Right Choice Independent Special School

Right Choice Project Independent school progress monitoring inspection report

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DfE registration number 203/6300 Unique Reference Number (URN) 134402 Inspection number 385633 Inspection dates 4 October 2011 Reporting inspector Michael Best achieve excellence in the care of children and young people, and in education and skills for learners of all ages. It regulates and inspects childcare and children's social care, and inspects the Children and Family Court Advisory Support Service (Cafcass), schools, colleges, initial teacher training, work-based learning and skills training, adult and community learning, and education and training in prisons and other secure establishments. It assesses council children’s services, and inspects services for looked after children, safeguarding and child protection. If you would like a copy of this document in a different format, such as large print or Braille, please telephone 0300 123 1231, or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk . You may copy all or parts of this document for non-commercial educational purposes, as long as you

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T: 0300 123 1231 Textphone: 0161 618 8524 E: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk W: www.ofsted.gov.uk No. 090137 Independent school progress monitoring inspection report

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Purpose and scope of the inspection

This inspection was carried out by Ofsted under Section 162A of the Education Act 2002, as amended by schedule 8 of the Education Act 2005. 1,2

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Purpose and scope of the inspection

The inspection was conducted at the request of the Registration Authority for independent schools in order to monitor the progress the school has made in implementing its action plan following the previous inspection.

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Information about the school

Right Choice Project is a small special school for young people whose place in a mainstream school has broken down. It is registered to admit 42 students between the ages of 14 and 16 years and is located in Woolwich, in South East London. The number of students on roll fluctuates each year and currently 11 students aged 14 and 16 years attend, the majority of whom are boys. The school offers either full- time or part-time places; at the present time, all students are attending full-time. All students come from the London boroughs of Greenwich and Bexley and over half are from a minority ethnic background. The very large majority of students have special educational needs associated with learning and behaviour, emotional and social difficulties. Three have a statement of special educational needs. Recently the school has admitted students with a broader range of needs, including those with a history

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Information about the school

The school was established in 2003 and is in the ownership of a not-for-profit limited company. It aims to give students ‘a second chance to discover and realise their potential’ by ‘equipping them with independent living and life skills to lay firm foundations for future personal, professional and economic success as citizens and future leaders of our community’.

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Context of the inspection

The school was last inspected in November 2010 when it was judged to provide a satisfactory quality of education and outstanding quality of care. A number of regulations were not met. The school responded with an action outlining its proposals to address those regulations which had not been met. This was submitted in February 2011 and found to require improvement. A revised action plan was submitted in May 2011 and evaluated in June 2011; this was broadly satisfactory but also required some improvement. This monitoring visit was made at the request of the Department for Education to check the school’s progress in implementing its action plan.

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Context of the inspection

1 www.opsi.gov.uk/acts/acts2002/ukpga_20020032_en_14#pt10-ch1-pb4-l1g162 2 www.opsi.gov.uk/ACTS/acts2005/ukpga_20050018_en_15#sch8 Independent school progress monitoring inspection report

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action plan

The school has made satisfactory progress in implementing its action plan and now meets all but one of the regulations for registration as an independent school.

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action plan

The inspection in November 2010 found that the school did not meet a number of regulations in respect of the curriculum. The focus on one subject for each day of the week did not allow students to apply their skills regularly throughout the week and thereby maximise their learning; the provision did not include experience in the scientific area of learning; the needs of students with statements of special educational needs were not being fulfilled and the school was not meeting the learning needs of those students who were persistently absent. The school planned to review and improve the curriculum and now meets these requirements. It has reorganised the timetable to provide students with a broader and balanced timetable of daily lessons. From September 2011, the school has offered students GCSE courses in English, mathematics, science, information and communication technology (ICT) and citizenship. Together with other timetabled provision, this means that

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action plan

students now have experience of all the required areas of learning. The school continues to provide vocational courses that prepare students for the next stage of their education and the world of work. The needs of students with statements of special education needs have been reviewed in conjunction with the local referring authorities and appropriate adjustments made so that the requirements of statements are fully met. The development of further academic courses has enabled the school to provide a better match of work to students’ needs, including those identified as higher attainers. A multi-agency approach to supporting persistent long- term absentees is now in place, with the school providing coursework for students to complete.

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action plan

There were shortcomings in the quality of teaching and assessment at the time of the November 2010 inspection. Teachers were not making sufficient use of information about what students knew and could do in planning their next steps in learning, and the marking of students’ work did not give sufficient guidance on how students might improve their work. There were insufficient learning resources, including computers. The school planned to improve the use of assessment information, to record the verbal feedback given to students so as to improve marking, and to enhance the resources. Through implementing the plan, the teachers’ use of assessment information has improved, as has the quality of marking. Comments guiding students as to how they can improve their work are helping both teachers and students improve the pace of learning and the rate of progress in lessons. An increased emphasis on students’ use of computers for research and

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action plan

presenting their work, together with the installation of a multimedia interactive board in the main classroom, has increased the range and quality of learning. The increased use of information and communication technology has brought additional teaching and learning resources into classrooms, so that resources are now satisfactory. Independent school progress monitoring inspection report The inspection in November 2010 found that there was a lack of outdoor space on the school site where students could play and spend their leisure time safely. The school has been actively seeking alternative premises where there will be sufficient outdoor space available. This has yet to come to fruition and the regulation remains unmet.

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action plan

Shortcomings in the information made available to parents, carers and others at the time of the inspection in November 2010 have now been addressed in the latest edition of the information documents for parents and the requirements are now met.

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Compliance with regulatory requirements

As a result of this inspection, the school must take action to meet The Education (Independent School Standards) (England) Regulations 2010 3 (‘the Regulations’), as follows:

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Compliance with regulatory requirements

 make appropriate arrangements for providing outside space where students can play safely (paragraph 23(s)).

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Compliance with regulatory requirements

3 www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2010/1997/contents/made Independent school progress monitoring inspection report

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School details

Number on roll (full-time pupils) Boys: 10 Girls: 1 Total: 11

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School details

Number of pupils with a statement of special educational needs Boys: 3 Girls: 0 Total: 3

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School details

Number of pupils who are looked after Boys: 3 Girls: 0 Total: 3

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School details

Annual fees (full-time day pupils) £10,800

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School details

Annual fees (part-time day pupils) £90 per day

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School details

Address of school 132-134 Powis Street Woolwich, London SE18 6NL

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School details

Proprietor Banjo Aromolaran and Ursula Grant

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