Setting

Mr Tony Middleton Interim Executive Headteacher Sheffield Inclusion Centre Spring Lane Sheffield S2 2JQ

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Special measures: monitoring inspection of Sheffield Inclusion Centre

Following my visit to your school on 19 and 20 of March 2014, I write on behalf of Her Majesty’s Chief Inspector of Education, Children’s Services and Skills to confirm the inspection findings. Thank you for the help you gave during the inspection and for the time you made available to discuss the actions that have been taken since the school’s previous monitoring inspection.

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Special measures: monitoring inspection of Sheffield Inclusion Centre

This visit was the third monitoring inspection since the school became subject to special measures following the inspection which took place in March 2013. The full list of the areas for improvement which were identified during that inspection is set out in the annex to this letter. The monitoring inspection report is attached.

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Special measures: monitoring inspection of Sheffield Inclusion Centre

Having considered all the evidence I am of the opinion that at this time:

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Special measures: monitoring inspection of Sheffield Inclusion Centre

The centre is making reasonable progress towards the removal of special measures.

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Special measures: monitoring inspection of Sheffield Inclusion Centre

The centre may not appoint newly qualified teachers before the next monitoring inspection.

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Special measures: monitoring inspection of Sheffield Inclusion Centre

This letter and monitoring inspection report will be published on the Ofsted website. I am copying this letter to the Secretary of State, the Chair of the Management Board and the Interim Executive Director, Children, Young People and Families, Sheffield.

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Her Majesty's Inspector

CfBT Inspection Services Suite 22 West Lancs Investment Centre Maple View Skelmersdale WN8 9TG T 0300 1231231 Text Phone: 0161 6188524 enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk www.ofsted.gov.uk Direct T 01695 566933 Direct F 01695 729320 Direct email: ggleaden@cfbt.com

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place in March 2013

 Improve the quality of teaching to good or better, particularly at the primary unit at Spring Lane, and for teenage mothers, by:  matching teachers to the age group and subjects for which they have been trained, particularly in English and mathematics  providing appropriate training for non-qualified staff who are working as teachers  making sure all adults manage pupils’ behaviour appropriately and in line with the centre’s policy  making sure that all lessons are well planned so they are not too easy nor too difficult for the individual pupils  ensuring that adults have a good understanding of the National Curriculum levels and that they are accurate in their assessments of pupils’ attainment and progress.

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place in March 2013

 Ensure that all pupils make at least good progress in order to raise attainment and improve their achievement by:  improving attendance through the consistent use of the policies and systems agreed by senior leaders  making certain that pupils are taught all the subjects they are entitled to and that the curriculum is carefully matched to their individual needs, age and interests  providing more opportunities for pupils to improve their literacy and numeracy skills in subjects such as science and the humanities  working with pupils to set targets for literacy and numeracy so they understand how they will make progress and improve.

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place in March 2013

 Ensure that leadership and management of the centre are highly effective by:  making sure that all the required and recommended policies are in place, are understood by staff and are firmly embedded in their classroom practice  making certain that leaders check carefully on the quality of teaching and the curriculum in all parts of the centre’s work  building on the recently introduced system for checking pupils’ progress so they achieve equally well regardless of gender, background, disability or special educational needs  making certain that the management committee fulfils its role of checking and questioning what is happening in all parts of the centre  making sure that some of the longer established leaders and middle managers fully understand their responsibilities and improve their performance.

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place in March 2013

An external review of governance should be undertaken in order to assess how this aspect of leadership and management may be improved.

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Evidence

During this inspection the inspector observed teaching and learning in 20 sessions at the secondary and primary centres. Meetings were held with you and several other leaders and managers, the Chair of the Management Committee and a local authority representative. The inspector examined pupils’ work and observed their behaviour in and out of lessons. The inspector also scrutinised the centre’s policies and procedures, monitoring and evaluation records of pupils’ progress, curriculum developments and the quality of teaching, behaviour and attendance.

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Context

Since the December monitoring inspection the headteacher has left the centre. An interim executive headteacher has been appointed as her replacement. An interim additional deputy headteacher has been seconded to the secondary provision at the Spring Lane site. An interim additional assistant headteacher has been seconded to the primary provision at the Clifford Road site. Two teachers have resigned. The management committee has passed a resolution to endorse Sheffield College as the preferred sponsor for the Sheffield Inclusion Centre’s bid to become an academy.

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Achievement of pupils at the school

The continued embedding of timely baseline assessment of pupils’ capabilities and regular and evaluative marking of their work has improved pupils’ awareness of how well they are progressing and what steps they need to take to improve further. The latest academic tracking data for pupils at the Spring Lane site indicate that, overall, more pupils than was the case at the previous monitoring inspection are making at least expected, rather than slow, or no progress. However, progress in mathematics lags behind that of English and there are wide variations between year groups and across subjects. At the Clifford Road site, analysis indicates a higher and more consistent profile of pupils’ progress in mathematics, reading and writing. The centre has begun to track and compare the progress of different groups of pupils, such as those eligible for support through the pupil premium funding or minority ethnic

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Achievement of pupils at the school

heritage pupils. This tracking indicates that outcomes are variable and closely linked to attendance rates. Steps have been taken to ensure pupils accessing off-site provision all receive suitable formal accreditation. The challenge for the centre going forward is to narrow the gap significantly between pupils’ current attainments and rates of progress and their respective targets when set against their starting points and national expectations and benchmarks.

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The quality of teaching

Staff continue to receive training, advice and support to boost their confidence and competence to deliver high-quality learning. It was clear during the inspection that staff are working hard to provide pupils with work that is more appropriate to their capacities, with a particular emphasis on strengthening their literacy and numeracy skills across subjects. This was often done in small group or one-to-one scenarios, which were largely effective. There is a sharper focus on equipping pupils with key learning skills and techniques so that they are less reliant on staff spoon-feeding them, although there remains work to be done in this regard. Expectations of what pupils are capable of are generally higher and classrooms were noticeably calmer and more purposeful overall with the focus on learning as opposed to crowd control. Pupils were mostly responsive and engaged, and the pupil on track to gain an A*

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The quality of teaching

GCSE in English was clearly thriving. While inspection evidence corroborates the centre’s view to a certain extent that the impact of teaching is improving, there remain questions about the consistency and quality of provision. This is because performance indicators show that there are wide discrepancies between the most and least effective teaching, which are reflected in the volatility in the rates of progress apparent across the centre. More time and stability is needed to allow this improving practice to demonstrate its impact more forcefully.

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Behaviour and safety of pupils

When pupils are engaged in learning the centre mostly presents as a well-ordered and safe environment. However, social and unstructured times are less secure and act as triggers for the more challenging behaviours and flouting of agreed protocols that a number of pupils are capable of. The volume of major and general incidents has increased. This may or may not be a backlash against the more stringent behaviour management procedures in place. The number of fixed-term exclusions is still high and has not fallen significantly. As a matter of urgency, the centre has to find a way of reversing these trends and addressing this key aspect. The centre has begun staggering the social times of groups of pupils and segregating the key stages to try and avoid some unwelcome group dynamics that have emerged.

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Behaviour and safety of pupils

Increasing pupils’ attendance is the key battle the centre must win because pupils’ achievement will not improve significantly if they are not at the centre to learn on a regular basis. Centre staff are being more proactive in reaching out to pupils with exceptionally poor attendance records with some success and the evidence confirms that those pupils who attend regularly make more effective progress. Attendance at Clifford Road is over 90% but this is counterbalanced by attendance at Spring Lane of 50%, which is unacceptable. While attendance is rising and is better than it was, as a matter of urgency substantial further improvement is required.

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The quality of leadership and management at the school

A number of initiatives have been introduced to ensure all Key Stage 4 students, whether they are educated on or off site, gain qualifications that will enable them to move on to employment, further education or training when they leave the centre. This shift in emphasis has not devalued the work to develop pupils’ social, emotional and behavioural maturity, which continues hand-in-hand with the new strategy. The monitoring and evaluation of the impact of the strategies in place is rigorous and leaders have a realistic view of the centre’s current position. Progress against a number of the milestones in the statement of action is good, in other areas it is less so. This variability in impact needs ironing out. The steps being taken to improve the outreach provision for pupils who do not make it into the centre are showing signs of having an initial impact for those targeted and the net needs to be cast wider.

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The quality of leadership and management at the school

Leaders continue to embed more robust and structured performance management arrangements so that staff know what is expected of them and can be held more accountable for the efficiency and effectiveness of their work.

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The quality of leadership and management at the school

Middle leaders have been given some autonomy to develop new curriculum specifications and lead the restructuring of behaviour management. They are upbeat about the centre’s progress and the part they are playing in its recovery. They say other staff feel the same way and staff attendance is higher than it has been for a considerable period. A team ethos and cooperative spirit is evident.

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The quality of leadership and management at the school

The additional senior leaders have added extra capacity and fresh impetus to the centre’s improvement drive and there is evidence of further progress against a number of the key priority areas. However, it remains the case that the pace of improvement needs to accelerate and a solution to the attendance quandary found as a matter of urgency. Overall, progress is still modest rather than spectacular.

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The quality of leadership and management at the school

The recommendations from the external review of governance continue to be executed. Consequently, members of the management committee are well aware of the progress the centre is making in overcoming the key issues through their regular challenge and evaluation meetings with senior leaders and feedback from external reviews by the local authority. Committee members were involved in securing the extra leadership capacity now in place. The committee has also been negotiating the terms of the academy bid and the organisational restructuring that will be required.

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External support

The local authority has conducted two formal reviews to gauge the centre’s progress and concluded they have built upon the progress previously reported. The local authority was instrumental in brokering the extra leadership and teaching capacity being supplied by Heritage Park and Holgate Meadows schools and their support and challenge continue to be important. Direct intervention has abated to give the centre the opportunity to demonstrate more readily its own capacity to improve.

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