PUPILS at a Bamber Bridge school for severe learning difficulties are making unsatisfactory educational progress, according to an Ofsted report.

The education watchdog criticised the curriculum Progress School, in Gough Lane, as 'under-developed and poor with pupils' progress limited'.

It also isolated insufficient links between planning for behaviour management, education and residential activities as another problem area at the mixed day and residential establishment.

But the headteacher of the school which opened just two years ago, claims Ofsted failed to recognise the unique of education they offer.

She said: "Our main aim is to reduce the level of challenging behaviours which we believe is key to all other access to learning."

However it praised the school's improvements in pupils' behaviour, which it recognised as the main priority.

It states: "The progress made by pupils in controlling their behaviour represents a significant achievement on the part of the school.

"These successes enable pupils to have access to education and to the community.

"However pupils make unsatisfactory education progress because of their limited time in lessons, an under-developed curriculum and the insufficient links between planning for behaviour management, education and residential activities".

Despite their serious behavioural difficulties, the report found pupils' attitudes to be positive, despite the pace of the day being slow.

And while teachers' 'expertise in behaviour management' were praised, Ofsted chiefs found lessons to be insufficiently focused.

To improve the pupils' progress and the quality of their education, the report recommends a string of changes including adequate access to learning for each pupil.

Also, it says the headteacher and school directors should improve the quality of teaching and accelerate the process of curriculum development with a detailed scheme of work for each subject.

In response headteacher Lyn Lewis said: "The report clearly identifies many areas for development, primarily around the 24 hour curriculum and National Curriculum, areas which we were aware of and had planned to address this year.

"It also, however, clearly endorses areas of the service which we hold to be far more relevant and important for our pupils, such as the expertise and commitment of staff and their successes in remediating pupils' challenging behaviour".

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