Baskerville School

What Ofsted said

From the inspection on 14 June 2022

Baskerville School promotes positive relationships between staff and pupils really well. Staff know their pupils well and pupils feel safe in their care. Pupils are confident and, because they trust staff to look after them well, they become confident enough to challenge themselves in their learning. This helps to prepare them for adulthood. Staff are ambitious for every pupil. They have designed learning pathways that allow all pupils to develop their independence and to take qualifications in subjects that match their aspirations and ambitions where appropriate. As a result, all pupils leave school to progress to positive destinations. Behaviour in lessons and in social times is purposeful and calm. Many pupils have learned to identify when they are feeling unsettled, and they are often able to manage their own behaviour well. Pupils say that bullying rarely happens, and they are confident that staff will help them if they need it. Pupils take part in an extensive range of enrichment activities, such as remote-control car club, gardening, piano tuition and 'rock stars'. These experiences help pupils to develop their talents and interests. Pupils use communication strategies that best suit their needs. However, there is not a consistent use of communication strategies across the school. This means that some pupils do not develop their communication skills as well as they could.

What the school should improve

• Leaders have begun to implement a new curriculum in 'Discovery' and in other subject areas. The new curriculums are not yet fully developed, and this means that leaders are not able to make links between the 'Discovery' curriculum and other areas of the school, nor to make sure that curriculum links are clearly planned across all subjects. This limits pupils' ability to remember important information, and pupils who move pathways find the transition more difficult. Leaders should make sure that the planning and sequencing of the curriculum is fully developed and that it includes all pathways in the school.
• There is not a consistent approach to communication in place across the school. This means that pupils do not develop their communication and interaction skills as well as they could. Leaders should identify, introduce, and embed a consistent communication strategy in the school.
• The teaching of early reading is not as good as it needs to be. This means that pupils at the early stages of reading do not learn to read fluently as well as they should. Leaders should make sure that all staff who deliver phonics receive the right training to develop their expertise in this area.

Read the full Ofsted report (opens in a new tab)