Prospect House

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

 Teaching is good; teachers are successful at helping students who have missed long periods of schooling and have developed a distrust of education to re-engage with learning and achieve well.  The curriculum is good; it provides students with a good range of subjects, activities and opportunities that meet their interests and helps them to achieve well.  Good provision for welfare, health and safety ensures that students feel safe.  Good leadership and management ensure that students achieve well and that their personal development is good.  Leaders and managers have established ways of ensuring that students’ behaviour and spiritual, moral, social and cultural development improve positively. Leaders have ensured that teaching and achievement are good.

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It is not yet outstanding because

 Staff work hard to engage students in education; this is often difficult to achieve. As a result, some students are hard to motivate. This impedes their achievement and progress.  There are not enough opportunities across different subjects for students to practise their reading and writing skills.  Systems for improving the skills of staff, including the provision of challenging feedback following lesson observations by senior leaders, are not fully effective.

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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 four lessons taught by four different teachers. He scrutinised students’ work and held meetings with the proprietor, headteacher, staff, students and external providers.  The school’s documentation was checked including schemes of work, teachers’ planning, records of students’ progress, assessment records and records pertaining to welfare, health and safety. The inspector checked the school’s compliance with the regulations for independent schools.  There were no Parent View responses. The inspector took account of the views expressed in eight questionnaires returned by staff.  This was the school’s first inspection since its registration.

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Inspection team

Chanan Tomlin, Lead inspector Additional Inspector

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Information about this school

 Prospect House School is a small special school that is located in a detached house in a rural setting. It caters for students with behavioural, emotional and social difficulties and caters for residential students.  The school was registered in March 2013 for up to four students aged from 11 to 16 years. The proprietor is ABC Care Ltd.  All students are looked-after by their local authorities and have experienced disrupted education and significant periods out of school; most students that attend the school have a statement of special educational needs.  The school uses off-site facilities for some physical education (PE) lessons at local leisure centres and sports facilities.  The school aims ‘to empower and praise young people for positive behaviour to encourage and support them in times of negativity and to enable students to reach their full potential by accessing education in line with the requirements of the National Curriculum.’ The ultimate

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Information about this school

aim of the school is to enable students to return to mainstream education when appropriate.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Further improve teaching and learning by raising standards in literacy through increasing opportunities across subjects for students to practise their basic reading and writing skills.  Increase the effectiveness of leadership and management by stengthening systems to develop teachers' skills through establishing a system of lesson observations that consistently challenge teachers to improve their teaching.

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Pupils’ achievement Good

Achievement is good as a result of good teaching and a good range of subjects and activities (the curriculum). Students join the school with a wide range of abilities and special educational needs; all have significant behavioural, emotional and social difficulties and have experienced long periods of disrupted schooling. As a result, they come to this school with poor attitudes towards learning and little appreciation of education. Once they have settled in, all students, including those with different special educational needs and of varying abilities, achieve well and make good progress in a good range of subjects. School records indicate that students are closing gaps in their education with others of the same age and are taking advantage of the school’s good curriculum.

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Pupils’ achievement Good

Since the school was registered, all students have achieved Award Scheme Development and Accreditation Network (ASDAN) qualifications. Students that attended for longer periods of time achieved Functional Skills qualifications in literacy and numeracy. These students completed GCSE courses in English, mathematics and some in science; although they did not achieve good pass grades, their enrolment and perseverance indicates good achievement considering their low starting points. Most past students enrol in college after leaving the school. Current students have been in school for a short period of time. These students are starting to engage in learning more regularly; school records and their work indicate that they are achieving well and making good progress.

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Pupils’ achievement Good

Students are motivated well by teachers and most take interest in the broad range of activities on offer. Taking account of students’ starting points, identified through baseline assessments on entry to the school, they acquire knowledge quickly and gain a good understanding of all subjects including reading, writing, mathematics and communication. Records of achievement and the good work produced by students demonstrate that they develop and apply a wide range of skills so that they are well prepared for their future economic well-being.

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Pupils’ behaviour and personal development Good

Students’ behaviour and personal development are good. Most students that join the school initially display extremely challenging behaviour; throughout their time at the school behaviour improves as students learn what is expected of them and what is considered unacceptable behaviour. As a result, students develop good attitudes and gradually start to re-engage, resulting in good learning and lessons that start punctually and are seldom disrupted. Instances of bullying are rare; supervision is exceptionally good and students feel safe at school. Attendance is below average but improving steadily.

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Pupils’ behaviour and personal development Good

Staff take advantage of every opportunity to help students learn life-skills and how to interact well with other people. Staff create a pleasant but purposeful environment in school; this has a strong impact on students’ commitment to learning and on their achievements and progress. Students are encouraged to succeed at what they are good at and are constantly complimented for their achievements; as a result, they grow in self-esteem and self-confidence. Students’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is good. They gain important insights into spirituality through religious education (RE), trips to different places of worship and pursuits outdoors where they contemplate beauty and the wonders of nature. They learn about morality through personal, social and health education (PSHE) and frequent discussions with staff. Students learn about different cultures and religions through RE, food technology, culturally themed weeks and visitors to the

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Pupils’ behaviour and personal development Good

school. The impact of this provision is that they become interested in people that are different from them and they develop respect for all people regardless of their background, race or sexual orientation. Students learn about generosity and helping others through fundraising. For example, students organised a coffee morning and a ‘Halloween Night’ to raise funds for national charities. They learn about the British legal system and public services through citizenship, ASDAN and visitors to the school. Political views are not presented in an unbalanced way.

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Quality of teaching Good

Teaching is good. Students of all abilities are challenged well; as a result, all students achieve well and make good progress from their starting points. Teachers believe in their students’ potential; they are successful in conveying the importance of learning and education to them. As a result, students are usually keen to take good advantage of their time in school and to succeed in their learning. Teachers have good subject knowledge and learning is planned to capture students’ interest in order to help them progress. Literacy, numeracy and science are taught through a system of ‘virtual learning’ and students communicate with teachers during lessons via e-mail or directly through their computers. However, the resources available and approaches to learning are not always successful in enabling students to learn well. Visitors to the school play an important part in teaching. For example, during the inspection, a recovering drug addict delivered an

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Quality of teaching Good

outstanding PSHE lesson when he discussed his own difficulties and challenges.

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Quality of teaching Good

Students are enabled to develop their skills and knowledge in all areas of study. Reading, writing, mathematics and communication are taught effectively resulting in students developing good skills for their future economic well-being. Teachers are skilled in the ways that they pose questions and develop discussions with students around different topics. For example, during an art lesson, students were encouraged to consider different aspects of design whilst planning a project on dying shoes.

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Quality of teaching Good

Teachers check the progress of students carefully; they assess students’ work regularly and accurately, giving clear guidance on areas that need to improve. Teachers create a calm atmosphere during lessons; students usually respond well by paying attention and concentrating on their learning. However, students do not learn as well when they are less motivated or when behaviour is especially challenging. As a result, teaching overall is good but not outstanding.

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Quality of curriculum Good

The curriculum is good and enables students to make good progress. It provides them with good grounding in reading, writing, mathematics and speaking. The curriculum provides opportunities for students to take courses that lead to accredited qualifications including GCSE and to take part in work-placements for graphic design, vehicle maintenance, child care, hair and beauty, catering and animal care. However, there are not enough opportunities across the full range of subjects for students to practise their reading and writing skills and this is a contributing factor to achievement and progress that is less than outstanding. The curriculum is well organised and provides all students with opportunities to make good progress in all of the required areas of learning. It is supported by detailed planning which promotes good progression and demonstrates how students with a range of abilities and interests are to be challenged and supported.

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Quality of curriculum Good

Students are prepared well for their future economic well-being through the curriculum because it includes a strong focus on English, mathematics, information and communication technology (ICT) and especially life-skills. Students discuss the opportunities available to them in the future with staff and are encouraged to speak to a careers advisor who visits the school. The school’s policy for PSHE is good; it is implemented effectively by preparing students for the opportunities, responsibilities and experiences of adult life and by helping them appreciate the importance of healthy living. Physical education (PE) lessons take place either on the school grounds or at local leisure centres and sports facilities. The curriculum includes many extra-curricular opportunities for enrichment. These are well-suited to students’ interests and include visits to museums, courts of justice, parks and a food bank.

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Pupils’ welfare, health and safety Good

Provision for the welfare, health and safety of students is good and all of the independent school standards are met. Staff are very committed to providing high levels of care and promote the health and safety of students effectively. Staff are clear about child protection procedures; arrangements for safeguarding are robust and are reviewed regularly. The designated person for child protection and all staff have attended the required training at the required intervals. Procedures for the recruitment of new staff are robust. All of the required checks are carried out for the proprietors and staff and are recorded in a single central register. Risk assessments for the premises and activities out of school are detailed.

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Pupils’ welfare, health and safety Good

Policies and procedures are regularly reviewed and ensure that students are well-protected. During this inspection, a small number of very minor omissions in some policies were found; these were brought to the attention of school leaders and were rectified immediately. School leaders appreciate the importance of frequently reviewing policies and procedures to ensure that they are always up-to-date and follow the latest national guidance; they have taken the necessary measures to ensure that this always happens in the future.

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Pupils’ welfare, health and safety Good

Supervision in school and on trips is consistently very good. The school has suitable anti-bullying procedures that ensure that bullying is not tolerated. Good systems are in place to encourage good behaviour at all times. Students learn about healthy lifestyles and nutrition through PSHE, science and PE and they are provided with healthy meals. As a result, students appreciate the importance of healthy lifestyles and are taking steps to improve their health.

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Pupils’ welfare, health and safety Good

The school works well with parents, carers and external agencies to ensure that students are safe. The school has a policy for first-aid that is implemented effectively and all staff members are trained to an appropriate level. The school has a good level of fire safety; a detailed risk assessment is in place, all equipment is checked regularly and fire drills take place regularly and are recorded appropriately.

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Leadership and management Good

Leadership and management are good. Senior leaders communicate high ambitions to staff resulting in good teaching that secures good achievement and progress for all students. Overall, systems for managing the performance of staff are good. Staff have plenty of opportunities for training through a good range of courses available to them. However, senior leaders have not established a system of conducting frequent lesson observations in order to guide teachers with good feedback and help them address weaknesses in their teaching. This is a contributing factor to teaching that is not outstanding.

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Leadership and management Good

Senior leaders and managers have ensured that the curriculum meets the needs of all students and that policies are in place to ensure that students make good progress in all subjects, including literacy. They utilise self-evaluation that effectively helps them to identify strengths as well as areas that need to be developed. Proprietors are actively involved in the running of the school; they challenge senior leaders regularly and offer valuable advice. A consultant attends regularly to advise senior leaders on all aspects of the provision. This support has contributed to good teaching and achievement for all students. Senior leaders have produced robust policies to promote good behaviour and personal development, and ensure that the spiritual, moral, social and cultural development of students is good.

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Leadership and management Good

Senior leaders work well with parents, carers and external agencies to provide positive benefits for all students. Staff and resources are deployed well. The premises and accommodation include a good-sized classroom, two lounges for relaxation and a kitchen that is used for food technology. Large outdoor areas are used for PE and for students to play during break times. All areas of the school are well maintained and well suited to support the curriculum. The school meets the requirements related to the provision of information for parents and carers and the complaints procedure includes all of the required details. The proprietor and school managers have ensured that all of the independent school standards are 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 the quality of education has serious weaknesses.

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School details

Unique reference number 139426 Inspection number 422867 DfE registration number 888/6058 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 Independent special school for students with emotional, social and behavioural difficulties (BESD) School status Independent School Age range of pupils 11–16 years Gender of pupils Mixed Number of pupils on the school roll 1 Number of part time pupils 0 Proprietor ABC Care Limited Chair Christopher Kennedy Headteacher Eve Elliot Date of previous school inspection Not previously inspected guidance 'Complaining about inspections', 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

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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.

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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

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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