Craven Pupil Referral Service

Craven Pupil Referral Service Keighley Road, Skipton, North Yorkshire, BD23 2QS

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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 Good 2 Leadership and management Good 2

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

This is a good school.  Students learn well and generally make expected or better progress. Achievements are good because students quickly catch up with the learning they have missed. Almost all in Key Stage 3 return to mainstream schools.  Teaching is mainly good. Some is outstanding. The good relationships fostered by adults encourage students to attend lessons and try hard. Mainstream schools report that high-quality support is provided to their students through the outreach service.  Students have good attitudes in lessons and their behaviour is generally good or better around the centre. Those supported in mainstream schools through the outreach service are helped to avoid exclusions.  Staff ensure students are safe on site, in work experience settings and at training courses away from the centre.  Parents and carers report that the centre’s work is highly effective in helping their children re-engage with education. Students appreciate

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

the efforts of staff in helping them to manage their own behaviour and to learn in class.  The headteacher other senior staff and the management committee have improved every aspect of the centre’s work since the last inspection, including the outreach service, teaching and students’ achievements.  Throughout their time here, students are prepared exceptionally well for returning to mainstream schools or moving on. Those who stay to the end of Year 11 gain qualifications.

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It is not yet an outstanding school because

 Students do not always make as much progress as they should because the targets for learning set by teachers are not as challenging as they could be.  Occasionally, questioning does not encourage all to take part in learning. Teachers do not always explain clearly to students how to improve and aspire to a higher standard.  Systems for staff appraisal do not always ensure that teachers are held fully to account for students’ learning and progress.  The management committee has not established with the local authority a clear direction for the future of the centre and this is having an adverse effect on staff morale.

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Information about this inspection

 Inspectors watched parts of four lessons with four different teachers, each time accompanied by the headteacher. They spent almost three hours in classes. They visited two alternative provision placements where students were being educated to check that students are safe and are receiving an appropriate curriculum, and three secondary schools that utilise the centre’s outreach service.  Meetings were held with the headteacher, other senior members of staff, teachers, senior staff from mainstream schools supported by the centre, staff and students at the alternative educational provisions, the deputy chair together with another member of the management committee and the school adviser from the local authority.  Informal discussions were held with students during lessons and around the centre at break times.  There were no responses available at Parent View, the Ofsted online questionnaire for parents

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Information about this inspection

and carers. However, the inspectors took into account 12 questionnaires that had been received from parents and carers in the recent past and inspectors spoke with four parents and carers who came to meet them.  Inspectors reviewed a wide range of documents including records of students’ work and achievements, documentation on behaviour and attendance and the school’s plans for improvement. Records of the quality of teaching were scrutinized as were the self-evaluation and details about outreach work. Documents related to the work of the management committee and policies about keeping students safe were seen.

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Inspection team

Terence McKenzie, Lead inspector Additional Inspector Katharine Halifax Additional Inspector

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Information about this school

 Craven Pupil Referral Service (PRS) is designed to provide education for boys and girls between the ages of 11 and 16 years who have been excluded from mainstream schools or are at risk of being excluded. Most have experienced disruption to their previous schooling. The number of students varies from day to day and throughout the academic year, but at the time of the inspection there were 13 students registered to the centre, eight with complex medical needs, (not hospital patients but mainly educated at home or occasionally at the centre), nine students who attend the centre but remain registered with their mainstream schools, three students who are dual registered with a mainstream school, but mainly receive education at the centre and 34 students who are supported in mainstream schools by the centre’s outreach service.  In Key Stage 3, students usually stay at the centre for up to 12 weeks; the aim is to return

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Information about this school

students as quickly as possible to full-time mainstream education. Students in Key Stage 4 largely remain until the end of Year 11; the aim is to enable them to gain five or more good GCSE passes.  The role of the outreach service is to support mainstream schools and individuals with behavioural and other difficulties, so they are not permanently excluded and are better able to make academic progress and progress in their personal development in their own schools.  The arrangements for training away for the centre are made in cooperation with Keighley College.  The centre receives students supported at school action plus. Currently, three have a statement of special educational needs and none are in the care of the local authority. Generally, the great majority are of White British origin.  The proportion of students eligible for the pupil premium is currently around the national average although this can change. This is government funding for students known to be

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Information about this school

eligible for free school meals, those looked after by the local authority and those with a parent in the armed services.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Improve the quality of teaching further in order to raise achievement by ensuring that:  students are provided with challenging individual targets well matched to their learning needs  questioning is directed at a wider range of students so more remain engaged and attentive  teachers’ marking of students’ work explains clearly how to improve.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Further improve the governance of the management committee by ensuring that:  appraisal systems focus more on providing students with the best opportunities for learning by holding teachers fully to account for the progress of their students  through working with the local authority a clear direction for the future work of the centre is established.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 Almost all students arrive with levels of attainment which are much lower than is usual for their age. Nevertheless, soon after enrolment the great majority achieve well and make good progress in their studies including boys, girls, those from minority ethnic groups, those entitled to support from the pupil premium and the most able students.  In Key Stage 3, most students are returned quickly to their mainstream schools following a short period at the centre. Boys and girls of all ages quickly make up the learning that has been missed in their short time at the setting. Progress in mathematics is particularly good. Good progress is made in English with staff concentrating on helping students to catch up in developing their reading skills so they can use them in all classes.  Students in Key Stage 4 have individual timetables that encourage them to attend regularly and take part in lessons. A wide range of courses is offered on and off site. For example, students

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The achievement of pupils is good

study catering at the centre and fabrication and welding at a local college. Students are well supported by a concentration on the core areas of English, mathematics and science in the centre.  All older boys and girls have the opportunity to study five or more GCSEs or their equivalents. Last year the achievements of those who left were lower than average, but compared very favourably with expectations for pupil referral units. Overall, the progress made by students is good because the staff help them to overcome their difficulties and succeed in learning.  For many in Key Stage 4 the rapid progress made in catching up by filling in gaps in their basic skills enables them to undertake examination courses that would have been beyond them.  Students learning in places away from the centre are doing well. For some, the courses undertaken are instrumental in helping them to rediscover the value of learning and education.

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The achievement of pupils is good

One student reported, ‘by doing this course I have come to understand that I also need English and mathematics. So I have now started trying hard in those subjects as well’.  Since the last inspection, the centre has successfully introduced systems to measure the small steps of learning gained by students and information is used well in planning. Occasionally, students’ progress is limited because targets for learning are not always sufficiently challenging.  Questioning usually very skilfully aids students’ learning. For example, in a mathematics lesson, the question and answer session encouraged students to learn very quickly indeed. When asked by an inspector whether the lesson was successful a student replied ‘the teacher did exactly what he said he would do... I know a lot more than I did at the start of the lesson’.

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The quality of teaching is good

 The overall quality of teaching is good. Occasionally it is outstanding and students make exceptional progress in their learning.  Leaders in local schools supported by the outreach service report that the good teaching at the centre in Key Stage 3 is instrumental in helping students return successfully to mainstream schools. They say that centre staff visiting their schools to support students are effective in helping to prevent the students from being excluded, in overcoming their difficulties and in gaining more from the work they do.  In Key Stage 4, students benefit from the positive relationships which are established. Students report that the best thing about the centre is the teachers. Students grow in self-confidence and demonstrate that they can manage their behaviour more effectively which encourages them to take a fuller part in their learning, overcome their difficulties and make good progress.

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The quality of teaching is good

 The teaching of English is good and is often outstanding in mathematics.  Students are strongly encouraged to develop their reading skills. For example, every morning the whole school reads for around 30 minutes. Students are encouraged to select suitable reading materials, to read aloud, in pairs, groups and by themselves.  Teaching is not all outstanding. Students are not always provided with challenging individual targets for learning nor given good guidance in teachers' marking about how to improve and reach a higher standard in their work. Occasionally, questioning does not include a wide enough range of students so some lose their concentration with the result that slower progress is made.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

 The behaviour of students is good. Occasionally, behaviour is outstanding, for example, at lunchtimes.  The behaviour management systems used by staff at the centre are successful because students learn how to manage their own behaviour and take a fuller part in their learning and so make better progress. All of the parents and carers spoken to reported that this was the most valuable aspect of the centre’s work. Indeed one parent described it as ‘marvellous’ whilst a carer stated that the changes in behaviour of her child had transformed family life.  The centre’s work to keep students safe and secure is good. This includes work experience placements and other training away from the centre. Parents and carers say that students are safe in the centre; a view confirmed by the staff. Students themselves state that this is a safe place.  Bullying, harassment and racism are almost unknown. For students of all ages there is a great

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

emphasis on learning how to keep themselves safe. Further work in personal, social and health education has been promoted by the local authority and students are encouraged to learn, for example, about the harmful effects of smoking.  Through the outreach work, students in mainstream schools are supported to more effectively manage their own behaviour and so avoid the risk of being excluded and all linked mainstream schools reported that this work is highly successful. Records indicate that significant changes in behaviour often occur and this enables students, particularly those in Key Stage 3, to avoid any significant disruption to their education.  Through being successful in their learning, returning to mainstream schools or gaining GCSEs, students gain the self-esteem and self-confidence to move on to the next stage of their lives. Throughout their time at the centre, whether it is long or short, the great majority make

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

outstanding strides forwards in their personal development. For example, last year almost all students went on to further education, training or employment.  Physical restraints are rare, as are exclusions, and this figures for these action have reduced since the last inspection. Leaders can show how the work of the centre greatly improves rates of attendance for many students who previously failed to attend school regularly; attendance rates are broadly average overall.  On occasions, students lose concentration and focus in their learning and some minor disruption sometimes occurs.

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The leadership and management are good

 Parents and carers, students and inspectors all agree that the leadership and management of the centre are good. The headteacher maintains the trust and confidence of the staff who fully support him in aiming to provide the very best for students.  The senior team know the centre's strengths and areas for development well. Self-evaluation is good and findings are linked to good action plans that have improved the service since the last inspection.  Teaching and other aspects of the centre’s work have improved, for example, the headteacher has introduced new ways of working with students to improve their literacy skills. He has attended to weaknesses in teaching and provided training for staff such as in ways to support students’ reading. The outreach provision is effective and appreciated by local mainstream schools.  This is a very small centre and responsibilities are shared between staff so there are

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The leadership and management are good

opportunities for all to gain middle and senior leadership experience. Senior managers have been guided by the good support and challenge provided by the local authority advisers. For example, following a recent review of the centre the deputy headteacher has developed and implemented a new system for recording students’ achievements. This is proving highly effective in understanding rates of students’ progress and whether they are on track to meet their targets.  Some non-teaching staff also have middle leadership responsibilities, for example, in relation to placing students into training away from the centre.  The headteacher has not yet ensured that the appraisal system ensures that teachers are fully held to account for the progress of their students.  The governance of the school:  Following a recent review of governance by the local authority, the management committee has been restructured and new members have added further skills and expertise. As a result,

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The leadership and management are good

the committee's work has improved since the last inspection. It provides appropriate support and challenge to senior leaders by, for example, checking information about students’ achievements to ensure that they are in line with national expectations for students attending pupil referral units. Members meet more frequently and some visit regularly. Good financial management has ensured that the centre is in a secure position. Members oversee the appraisal systems and generally understand its strengths and weaknesses. They check regularly with the headteacher that teaching is generally good and improving but have not fully ensured that performance management systems focus on improving teaching and achievement. They have used appraisal systems to evaluate staff performance in relation to possible pay increases. Members have ensured that all of the requirements for safeguarding are met.  The committee has not yet established with the local authority how the service can best meet

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The leadership and management are good

the future needs of the local community. This is leading to some uncertainty amongst staff and is adversely affecting their morale.

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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 135851 Local authority North Yorkshire Inspection number 431187

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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 40 Appropriate authority The local authority Chair John Savage Headteacher Dale Hannah Date of previous school inspection 4 April 2011 Telephone number 0845 521 3920 Fax number 01756 795 689 Email address information@cravenprs.org 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

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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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