The Key Education Centre

Age group 5–16 Inspection date(s) 23–24 January 2012 Inspection number 381563 Quayside Education Centre Inspection report

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Unique reference number 133778 Local authority Hampshire Inspection number 381563 Inspection dates 23–24 January 2012 Lead inspector Charles Hackett

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This inspection of the school was carried out under section 5 of the Education Act 2005.

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Type of school Pupil referral unit School category Pupil referral unit Age range of pupils 5–16 Gender of pupils Mixed

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Appropriate authority The local authority

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Headteacher Linda Alavi Date of previous school inspection 25–26 November 2008 School address Mill Lane Gosport PO12 4AF

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Telephone number 023 9252 8653 Fax number 0239 2529748 Email address head@quayside.gosport.sch.uk 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. Further copies of this report are obtainable from the school. Under the Education Act 2005, the school must provide a copy of this report free of charge to certain categories of people. A charge not exceeding the full cost of reproduction may be made for any other copies supplied.

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T: 0300 123 4234 Textphone: 0161 618 8524 E: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk W: www.ofsted.gov.uk You can use Parent View to give Ofsted your opinion on your child’s school. Ofsted will use the information parents and carers provide when deciding which schools to inspect and when.

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You can also use Parent View to find out what other parents and carers thi nk about schools in England. You can visit www.parentview.ofsted.gov.uk, or look for the link on the main Ofsted website: www.ofsted.gov.uk

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Introduction

This inspection was carried out with two days’ notice. The inspectors visited eight lessons and observed six teachers and two instructors. Meetings were held with staff, the chair of the management committee and a representative of the local authority. Discussions were held with students about their work and their views of the school.

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Introduction

The inspectors took account of the responses to the online questionnaire (Parent View) in planning the inspection, observed the school’s work, and looked at students’ work and information on their progress; safeguarding policies and other documents were evaluated. Questionnaires completed by 11 parents and carers, 18 staff and 23 students were scrutinised.

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Information about the school

Quayside is a larger than average pupil referral unit (PRU). It provides four distinctly different services. At its Gosport site it provides for over 40 secondary students who have either been permanently excluded from mainstream school or are at risk of exclusion. At a site in Fareham it caters for secondary students deemed to be emotionally vulnerable because of medical or mental health issues. All students admitted to the Fareham centre have a record of less than 20% attendance at their previous mainstream school. The third facility provided is a team of seven teachers who offer one-to-one teaching for students with extreme emotional or medical needs which prevent them from accessing any other form of education. These students are usually taught in their own homes. This service provides for primary and secondary students, although currently there is only one Key Stage 2 primary student being supported. The final aspect of the PRU is an outreach service provided by a

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Information about the school

behaviour support worker for up to 27 students per term attending mainstream schools but experiencing some difficulties with their placements. These students are not on the roll of the PRU and as a result this aspect of the centre was not inspected. Only a very few students are admitted with disabilities or special educational needs. Likewise there are few students supported who are in the care of the local authority. The centre does not meet the current floor standard. Inspection grades: 1 is outstanding, 2 is good, 3 is satisfactory, and 4 is inadequate Please turn to the glossary for a description of the grades and inspection terms

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Key findings

 Quayside Education Centre is a satisfactory pupil referral unit. Its key strength lies in the success it has in re-engaging students back into education. For most students this means they start to learn and make progress after lengthy periods out of education.  Leadership and management are effective. The headteacher and her senior colleagues have a clear vision for their work. In the headteacher's words, their agenda is to ‘change the lives of students’. Success in achieving this stems from the meticulous plans made to welcome students into each centre or arrange their home tuition.  The achievement of most students is at least satisfactory and for some it is good. A significant achievement for many is the opportunity they gain, because of the progress they make, to return to a mainstream setting or, for those leaving Year 11, the chance to successfully move on to college or employment training.  Behaviour and safety are good and records show that over time students make

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Key findings

good improvements in their behaviour, attendance and attitudes to learning. For those students who attend the Fareham centre, the improvement to their attendance is often exceptional.  Systems to record and track the progress of each individual student are rigorous but the data generated are not sufficiently analysed to allow the centre to routinely know whether its effectiveness is the same for all groups of students.  Teaching is satisfactory and in some subjects, such as English and science at the Gosport centre, good. Usually teachers challenge students to achieve to their full potential, but there are a few occasions when work does not always match the different ability levels of students in each class.  The accommodation at both Gosport and Fareham, identified in previous inspections as a significant barrier to students’ learning, remains a concern despite the best efforts of staff. It means the curriculum, although satisfactory,

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Key findings

has limitations for the teaching of some subjects. Inspection grades: 1 is outstanding, 2 is good, 3 is satisfactory, and 4 is inadequate Please turn to the glossary for a description of the grades and inspection terms

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Key findings

Schools whose overall effectiveness is judged satisfactory may receive a monitoring visit by an Ofsted inspector before their next section 5 inspection.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 During the current academic year, strengthen the systems used to analyse and compare the progress of different groups of students, such as those in the care of the local authority or those with disabilities or special educational needs.  Give priority this term to ensuring that all teachers consistently make full use of known assessment information on each student to set tasks that match their ability and challenge them to achieve.  Extend the curriculum opportunities for students at the Gosport and Fareham centres, ensuring that there are greater opportunities for all students to achieve well.

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Achievement of pupils

Well-established systems to track students’ achievements show that almost all make at least satisfactory progress while attached to the centre. Parents and carers support this view. Many students make good progress, particularly in English in Key Stage 4, where many achieve good GCSE results. The few primary pupils supported by the one-to-one tuition service make satisfactory progress, including in their reading. Attainment, including in reading, is broadly average but varies significantly due to the very wide range of students the centre supports.

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Achievement of pupils

Typically in lessons students work hard to complete the tasks set for them. For example, in a lesson at Gosport where students were working towards a Certificate of Personal Effectiveness (CoPE) course, they industriously tackled a range of individual projects which varied from presenting the key components of a BMX bike to the development of a baby from conception to birth. Similarly, in a lesson at the Fareham site, Year 10 students engaged positively in a discussion about use of language and the poetry of Wilfred Owen.

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Achievement of pupils

Personalised learning programmes are established as soon as students join the centre. Some of these appropriately involve continuing with courses that students had started in a mainstream setting. For example, two Year 10 students observed in science were working individually on different topics, both with the purpose of filling in the gaps in their knowledge and coursework for their GCSE course. They were both making good progress in narrowing the gap to their nationally expected attainment levels. The centre addresses weaknesses in reading well by supporting students who have poor understanding of letters and sounds. For example, a secondary student is now making good progress in blending sounds and starting to read simple words. Inspection grades: 1 is outstanding, 2 is good, 3 is satisfactory, and 4 is inadequate Please turn to the glossary for a description of the grades and inspection terms

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Achievement of pupils

The progress of each student is considered very carefully and regular review meetings are held to monitor progress. Individual education plans contain clear and appropriate improvement targets but the achievement of these is not recorded carefully enough to provide additional evidence that demonstrates the progress students are making. However, the wealth of available data shows that there is no significant variation between different groups of students, including those with disabilities or special educational needs and those taught in their own homes, and that all achieve satisfactorily.

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Quality of teaching

The quality of teaching is satisfactory and on occasions good. Parents and carers acknowledge this. Typically teachers seek to engage students in learning by making lessons interesting. In a mathematics lesson at the Fareham centre, students enjoyed trying to calculate the volume of real-life solid shapes, such as sweets. Often teachers make good use of what the initial assessment has told them about the ability of each student. As a result, they prepare their lessons based on these known levels, seeking to encourage students to achieve even further. For example, in a Key Stage 4 English lesson, one student, with the support of a teaching assistant, worked very well on a review of the film she had watched recently, while two other students were challenged by the teacher to reflect on what constituted a hero, linking this with information about the Holocaust. There are occasions, though, where students

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Quality of teaching

of different abilities in the same class are set the same tasks and this fails to ensure that all are challenged sufficiently. Good verbal support is provided to students on the quality of their work but marking does not always provide students with sufficient guidance as to what they need to do to improve their work further.

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Quality of teaching

Teaching assistants are fully involved in supporting students to learn. They rightly feel valued members of staff because teachers ensure that they are very clear about what the learning objectives are for each student. A good emphasis is placed on supporting students’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development through the positive approach taken by staff to developing students’ confidence by challenging them to try a range of different tasks. Work in life skills promotes this well, such as in a lesson at Fareham where students were challenged to select a balanced meal from a menu. They achieved this well.

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Quality of teaching

The personalised curriculum gives students good opportunities to achieve in a range of external accredited courses and examinations. Particularly effective opportunities exist for Key Stage 4 students to attend college and vocational preparation courses. The poor accommodation at both the Gosport and Fareham centres limits opportunities at these centres but, because of the efforts of staff, students make at least satisfactory progress.

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Behaviour and safety of pupils

Students, parents and carers all stress that behaviour, attendance and attitudes to learning improve over time following placement at the centre. Data collected through Inspection grades: 1 is outstanding, 2 is good, 3 is satisfactory, and 4 is inadequate Please turn to the glossary for a description of the grades and inspection terms

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Behaviour and safety of pupils

the school’s detailed programme for tracking students’ performance confirm these improvements and that behaviour over time is good. Students are motivated to achieve their maximum points in lessons and this often means that staff can focus on learning rather than managing behaviour. During the inspection, behaviour was good in all but one lesson observed. Students were courteous and polite to visitors and keen to show and discuss their work. In lessons, students usually work alone but when asked to work together they cooperate well with each other. Understandably, incidents of poor behaviour have occurred and the centre takes appropriate action to address these. Short-term sanctions, such as students attending for lessons when other students have left, are usually effective but, where necessary, temporary exclusions are used. Bullying of any type, including, for example, name calling or physical intimidation, is rare and when it does occur it is addressed promptly and

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Behaviour and safety of pupils

with appropriate seriousness by staff; both victim and perpetrator are provided with individual support programmes to resolve situations.

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Behaviour and safety of pupils

Safety is given a high priority throughout the centres. Risk assessments are rigorous and this ensures that even those more vulnerable students at the Fareham centre are able to join with other students in lessons. For all students, especially those at the Fareham centre, attendance has been a real issue prior to joining the PRU. Many make dramatic improvements and this contributes to them being offered college and work-experience placements. Parents and carers are very pleased with these improvements: one commented, ‘Having her get up and actually say she wants to go to school is wonderful.’

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Leadership and management

Since the previous inspection the centre has maintained its effectiveness in meeting the needs of students for whom other educational provision has been unsuccessful. Leadership and management continue to have a positive impact on the quality of education and care provided by the centre. Observations of lessons have been frequent and rigorous feedback given on different aspects of teachers’ work. Where weaker aspects have been identified, effective training programmes have been put in place and if this has not been effective, appropriate action has been taken. Since the previous inspection, the level of support for each individual student has been maintained and importantly the school is now within sight of moving to new purpose- built accommodation. The present accommodation has been a significant barrier to securing greater improvements over time and the imminent move to new accommodation significantly strengthens the centre’s capacity to improve further.

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Leadership and management

Self-evaluation is satisfactory. However, data are not fully utilised to regularly compare the progress of different groups, for example those looked after by the local authority, or to identify opportunities for raising achievement further.

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Leadership and management

The management committee has been very active in supporting the need for new accommodation. Together with senior staff, it has appropriately put a key focus on safeguarding. This has included establishing risk assessments for each student to ensure their safety at all times. The excellent knowledge staff have of each student is Inspection grades: 1 is outstanding, 2 is good, 3 is satisfactory, and 4 is inadequate Please turn to the glossary for a description of the grades and inspection terms

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Leadership and management

used very well to ensure equality of opportunity and eliminate the possibility of any form of discrimination.

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Leadership and management

The curriculum is satisfactory. It appropriately has a strong focus on engaging students in learning and preparing them for either a return to a mainstream school or a place at college or with a vocational training provider. The success of this is shown by the high numbers that move on to mainstream or special schools and the consistently very small number of students not in employment, education or training each year. However, shortcomings in the present accommodation limit curriculum opportunities. The promotion of students’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is effective. Daily group meetings help students to focus on moral and social issues and projects chosen, such as the current focus on the Holocaust, deepen their understanding of significant events in world history.

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Leadership and management

The headteacher has been particularly successfully at engaging parents and carers in the education of their children. Home visits prior to a student starting with the centre help to build the confidence and respect of parents and carers. All who responded to the inspection questionnaire were very positive about the quality of the centre’s work. ‘They are a fantastic school’ is typical of the comments made.

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Grade Judgement Description

Grade 1 Outstanding These features are highly effective. An outstanding school provides exceptionally well for all its pupils’ needs. Grade 2 Good These are very positive features of a school. A school that is good is serving its pupils well. Grade 3 Satisfactory These features are of reasonable quality. A satisfactory school is providing adequately for its pupils. Grade 4 Inadequate These features are not of an acceptable standard. An inadequate school needs to make significant improvement in order to meet the needs of its pupils. Ofsted inspectors will make further visits until it improves.

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Type of school Outstanding Good Satisfactory Inadequate

Nursery schools 46 46 8 0 Primary schools 8 47 40 5 Secondary schools 14 38 40 8 Special schools 28 48 20 4 Pupil referral units 15 50 29 5 All schools 11 46 38 6

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Type of school Outstanding Good Satisfactory Inadequate

New school inspection arrangements have been introduced from 1 January 2012. This means that inspectors make judgements that were not made previously. The data in the table above are for the period 1 September 2010 to 31 August 2011 and represent judgements that were made under the school inspection arrangements that were introduced on 1 September 2009. These data are consistent with the latest published official statistics about maintained school inspection outcomes (see www.ofsted.gov.uk). The sample of schools inspected during 2010/11 was not representative of all schools nationally, as weaker schools are inspected more frequently than good or outstanding schools. Primary schools include primary academy converters. Secondary schools include secondary academy converters, sponsor-led academies and city technology colleges. Special schools include special academy converters and non-maintained special schools.

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Type of school Outstanding Good Satisfactory Inadequate

Percentages are rounded and do not always add exactly to 100.

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Common terminology used by inspectors

Achievement: the progress and success of a pupil in their learning and development taking account of their attainment.

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Common terminology used by inspectors

Attainment: the standard of the pupils’ work shown by test and examination results and in lessons.

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Common terminology used by inspectors

Attendance: the regular attendance of pupils at school and in lessons, taking into account the school’s efforts to encourage good attendance.

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Common terminology used by inspectors

Behaviour: how well pupils behave in lessons, with emphasis on their attitude to learning. Pupils’ punctuality to lessons and their conduct around the school.

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Common terminology used by inspectors

Capacity to improve: the proven ability of the school to continue improving based on its self-evaluation and what the school has accomplished so far and on the quality of its systems to maintain improvement.

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Common terminology used by inspectors

Leadership and management: the contribution of all the staff with responsibilities, not just the governors and headteacher, to identifying priorities, directing and motivating staff and running the school.

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Common terminology used by inspectors

Learning: how well pupils acquire knowledge, develop their understanding, learn and practise skills and are developing their competence as learners.

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Common terminology used by inspectors

Overall effectiveness: inspectors form a judgement on a school’s overall effectiveness based on the findings from their inspection of the school.

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Common terminology used by inspectors

Progress: the rate at which pupils are learning in lessons and over longer periods of time. It is often measured by comparing the pupils’ attainment at the end of a key stage with their attainment when they started.

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Common terminology used by inspectors

Safety: how safe pupils are in school, including in lessons; and their understanding of risks. Pupils’ freedom from bullying and harassment. How well the school promotes safety, for example e-learning.

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carers to share with their children. It describes Ofsted’s

main findings from the inspection of their school.

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carers to share with their children. It describes Ofsted’s

Inspection of Quayside Education Centre, Gosport PO12 4A F

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carers to share with their children. It describes Ofsted’s

Thank you for being so helpful when we came to visit your school. We know many of you consider the school to be good but our overall judgement is that the centre is satisfactory. The success so many students have in being able to either return to a mainstream school or move on to college is obviously, though, good to see.

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carers to share with their children. It describes Ofsted’s

We can see that you work hard and that there are good improvements in both your behaviour and attendance. We consider both your achievements and the quality of teaching to be satisfactory. The accommodation has a negative impact on what you can do and we were very pleased to hear about your imminent move to a new purpose-built site. The centre has continued to support the individual needs of all of you since its last inspection. Much of this is due to the work of the headteacher and her senior colleagues. To be even better, we have suggested three areas of improvement to the school.

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carers to share with their children. It describes Ofsted’s

 Develop a more effective system of analysing your progress.  Ensure that all teachers consistently make full use of known assessment information on all of you in planning their lessons.  Extend the curriculum opportunities for those of you at the Gosport and Fareham centres.

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carers to share with their children. It describes Ofsted’s

We do hope that you continue to work hard in your studies and that you are all successful when it comes to taking examinations.

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carers to share with their children. It describes Ofsted’s

Charles Hackett Lead inspector procedures set out in the guidance 'Complaining about inspections', which is available from Ofsted’s website: www.ofsted.gov.uk . If you would like Ofsted to send you a copy of the guidance, please telephone 0300 123 4234 , or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk .

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