Portfield School

What Ofsted said

From the inspection on 26 November 2024

Through the curriculum, pupils and students in the sixth form at Portfield School develop strong language and communications skills. Employing a breadth of approaches including signing, visual symbols and talk, pupils and students in the sixth form develop the skills to communicate their needs and thoughts well. The school evaluates pupils' strengths and needs carefully to create personalised curriculums that enable most to thrive. Pupils and sixth-form students are very positive about school. Relationships between pupils and staff are nurturing and supportive. One sixth-form student's comment echoed that of others, 'the staff are like family'. Across the school pupils learn to interact with each other with kindness, respect and friendship. Consequently, there is a calm learning environment. Therapeutic sessions are closely aligned with pupils' learning. For instance, speech and language therapy supports pupils' communication development well. Pupils learn how to keep themselves physically healthy through daily walks around the school. In addition, pupils participate in a breadth of sports such as paddleboarding and kayaking. In the sixth form, students learn to cook independently. Many help to cook the daily school lunch. Students are immersed in the local community in preparation for adulthood.

What the school should improve

• A small proportion of secondary phase pupils and sixth-form students are ready to learn more challenging curriculum content. However, the school has not developed the curriculum to support the learning needs of this small cohort. Consequently, a small proportion of pupils and sixth-form students do not learn subjects in as much depth or gain the qualifications that they could. The school should ensure that these pupils and sixth-form students study a broad and ambitious subject curriculum so that they are well prepared for their next steps.

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