Thamesfield College

North-East Surrey Secondary Short Stay School 174 Molesey Road, Hersham, Surrey, KT12 4QY

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Overall effectiveness

Previous inspection: Satisfactory 3 This inspection: Good 2 Achievement of pupils Good 2 Quality of teaching Good 2 Behaviour and safety of pupils Good 2 Leadership and management Good 2

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This is a good school because

 Students make good progress and levels of attainment have risen since the previous inspection.  Students’ skills in reading, writing, communication and mathematics improve substantially during their time in the school and that prepares them well for their next stage.  Teaching is now good. All staff work hard to ensure that the life chances for students who have often faced severe and acute problems are enhanced.  Students’ attendance has improved significantly. Their behaviour is now typically good.  Work with partnership secondary schools is particularly successful in ensuring that difficult behaviour is properly managed, thereby reducing the incidents of students being permanently excluded.  Leadership and management are good and enable most students on short-term placements to return successfully to mainstream schools. Those who leave at the end of Year 11 gain places in education, training or employment.

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It is not yet an outstanding school because

 In a small minority of lessons there are not enough opportunities for students to work independently because lessons proceed too slowly. Planned tasks are sometimes too easy.  The school collects and uses a range of information to check students’ progress, but the data are not easily accessible for all staff to use to set students targets and to check how well these are met.

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Information about this inspection

 The inspector observed ten lessons each led by a different teacher. Some of the lessons were jointly observed with senior members of staff.  Meetings were held with a member of the school’s management committee, with the local authority, members of staff, staff from partner schools and informally with students.  The inspector took account of 11 responses to the staff questionnaire. No responses were received to the on-line questionnaire (Parent View).  The inspector scrutinised examples of students’ past and present work and looked at various documents. These included the school’s self-evaluation and planning, arrangements for staff professional development, data on students’ progress and records relating to behaviour, progression, attendance and safeguarding.

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Inspection team

Bill Stoneham, Lead inspector Additional inspector

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Information about this school

 The school is part of the Inclusion Service for Surrey and is based at two sites 10 miles apart.  The aim of the service is to work with mainstream schools to avoid permanent exclusions.  Most students are in Key Stage 4 and boys are in the majority. The number of girls attending is rising and now exceeds 40%.  At Key Stage 3, students are usually dual-registered and attend the school on a part-time basis, with the rest of the time spent at their ‘home’ school.  Most students have special educational needs that are most usually associated with behavioural, emotional and social difficulties.  Most remain at the school for no more than one term, although there are some students who attend longer than this, especially in Key Stage 4.  The vast majority of students are of White British heritage. A small minority are from Traveller backgrounds.  The proportion of students eligible for the pupil premium varies with the nature of the different

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Information about this school

groups of students and is currently low. The local authority provides specific funding for each student at the unit that takes account of the pupil premium.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Raise students’ achievement further by eliminating inconsistencies in teaching, ensuring that in every lesson:  tasks meet the precise needs of each individual student  pace is brisk enough to offer good challenge and extend learning  planning includes plenty of opportunities for students to work independently and form ideas and answers for themselves.  Improve the effectiveness of checks on students’ learning and progress by ensuring that:  all staff understand how to make best use of the information available to raise students’ achievement  staff are aware of each student’s targets so that they are easily able to track their progress.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 Though standards are well below average, most students, including disabled students, those who have special educational needs, and those from Traveller heritages, make at least good progress.  Standards have risen well since the last inspection. In 2012 every leaver gained some form of worthwhile examination success. Some gained GCSE grades in English and/or mathematics at Grade C. This represents progress that is at least good.  Most students enter the school having experienced often severe disruption to their education. Some may not have attended school for very long periods of time. Many have considerable weaknesses in literacy and numeracy. In enabling these students to achieve well, the school successfully fosters good relationships, eliminating discrimination, and promotes equality of opportunity. Consequently, most make good progress in developing their skills in reading, writing, communication and mathematics because of the extensive arrangements that are in

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The achievement of pupils is good

place to foster improvement.  A number of students were heard to read aloud and the majority did so with confidence and enjoyment. A Key Stage 4 mathematics lesson on multiplying by fractions was characterised by rapid progress.  Students made good progress in a physical education theory lesson where they had to identify different bones and joints and explain their functions. The students enjoyed the challenges in this lesson and extended their knowledge of human anatomy.  Students are prepared well for the next stage of their education, training or employment.  The school has a good record of returning students to mainstream education. Rates of return are high and since the last inspection the percentage of Year 11 students leaving without a placement has fallen significantly. All 2012 Year 11 leavers had a place at college, in training or in employment.

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The quality of teaching is good

 Most lessons feature teaching and learning that are good; in a minority teaching and learning are outstanding.  Teaching in both centres, in both key stages and across most subjects of the curriculum, promotes good learning for all students, whatever their ability or ethnicity. Senior staff are fully aware of areas where teaching is less effective.  In most lessons expectations about what the students can do and achieve are at least good.  Lessons are usually well planned and delivered. Where teaching and learning are less effective, planning for individual needs lacks accuracy and students are offered insufficient scope to work independently and solve problems for themselves.  Where learning is less effective, pace is pedestrian and the set tasks lack challenge.  In the most effective lessons, expectations are high, students are expected to work independently on challenging tasks, and reading, writing, communication and mathematical skills

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The quality of teaching is good

are promoted well.  In an outstanding food technology session, tasks that promoted independent learning resulted in students’ rapid progress, not only in producing the cooked dish, but also in reading and following instructions. Interest was maintained and further learning fostered through questioning students about the techniques employed and how, if a white sauce tasted bland, it could be improved.  In the most effective lessons, spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is promoted very well. In an outstanding lesson discussing moral issues about presenting a truthful curriculum vitae, the students had to identify the skills and talents they could offer a prospective employer, developing self-esteem and confidence. In other lessons, consideration of moral issues about food production such as tuna fishing helped students develop their moral code.  Teachers regularly assess students’ work and offer a range of good advice as to how to improve.

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The quality of teaching is good

However, data gathered by managers are not available in an easily used or understood form. It is difficult for class teachers to access and to make comparisons. They cannot readily monitor the progress of individual students against their targets or across subjects.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

 The school successfully meets its core aim of motivating students and re-engaging them with education. During their time at the school, students’ attitudes and behaviour improve well and they regain interest in education.  Prior to joining the school, many students have experienced behavioural issues in their mainstream schools. Overall, they settle quickly into the well-established routines set by staff and their behaviour in the two centres, including lessons, is good.  The behaviour of students over time, around the two sites and in lessons is good. There is a strong emphasis on behaving well, showing respect and being polite. The successful nurturing of these attributes contributes well to the students’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development.  Attitudes to learning are positive. In their inspection questionnaires staff graded behaviour as being at least good and are happy with the way it is managed.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

 Relationships between students and between students and staff are good. Students say that they like and value their staff and feel respected.  Students told the inspector that bullying is rare and isolated incidents are dealt with quickly and appropriately. Students are aware of issues surrounding cyber bullying and internet safety, including the use of social networking sites. Procedures for controlling access to the internet are effective and robust.  Attendance has improved well since the previous inspection. A small number of students still find it difficult to attend regularly and punctually, but most have significantly improved records relating to attendance and punctuality to school and to lessons.  Students feel safe and secure at both sites. They report that they are given encouragement to take responsibility for their personal safety and well-being. Extensive work is undertaken in personal, social and health education to enable students to learn about the harmful effects of

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

unhealthy lifestyles, including alcohol and drug abuse.

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The leadership and management are good

 Leadership and management have been remodelled since the previous inspection and their effectiveness has increased. The headteacher accurately evaluates the school’s work and drives improvement effectively. She is well supported by the deputy headteacher for teaching and learning and all other staff.  Staff work very well together to ensure they help students to improve their life chances by gaining social skills and academic qualifications.  Outcomes have improved significantly since the previous inspection. Attendance is higher, behaviour is better, re-integration rates have improved significantly and most students now leave with some form of nationally recognised accreditation. Achievement in literacy and numeracy, in particular, has improved well.  Leadership and management of teaching and learning have been successful in raising standards. Setting targets for teachers and ensuring they receive good additional training works effectively

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The leadership and management are good

to improve the quality of lessons. Examination and other data are used well at a whole-school level to set targets and monitor performance. It is, however, not easy for class teachers to access such information so that they can monitor an individual’s progress on a day-to-day basis.  A key strength of the provision which is instrumental in ensuring that students re-engage with education is the quality of partnership work. The school works well in unison with a number of secondary schools to ensure that students’ needs are properly assessed and provided for. This work fosters good relationships and is reducing levels of permanent exclusions and ensuring that students follow courses of study appropriate to their individual needs.  An improved and well-planned curriculum meets students’ needs well and contributes to their good progress. It also provides thoroughly for their spiritual, moral, social and cultural

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The leadership and management are good

development. For example, there are good opportunities for physical activity. Long-distance hikes across the Surrey countryside and access to gymnasium facilities help to boost fitness, as well as responsibility and self-worth. The curriculum also enables students to work at an appropriate level for their needs, including GCSE examinations. This ensures that all students are given equal opportunity to learn, and that discrimination is not tolerated.  The governance of the school:  is undertaken by the local authority through a management committee which provides good support and ensures that the pupil premium paid to the ‘home’ school is spent well to support the learning of students who are known to qualify for it  fulfils its statutory duties in terms of safeguarding and appraisal of the headteacher  has ensured through its support that the school has improved since its previous inspection  is involved fully in the life of the school. It monitors its work well and provides effective

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The leadership and management are good

challenge and wide-ranging support to improve the outcomes for all students.

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Grade Judgement Description

Grade 1 Outstanding An outstanding school is highly effective in delivering outcomes that provide exceptionally well for all its pupils’ needs. This ensures that pupils are very well equipped for the next stage of their education, training or employment. Grade 2 Good A good school is effective in delivering outcomes that provide well for all its pupils’ needs. Pupils are well prepared for the next stage of their education, training or employment. Grade 3 Requires improvement A school that requires improvement is not yet a good school, but it is not inadequate. This school will receive a full inspection within 24 months from the date of this inspection. Grade 4 Inadequate A school that has serious weaknesses is inadequate overall and requires significant improvement but leadership and management are judged to be Grade 3 or better. This school will receive regular monitoring by Ofsted inspectors. A school that requires special measures is one where the school is

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Grade Judgement Description

failing to give its pupils an acceptable standard of education and the school’s leaders, managers or governors have not demonstrated that they have the capacity to secure the necessary improvement in the school. This school will receive regular monitoring by Ofsted inspectors.

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School details

Unique reference number 135891 Local authority Surrey Inspection number 406641

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School details

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

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School details

Type of school Pupil referral unit School category Pupil referral unit Age range of pupils 11–16 Gender of pupils Mixed Number of pupils on the school roll 18 Appropriate authority The local authority Chair Susan Simpson Headteacher Michelle Blackman Date of previous school inspection 30 November 2010 Telephone number 01932 229369 Fax number 01932 229369 Email address Michelle.blackman@surreycc.gov.uk guidance ‘raising concerns and making complaints about Ofsted', 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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School details

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 and as part of the inspection.

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School details

You can also use Parent View to find out what other parents and carers think 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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School details

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. If you would like a copy of this document in a different format, such as large print or Braille, please

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School details

telephone 0300 123 4234, or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk . You may copy all or parts of this document for non-commercial educational purposes, as long as you give details of the source and date of publication and do not alter the information in any way. To receive regular email alerts about new publications, including survey reports and school inspection reports, please visit our website and go to ‘Subscribe’.

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School details

T: 0300 123 4234 Textphone: 0161 618 8524 E: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk W: www.ofsted.gov.uk

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