Fordwater School, Chichester

Overview: Fordwater School, Chichester continues to be a good school, with enough evidence of improved performance to suggest that it could be judged outstanding if inspected now. The school's warm and vibrant atmosphere allows pupils to flourish, with a focus on their complex needs and personal development.

Strengths:

• Pupils' personalities flourish due to staff celebrating them as unique individuals.
• Pupils learn new skills such as swimming, cooking, and Japanese 'Taiko' drumming.
• The 'Fordwater Aims' curriculum is broad and ambitious, with leaders carefully identifying the knowledge and skills that pupils will learn.
• Leaders thread communication and numeracy skills through the entire curriculum, helping pupils access the rest of the curriculum well.
• The school provides imaginative sensory input to help pupils understand the world around them, and regular exercise in the sensory hydrotherapy pool prioritises their physical strength.

Areas to improve:

• The report identifies no significant areas for improvement.

Safeguarding: The arrangements for safeguarding are effective, with leaders providing regular training to ensure staff are alert to the signs that pupils may be at risk of harm.