Inspired Pathways

Hospital Education Centre Ward B5, University Hospitals, Coventry and Warwick NHS Trust, Coventry, CV2 2DX

p.1

Overall effectiveness

Previous inspection: Good 2 This inspection: Good 2 Achievement of pupils Good 2 Quality of teaching Good 2 Behaviour and safety of pupils Outstanding 1 Leadership and management Good 2

p.1

Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

This is a good school.  Pupils receiving hospital education and home tuition make good progress, despite the exceptional circumstances they face.  Pupils in hospital are assessed quickly and accurately and receive education on the ward or in the classroom as early as their first day of admission.  Teaching is of good quality and enables pupils who receive home tuition where possible to return to school successfully.  Leadership and management are strong and leaders have a good understanding of what needs to be done to improve further.  Pupils make outstanding progress in their personal and social development, due to the positive and supportive relationships staff establish with pupils.  The behaviour and safety of pupils are outstanding. They quickly develop positive attitudes to learning, due to the excellent individual care and support they receive, often having had negative previous experiences.  Staff work exceptionally well with health

p.1

Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

professionals and other schools for the benefit of pupils.  Parents hold the support they and their children receive in high esteem and view it as a lifeline.

p.1

It is not yet an outstanding school because

 Teachers do not use new technology, such as laptops, portable tablets or electronic readers, innovatively enough to support pupils’ learning on wards or in home tuition.  The confidence and knowledge of teachers to meet the needs of those pupils with the most complex learning needs are weak.  Uncertainty over the future of the classroom- based provision based at the hospital means that leaders are not able to plan for the long- term.  The service has not developed clear measures for the management committee to use in order for them to check the quality of its work.

p.1

Information about this inspection

 The inspector observed eight lessons, of which six were joint observations with the headteacher.  Three home visits were made to observe tuition in pupils’ homes.  Meetings were held with a member of the management committee and the school’s improvement adviser.  Discussions were held with senior leaders of the school and a representative of the local authority.  The inspector took account of parents’ responses from the school’s own survey. There were no comments made on the online questionnaire (Parent View).  The inspector looked at a range of school documentation including the school’s data on pupils’ progress, its self-evaluation, development plans and information relating to safeguarding of pupils.

p.2

Inspection team

Frank Price, Lead inspector Additional Inspector

p.2

Information about this school

 The Hospital Education Service is situated on three paediatric wards within a large general hospital.  Most patients are very short term admissions. On average 1800 children are hospitalised each year.  The service also provides home tuition for pupils from the City of Coventry who are unable to access their normal school temporarily due to accident or illness. The average length of time for these pupils is 20 weeks. Over an academic year on average 45 pupils are provided with home tuition.  The number of pupils for whom the service receives additional funding (the pupil premium) is very small.  Some pupils are taught by the same teachers in hospital and also on home tuition.  A very small number of pupils with severe or complex learning difficulties attend the hospital.  At the time of the inspection there were 10 pupils in hospital and 15 pupils receiving home tuition.  The health authority intends to reorganise the accommodation for education provision in the

p.3

What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Improve the quality of teaching, so more pupils make outstanding academic progress by  using information and communication technology more widely in both the hospital and home tuition settings  increasing the knowledge and confidence of teachers to teach those pupils who have complex and learning needs to accurately assess and provide suitable learning experiences for them  making sure the performance of teachers is aligned to the new Teachers’ Standards and leads to more outstanding teaching.

p.3

What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Collate and present information about pupils’ progress and achievement in a clear and simple way so that the management committee can measure the quality of the work of the service more easily.  Work with the management committee, local authority and health authority to secure the future of the hospital classroom facility.

p.3

The achievement of pupils is good

 Pupils make good academic progress. Those pupils who receive prolonged support from the service make good improvements to their grades. Often they exceed their initial predicted grades.

p.4

The achievement of pupils is good

 Pupils who are in hospital for a short stay make good progress and return to school not having missed too much work.

p.4

The achievement of pupils is good

 Pupils who are known to be eligible to receive additional funding make similar good progress to other pupils.

p.4

The achievement of pupils is good

 Most disabled pupils and those with special education needs make the same good progress as others. However, the very small number of pupils who have more complex learning needs make slower progress than others because teachers have not developed specialist strategies these pupils require.

p.4

The achievement of pupils is good

 In lessons, either in pupils’ homes, on the ward or in the hospital classroom, pupils are eager to learn and make good progress. In one home tuition lesson, a pupil was prepared very well for her mathematics examination the next day by ensuring she was confident to use the methods she had been taught to tackle algebra. In a science lesson on the hospital ward two pupils gained new knowledge in their understanding of gravity and healthy dietary requirements.

p.4

The achievement of pupils is good

 The service rightly considers English and mathematics to be priority subjects. Pupils read a wide range of different texts matched to their ability and they develop their mathematical knowledge well.

p.4

The achievement of pupils is good

 Despite interruptions to pupils’ learning through illness or other circumstances, many older pupils are able to gain creditable GCSE results particularly in English and mathematics.

p.4

The achievement of pupils is good

 Parents value the support their children receive. One parent commented, ’I didn’t know this service existed, but it is fantastic’.

p.4

The quality of teaching is good

 The quality of teaching is consistently good. There are pockets of outstanding teaching. The positive relationship between staff and pupils is fundamental to the good progress pupils make.

p.4

The quality of teaching is good

 Praise and encouragement are used liberally to develop pupils’ confidence to tackle problems. One pupil receiving home tuition was encouraged to study First World War poetry. By the end of the lesson he was able to articulate the methods used by poets to describe the horrors of the war.

p.4

The quality of teaching is good

 Staff use questioning exceptionally well to find out what pupils have been working on and their levels of ability. They then provide work which is tailored to the pupils’ needs. They step up the level of challenge quickly until the work is hard enough to stretch them.

p.4

The quality of teaching is good

 Teachers work extremely flexibly. For example, on the wards they adapt their teaching well to accommodate medical interruptions. Home tutors teach in pupils’ homes or where possible libraries or other suitable venues.  Computers are not used widely enough by teachers. This means most activities are work-sheet based and opportunities for pupils to access the internet from their bed or use electronic readers are not used enough.

p.4

The quality of teaching is good

 Teaching of disabled pupils and those with special educational needs is generally good. However, not all staff are confident or knowledgeable enough to know how to teach the few pupils who may be admitted to the hospital with severe and complex learning difficulties. For example not all teachers are aware of how to use sensory activities to obtain and assess responses of pupils and this slows down their potential progress.

p.5

The quality of teaching is good

 Teachers collaborate with medical staff well to ensure all pupils can access their education as effectively as possible.

p.5

The behaviour and safety of pupils are outstanding

 Behaviour is outstanding. Pupils are keen to learn given their circumstances. They apply themselves to lessons exceptionally well when in hospital or receiving home tuition.

p.5

The behaviour and safety of pupils are outstanding

 Pupils develop positive attitudes to work and each other. In the hospital, older children work happily with younger children in the classroom setting on the ward. However, these group learning experiences would not be possible if the current classroom base becomes no longer available.

p.5

The behaviour and safety of pupils are outstanding

 Where it is possible, pupils enjoy school trips and visits and this helps them to socialise and breakdown the sense of isolation that some pupils feel.

p.5

The behaviour and safety of pupils are outstanding

 An indication of the outstanding progress that pupils make in their personal development is the successful reintegration of pupils back into school. This is because they have been able to work on developing positive relationships and dealing with any anger management issues. Support is provided by the service to ensure that pupils can successfully remain in school.

p.5

The behaviour and safety of pupils are outstanding

 Ill-health affects the attendance of many pupils, but as their health improves, so does their attendance in lessons.

p.5

The behaviour and safety of pupils are outstanding

 Pupils often feel apprehensive when admitted to hospital. However, they are re-assured skilfully by the staff and they feel safe and secure as possible. All pupils remark how much they enjoy the education they receive and how much it helps them.

p.5

The behaviour and safety of pupils are outstanding

 One pupil, gained sufficient confidence to undertake work experience at a car showroom. This went well and represented a big step for him. The success of the placement built up his self- esteem and laid the foundations for him to thrive.

p.5

The behaviour and safety of pupils are outstanding

 The service spends its pupil premium money well to ensure that disadvantaged pupils attend theatre trips and participate in outdoor activities. This has boosted their self-esteem, their readiness to learn and their enjoyment of learning.

p.5

The leadership and management are good

 The headteacher provides good, confident leadership and management of a complex service. Parents, staff and the local authority rightly view the service as providing good support for children in difficult circumstances.  Senior leaders and the management committee have an accurate view of the strengths and areas for development for the service. This has been informed by a helpful external review, which confirms strengths and highlights points for improvement.

p.5

The leadership and management are good

 The setting of targets for teachers has ensured that teaching is consistently good, but has not promoted enough outstanding teaching. The service does not align the assessment of teachers’ objectives and their performance closely enough to the current Teachers’ Standards

p.6

The leadership and management are good

 Additional training for staff has been identified to help them to develop their skills and knowledge in teaching pupils with complex learning difficulties.

p.6

The leadership and management are good

 The spending of additional funds on pupils who are entitled to it has been effective in providing additional experiences to promote both their social development and to bring interest to subjects such as history.

p.6

The leadership and management are good

 The headteacher and the management committee are keen to secure the future of the hospital education classroom, which is planned to be much reduced under the current proposals, so that group learning and social interactions can continue to be provided.

p.6

The leadership and management are good

 The local authority has provided the service with light touch support and made available resources to enable the service to benefit from external advice and support.

p.6

The leadership and management are good

 The range of subjects offered are well suited to the needs of pupils. There is a strong emphasis on English and mathematics, but also wider opportunities are provided to provide interest for pupils and prepare them to return to school successfully.

p.6

The leadership and management are good

 The governance of the school:  The management committee has given good support to the headteacher. It has ensured that the service continues to provide a good quality of education. Members of the committee have good firsthand knowledge of the hospital provision, but their direct experience of home tuition is less well informed. They have a clear understanding of the service’s strengths, particularly the quality of teaching and areas for improvement. They have made sure that the setting of objectives for teachers also includes home tutors. They have a good understanding of setting targets for teachers and that the match between pay and their performance is well judged. The management committee is supportive of the leaders, although it finds challenge and holding the service to account more difficult than it should be as important information on the quality of teaching and achievement is not presented in a clear and simple way.

p.6

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

p.7

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.

p.7

School details

Unique reference number 134970 Local authority Coventry Inspection number 402658

p.8

School details

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

p.8

School details

Type of school PRU School category Pupil Referral Unit Age range of pupils 4–16 Gender of pupils Mixed Number of pupils on the school roll 25 Appropriate authority The local authority Chair Rita Stewart Headteacher Anne Walker Date of previous school inspection 09 March 2010 Telephone number 024 76337734 Fax number 024 76337734 Email address anne.walker@coventry.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 .

p.8

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.

p.9

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

p.9

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

p.9

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’.

p.9

School details

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

p.9