Tlg Nottingham

TLG - Nottingham Lenton House, Gold Ribbon Estate, Lenton Lane, Nottingham, NG7 2NR

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Overall effectiveness 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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This is a good school

 Students who have been excluded from previous schools are keen to attend and to take an active part in their learning.  The good quality of teaching enables students to make good progress in their learning and achieve commendable success in GCSE examinations at the end of Year 11.  Students make good progress with the management of their behaviour and show respect for each other and for the staff.  The school provides a safe and secure environment for learning as a result of the leaders’ excellent attention to the welfare and safeguarding of students.  The school’s leaders and managers have ensured that there is a continuous focus on effective learning and the improvement of students’ self-esteem and confidence.  The quality of leadership and management is good. The headteacher, together with excellent support from the TLG management team, has established high expectations and a strong emphasis on continuous improvement.

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It is not yet an outstanding school because

 There is insufficient outstanding teaching.  Students’ willingness and enthusiasm to take an active part in oral activities is not consistently well managed to ensure outstanding learning.  There is not enough consistency in teachers’ expectations about the quality of students’ written work.  The physical education curriculum is too informal and does not challenge students sufficiently.

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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 school was inspected with one day’s notice.  The inspector observed seven lessons taught by three teachers. Three lessons were observed jointly with the headteacher or a member of the TLG management team.  Meetings were held with the headteacher, three members of the TLG management team and with the proprietor from Trent Vineyard. Discussions took place with each member of staff and with individual students.  Telephone conversations were held with individual parents and with representatives of placing schools. Responses to an inspection questionnaire from three members of staff were considered.  A wide range of school documentation was considered, including policy and planning documents, data about students’ achievement, and samples of students’ work.

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Inspection team

David Young, Lead inspector Additional Inspector

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Information about this school

 TLG Nottingham is operated by Trent Vineyard Church in partnership with TLG, The Education Charity.  It is located in an industrial and retail area of Nottingham, a short distance from the city centre. The school is housed in part of a large industrial-style building that is fitted out as a youth centre; this is also run by the Trent Vineyard Church.  The school provides education for up to 24 boys and girls aged between 11 and 16 years who have behavioural, emotional and social difficulties. At present, there are twelve students on the school roll, one of whom attends for two days a week. A small number are looked after by their local authorities.  The school opened in September 2011 and was registered with the Department for Education in May 2013.  The majority of students attend on four days a week. All students are dual registered and remain on the roll of their placing school which has responsibility for providing education on

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Information about this school

the remaining school days each week.  None of the students on roll has a statement of special educational needs.  The school makes use of additional provision, operated by the Trent Vineyard Church, to provide community service activities. In addition, students have access to a construction course run by an alternative provider.  The school aims to ‘offer students ways of progressing and achieving that are unique to each individual, within relationships that provide intensive and meaningful support’.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Further develop students’ writing and communication skills through:  a consistent emphasis on the improvement of spelling, grammar and handwriting  greater opportunities for extended writing  regular use of information and communication technology (ICT) to present finished items of work.  Ensure that the quality of all teaching is good or outstanding by:  more tightly controlled management of students’ oral contributions  more consistent use of visual summaries of students’ learning during lessons.  Further develop the school’s evaluation of its performance by use of more precise criteria to measure the impact and success of:  strategies for the management of students’ behaviour  the variety of tasks and activities provided to help students, particularly the most able, to learn and make progress.  Improve the content and structure of the physical education curriculum.

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Achievement of pupils Good

 Students make good progress with their learning and get back on track to success following previously negative attitudes to school.  The students who left Year 11 in summer 2013 all achieved five grades A* to G at GCSE or equivalent, a small number achieved five A* to C grades, and the majority gained a grade C in English. Prior to entry to the school, all were at risk of not completing their examination courses.  The school is successful in creating an ethos in which students state that they feel valued and are able to concentrate successfully on their work.  Although overall standards at the end of Year 11 are below the national average, the proportions of students who make expected levels of progress in English and mathematics are in line with the national averages. Some students make progress over time in excess of expectations; progress to date has been particularly strong in English.  In addition to success in core skills, including science and ICT, students make good progress

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Achievement of pupils Good

across a range of subjects. The curriculum is organised, in conjunction with placing schools, to enable individual students to complete GCSE or BTEC examination courses in subjects as diverse as psychology, business studies and performing arts.  All students succeed in achieving functional skills awards in English and mathematics at levels 1 or 2. Current students in Key Stage 3 and 4 are making good progress towards qualifications in English, mathematics, ICT, science, citizenship and religious studies, as a result of good teaching in these subjects.  The school places an appropriate emphasis on the development of key skills of value in employment and further education. Students develop their skills effectively in reading, speaking and listening, the use of numbers and ICT. Some students demonstrate particular skills in the use of high quality multi-media presentations.  The development and consolidation of students’ writing, grammar and punctuation are not

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Achievement of pupils Good

ensured consistently across all subjects. Some good progress has been made with the development of individual student folders of high quality work samples. There is scope to further raise expectations of what students can complete, record and file in both handwritten and computer-generated formats.

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Quality of teaching Good

 The quality of teaching is good and enables students to enjoy their work and to make good progress.  The school has produced appropriate schemes of work which clearly show the planned sequence of learning to be achieved over time. Teachers use these schemes effectively to prepare activities and tasks which students enjoy and are keen to complete successfully.  The subjects and activities provided take good account of the examinations to be completed at the end of Year 11, and of the courses already started in students’ previous schools. Examinations courses are balanced with a suitable range of non-accredited activities, including creative arts, life leadership and community service activities.  Regular opportunities are provided for physical education but this is not sufficiently well planned to ensure that students improve their skills, teamwork and physical fitness consistently.  Students develop their understanding well through extensive oral work. Where discussion is

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Quality of teaching Good

managed most effectively, students listen to the contributions of others and make thoughtful responses. There are occasions when students challenge and develop each other’s ideas in an outstanding manner, resulting in mature and sophisticated discussion. Occasionally, discussion is less effective because too many ideas are contributed and not developed systematically; as a result, the objectives of the lesson are not achieved, and students are not sufficiently clear about what they have learned.  Students are confident to read aloud, sometimes with excellent expression and meaning. Similarly, they write and record their ideas diligently. Written tasks are too frequently not challenging enough, particularly for more-able students, consisting of one sentence responses on work sheets, with variable grammar, handwriting and presentation. Work in students’ folders includes good examples of extended writing and well-constructed word-

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Quality of teaching Good

processed prose; this level of expectation is not consistently present in the standards demanded of them.  Teachers share the objectives for lessons with students to help them understand what is expected of them. However, the staff do not always provide clear summaries, during or at the end of lessons, to allow students to check their progress and assess whether they are achieving the planned learning.  The school has developed excellent arrangements for the assessment of students’ work and achievement. Students are given regular tests based on the criteria for the accredited courses being followed. They like to succeed and are proud when their results reflect the standards of which they know they are capable.  The central management team at TLG work continuously with the school to revise and extend the systems for tracking students’ progress. Recent improvements in the software developed by the company provide the headteacher with very effective information about the

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Quality of teaching Good

extent and rate of students’ progress. This information is used increasingly to enable staff to amend and develop the learning tasks provided for students.

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Behaviour and safety of pupils Good

 The behaviour of students is good and contributes positively to the progress they make in their personal and academic development.  Students quickly adjust to the expectations of the school. They recognise that lesson time is for learning and that they are expected to listen, contribute and complete the work set. They are mostly successful in achieving these aims.  Teachers manage students’ behaviour well, mostly through high expectations of the pace and level of challenge in lessons. Students respond positively and time is used productively. There are occasions when individual students are distracted as a result of emotional and social trauma in their personal lives. The staff are sensitive to individual circumstances and work well together to ensure that disruption is minimised and students are enabled to return to effective learning.  Students appreciate the opportunities provided for them and they, together with parents and

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Behaviour and safety of pupils Good

placing authorities, speak positively about the improvements in their behaviour and attitudes. They are realistic about their own attitudes and behaviour and genuinely aim for improvement. Over time, they are mostly successful.  The school places a clear and effective emphasis on the spiritual, moral, social and cultural development of students. The headteacher has introduced excellent arrangements for monitoring the progress which students make in managing all aspects of their emotional and social development. This enables the staff to identify and respond to the unique challenges experienced by each student.  Students state that they experience no bullying in school and that students get on well together. This is evident in classrooms and during recreational activities. They also state that they feel safe and can concentrate on their work.  The attendance of the majority of students is close to the national average and shows good

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Behaviour and safety of pupils Good

improvement from their previous placements. Persistent absence by a small number of students has a negative impact on the overall attendance figures.  The school’s work to keep students safe and secure is outstanding. The headteacher ensures that all aspects of staff recruitment, premises and fire safety, and staff training contribute to a safe and secure environment throughout the school.  There are a number of effective opportunities for students to learn about the diversity of beliefs and cultures in the national and local community. They have excellent opportunities to experience and contribute to local community activities, particularly through the range of practical, care and welfare services provided on the school site.  Good arrangements for careers education and transition to further education provide students with secure preparation for adult life.

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Leadership and management Good

 The leadership and management of the school are good. The headteacher has established a clear vision for the school. Well-organised activities and procedures enable the staff to work effectively with the students.  The central management team at TLG provides excellent support for the development of the school and an effective role in monitoring and extending the work of the headteacher and staff. They have a good knowledge and understanding of how well the school is doing.  The headteacher ensures that the work of all staff members is monitored and good opportunities are provided for the further development and training of staff members.  The school’s leaders have ensured that all the independent school regulations are met and that students make good progress in their academic and personal development. They ensure that all students have access to a suitable range of accredited courses and that they achieve

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Leadership and management Good

good success in these.  The headteacher works very effectively with the central management team to track students’ progress both academically and in their personal development. In a short time, suitable procedures have been established to hold the school to account and an ethos of continuous improvement has been established.  The school’s approach to the tracking and evaluation of students’ progress is exemplary. Approaches to the evaluation of the management of behaviour and the quality of teaching are less precise and do not have a sufficient impact on current classroom practice.  There are areas for improvement and the school has a secure understanding of how these may be addressed. In particular, leaders recognise that the quality of physical education needs to be more systematic and challenging for students.  The headteacher and management team have ensured that good attention is given to the

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Leadership and management Good

spiritual, moral and social development of students. Strong links with the activities of the Vineyard Church provide an effective context for this work.  The school maintains excellent working relationships with parents, carers and placing schools. This ensures that students are supported to make the most of the opportunities provided.  Effective policies and procedures have been established to ensure the safety and well-being of students and these are kept under regular review. The school’s leaders have demonstrated the capacity to establish and maintain a secure environment for effective learning.

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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 139771 Inspection number 443007 DfE registration number 892/6016 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 students with behavioural, emotional and social difficulties School status Independent school Age range of pupils 11–16 years Gender of pupils Mixed Number of pupils on the school roll 12 Number of part time pupils 1 Proprietor Trent Vineyard Chair Nick Gretton Headteacher Joy Cooke Date of previous school inspection Not applicable Annual fees (4 day programme) £10,602–£14,316 Telephone number 0115 988 7062 Email address Joy.cooke@tlg.org.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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