Joseph Clarke School

What Ofsted said

From the inspection on 9 November 2022

An enthusiastic, friendly and hardworking ethos pervades this school community. Pupils look forward to coming to school. They cooperate well and are nearly always kind to each other. They are particularly courteous to adults and to visitors. Staff are skilled in using what they know about pupils to support them when they find aspects of life challenging. Pupils trust that adults will help them. They are confident that staff have their best interests in mind. As a result, the school is a calm and purposeful place to learn, where pupils do not have any concerns about bullying or the behaviour of others. Many parents and carers used words such as 'amazing' to describe the support their children receive. They value the commitment of leaders and staff in helping their children to succeed. There are a wide range of opportunities for pupils to develop their resilience and character. These include links with local businesses, enterprise opportunities and residential visits, as well as regular time spent in the local community. This ensures that pupils are well prepared for life beyond the school.

What the school should improve

• For pupils with the most complex needs, leaders have not set out precisely what pupils should learn and in what order. This means that some pupils do not achieve as well as they could. Leaders should ensure that an ambitious and well-sequenced curriculum is in place across the school that meets the needs of these pupils and enables them to succeed in a broad range of areas.
• In mathematics, even for younger pupils, too much emphasis is placed on practising for examinations. This means that pupils lack sufficient opportunities to both deepen understanding, and to connect skills to real life settings. Leaders should implement a mathematics curriculum that is logically sequenced, so that pupils know and remember more over time.
• A small number of pupils are non-verbal and do not have a consistent communication system in place. Where offered, systems tend to be limited to practical activities, such as going to the toilet or asking for a snack. This means that some pupils are reliant on verbal instruction in lessons, and have no means of telling staff what they have learned. Leaders should make sure that all pupils are equipped to express what they want to say, when they want to say it.

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