TRUSTEES AND GOVERNORS WANTED | OFSTED REPORT

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HIGH MARKS FOR LEADERSHIP AND TEACHING Leadership and teaching at The Royal School for the Blind, Liverpool, is very good with its strengths greatly outweighing the weaknesses – and that’s official from the School’s second Ofsted Report. The actual inspection by representatives of the Office of Standards in Education took place in October 1998 when there were 55 pupils on the roll. Main features where the School does well were:

• Leadership – very good and teaching good.
• Happy environment where pupils develop good communicating and listening skills,improve their mobility and increase their independence.
• A very good ethos l Individual targets set for pupils help them make good all round progress
• Those with very complex needs make as good progress as others with fewer disabilities.
• The residential provision provides a relaxed and supportive environment.
• The 16-plus curriculum provides well for needs of older pupils.

The children themselves were regarded as well behaved, courteous and considerate, working well with teachers and relationships all round were described as “excellent.”

And when the inspectors asked parents for their views of the School, top of the list were the good use of home school diaries; encouragement of good behaviour; commitment and effort of staff and their approachability and respect for pupils’ dignity. Says the Ofsted Report: “The inspectors’ judgements supports the parents’ very positive views about the School. In particular the inspectors agreed with parents that a notable feature of the School is the dignity accorded to every pupil.”

Head Teacher Joe Byrne, his staff and the School’s trustees are complimented for creating together “a very high quality working environment” and prudent “housekeeping” is noted. “The School uses its money wisely to support effective educational development. The forward planning based on projected income is very thorough and allows the school to have a realistic view of its spending options,” adds the Report.

Re-development and re-furbishment projects are also singled out for commendation – “The School has excellent accommodation that is kept spotlessly clean and is maintained to a very high order.”

Said the Ofsted inspectors: “The pupils make good progress in the key areas of communications, mobility and personal and social development. They make satisfactory progress overall in other areas of learning. Teaching is of good quality. The School is generally well resourced and accommodation is excellent. It is led effectively and managed well. Given this balance of features the School gives good value for money.”

Head teacher Joe Byrne was delighted with the Ofsted findings.
“It confirms our progress in our development plan and vision of becoming a centre of excellence for the children and their complex needs.But above all it recognises the dedication and commitment of everyone connected with the School, something of which I am very proud.”

...”and good quality service”

There are more compliments for the Royal School for the Blind in another statutory report following a separate inspection by the Quality Assurance Division of the Social Services Directorate.

This inspection focuses on the school’s procedures for the protection and safeguarding of the children with particular emphasis on boarding accommodation, personal and recreational facilities and care staffing.

The Inspector’s report concluded: “The inspector spent some time with the young people in their own units, during the early evening.The young people present were content and confident people and have a good rapport with staff. The School continues to provide a good quality service to the young people and their families. In addition to this the School has developed appropriate procedures for safeguarding the children’s welfare.”