review of IEPs.

247 The management of extra-curricular activities has improved. Most schools now offer a wide range of activities to promote independence and to broaden the social experience of the pupils. However, in a small number, the range of activities for those less interested in sports and outdoor pursuits is inadequate. Links with local communities (previously often limited) have increased as schools plan practical activities associated with work on citizenship and provide an increasing range of vocational activities and work experience for pupils.

248 The management of residential provision has greatly improved. The majority of care managers have appropriate qualifications, provide effective leadership, and ensure there is appropriate accredited training for their staff. There are indications from this year's inspections that earlier difficulties with recruitment and retention of care staff are easing. In most schools, training in child protection and other areas relating to the health and welfare of pupils has improved substantially. A very small number of schools have not yet established fully satisfactory procedures for dealing with pupils' complaints. A few schools have not provided pupils with access to suitable independent advocates.

249 Accommodation within the residential settings continues to get better, with the majority of schools now providing pleasant and homely single or double study-bedrooms. Parents and pupils appreciate the significant contribution which good accommodation can make to the lives of the pupils. The number of schools which have not yet completed their planned refurbishment schemes in order to provide satisfactory privacy and living space for pupils is decreasing.

Pupil Referral Units

250 PRUs cater for pupils who have been, or are likely to be, permanently excluded from schools, those who find it difficult to attend mainstream schools, and schoolgirl mothers. National guidance is that long-term placement of pupils with statements of SEN in such units is not appropriate, since most units cannot offer these pupils full access to the National Curriculum. Nevertheless, a high percentage of such pupils are frequently placed in PRUs while LEAs attempt to find more appropriate placements.

251 Overall, the quality of education provided continues to improve, as does the progress made by the pupils. There is still, however, some way to go in bridging the gap between those which offer good provision and those which do not. In one-fifth of the units inspected there were still some aspects of provision which remain unsatisfactory.

252 This year 51 units were inspected. Of 25 PRUs that had been inspected previously, 19 of them had improved significantly. However, five had made insufficient progress and one had deteriorated since the previous inspection.

Attainment and progress

253 Standards reached by the vast majority of the pupils are below average, often as a result of previous erratic school attendance, in many cases exacerbated by exclusion and sickness. However, from a low baseline, units help the majority of pupils to make good progress in English and mathematics, the acquisition of basic literacy and numeracy skills, and personal, social and health education (PSHE). They make less than satisfactory progress in science because of the lack of specialist teachers and facilities for practical work. Where these are available, pupils' progress is good.

254 A very positive feature of an increasing number of units is their willingness and ability to provide opportunities for pupils to gain externally accredited awards, including GCSE and Certificates of Achievement. In one case, use has been made of the College of Open Learning, giving a wider curriculum coverage for the pupils. Many pupils make good use of these opportunities and their successes are in marked contrast to those in previous educational settings where they had become disengaged from the learning process.

Behaviour and attitudes to learning

255 Most pupils make significant improvement in their behaviour and attitudes to learning. This is due to a combination of factors, including:

• good PSHE;
• good arrangements for support from personal tutors or key workers;
• good management of pupils' behaviour by the teachers and support staff;
• the provision of a relevant curriculum;
• good use of assessment information to plan lessons which suit pupils' needs and interests.

Quality of teaching

256 The quality of teaching in the units is improving. Good teachers know the pupils well and match work appropriately to the their needs and abilities. They have good subject specialist knowledge and high expectations of what pupils can do and can achieve. Pupils consequently respond positively. To widen curriculum coverage many units make effective use of part-time specialist subject teachers, including those from the Behaviour Support Services of which the units may be a part.

257 Although the picture is an improving one, there is still unsatisfactory teaching in about one in six units. This relates principally to the lack of specialist expertise in subjects or weak behaviour management.

Curriculum and assessment

258 PRUs are not required to teach the full National Curriculum, and in most units curriculum coverage is restricted by the time available. Many give a significant and appropriate emphasis to the core subjects of English, mathematics and science, together with an extensive programme of PSHE. Some units, particularly those catering for pupils in Key Stages 3 and 4, provide good quality careers education and guidance and opportunities for the pupils to undertake work experience. Some units make provision for appropriate work-related education, often by linking with local colleges.

259 There is limited provision for other subjects, though most units are striving towards a broader curriculum. A small but increasing proportion have moved towards providing full-time education in advance of the requirement to do so from September 2002.

Accommodation and resources

260 Accommodation varies widely in its quality and suitability; about a quarter of the units are in unsatisfactory accommodation. Some units have good teaching spaces and specialist facilities for practical subjects such as design and technology, food technology, art and science. However, there are several with no facilities for practical work and a number where staff and pupils do not have separate toilets, which places all in a vulnerable position in terms of child protection and health, safety and welfare.

261 Resources vary too widely. There are examples where the quality and quantity of resources are good for the teaching of ICT and English, where the latter subject is supported by plenty of books and well-stocked libraries. Resources for science are less good, even in units where overall the resources are at least satisfactory. In one-fifth of the units resources are inadequate to support the curriculum being offered.

Attendance

262 Attendance is almost always below the expectation of at least 90 per cent. Usually this is attributable to poor attendance by a small number of pupils, a high level of authorised absence for sickness, or the absence of girls in the final stages of their pregnancies. However, in almost all units the attendance of most of the pupils has improved significantly compared with their attendance at previous schools. Procedures for promoting and monitoring attendance are generally good. One unit had no unauthorised absence at all over the reporting year.

Leadership and management

263 The quality of leadership and management of the units is also improving. Where there are weaknesses, unsatisfactory monitoring and a lack of support from the management committee or the LEA often contribute to these. In a small number of cases, and in breach of the requirements, management committees have still not been established.

264 Over half the units do not have a delegated or devolved budget, with financial control being retained either by the LEA or by the service of which the unit forms part. Where units manage their own budgets, financial control is nearly always good, with units paying attention to the principles of Best Value.

Children in public care

265 There are approximately 58,000 pupils in public care in England. The provision for these pupils has received increasing attention from OFSTED's inspections of LEAs as the issue has been given a higher national profile. In the 43 LEAs inspected in 2000/01, despite some weaknesses, there was evidence of continuing improvements which have raised children's educational attainments and improved their life chances significantly.

266 Overall, the picture is one of growing awareness, a raised level of commitment to implementing the national Guidance for Children in Public Care and good use made of Standards Fund money to initiate new developments.

267 In three-quarters of the authorities, provision for children in public care was satisfactory or better. There were two examples of very good practice (Barnsley and Coventry) where provision is given a very high priority in all LEA planning and where close co-operation between education and social services is well established. In the authorities with good practice the key strengths were:

• arrangements for sharing information between local services which strengthened the making of co-ordinated decisions;
• liaison at all levels between social services and the education department;
• advocacy arrangements which provided independent support for the children;
• designated teachers appointed within schools who were clear about their roles and responsibilities;
• co-ordination of provision for the child through the schools' preparation of personal education plans;
• appropriate individual targets for each child;
• databases shared by education services, social services and the health authority.

268 Several education authorities have set explicit targets within their Educational Development Plans to raise the attainment of children in care, with practical strategies to ensure their achievement. This has focused the attention of elected members and council officers on their effectiveness in the role of corporate parents.

269 In spite of the high level of commitment in the majority of local authorities, significant weaknesses were highlighted in 11. There are still instances where all children in public care are automatically allocated to a stage of the Code of Practice for SEN, irrespective of their academic achievement. Some authorities have yet to establish a reliable, accessible database containing all relevant and necessary information on the children; this lack hampers developments. Restricted numbers of residential places available within an authority, leading to the use of large numbers of out-of-area placements, can, if not carefully managed, result in a lack of monitoring of pupils' well-being and progress. Recruitment of social workers in some areas is reported as a growing problem and consequently some children spend long periods without a designated worker, or experience frequent and unsettling changes of personnel.

Secure units and secure training centres

270 There are 29 secure units and three secure training centres for young offenders in England, of which 13 were inspected by HMI during 2000/01. One establishment had very good provision, five were good, five satisfactory and two had serious weaknesses. Most have experienced significant changes recently because of an increase in the numbers of young people detained.

271 Education in secure units is receiving a higher status than in the past and the overall quality of educational provision is improving. The best provision has strong leadership and management; the management of education was at least satisfactory in all but two of the units inspected. Education and care staff work effectively together to ensure that young people are encouraged to attend lessons. Withdrawals from lessons are discouraged and kept to a minimum. These establishments have an ethos which values learning and encourages young people to regard education as worthwhile.

272 In the best units staff use time effectively and have high expectations of what can be achieved by young people, even those whose length of stay will be short. Despite having generally lower attainment on entry than their peers, often because of missed periods in education, an increasing number of young people are gaining external accreditation, albeit in a limited range of subjects. Units of accreditation towards Certificates of Achievement and some passes at GCSE are being achieved, and there are notable gains in reading and writing skills where there is specialist support. Difficulties in getting information about prior attainment on admission remain, especially when young people are placed outside their own local authorities. In most establishments there are systems for assessing young people on entry, but this information is rarely used for planning individual programmes. Day-to-day assessment and recording are weak, so teachers cannot easily demonstrate any progress made.

273 Nevertheless, inspection points to young people showing an increased interest in learning, and to improvements in concentration and behaviour. Attendance at lessons is mostly good, although there are withdrawals for activities which could be held at alternative times. Most of the work is planned on an individual basis to take account of changing groups, wide age-ranges and needs. However, systems for promoting collaborative work are, as a result, weak. In a few secure establishments young people are studying more in evenings; this practice could be more widely promoted.

274 The quality of teaching was satisfactory or better in 12 of the establishments; it was good or very good in four and poor in one. Much of the teaching was given by teachers who had sound subject knowledge and recent mainstream experience or links with local schools and an awareness of national developments. Overall, the expertise required to meet the needs of young people with SEN is lacking.

275 Although residential social workers were almost always present in the educational setting, their support in lessons varies both in its frequency and quality. Their rota systems make it difficult to provide continuity of support and, should difficulties arise in the unit generally, they may be called upon to assist elsewhere than in the classroom. Where staff are employed specifically as teaching assistants they often provide greater consistency and more effective learning support.

276 Most secure establishments provide at least 24 hours of education each week. However, curriculum coverage varies. Some establishments are able to offer a broad and balanced provision, with appropriate emphasis on the basic skills of literacy and numeracy. But in a high proportion the main omissions are a modern foreign language, music and religious education, with science and design and technology restricted because of limited accommodation and/or lack of teachers with subject specialist knowledge. ICT is not satisfactory in a small number of establishments and most are unable to offer vocationally oriented work. Careers education and guidance are provided fully and effectively in only three units; one unit provides a particularly effective "World of Work" week. PSHE provided in the education setting is often inadequately linked to the work undertaken by care staff on social skills programmes about aspects of citizenship and anti-offending behaviour.

277 IEPs are being developed but as yet they lack specific learning objectives which can be reviewed regularly. Reports tend to emphasise young people's behaviour rather than their academic attainment and progress over time.

278 Numbers of teachers are generally adequate, although recruitment and retention are problematic, and not helped by terms and conditions of service which differ from the school model. The expectation that some establishments will provide a regular timetable for 50 weeks in the year makes it difficult to provide curriculum and staffing continuity. Staff can feel isolated and out of touch with national developments, and closer links with mainstream schools would be helpful.

279 Accommodation ranges from two general purpose classrooms to spacious premises with specialist provision. Specialist accommodation helps to encourage and motivate young people and staff and can support courses leading to external accreditation. Resources are generally satisfactory, although a number of units identify the need to increase library facilities and to update computer hardware and software.

7 The National Literacy Strategy in Special Schools 1998-2000. Ref HMI 238. Pub OFSTED 2000

8 The National Numeracy Strategy in Special Schools: An evaluation of the first year. Ref HMI 267. Pub OFSTED 2001

9 Supporting the Target Setting Process (Revised March 2001) DfEE. Ref: DfEE 0065/2001.

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