Presfield High School and Specialist College

Overview

Presfield High School and Specialist College continues to be a "good school," offering a "happy and inclusive" environment where pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities feel a strong "sense of respect and belonging." The report highlights that staff maintain "high expectations" with "no ceiling" on achievement, ensuring most pupils are "well prepared for their next steps in education" and adult life through practical skills development.

Strengths

• Pupils benefit from "strong, caring relationships" with adults who provide extensive pastoral support and help them "regulate their behaviour and manage their emotions."
• The curriculum is largely "effective," with teachers who "explain new ideas clearly" and use assessment well to ensure staff know "exactly what pupils know."
• There is a strong focus on developing "communication and language skills," alongside high-profile reading initiatives and a new library designed with pupil input.
• The school offers rich opportunities for personal development, including residential experiences, the Duke of Edinburgh’s Award, and "comprehensive careers education" to build independence.
• Governors are described as an "effective, knowledgeable and experienced governing body" that holds leaders to account, while staff feel proud and supported by considerate leadership.

Areas to improve

• The school must "finalise its curriculum thinking" in a small number of subjects where the essential knowledge and teaching order have not been sufficiently determined, which currently hinders some pupils' achievement.
• The school should ensure all adults are "well equipped and confident" in using agreed communication, language, and social-interaction strategies, as a few staff members currently lack confidence or provide insufficient opportunities for pupils to apply these skills.

Safeguarding

The report states that "the arrangements for safeguarding are effective."