The Tutorial Foundation

The Tutorial Foundation 76 Freelands Road, Bromley, BR1 3HY

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Overall effectiveness Good 2

Pupils’ achievement Good 2 Pupils’ behaviour and personal development Good 2 Quality of teaching Good 2 Quality of curriculum Good 2 Pupils’ welfare, health and safety Good 2 Leadership and management Good 2

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This school is good because

 Most of the teaching is good or better and enables students to make good progress in their learning in relation to mostly low starting points.  The good curriculum is adapted effectively to serve the short- and long-term needs of students well.  Students’ personal development, including their behaviour and attendance, improves significantly after joining the school.  Students are cared for well and arrangements to promote their welfare, health and safety are very effective.  Senior leaders have a very accurate view of the school’s strengths and priorities for further development. They have established a culture of continuous improvement and effective systems to secure these improvements. This has had a significant impact on the quality of teaching and achievement.

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It is not yet outstanding because

 Although most teaching is good or better, there is a very small minority of teaching that is only adequate.  The support given to the very few students who join with very low reading and writing skills does not enable them to make more than adequate progress.  Curricular targets are not used routinely to give students a clearer picture of what exactly they need to do to improve.  The information from assessments is not used sharply and regularly enough to support teachers’ already good understanding of students’ needs.

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Compliance with regulatory requirements

 The school meets schedule 1 of The Education (Independent School Standards) (England) Regulations 2010, as amended by The Education (Independent School Standards) (England) (Amendment) Regulations 2012 (‘the independent school standards’) and associated requirements.

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Information about this inspection

 The inspection was carried out with one day’s notice.  The inspector observed eight lessons taught by eight different teachers. Meetings were held with the headteacher, teaching staff and students. Documentation and policies, including those relating to safeguarding and welfare, health and safety, were scrutinised.  A selection of students’ written and other work was examined, as well as curriculum plans, teachers’ assessments and examination results.  The inspector also took account of the responses in 10 questionnaires completed by staff and took into consideration the views of parents, carers and students .

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Inspection team

Michèle Messaoudi, Lead inspector Additional Inspector

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Information about this school

 The Tutorial Foundation is a day independent school registered to provide education for up to 34 pupils with behavioural, emotional and social difficulties (BESD), who are aged from five to 19 years. It has existed for 30 years providing tuition for pupils after school and at weekends but in June 2008 a school was registered separately. It is located in a large house on a residential street in the London Borough of Bromley. The headteacher is also one of the proprietors of the school.  The school had its first full inspection in November 2009 when it met most of the regulations for independent schools. An inspection visit to monitor its progress in implementing its action plan took place in October 2010.  There are currently 23 boys and girls on roll aged from 11 to 19 years, eight of whom attend part time. Most students are of White British heritage. Four are in the care of the local authority

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Information about this school

that places them in this school.  Most students have a statement of special educational needs.  The education of these students has severely been disrupted, mainly as a result of their challenging behaviour. Students are generally placed in the school for periods of over six months but sometimes less.  The school uses alternative provision to support its teaching of physical education and practical science.  The school’s mission statement is: ‘To strive to improve the vocational, economic and social future of our pupils by providing a congenial learning environment and by creating an atmosphere of tolerance and respect for all, where everyone, irrespective of ability, can realise their potential, make valuable contributions and become responsible citizens of the future.’

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Address the issues that make the very small minority of teaching no better than adequate.  Use curricular targets routinely with students to give them a clearer picture of exactly what they need to do to improve so that they can make outstanding progress.  Improve the support given to those students who join the school with very low reading and writing skills to enable them to make at least good progress.  Use information from assessments more sharply and regularly to further support teachers’ already good understanding of students’ evolving needs.

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Pupils’ achievement Good

Students’ achievement is good. Students re-engage with learning swiftly, following long periods of disruption in their education or non-attendance, owing to good teaching, a good curriculum and a good level of care. Students make good progress over the time they spend in the school in relation to their varying starting points. Many students join with literacy and numeracy skills that are below age expectations and make good progress with these skills, owing to daily opportunities to read aloud and to write. Consequently, they gain confidence and most make good progress in these basic skills. However, a very few students, who join with reading and writing skills that are much below age-related expectations, receive just enough support to make adequate rather than good progress in reading and writing. There is an appropriate emphasis on developing students’ literacy and numeracy skills in subjects other than English and mathematics and students have a wide

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Pupils’ achievement Good

range of daily opportunities to develop their communication skills and rehearse their ideas before tackling tasks.

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Pupils’ achievement Good

On the basis of information from initial and on-going assessments, the school carefully identifies appropriate courses that enable the vast majority of students to achieve rapid success. The progress of a minority is outstanding. The proportion of students taking GCSE examinations has increased over the last three years and so has the proportion of C and B grades. Students are supported well to make informed decisions about their future through very effective careers advice. Consequently, those who complete their education at the school leave with a good range of accredited qualifications and move on to college or employment.

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Pupils’ behaviour and personal development Good

Students’ behaviour and personal development are good and show a marked improvement since joining the school. In particular, the staff are extremely successful in re-engaging students in learning and supporting them in acquiring the basic skills they need for their future economic well- being. Students speak highly of the staff and feel they are treated with respect. Consequently, they regain confidence in themselves and take pride in their achievements. Students are self-assured and polite when talking to visitors and show that they can present their views in a thoughtful and balanced way. They are supported well by teachers and key workers to develop organisational and study skills. Parents, carers and students express a high level of satisfaction with this aspect of the school’s work. Most students attend regularly and the attendance of most is good. Those who had a history of non-attendance at their previous school make good, albeit erratic, progress in their

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Pupils’ behaviour and personal development Good

attendance and punctuality and are supported effectively by mentors.

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Pupils’ behaviour and personal development Good

Through the programme of personal, social, health and citizenship education (PSHCE), students learn about various forms of bullying and also how to manage their anger. They have access to a counsellor on request. As a result, bullying is rare and when it happens, both teachers and students work in cooperation to deal it with effectively. Students feel free from harassment and generally get on well with each other. Students find the reward and sanction system very effective and their behaviour is mostly good throughout the day and often outstanding in lessons. Students’ behaviour is occasionally only adequate at break times when they have access to limited activities. Students are given regular reports of the progress they make in their attendance, behaviour and academic progress, which encourages them to improve.

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Pupils’ behaviour and personal development Good

Students’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is good and promoted well through the curriculum, weekly assemblies and enrichment activities. Most students participate in the Duke of Edinburgh’s Award scheme and thoroughly enjoy the challenges of working towards the bronze award, recognising that they develop self-discipline, self-esteem, self-confidence and a strong sense of social and moral responsibility through the scheme’s activities. While working towards the bronze award, students volunteer to collect rubbish and plant trees in the local community, develop physical and new skills such as fishing and a new language, and extend their teamwork and leadership skills during a camping expedition. They also practise citizenship in school when electing the head student, who represents their views, or when participating in surveys carried out by the school. Consequently, they feel listened to. The school takes effective steps to ensure that

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Pupils’ behaviour and personal development Good

partisan political views are not promoted in and out of lessons and that all students respect the fundamental British values of democracy and tolerance of those with different faiths and beliefs. Students learn about public institutions through PSHCE, visits from a wide range of public service officers and off-site visits, including to the Houses of Parliament. Students’ cultural development is promoted well through the curriculum and visits to theatres, museums and paralympic events. Their multicultural awareness is raised through assemblies, for example on the Chinese New Year and Sikhism, through art, citizenship and cooking.

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Quality of teaching Good

The quality of teaching and assessment is good and the failings reported in the last inspection have been addressed. Teachers deploy enormous amounts of energy and skills to successfully re- engage students in learning. They have high expectations of what students can achieve and students make good progress. They skilfully balance very focused learning with the use of humour to create a purposeful but relaxed environment which keeps students interested. They are very attentive to students’ mood changes and use very effective strategies to promote high standards of behaviour. Lessons are conducted at a good pace, which helps students to concentrate. Teachers use resources effectively to support students’ learning through practical activities whenever possible. They ask students probing questions to deepen or check on their understanding of the subject matter. Teachers generally have a good understanding of students’ needs and current

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Quality of teaching Good

attainment and generally pitch lessons at the right level to enable students to make good progress. They promote students’ literacy skills regularly by listening to them read aloud and setting tasks that require skimming a text and using the information to solve problems.

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Quality of teaching Good

Where the teaching is outstanding, teachers listen to students’ responses very carefully and re- shape questions or tasks swiftly to clarify concepts and match students’ needs with consistent accuracy while providing sustained challenge. In such cases, students make outstanding progress in their knowledge and skills. However, there remains a very small minority of teaching that is only adequate. On these occasions, students’ progress slows down and is only adequate, either because the tasks through which they work are not sufficiently demanding or because students are not always sufficiently involved in discussion to rehearse their ideas and extend their knowledge.

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Quality of teaching Good

Systems to assess students’ learning and track their progress provide helpful information which is used by teachers to meet students’ needs effectively and by students to understand how well they are doing. Students are helped to make good progress through detailed verbal feedback, some constructive written comments and curricular targets. However, these targets are not used routinely to give students a clearer picture of exactly what to do to improve and lift their standards even more swiftly and so enable them to make outstanding progress. Also, the information from assessments used to track students’ progress is not always used sufficiently sharply and regularly to better support teachers’ already good understanding of students’ evolving needs.

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Quality of curriculum Good

The curriculum has much improved since the last inspection and is now good. It is broad and balanced and includes all the required areas of learning for all key stages. In Key Stage 4, the range of subjects examined at GCSE level has widened with the addition of physical education and there are plans in hand to introduce the European Computer Driving Licence as an alternative to the GCSE course in information and communication technology. Vocational subjects are available on request. Post-16 students typically choose between English, mathematics, environmental science, biology, business studies, geography and history at AS and A levels, and, again, the school makes other subjects available on request. PSHCE makes an extremely positive impact on students’ personal development education and benefits from the introduction of the Duke of Edinburgh’s Award scheme. The curriculum is enriched well by off-site visits and contributions from a wide

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Quality of curriculum Good

The curriculum is suitably modified to meet students’ individual needs and help them fill the gaps in their education. The construction of individual timetables and provision of one-to-one tuition or small teaching groups support students’ re-engagement in learning well. There is an appropriate emphasis on developing students’ communication, reading, writing and mathematical skills and on applying these skills in all subjects. The planning of subjects is based on National Curriculum or examination board guidance and indicates clear progression of learning. Students keep track of the curriculum areas which they cover by having an overview of the schemes of work at the front of their subject folders. The curriculum is appropriately monitored by the headteacher and heads of department and reviewed regularly to meet the changing needs of students.

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Quality of curriculum Good

The school has improved its range of resources to teach the curriculum, particularly in English, where a bank of resources has been built to support students’ reading and writing skills. However, these resources only give adequate support to those few students who join with reading and writing skills that are much below age-related expectations.

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Pupils’ welfare, health and safety Good

The provision for welfare, health and safety is good, including the arrangements for child protection, which is an improvement since the last inspection. Recruitment procedures meet requirements and all the required checks on staff are recorded in the correct manner in a single central register. Staff, including the designated person for child protection, have received training in safeguarding at the appropriate levels. All the essential policies and procedures aimed at protecting students and minimising risks, including those for anti-bullying, discipline, health and safety, first aid and child protection, are up to date and implemented consistently. Students say they feel safe and well cared for and they trust the school to handle concerns effectively. Parents and carers share this view. The introduction of a key worker system has had a positive impact on students’ well-being and academic progress. Risk assessments for off-site visits have recently

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Pupils’ welfare, health and safety Good

improved and now also include risk assessments for individual students. Supervision is vigilant on and off site.

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Pupils’ welfare, health and safety Good

Students benefit from a well-thought-out programme taught with the added support of public service officers and designed to encourage them to adopt healthy lifestyles, keep safe in the community and manage their anger. The school meets the independent school standards.

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Leadership and management Good

The quality of leadership and management is good. Since the last inspection, effective arrangements have been introduced for the performance management of teaching staff, including the evaluation of the quality of teaching and the effectiveness of the headteacher’s leadership. Effective arrangements for evaluating the overall effectiveness of the school have also been introduced. As a result, the quality of teaching has improved and is now good. The curriculum has broadened and covers all the required areas of learning and students now achieve well, with an increased proportion taking GCSEs. The systems to provide pastoral care have developed further, resulting in students’ good behaviour and improved attendance. Senior leaders show a good understanding of how to further improve the school and are supported effectively by a written development plan. The school has strong partnerships with parents, carers, placing authorities and

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Leadership and management Good

other agencies for the benefit of all students.

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Leadership and management Good

The indoor premises provide suitable teaching accommodation for small group or one-to-one work, and safe and effective learning. The outdoor space has been re-surfaced to provide safe outdoor play for all age groups. The school makes effective use of local facilities for physical activities and practical science. Parents, carers, placing authorities, staff and students receive the required information about the school. A suitable complaints procedure is implemented correctly to manage complaints fairly and swiftly.

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Leadership and management Good

The headteacher, who is also one of the proprietors, has ensured that all the failings reported in the last inspection have been addressed and that all the regulatory requirements are now met.

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Grade Judgement Description

Grade 1 Outstanding A school which provides an exceptional quality of education and significantly exceeds minimum requirements. Grade 2 Good A school which provides a high quality of education that exceeds minimum requirements. Grade 3 Adequate A school which meets minimum requirements but needs to improve the quality of education it provides. Grade 4 Inadequate A school where minimum requirements are not met and/or the quality of education has serious weaknesses.

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School details

Unique reference number 135670 Inspection number 408734 DfE registration number 305/6080 This inspection was carried out under section 162A of the Education Act 2002, as amended by schedule 8 of the Education Act 2005, the purpose of which is to advise the Secretary of State for Education about the school’s suitability for continued registration as an independent school. Type of school Day special school for pupils with behavioural, emotional and social difficulties (BESD) School status Independent school Age range of pupils 5–19 years Gender of pupils Mixed Number of pupils on the school roll 23 Number of part time pupils 8 Proprietors JK Education Limited (Julia Low and Karen Turner) Headteacher Julia Low Date of previous school inspection 4 November 2009 Annual fees (day pupils) £18,240 Telephone number 0208 460 0181 Fax number 0208 290 0117 Email address jk@thetutorialfoundation.co.uk guidance 'Complaining about inspections', which is available from Ofsted’s website: www.ofsted.gov.uk . If

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School details

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School details

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School details

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School details

inspects to 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,

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School details

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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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