Self- Evaluation Effectiveness of leadership & management Headteacher: Celia Dawson
Self Evaluation 2015/16 SUMMARY The effectiveness of leadership & management is judged to be OUTSTANDING because: •
The school is visionary & takes risk & chances to strive to improve life chances for all its learners. The committed & effective GB
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The head is recognised as an NLE & due to the strength of the deputy is able to use this to support other schools, this year supporting two schools to move from RI to Good. The head is employed within Merton to develop other schools & leadership teams & has run effective & highly valued Middle Leadership training courses for 5 years. She is a leading practitioner in moving forward the ASD agenda in Merton.
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CGS runs the highly valued LA outreach service to support mainstream
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openly support this style of leadership & provide challenge & •
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maintain a high commitment to furthering pupil well being. CGS thrives on challenge, new developments, innovative practice & creativity. The school is truly dynamic, it never stands still, takes risks & it continuously sees possibilities & not limitations. There is a clear & understood commitment by all to the aims of the school & the commitment to enabling learners students develop & grow in this environment, showing pleasure & taking risks, in a safe, secure, happy environment. Staff “buy in” & actively promote this ethos & the school boasts a truly collegiate staff. There is strength & depth in the Senior & Middle Leadership teams, with strong evidence of continuous professional development & succession planning. Comprehensive action planning ensures well informed strategies are put in place to sustain & develop provision. A thorough timetable for professional development is implemented for both Class Teachers & Teaching assistants which addresses common areas of development & reflecting a focus on effective teaching & learning. Professional development opportunities at CGS are outstanding at every level, as is demonstrated by the rigorous & personalised Appraisal system for all staff. There are clear criteria for performance related pay. Effective & responsive packages of support are available at every level of development. We have staff completing MAs. Phds & research projects, staff offering professional mentoring & an well developed ITT programme through our TS status. The school has a depth of history in professional development which is testament to this strong commitment. CGS has a culture of high expectation which has enabled learners at the school to excel. CGS curriculum ensures all learners, irrespective of need make outstanding progress in the core areas of communication, literacy & numeracy. Data shows progress for learners is outstanding. CGS leads the Mitcham Town Community Trust a co operative of local schools and community partners. The MTCT actively promotes shared Inset training opportunities, has established additional pupil study opportunities, offers family learning, & has established
schools with ASD learners. This has been evaluated as an excellent service which is impacting very positively on learners & schools capacity to meet needs. •
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CGS co leads The Merton Special School Teaching Alliance, developing all aspects of school to school support, ITT training, research & delivering a range of courses which have been highly valued & impacted on staff development. The TS has further developed to include mainstream partners across Merton impacting positively on local schools. CGS curriculum is exceptional in its creativity. Learners at all ages & ability have numerous opportunities to participate & excel at drama, dance, art, music or sport building personal skills & developing self esteem. Subject leaders are knowledgeable of school standards & areas for development. They produce informed action plans for their subjects that link with whole school aims & ensure that a high quality of teaching across the curriculum is sustained. Curriculum leaders work exceptionally well together to ensure there is a consistency of practice, a rigor in marking & assessment & opportunities for progression for all learners. The 6th form curriculum leads to learners achieving exceptionally high rates of employment though Project Search: 73% in employment. CGS led the development of Project Search a work based development programme for post sixteen learners preparing for work & employment in line with Government agendas, Project Search continues to thrive; in its 4th year 73% young people have found employment. There is a very strong emphasis in the 6th form on preparation for employability & independent living. The curriculum has undergone a
Self Evaluation 2015/16 SUMMARY The effectiveness of leadership & management is judged to be OUTSTANDING because: •
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There is a highly constructive & ambitious dialogue between the school leadership & the governing body. Governors are well informed of the current school context & challenge robustly when needed. They are proactive in arranging visits to the school. They have high expectations for outcomes & provision for learners . Governors monitor the curriculum through termly class based visits, by discussion & challenge at the Teaching & Learning Committee meetings, through discussion around end of year reports from curriculum leads & by being kept uptodate with new initiatives. Eg: the new NC curriculum has been fed back, a Governor is working with school on the Prevent agenda, the LAC governor works with the safeguarding lead to ensure rigour & exceptional practice. Pupil safeguarding & well being is paramount to & well managed by all staff; specific staff understand their roles & are systematically trained to recognise & responds to signs of abuse or anxiety. Roles & responsibilities are clear & understood by all. Governors are regularly informed about how the school manages & supports children with specific needs over & above their learning needs. A nominated Governor is the safeguarding lead. SLT & 4 Governors are trained in Safer Recruitment. Governors actively promote the schools ethos, support & challenge us to maintain excellence at every level . Governors are active in understanding & knowing what happens in school, & in challenging our processes & thinking. Governors seek to know standards are maintained & all children improve & develop. Governors are instrumental in shaping policy & school priorities. CGS works with a large number other agencies delivering a variety of therapies as part of its approach to meeting needs. The school has trained its own Play therapist, buys in OT & Dramatherapy & CAMHs support actively promoting learners emotional well being. Parents commit to our aims & ethos & actively support us in all we do. Termly surveys tell us parents feel learners feel safe & are happy to come to CGS & make exceptional progress. Staff opinions are regularly sought & used to inform & develop provision. Best practice is modelled & shared resulting in typically excellent opportunities for learners to learn. CGS is an accredited RRS school & actively seeks to promote inclusion & diversity. Prejudice is not tolerated. A range of
As a result of regular & visible celebrations of the diversity of the school community alongside a robustly implemented PSE/ SRE & social skills curriculum & high profile school council, learners are well prepared for life in modern Britain. There is an active response to current national priorities such as embracing the Prevent agenda through open discussion & promotion of developing learners capacity to keep themselves safe & free from harm. Safeguarding procedures are robust with effective action taken where needed to ensure all learners are safe. Rigorous self evaluation & performance management at all levels ensures that any weaknesses are rapidly identified & systems & procedures to ensure excellent outcomes for learners
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To sustain Outstanding standards the following areas are being worked on: Embed new curriculum & assessment expectations to ensure that assessment is used to effectively benchmark achievement against year group expectations Gather data from the new 6th form curriculum to inform future delivery Develop capacity at middle leadership to support effective development of new benchmarking Continue to develop Governance so that Governors systematically self evaluate effectiveness & demonstrate deep knowledgeable of the context & challenges including provision for vulnerable groups.
Reviewed: CD/SLT – January 2016 Governors : Investors in People –January 2016