Lancaster School

Overview

Lancaster School is described as having a "positive and substantial impact" on pupils’ lives, with leaders successfully navigating a period of significant expansion. The report highlights "strong standard" outcomes for attendance, behaviour, and personal development, while achievement, curriculum, inclusion, leadership, and post-16 provision meet the "expected standard".

Strengths

• Staff manage behaviour "excellently" through "highly positive relationships" and a "peaceful atmosphere" that puts pupils at ease.
• Personal development programmes are "all encompassing," effectively preparing pupils for adulthood through skills like budgeting, cooking, and independent travel.
• Leaders "successfully remove pupils’ barriers to attendance," ensuring new parents understand transport and routines are "well established".
• The curriculum is "well targeted" and inclusive, with staff adept at using sensory approaches and communication aids to support pupils with complex needs.
• Post-16 students are "well prepared" for transition, with tailored work placements and clear emphasis on employability skills.

Areas to improve

• Leaders should "embed the new assessment system" so teachers can "address pupils' gaps in learning precisely".
• Leaders should "analyse and evaluate the effectiveness and impact of the school's work more astutely" to ensure sustained improvement during expansion.
• Leaders do not yet "scrutinise forensically the impact of the interventions they run".

Safeguarding

The safeguarding standards are met, with an "open culture in which safeguarding is everyone's responsibility" ensuring pupils are "made safer and feel safe".