Lilybank School
Port Glasgow
Inverclyde Council
26 June 2007
Contents
Page
1. Background
1
2. Key strengths
1
3. What are the views of parents, pupils and staff?
2
4. How good are learning, teaching and achievement?
2
5. How well are pupils’ learning needs met?
5
6. How good is the environment for learning?
5
7. Leading and improving the school
7
Appendix 1 Indicators of quality
9
Appendix 2 Summary of questionnaire responses
10
How can you contact us?
11
1. Background
Lilybank School was inspected in March 2007 as part of a national sample of provision
for pupils with additional support needs. The inspection covered key aspects of the
work of the school at all stages. It evaluated pupils’ achievements, the effectiveness of
the school, the environment for learning, the school’s processes for self-evaluation and
innovation, and its capacity for improvement. There was a particular focus on
attainment in English language and mathematics and personal and social education
(PSE).
HM Inspectors examined pupils’ work and interviewed groups of pupils, including the
pupil council, and staff. Members of the inspection team also met the chairperson of
the School Board and a group of parents 1.
The inspection team also evaluated aspects of the school’s progress in implementing
national recommendations related to improving aspects of school meals provision.
Lilybank School serves Inverclyde and provides education for pupils from age five to
18 years who have additional support needs arising from complex learning difficulties
including autism spectrum disorders. The school had begun to put in place coordinated
support plans for children who needed them. At the time of the inspection the roll was
44. In keeping with the authority’s policy, all pupils were provided with free meals.
Pupils’ attendance was in line with the national average.
2. Key strengths
HM Inspectors identified the following key strengths.
•
The friendly and supportive ethos of the school and regular celebration of
pupil achievements.
•
Pupils’ positive attitude to learning.
•
The quality of partnership working with health and other agencies.
•
Pastoral care and attention to the care and welfare of pupils.
•
Pupils’ awareness of healthy lifestyles.
•
Effectiveness of senior managers in developing strong teamwork across the
school.
1
Throughout this report, the term ‘parents’ should be taken to include foster carers, residential care staff and
carers who are relatives or friends.
1
3. What are the views of parents, pupils and staff?
HM Inspectors analysed responses to questionnaires issued to all parents and to all
staff. Information about the responses to questionnaires appears in Appendix 2.
Almost all parents felt that the school had a good reputation locally and that it was well
led. They found school reports and parents’ evenings informative and thought that staff
gave them helpful information about their children’s progress. Around a third of
parents were concerned about the condition of the school building. Due to the nature of
their complex needs, most pupils were not able to express their views in detail to
members of the inspection team. A few felt that the school very effectively encouraged
healthy eating and healthy lifestyles. Almost all pupils conveyed the feeling that they
enjoyed coming to school as well as the company of staff and their fellow pupils. They
showed pleasure when taking an active part in classroom and community-based
activities. Teachers and support staff were positive about almost all aspects of the
school. They were particularly positive about how they celebrated pupils’ successes.
Almost all thought that the school was well led.
4. How good are learning, teaching and achievement?
Pupils’ learning experiences and achievements
The school provided pupils with a broad and balanced range of learning experiences
based on the national guidelines 5-14 and the National Qualifications (NQs)
framework. Senior pupils undertook additional courses drawn from the Award Scheme
Development and Accreditation Network (ASDAN). Pupils benefited from a planned
programme for PSE which allowed for progressive development of their personal and
social skills. Personal and social development (PSD) effectively permeated the
curriculum. The school successfully promoted healthy lifestyles and pupils’ personal
development through flexible and motivating use of the local community as a resource
for learning. Shopping and visiting local places of interest effectively developed
pupils’ personal and social skills and their understanding of the environment. All
pupils benefited from two hours of physical education each week. However, they had
too few opportunities to use information and communications technology resources
such as computers to support their learning. Following a review of the curriculum, the
school had taken steps to provide better breadth and balance and progression of skills,
particularly in English language and communication and mathematics.
The overall quality of teaching was very good. Staff provided effective sensory
approaches to learning for pupils who were at an early stage in their development.
However, the contexts of these experiences were not always sufficiently meaningful for
pupils. A well-organised after school play scheme and summer and Easter play
schemes provided opportunities to support pupils’ active learning. Functional
movement programmes within the hydrotherapy pool met most pupils’ physical and
emotional needs well. Staff gave clear instructions and explanations of tasks using
alternative forms of communication such as signing, pictures, symbols and
communication books. Staff were skilled in using a variety of approaches to encourage
pupils to remain focused on their tasks. Staff effectively used teaching approaches
which specifically supported learning for pupils on the autism spectrum.
2
The overall quality of pupils’ learning experiences was good. Staff provided regular
opportunities for pupil choice and interaction linked to their learning targets at all
times. Almost all pupils were well behaved, motivated and enthusiastic and a few were
highly motivated to learn. They responded particularly well when engaged in active
learning activities in music, home economics and dance. The pace and content of some
learning activities were not sufficiently challenging for more able pupils, particularly at
the early stages. Pupils had too few opportunities to collaborate with each other, or to
learn independently where appropriate. Teachers provided effective opportunities for
pupils to make decisions in some classes and helpful opportunities for them to reflect
on and evaluate their experiences and progress towards targets set within individualised
educational programmes (IEPs).
Staff were developing arrangements to promote pupils’ wider achievements. Pupils
from Lilybank School participated in a science project with pupils at Port Glasgow
High School. School assemblies provided opportunities to recognise the achievements
of pupils through awards such as ‘star pupil’ badges. Awards were adapted to reflect
themes of learning such as Children in Need and the celebration of Robert Burns.
Pupils’ self-esteem and confidence were improved when they presented their musical
and dance talents at the annual Christmas concert. Pupils at all stages participated in
the school’s annual sports day, along with their families and a few had experienced
success in swimming galas at local and national level. The school had recently won an
Enterprising Inverclyde Gold Award for designing and making story sacks which were
shared with local schools. Pupils regularly helped to organise events to support others
and held MacMillan coffee mornings to raise money for cancer patients. Recently, one
pupil won an Inverclyde wide photography competition for S3/4 pupils while another
pupil was highly commended in the primary school category. Pupils experienced
success competing in the Port Glasgow Bulb show on an annual basis. They raised
significant amounts of money for a range of charities, learned citizenship skills through
distributing harvest gifts to elderly citizens. In previous years senior pupils had
participated in a residential experience.
English language
Overall, pupils’ achievement in communication and language was good. At all stages,
pupils used pictures and symbols to communicate basic news, make choices and respond to
requests. A few were able, with support, to express opinions. Most pupils listened
attentively and responded to relevant questions, and some were able to ask questions of an
adult. Staff effectively used story sacks to stimulate pupils’ interest in reading. At the
early stages, most pupils listened to convey understanding of tasks and a few recalled
events and conveyed their feelings and interests with appropriate assistance from staff.
Most pupils showed clear enjoyment and appreciation of listening to and interacting with
stories, songs and rhymes. At the middle stages a few pupils annotated pictures to build up
a story with short sentences.and form letters with some accuracy. A few used
communication books appropriately to make choices at lunch and snack times and on
outings to local cafes. At the secondary stages, a few pupils composed story books of their
own from photographs and simple sentences. Pupils who were at an early stage in their
development responded to a given prompt such as a picture or object or smell by using eye
contact, smiling, touching, reaching out, pointing or moving towards or away. A few pupils
read familiar words without support and recalled and talked about interests and pastimes.
3
A few pupils had achieved NQ at Access level 1, in the Experiential Access 1 Literacy
Study in 2006. The school had identified the need to develop a programme of study in
English language and communication to ensure progression and appropriate challenge for
all pupils.
Mathematics
Overall pupils’ progress in mathematics and understanding and relating to the environment
was very good. At the primary stages, pupils working on mathematics were making good
progress in counting and understanding simple mathematical concepts such as more and
less. They had learned to match and sort shapes. Most participated enthusiastically in a
range of activities to develop their number skills, and teachers skilfully engaged the more
reluctant learners. A few of the older pupils applied their skills in number in their home
economics, counting up spoonfuls and weighing ingredients. Some pupils also used money
well and with understanding in real contexts in the community such as shops and cafes.
Pupils whose learning was more experiential were developing their understanding of
concepts such as cause and effect, and were beginning to be able to predict consequences.
A range of imaginative contexts were used to develop these pupils’ understanding of their
environment. At all stages pupils used switches adapted to make best use of their
functional movement to operate such things as toys which moved, fans and music. Across
the school pupils were developing a sense of time through skilled use of pictures and
objects to help them understand the sequence of activities in the day. Where appropriate
they were also successfully developing an understanding of changing seasons and days of
the week. Pupils in the senior class were working on NQ units at Access level 1. These
activities, based on a series of experiences appropriate to their age and stage assisted pupils
to understand the purpose of simple domestic activities. Pupils across the school were
making very good progress towards targets outlined for them in mathematics or
understanding and relating to the environment.
Personal and social education
Pupils were making very good progress in the development of their personal and social
skills. All pupils had PSD targets set within their IEPs and almost all were making very
good progress towards their individual targets. All pupils were encouraged to make choices
and some did this very effectively using symbols or switches. Highly dependent learners
were using switches to exert some control over their environment. Through the pupil
council, pupils participated in decision making and organised school events such as the
distribution of harvest gifts. The school celebrated pupils’ individual successes and
reinforced positive attitudes through weekly whole school assemblies. Most pupils had the
opportunity to develop skills in citizenship through fundraising projects and community
involvement. Others benefited from opportunities to join with pupils from mainstream
schools for activities such as storytelling and the production of story sacks. The school
community had made good progress towards gaining a health promoting status. Pupils
were developing their social skills through cooperative play and team games in the recently
refurbished outdoor play area. Some pupils were developing their skills in social
communication within circle time.
4
5. How well are pupils’ learning needs met?
Overall the quality of meeting learners’ needs was good. In most classes, teachers
provided tasks and activities which effectively met pupil needs. Staff did not always
use signing consistently across the school and teachers needed to ensure that class
groupings, resources and learning activities provided sufficient challenge for more able
pupils and pupils with autism spectrum disorders. A learning support teacher provided
well-targeted support for pupils with particular learning and behavioural difficulties. A
specialist visiting teacher advised staff on appropriate support strategies and monitored
the progress of pupils with a visual impairment. Partnership working was strong and
pupils benefited from high quality support from medical and therapy staff. Pupils’
individual needs, including those who were looked after, were carefully considered
through regular reviews of progress. Most pupils were making good progress towards
achieving targets set within IEPs. However, the criteria for success in achieving targets
was not always clear. The school was putting in place coordinated support plans for a
small number of pupils who required them. A member of staff with particular
responsibility for moving and handling carefully monitored the progress of pupils to
look at how they could best use their functional movement to operate switches. The
school was beginning to improve assessment procedures to involve pupils in evaluating
their progress where appropriate.
6. How good is the environment for learning?
Aspect
Comment
Pastoral care
The overall quality of pastoral care was very good. The school
operated effective procedures to support pupils and keep them
safe. The staff knew their pupils well and were sensitive to the
social, emotional, physical and health needs of individual pupils.
The school had a range of health and safety policies including
child protection and risk assessment which were applied
appropriately by staff. All staff had been trained in child
protection procedures. All staff worked to create a calm,
purposeful and productive learning environment. Behaviour
management was consistent across the school with an emphasis
on praise and reward. The quality of interaction between all
staff and pupils was very good. Support staff managed intimate
care procedures effectively and respected pupils’ dignity and the
need for privacy. The school nurse provided very good support
for pupils with the most significant health needs and their
families, including advice on feeding and sleep counselling.
Health education, including health promotion, was given high
priority within the curriculum and all staff were aware of the
need to develop personal hygiene skills and promote healthy
eating. Pupils at the upper secondary stages demonstrated a very
good understanding of foods which kept them healthy.
5
6
Aspect
Comment
Quality of
accommodation and
facilities
The overall quality of accommodation and facilities was
weak. A secure entry system and close circuit television
were in operation. Facilities included appropriate disabled
access, a sensory room, small hydrotherapy pool and an
enclosed soft play area and external play areas. There was
no reception area at the entrance to the school. Partitions
between classrooms did not prevent some additional noise
and distraction during lessons. This was a particular
problem for pupils with autism spectrum disorders. Limited
space and lack of appropriate therapy rooms meant that
speech and language therapists were limited in their ability
to carry out effective assessments of pupils. The school
nurse shared a rota with other therapists for access to a
shared room. Physiotherapy took place in the dining room.
The small, well-used hydrotherapy pool was not an
appropriate size for older pupils. The steeply inclining road
outside the school caused difficulty for staff pushing
wheelchairs uphill. There was no suitable area for buses
collecting and delivering pupils to the school.
Climate and
relationships,
expectations and
promoting
achievement and
equality
The school had a very positive atmosphere which was
conducive to learning. Mutual respect between staff and
pupils was evident at all stages. Almost all pupils were
polite, confident and willing participants in school events.
Staff demonstrated strong teamwork and commitment to
pupils’ learning and personal care. Senior pupil members of
the pupil council displayed a very good knowledge of
healthy lifestyles. The school provided appropriate
opportunities for religious observance. The school
recognised pupils’ achievements formally through
certification by ASDAN and NQs at Access level. Large
numbers of pupils experienced a high degree of success in a
variety of dance and drama events and in sporting and other
competitions at national and local level. Pupil council
members played a key role in health promotion, agreeing
displays of pupils’ achievements and school badges.
Equality and fairness was very good. Staff recognised
individual differences through a variety of alternative
communication and gave consideration to pupils’ dignity
and privacy when moving and handling them. The school
and education authority had planned to update staff training
on racial equality and involve pupils appropriately in
reviews of their progress.
Aspect
Comment
Partnership with
parents and the
community
The school had very good links with parents, the School Board
and with the wider community including community police
officers and school chaplains. Parents received regular
communications about the work of the school through
workshops, open afternoons, parents’ evenings and helpful
home-school diaries. Parents were appropriately involved in
formal annual review meetings to discuss their children’s
progress and discuss sensitive health issues. The school had
strong links with its very supportive School Board. Plans to
further involve parents in supporting their children’s learning
were well established through the addition of a parent resource
centre and library. The school had very strong links with East
Inverclyde Integrated Community School cluster. Pupils from St
John’s and Highholm Primary School attended joint monthly
story telling sessions and other school events with Lilybank
pupils. Staff had regular contact with Barnardo’s to support
summer and Easter play schemes and very good liaison with
respite care providers at Countryview and Quarriers. Effective
links with local businesses, shops, cafes, sports centres, libraries
and museums provided further opportunities to support pupils’
learning.
7. Leading and improving the school
Appendix 1 provides HM Inspectors’ overall evaluation of the work of the school.
Lilybank School provided a caring environment in which staff displayed a strong
commitment to the well-being of pupils and to fostering a strong sense of community.
They provided pupils with supportive teaching which had allowed them to make
progress in their learning. Staff celebrated pupils’ successes and encouraged them to
develop their confidence and self-esteem. The school was very effective in working
with support agencies to meet pupils needs and in promoting healthy lifestyles across
the school. The school was well placed to further improve programmes of study to
ensure that they were sufficiently coherent in providing a range and balance of learning
contexts to enable progression in pupils’ learning.
The school was very well led. The highly committed headteacher had been in post for
eight years and had a clear vision for the school. She had won the respect and
confidence of staff, parents and pupils. She had been very successful in encouraging
teamwork and had empowered staff to share responsibility for improving the school.
She had strengthened partnerships with support services and improved levels of
resources to support pupils’ learning. The experienced depute headteacher gave very
effective support to the headteacher in monitoring the effectiveness and pace of
learning. She had successfully taken the lead in developing an appropriate curriculum
for pupils at the upper secondary stages.
7
The school placed a high priority on evaluating its work. Senior managers regularly
evaluated the quality of teaching and its impact on pupils’ learning. They had
established systematic procedures for analysing the school’s performance and
introducing improvements. Through discussion with staff and regular reviews of
progress, they tracked pupils’ development closely and had a good knowledge of
pupils’ strengths and development needs. The headteacher and depute headteacher
monitored staff’s forward plans and provided them with very helpful feedback. Staff,
parents and visiting specialists readily supported senior managers in taking forward
plans for improvement. Senior managers needed to improve the curriculum to ensure
that learning experiences were sufficiently challenging for all pupils.
Main points for action
The school and education authority should continue to provide high quality and
improving education. In doing so, they should take account of the need to:
•
continue to develop the curriculum by developing a coherent framework to
ensure progression in learning experiences and challenge for all pupils;
•
further develop experiential sensory approaches to ensure more meaningful
and relevant contexts and an appropriate pace of learning; and
•
address the accommodation issues to ensure that pupils have access to
adequate therapy facilities and a more appropriate learning environment.
What happens next?
As a result of the high performance, the strong record of improvement and the very
effective leadership of this school, HM Inspectors will make no further reports in
connection with this inspection. The school and the education authority have been
asked to prepare an action plan indicating how they will address the main findings of
the report, and to share that plan with parents. Within two years of the publication of
this report the education authority, working with the school, will provide a progress
report to parents.
Kate Hannah
HM Inspector
26 June 2007
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Appendix 1 Indicators of quality
The sections in the table below follow the order in this report. You can find the main
comments made about each of the quality indicators in those sections. However,
aspects of some quality indicators are relevant to other sections of the report and may
also be mentioned in those other sections.
How good are learning, teaching and achievement?
Structure of the curriculum
The teaching process
Pupils’ learning experiences
Pupils’ attainment in English language
Pupils’ attainment in mathematics
Personal and social development
How well are pupils’ learning needs met?
Meeting pupils’ needs
How good is the environment for learning?
Pastoral care
Accommodation and facilities
Climate and relationships
Expectations and promoting achievement
Equality and fairness
Partnership with parents, the School
Board, and the community
Leading and improving the school
Leadership of the headteacher
Self-evaluation
good
very good
good
good
very good
very good
good
very good
weak
very good
excellent
very good
very good
very good
very good
This report uses the following word scale to make clear judgements made by
inspectors:
excellent
very good
good
adequate
weak
unsatisfactory
outstanding, sector leading
major strengths
important strengths with some areas for improvement
strengths just outweigh weaknesses
important weaknesses
major weaknesses
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Appendix 2
Summary of questionnaire responses
Important features of responses from the various groups which received questionnaires
are listed below.
What parents thought the school
did well
What parents think the school
could do better
•
•
•
•
A few parents thought that the
school buildings were not in
good order.
What pupils thought the school did
well
What pupils think the school could
do better
•
•
Due to the complexity of their
additional support needs, the
pupils did not complete
questionnaires. Observations of
the pupils, during lessons and at
other times, indicated that they
enjoyed being at school and had
very good relationships with staff.
Pupils appeared to have no
significant concerns about the
life of the school.
What staff thought the school did
well
What staff think the school could
do better
•
•
•
•
10
The school had a good reputation
locally.
Parents were given helpful
information about their child’s
progress.
The school was well led.
They liked working in the school.
They celebrated pupil success
regularly.
The school was well led.
A few staff thought that
communication amongst staff
could be improved.
How can you contact us?
If you would like an additional copy of this report
Copies of this report have been sent to the headteacher and school staff, the Corporate
Director: Education and Social Care, local councillors and appropriate Members of the
Scottish Parliament. Subject to availability, further copies may be obtained free of charge
from HM Inspectorate of Education, Europa Building, 450 Argyle Street, Glasgow, G2
8LG or by telephoning 0141 242 0100. Copies are also available on our website
www.hmie.gov.uk.
HMIE Feedback and Complaints Procedure
Should you wish to comment on any aspect of provision for pupils with additional
support needs, you should write in the first instance to Frank Crawford, HMCI, at the
above address.
If you have a concern about this report, you should write in the first instance to our
Complaints Manager, HMIE Business Management Unit, Second Floor, Denholm
House, Almondvale Business Park, Almondvale Way, Livingston EH54 6GA. You can
also email HMIEcomplaints@hmie.gsi.gov.uk. A copy of our complaints procedure is
available from this office, by telephoning 01506 600200 or from our website at
www.hmie.gov.uk.
If you are not satisfied with the action we have taken at the end of our complaints
procedure, you can raise your complaint with the Scottish Public Services Ombudsman
(SPSO). The SPSO is fully independent and has powers to investigate complaints
about Government departments and agencies. You should write to the SPSO, Freepost
EH641, Edinburgh EH3 0BR. You can also telephone 0800 377 7330
(fax 0800 377 7331) or e-mail: ask@spso.org.uk. More information about the
Ombudsman’s office can be obtained from the website: www.spso.org.uk.
Crown Copyright 2007
HM Inspectorate of Education
This report may be reproduced in whole or in part, except for commercial purposes or
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