Elmfield School for Deaf Children

What Ofsted said

From the inspection on 10 May 2023

Pupils who attend Elmfield School for Deaf Children gain a deeper understanding of what it means to be deaf. For many, prior to starting at Elmfield, their experience of this has been disjointed and limited. Staff support them to find their deaf identify. Pupils feel more positive about what they have to offer. Pupils value the opportunities and relationships that staff provide. They feel safe and trust that they can make mistakes, take risks and interact fully with those around them. Staff support pupils as they grapple with the bi-lingual nature of successful communication using spoken English and British Sign Language (BSL). Staff encourage them to use this new 'voice' to express their views and opinions. It helps prepare pupils well for their next steps. Expectations of pupils are high. Pupils respond positively to this and behave well because of the strong relationships staff have with them. The care and nurture from adults is clear. Many parents agree with one parent commenting that their child's most 'wonderful and unforgettable moments' have been at Elmfield.

What the school should improve

• Governors have not placed sufficient focus on holding leaders to account over the quality of the curriculum pupils learn. They have prioritised other areas of pupils' education. As a result, leaders are not secure in the knowledge and expertise they need to support teachers to implement a curriculum that is well sequenced to ensure pupils learn as successfully as they can. Governors need to assure themselves that leaders have what they need to strengthen teachers' expertise and curriculum knowledge. This will help pupils to learn the academic curriculum and achieve the best possible outcomes.
• Teacher's subject-specific knowledge is not as secure as it needs to be. As a result, pupils do not learn the curriculum as well as they could. Teachers do not consistently maximise on how successfully they meet and overcome pupils' special educational needs and/or disabilities. Leaders must ensure that teachers' subject-specific knowledge and expertise is as strong as their knowledge of SEND so that pupils learn and remember more over time.

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