• E-mail
• Print
• Comment
• Font Size
• Digg
• del.icio.us
• Discuss article

A New Life for Special School ; EDUCATION: Ringing Endorsement From Ofsted

Posted on: Friday, 17 March 2006, 12:00 CST

By Tony Collins

A SPECIAL school is looking forward to a new life in a new building with a ringing endorsement from government inspectors.

Forest Oak School, which teaches children aged five to 16 with moderate learning difficulties, is shortly due to move from its current site in Lanchester Way, Castle Bromwich. The 91-pupil school is to relocate to the mainstream Smith's Wood secondary school site - housed in a new building which it will share with Merstone special school for pupils with severe learning difficulties.

It will be the first school to be completed under the government's Building Schools for the Future programme, with pupils due to move in May this year.

Inspectors from education watchdogs Ofsted, who visited Forest Oak last month, said the school had "improved considerably" since its last inspection.

"Pupils achieve well throughout the school. They get off to a good start in Years 1 and 2 and make good progress towards their targets.

"As they move through the school they continue to achieve well academically. This results in all pupils passing a good range of examinations by the time they leave."

Head teacher Alison Murkin said: "We are really pleased that Ofsted has acknowledged the significant improvements we have made."

She said her pupils would benefit, not only from a new building, but also being able to access resources, such as sporting facilities, from Smith's Wood School.

Ofsted said Forest Oak's achievement in maths, information and communication technology, and physical education was particularly strong.

Teaching is described as good throughout the school, with pupils benefiting from the good range of learning opportunities and some exciting extra-curricular experiences.

"Pupils are extremely well cared for and the way in which the school caters for their individual learning and personal needs is very good.

"This leads to good behaviour by all pupils, including those with challenging behavioural difficulties.

Attendance is satisfactory, and has improved over the past few years." They concluded: "The school has successfully tackled the weaknesses noted at the time of the last inspection and is well placed to improve further."

Source: Evening Mail; Birmingham (UK)

More News in this Category