Congratulations should go to all at Medina House School for the outcome of the latest Ofsted inspection.
Previously judged by Ofsted as ‘Requiring Improvement’, the special school achieved a ‘Good’ rating from the latest inspection.
Some of the highlights from the report include:
- All groups of pupils make good progress during their time at Medina House School.
- Achievement in English, mathematics and personal development is good.
- The most-able pupils make excellent progress in reading because of the high-quality visual approaches used and the effective teaching of phonics (the sounds that letters make).
- Pupils in the Early Years Foundation Stage achieve well and quickly make friends.
- Teaching is good and the teaching of reading is outstanding. Pupils’ learning is most effective when individually planned tasks are set at the right level.
- Communication aids for pupils with a diagnosis of autism and those with profound and multiple learning difficulties are used well to promote speaking, ensuring that these pupils can make choices about their learning.
- Parents and carers are pleased with the care and support that the school provides for their children.
- Pupils behave well and enjoy school. This is evident in their rising attendance. Pupils feel safe and secure at school.
- The good range of subjects promotes pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development well. This is further enriched through local visits, links with other schools and regular productions.
- The headteacher and other leaders have improved the achievement of pupils by providing high-quality training for all staff.
- Regular monitoring has been effective in identifying what is working well and what still needs to be improved.
- The governing body works effectively with leaders. Members manage the budget well and have an accurate view of the school’s work.
- Governors make sure that pupils who receive additional funding fully benefit from it.
Ofsted say it is not an outstanding school yet because
- In a few lessons pupils do not make the progress they should because tasks are too easy for some and too difficult for others.
- Sometimes pupils are required to take it in turns to complete tasks and this limits the amount of time they have to complete tasks and they become restless while waiting.
