Keresley College

Shaftesbury Extended Learning Centre Keresley Centre, Keresley End, Coventry, CV7 8LA

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Overall effectiveness Inadequate 4

Achievement of pupils Inadequate 4 Quality of teaching Inadequate 4 Behaviour and safety of pupils Inadequate 4 Leadership and management Inadequate 4

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This is an inadequate school because

 Instability in the leadership and management has meant that the school’s work has not been monitored rigorously enough. The proprietorial board has not ensured that all regulations are met and that the school’s policies are implemented effectively.  Teachers do not consistently apply the school’s behaviour policy. Students openly flout the school’s rules and some teachers do not challenge this.  Students are often given too much help or the tasks they are given are too easy. As a result they do not learn as much as they should.  Too many students make inadequate progress because they do not attend school regularly enough.  Safety is inadequate because incidents are not always recorded appropriately and not all staff members have been appropriately trained.

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The school has the following strengths

 The teaching of mathematics is good and, as a result, most students make good progress in this subject.  The new leadership knows exactly what needs to be done and has already begun a programme of improvements.

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Compliance with regulatory requirements

 The school requires improvement and must take action to meet 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. The details are listed in the full report.

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Information about this inspection

 The inspection was carried out with one day’s notice.  The inspector observed five lessons. She held discussions with the head of centre, the deputy headteacher, the school’s improvement adviser, a group of pupils and representatives of the proprietorial board and the placing authority.  The inspector took account of six questionnaires filled in by staff.  The inspector scrutinised a range of documents, including the ways in which the school tracks students’ progress, records showing how the school keeps pupils safe and documents that show how teachers plan.  The inspector focused on those students on the roll of the school.  The school has requested that the Department for Education, the registration authority, consider a material change to school’s registration so that it can extend its provision, including the numbers allowed on site at any one time. This was also considered during the inspection and a recommendation made to the Department.

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Inspection team

Susan Lewis, Lead inspector Additional Inspector

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Information about this school

 Shaftesbury Extended Learning Centre is an independent special school accommodated in a former pupil referral unit in Keresley on the outskirts of Coventry. It specialises in providing alternative provision for students in Key Stage 4. It opened in January 2013 and this was the school’s first inspection since its registration in March 2013.  The school is registered for up to 22 students. Currently there are seven students on the school’s roll. A further twenty students, including students in Years 8 and 9, attend the school full-time but are on the roll of their mainstream state schools and not this school. These schools pay for this provision as alternative provision.  The school is registered for students in Years 10 and 11, almost all of whom have behavioural, emotional and social difficulties. Some have other additional needs such as dyslexia, moderate learning difficulties or attention deficit and hyperactive disorders.

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Information about this school

 Students on the roll of the school and many of the others have often had severely disrupted education. Some have histories of exclusion from school or of not attending school previously.  A new head of centre had been in post for two weeks at the time of this inspection. She is supported by an education manager who is directly responsible to the charity. A number of changes in teaching staff have also taken place in the last year.  The school does not have physical education facilities on site but uses alternative providers to accommodate this and to extend the curriculum it offers. These activities usually take place in the afternoons. These include Coventry Building Workshop, 90 One Driving, Bodysharp Fitness and B-TECH Sports.  At the time of the inspection, students were preparing for their GCSE and other examinations and the normal timetable for the school was not operating. Students were taking part in a

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Information about this school

range of ‘enrichment activities’ as well as being prepared for these examinations.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Improve the leadership and management of the school by making sure that:  all elements of its work, and in particular, achievement and teaching and the implementation of policies are monitored effectively and that improvement plans reflect what is learned from this monitoring  individual staff responsibilities for standards and for implementing policies are clear and they are held to account for these  that the proprietorial board checks that the school complies with its registration requirements in terms of the age range of students, and the numbers of students on roll and on site.  Work further with the placing authority and parents and carers to improve attendance so that more students attend regularly.  The school must meet the following independent school standards:

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In respect of the curriculum:

– ensure that the school’s curriculum policy, set out in writing and supported by appropriate plans and schemes of work, is implemented effectively (paragraph 2(1)). – ensure that the curriculum is suitable for the ages and aptitudes of all pupils including those with a statement of special educational needs (paragraph 2(2)(b)). – Ensure that where pupils have a statement of special educational needs that the provision meets its requirements (paragraph 2(2)(e)).

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In respect of teaching:

– ensure that lessons are well planned, employ effective teaching methods, suitable activities and use of time (paragraph 3(c)). – ensure that teachers have a good understanding of the aptitudes, needs and prior attainments of the pupils, and take these into account in the planning of lessons (paragraph 3(d)). – ensure that teachers use the information from assessments and tracking to plan teaching so that pupils can make progress (paragraph 3(g)). – ensure that all staff utilise effective strategies for managing behaviour and encourage pupils to act responsibly (paragraph 3(h)).

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In respect of welfare health and safety:

– ensure that the arrangements made to safeguard and promote the welfare of pupils at the school have regard to guidance issued by the Secretary of State (paragraph 7). – ensure that the school’s behaviour policy is implemented effectively and all incidents are recorded, analysed and followed up appropriately in accordance with this (paragraph 9).

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In respect of the premises of and accommodation at the school:

– ensure that the school’s premises and outside environment are maintained in good order and so that there are no health and safety risks to students and staff (paragraph 23C). – improve the outdoor learning environment so that it provides a more suitable outdoor space for students to play outside (paragraph 23(G)(1)(b)).

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Achievement of pupils Inadequate

 Achievement is inadequate because too many students do not attend regularly and so do not make the progress they could. Not all the required regulations are met in relation to the curriculum, particularly the provision being made for students with statements of special educational needs. Regulations are also not being met because the school’s curriculum does not take sufficient account of students’ different aptitudes and abilities.

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Achievement of pupils Inadequate

 When students attend regularly their progress varies considerably. It is better in mathematics where the teaching is skilled and knowledgeable, and more individually tuned to students’ needs.

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Achievement of pupils Inadequate

 Those students who attend more regularly take appropriate qualifications. Higher ability students in particular manage to make up some of the ground that they have lost and feel that they now have options for their future careers.

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Achievement of pupils Inadequate

 No Year 11 students were registered on the roll of the school in the last academic year and so there are no examination results for the school available. However, other students registered with their mainstream schools but are taught full-time at this school achieved GCSE qualifications at the higher and foundation levels in mathematics, English, biology, art and design as well as GCSE equivalent course in sports.

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Achievement of pupils Inadequate

 Individual students make good progress, particularly in mathematics and say that the school has motivated them to attend the most appropriate courses and gain qualifications. Most will take GCSE or equivalent qualifications in English, mathematics, science and information technology, and a few at the higher level.

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Achievement of pupils Inadequate

 Students’ progress in English is more varied, and particularly so in writing. Progress in other subjects similarly reflects students’ inconsistent or poor attendance and the variability in the quality of teaching.

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Achievement of pupils Inadequate

 Students’ progress in the subjects they attend off-site at alternative providers requires improvement because not all attend regularly enough to achieve as much as they could. However, those who attend regularly make good progress in their sports, construction and motor vehicle work, gaining certificates and qualifications that they value and that support their college choices.

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Achievement of pupils Inadequate

 The school has recently improved the range of courses that it offers to students to include enterprise activities, food technology and humanities and offers courses now in all the required areas. This is very recent, however, and has yet to have an impact on students’ achievement. Nonetheless, students themselves say that changes at the school are already motivating them to attend more and that their lessons are more interesting.

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Achievement of pupils Inadequate

 Where students have a statement of special educational need, the curriculum has not provided all of the elements required in individual students statements. This is because of the limited options available and because individual education and behaviour plans have not been consistently devised in line with the requirements set out in the statements.

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Achievement of pupils Inadequate

 The citizenship course now leads to a recognised qualification, although no students have yet completed this. The course supports students’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development effectively. Work experience and work with alternative providers, as well as effective careers guidance, all ensures that students are prepared appropriately for their next steps. Students were excited to have been offered places at college and interviews for apprenticeships, often linked to the courses they had pursued with alternative providers or their work experience.

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Quality of teaching Inadequate

 Teaching is inadequate and four regulations are not met. These relate to how staff plan for, and meet, students’ needs, including the needs of those students with statements of special educational needs, and to how staff implement the behaviour policy.

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Quality of teaching Inadequate

 Although staff form strong relationships with students, they do not all manage students’ behaviour effectively and not all have had additional training to do so. Consequently, some are wary of providing work that is difficult for students. As a result, students do not make the progress they could or develop the skills that help them to challenge themselves as learners to achieve more.

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Quality of teaching Inadequate

 Teachers generally have good subject knowledge and, in some lessons, transfer their enthusiasm for their subjects to students. However, in some subjects such as science, activities are too dull and their purpose is not clearly explained to students who distract the teacher by talking about other things. Books show progress to be highly variable and some work not to be completed.

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Quality of teaching Inadequate

 A strength of teaching is the relationships all staff build with students, who say how much they value these. However, occasionally this means that teachers focus more on this in lessons and less on what they want students to achieve. Sometimes they do not adhere to the school’s behaviour policy because they do not want to challenge students in case they react badly. This gives confusing messages to all students, including those who do comply.

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Quality of teaching Inadequate

 In mathematics, students’ work and inspection observations show teaching to be generally good and systematically supporting students’ skills. Those who attend regularly are catching up any ground lost previously and some are on track to exceed targets. In English, teaching is more variable but is strongest when taught by subject specialists. These subjects are timetabled effectively and rightly prioritised by the school. Individual students make good and sometimes better progress as a result.

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Quality of teaching Inadequate

 Where students have literacy difficulties, teachers in subjects other than English do not always adapt the language of the tasks so that the student can have a go at the work for themselves. Individual education and behaviour plans have not been updated. Staff and students do not have a clear idea of the skills that students must work on in all lessons and how certain behaviours must be handled. This means such skills and behaviour are managed inconsistently, and students do not make the progress they could.

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Quality of teaching Inadequate

 A tracking system, in place since January 2014, means that students’ progress is much more tightly monitored than previously was the case. However, this is currently used more as a reporting device than a planning tool by staff and some of the levels entered do not link readily to the work in students’ books. The new head of centre has already identified this and the need to moderate such data, but also ensure that staff use it to guide their planning and target setting for students’ learning more effectively.

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Quality of teaching Inadequate

 Resources to support teaching are adequate and more have been ordered. Current resources, such as laptops and additional staff, are not always used to best effect. Sometimes, the most capable students learn little because the class is being taught as a whole and everyone has the same work to do; at other times, the work is too difficult for lower achieving students and teachers do much of the work for them, so the work is finished but little has been learned. Support staff are often sitting with little to do or they do not ensure that students comply with the school rules.

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Quality of teaching Inadequate

 Displays are poorly used to support learning in some classrooms and subjects. This not only makes the learning environment dull and uninviting but also means that students have to ask teachers for help continuously rather than use a variety of ways to check these out for themselves.

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Behaviour and safety of pupils Inadequate

 Students’ behaviour and the school’s work to keep them safe and secure are inadequate. A number of regulations for the welfare, health and safety of students, together with those for the premises and accommodation at the school, are not met.

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Behaviour and safety of pupils Inadequate

 The school does not ensure that its behaviour policy is implemented effectively by all staff and that incident books are maintained in such a way that all incidents, including where physical restraints have been used, are recorded in the detail that they should be.

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Behaviour and safety of pupils Inadequate

 Behaviour is inadequate because too many students do not follow the school’s rules, for example, when using mobile phones for texting in lessons or using inappropriate language. Some refuse to work or challenge staff as to why they should do it. Staff do not consistently respond to these in line with the school’s behaviour policy when such incidents happen. Other students are polite and respectful and quick to praise how much the school has helped them to improve their behaviour

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Behaviour and safety of pupils Inadequate

 All staff have had the necessary child protection training and the school’s procedures comply with all the regulations in relation to this and the recruitment of staff. Not all staff have been trained in the use of physical restraint, yet have used this. Some staff do not apply the school’s policies, for example, by allowing the use of mobile phones and not reprimanding students who use inappropriate language. Other staff have high expectations of behaviour and students are clear that they respect this. These inconsistent messages about the school’s expectations weaken its work and its effectiveness.

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Behaviour and safety of pupils Inadequate

 Through its citizenship programme, the breakfast club and the range of off-site activities and visits the school undertakes, students’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural developments is appropriately developed. Students have a keen sense of fairness and right and wrong, although they admit that they do not always apply it.

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Behaviour and safety of pupils Inadequate

 Students are clear that they feel safe at the school and the school puts a lot of effort into ensuring that they understand how to keep themselves safe and respect other’s beliefs, values and choices. Bullying is rare, although students do fall out with each other. They feel that these are dealt with fairly and that their own behaviour has improved. They show a good awareness of different types of bullying and how to keep themselves safe from these.

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Behaviour and safety of pupils Inadequate

 Leaders have ensured that partisan views are not promoted and that students are appropriately prepared for life in a multicultural world. Racist and other discriminatory incidents are rare and students say that they learn to value each other’s differences.  Most students talked responsibly and sensibly with the inspector and with staff during the inspection, demonstrating an empathy for others that they said they did not have prior to entering the school. However, not all students attend regularly enough and the school has compounded this in the past by the overuse of fixed-term exclusions as a sanction.

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Behaviour and safety of pupils Inadequate

 Many of the incidents that do occur happen at lunch and break times when students have too little to do. The outdoor playground facilities are barren and students have limited internal recreational facilities either. The head of centre has already ordered some resources to address this.

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Behaviour and safety of pupils Inadequate

 School records show that where students have been longer in the school their behaviour has improved considerably and incidents involving them are fewer. An overuse of fixed-term exclusions when the school first opened has been addressed by school leaders and rules are now becoming more clearly established. Similarly, the number of students who leave the site or lessons has been reduced because leaders have put effective procedures in place to address this.

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Leadership and management Inadequate

 Leadership and management are inadequate because leaders have failed to ensure that all regulations are met and that the school’s policies are implemented effectively. The proprietorial board has not monitored teaching and students’ achievement. Two regulations in relation to the premises are not being met.

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Leadership and management Inadequate

 The turnover in staff and the leadership has led to insufficient training for staff to help them to deal confidently with students’ behaviour and use the most effective techniques to support the learning of students with behavioural, social and emotional difficulties. Performance management systems are in place that hold staff to account for their teaching and their areas of responsibility. These have been linked appropriately to staff training and, more recently, to students’ progress. The new head of centre and education manager have a clear training programme identified which is aimed at strengthening teaching.

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Leadership and management Inadequate

 In a very short time the head of centre has identified all of the weaknesses of the school and has begun to put together an improvement plan to address these. She is clear about where the strengths and weaknesses in teaching lie and what now needs to be done as an urgent priority. The education manager and proprietorial board are supportive in this and have already released funds to enable aspects of the building, such as the recreational facilities, to be improved.

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Leadership and management Inadequate

 The school has introduced ways of monitoring students’ achievements and staff add to these on a weekly basis. However, these procedures are not yet used effectively enough by teachers or the proprietorial board to evaluate accurately the impact of the school’s work and to identify what needs to change.

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Leadership and management Inadequate

 The proprietorial board are supportive and determined to improve the school. However, they have not ensured that all the regulations in relation to teaching, the curriculum and welfare health and safety are met, nor that aspects of the school’s behaviour policies and procedures, including accurate records, have been maintained effectively over time. They have made sure that other regulations, such as those relating to child protection and safeguarding, are met and have taken action to reduce fixed-term exclusions. They have already recognised most of the defects in provision and are negotiating with the placing local authority and the landlord to improve the building. They are also reviewing funding so that more individual tuition is available to support the poorest attenders and most challenging students.

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Grade Judgement

Grade 1 Outstanding Grade 2 Good Grade 3 Requires improvement Grade 4 Inadequate

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Grade Judgement

Detailed grade characteristics can be viewed in the Non-association independent school inspection handbook which is published on the Ofsted website: www.ofsted.gov.uk/resources/140053 .

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School details

Unique reference number 139919 Inspection number 443018 DfE registration number 937/6006 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.

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School details

Type of school Other independent school School status Independent special school Age range of pupils 15–16 Gender of pupils Mixed Number of pupils on the school roll 7 Number of part time pupils n/a Proprietor Shaftesbury Young People Chair Michael Kaltz Headteacher Cheryl Moulsdale Date of previous school inspection N/A Annual fees (day pupils) £16,500 Telephone number 024 7633 8583 Fax number N/A Email address Cheryl.moulsdale@shaftesbury.org.uk 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 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.

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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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