Penn Fields School

What Ofsted said

From the inspection on 17 January 2023

Pupils at Penn Fields School develop trusting and positive relationships with staff and each other. Staff are caring, kind and supportive. They take the time to get to know pupils well. Smiles and warm greetings are commonplace. This helps pupils to enjoy school. They attend regularly. Staff work alongside parents and carers well from the outset to get to know pupils' individual learning, physical, sensory and communication needs. Staff use this information carefully to remove barriers to learning and enable pupils to achieve. Leaders want all pupils to achieve their very best. They pay attention to developing pupils' independence and preparing them for their next stages of their life and education. As part of this work, pupils participate in a range of activities outside of the classroom. These activities include taking part in the Duke of Edinburgh's Award scheme, residential trips and running the coffee shop. Respectful and kind relationships underpin all that is good at Penn Fields. Bullying is rare and staff help pupils to resolve any concerns that may arise. This helps pupils to feel safe. Pupils in most lessons settle quickly to their work. Very little time is wasted.

What the school should improve

• For some pupils with the most complex needs, teachers are not sufficiently clear about the small steps pupils need to learn. This means that teachers do not consistently provide pupils with the activities and help they need to build their knowledge over time. This limits pupils' progress. Leaders should ensure that teachers have a clear understanding of the smaller steps of knowledge pupils need to secure, to enable pupils to get the best outcomes from the curriculum.

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