The Springfield Centre

The Springfield Centre St George’s Road, Lupset, Wakefield, West Yorkshire, WF2 8BB

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Overall effectiveness

Previous inspection: Good 2 This inspection: Good 2 Leadership and management Good 2 Behaviour and safety of pupils Good 2 Quality of teaching Good 2 Achievement of pupils Good 2

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

 The executive headteacher, in partnership with other senior leaders, has continued to build on the good achievement identified in the previous inspection. As a result, students make good and better progress, often from low starting points.  The recent addition to the management committee of a primary deputy headteacher has further improved this strong team whose members offer good levels of both support and challenge to the school’s leadership. This has contributed directly to the school’s improvement overall and particularly in sustaining good outcomes for students through good teaching.  ‘Bullying doesn’t happen here because we respect each other’ is the view of one student, echoed by others. This supports inspection findings that, despite their often high level of need, students’ behaviour is good both in and outside the classroom.  Through an excellent programme on motorbike maintenance and safety, coupled with the

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

application of a clearly understood internet safety policy, students quickly learn how to make the right choices and improve their own safety and that of others.  Teaching is nearly always good. At times, teaching is outstanding. As a result, students re-engage with and enjoy learning, often for the first time.  Students achieve well and make good progress, as demonstrated by the good quality of work seen in their books.  Many students join the provision at times other than the start of the school year. Some students have been out of education for considerable periods of time. Despite these disadvantages, the vast majority go on to make good or better progress leaving with an array of qualifications and accreditations. This represents good achievement overall.

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It is not yet an outstanding school because

 A small number of the most able students do not make as much progress as they should. This is because insufficient time is allocated in the curriculum to academic subjects, such as information and communication technology, science and history.  Marking and feedback do not consistently offer students sufficient guidance on how to improve the content and presentation of their work.

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Information about this inspection

 Inspectors observed 14 lessons and parts of lessons taught by teachers and support staff. A lesson observation was undertaken jointly with the acting headteacher. Inspectors examined the quality of work in the books of students from across the school.  Inspectors held meetings and had discussions with students, the executive headteacher, acting headteacher, middle leaders, members of the school’s staff and the Chair of the Management Committee. A discussion with a representative from the local authority was also held.  Inspectors took into account the views of two parents who made their views known to them. They also took into account the views of five parents who had recently completed a questionnaire for the school.  Inspectors studied health and safety documentation, teachers’ planning, documents relating to the procedures to check the performance of staff, students’ attendance data and the school’s system for

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Inspection team

Marian Thomas , Lead inspector Additional Inspector

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Information about this school

 The school is a three-centre pupil referral unit which offers education to Key Stage 4 students who are permanently excluded from school in Wakefield and surrounding areas. Although the centre is based in three different locations the staff team work across all three units.  Currently there are 52 students on roll, nearly all of whom are from families of White British heritage.  Thirty-three students attend The Springfield Centre which meets the needs of both boys and girls.  Twelve students considered to be more in need than others attend the smaller Hilltop unit which is situated close to Castleford.  A further seven students who are regarded as most in need attend the Crosskeys unit which is situated to the east of Wakefield.  All students who currently attend are identified as having social, mental and emotional health needs and are supported at school action plus. Currently, a very small number have a statement of special

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Information about this school

educational needs.  The vast majority of students who attend are disadvantaged. These are students who are known to be eligible for free school meals and those in the care of the local authority who are supported by the pupil premium funding.  Very few students attend external provision. Recently, a small number have started to attend the UCAN Centre in Pontefract for art therapy.  Students work towards a range of accreditations including GCSE mathematics, English, physical education and design technology, BTEC food technology, a wide range of entry level qualifications and the Institute of the Motor Industry Motorcycle Maintenance and Repair Level 1.  Since the school’s previous inspection, the executive headteacher has taken on the role of acting headteacher at a local special school which is in special measures. The deputy headteacher is currently acting headteacher.  The management committee oversees both the Key Stage 3 and Key Stage 4 pupil referral units.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Accelerate the progress and so raise the attainment of a small number of the most able students by increasing the amount of time they study academic subjects, such information and communication technology, history and science.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Improve the quality of teaching and learning by ensuring marking and feedback more consistently give students sufficient guidance on how to improve the presentation and content of their work.

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The leadership and management are good

 The executive headteacher has a very clear vision of what is needed to take the school forward. In partnership with the acting headteacher, he has put in place a well-organised plan for continuous improvement. This is focused on achieving excellent outcomes for all students through improving the quality of teaching still further.  Evidence of the success of this drive for improvement since the previous inspection is clear in students’ increased levels of attendance and a marked improvement in behaviour both inside and outside the classroom.  The quality of teaching has continued to improve since the previous inspection as evidenced by the year- on-year increase in the number of qualifications and accreditations gained by students at the end of Year 11.  Middle leaders play a pivotal role in checking the achievement of students within their areas of responsibility. For example, the newly appointed literacy coordinator has put in place extra sessions to

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The leadership and management are good

improve students’ grammar and punctuation after recognising a need for this by reviewing the quality of work in students’ books.  The executive headteacher, in partnership with the acting headteacher, ensures performance targets for staff link directly to students’ achievement and the targets within the school’s improvement plan. Checks carried out on the performance of staff are rigorously undertaken at regular intervals and this information has been used to make decisions on teachers’ pay.  Leaders have taken account of planned changes to the secondary curriculum and have ensured all areas of the current curriculum are well planned. For example, areas have been identified within different subjects which prepare students for life in British society. This ensures they develop a good understanding and appreciation of different views and cultures.  Currently, there are insufficient opportunities for the small group of the most able students to complete

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The leadership and management are good

courses in as many curriculum areas as they could. This slows their achievement overall.  The curriculum is enriched with many different trips and visits away from the classroom. These enable students to broaden their horizons, understanding and experiences. For example, students recently went climbing at an outdoor pursuits centre. A typical student comment describes the experience as ‘Very scary to start with, but it felt brilliant when reaching the top.’ Challenges such as this increase students’ self- esteem and coupled with visits to, for example, the local church, contribute to students’ good spiritual, moral, social and cultural understanding.  Parents who made their views known to the inspection team were unanimous in their support for the school. They spoke highly of all staff, praising particularly the improvement in students’ behaviour and the support given to them as families. ‘They couldn’t have done more to help my son deal with his problems’

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The leadership and management are good

was a typical comment made which summed up the feelings of others. All felt welcomed, and appreciated, and would recommend the school to others.  Last year, all Year 11 students gained a place at college, undertaking a variety of different courses. The school’s tracking showed that the great majority were continuing their studies after three months. This successful transition from school to college demonstrates clearly the effectiveness of the school’s careers advice and guidance which support students in making effective future choices.  Senior leaders and staff are passionate about improving the outcomes for all students. They are skilled in understanding the needs of students and work exceptionally hard to provide a nurturing and supportive atmosphere which ensures all succeed equally well. This clearly shows school leaders’ commitment to equality of opportunity for all students.  Very few students attend lessons away from the centre in alternative provision. The few who do are

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The leadership and management are good

usually accompanied by school staff who effectively monitor students’ progress, attendance and behaviour.  The local authority works closely with school leaders through the management committee, offering good levels of support and guidance.  School leaders manage the pupil premium funding prudently and this careful management has enabled them to support disadvantaged students effectively. As a result, last year, this group made equally good rates of progress as their peers in school in English and mathematics.  The governance of the school:  The management committee members have a diverse range of skills and experiences which they update regularly by undertaking further training. They have developed a clear understanding of students’ achievement through interpretation and understanding of the school’s own data and also national data. They offer senior leaders good levels of support and challenge in their quest to bring

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The leadership and management are good

about further improvement.  In partnership with senior leaders, management committee members have developed an effective system for checking the performance of all staff which rewards good teaching and addresses underperformance. They have a good overview of the quality of teaching.  Safeguarding procedures and policies are of good quality and meet current requirements. Committee members undertake regular child protection training alongside all school staff. They also ensure that financial resources made available to the school are managed effectively as evidenced by the school’s current healthy budget.

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Behaviour

 The behaviour of students is good.  Despite the high levels of need of many students, learning is rarely interrupted by incidents of difficult behaviour. This positive attitude to learning clearly contributes to the good achievement seen in students’ books and folders across the school.  Staff promote a caring approach across the provision where all are valued. They clearly enjoy spending time with students and successfully model good behaviour and attitudes. As a result, a harmonious atmosphere prevails at break and lunchtime.  Parents firmly believe the school improves the attitude and behaviour of their children.  School records show that incidents of difficult behaviour have continued to reduce since the previous inspection. This is because of the climate of mutual respect and a consistent approach to the management of students’ behaviour, which students begin to recognise as they settle into school. Students are

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Behaviour

confident that ‘Staff here care about you.’  Attendance overall has improved since the previous inspection. Analysis of individual students’ attendance records shows that the vast majority increase their attendance significantly when they join the school. This slow but steady improvement is due to a range of measures put in place by the school. For example, while senior leaders recognise the importance of developing good timekeeping and independent travel skills, the provision of a minibus service, which collects students from the bus station, reduces significantly the numbers of buses students need to catch to reach the school and has improved their punctuality.

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Safety

 The school’s work to keep students safe and secure is outstanding.  Many of the students who attend are recognised as particularly vulnerable to a range of different dangers, including sexual exploitation. Senior leaders work very closely and highly successfully with different agencies, including the onsite police officer, to reduce the risks faced by students.  Staff are exceptionally good in recognising the challenges faced by students and have taken sensitive but effective action to ensure their safety and well-being. For example, the underage use of motorbikes has been common practice in the areas surrounding school. The motor mechanics course run by the school focuses on motorbike repair and maintenance. At the end of each session, students are taught how to ride their bikes safely in the confines of the school grounds.  Students say they feel safe in school. They are very clear about the different forms bullying can take,

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Safety

including cyber-bullying and recognise the appropriate actions should an incident occur inside or outside school.

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The quality of teaching is good

 The quality of teaching is good across the school. Sometimes, teaching leads to outstanding outcomes for students.  School records and evidence in students’ work support the view of school leaders that the quality of teaching is good over time. Mathematics and English are taught well across the school as evidenced by students’ good and better progress.  A clear focus on the teaching of reading across the school has improved students’ engagement and enjoyment. As a result, reading levels have risen for the majority of students.  Because of the focus on accreditation, which often takes the form of pre-prepared sheets, students sometimes lack the opportunity to undertake extended pieces of writing. The English coordinator is aware of this and ensures students have good opportunities to write for longer periods in English. As a result, the majority make good progress.  Students make good progress in mathematics because work set by teachers matches their needs well.

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The quality of teaching is good

 Staff effectively use information about how well students are doing to plan future learning. Work set accurately meets the needs of students, enabling all groups to make good progress, including the most able and those who are disadvantaged.  All staff, including teaching assistants, share teachers’ high expectations for the progress of all students and are knowledgeable about the curriculum as well as the behavioural needs of students. Students benefit from highly effective teamwork to develop an enjoyment of learning which, in turn, reflects in their good attitudes and behaviour.  Because of the small numbers in each class, much teaching is conducted with individuals or small groups. As a result, students have access to a bespoke curriculum which meets their needs well. Pupil premium funding is used effectively to fund extra sessions for disadvantaged students who need extra help with their learning. As a result, school data show that these students make the same good rates of progress as

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The quality of teaching is good

the very small number of non-disadvantaged students in the school.  Students’ work is mostly marked diligently. However, the school’s marking policy is not always fully adhered to and so it is not always made clear to students how they can improve the presentation and content of their work. When this happens, progress slows and presentation becomes shoddy in some books.  Lessons in personal and social education, and art and design, promote well students’ good spiritual, moral, social and cultural understanding.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 Students’ achievement is good overall despite their high level of need. School data show that all groups, including disadvantaged students, are making good progress.  Students often arrive with very low levels of literacy and numeracy, often lower than those expected at the end of Key Stage 2. They frequently arrive after periods away from education, sometimes as long as a year or more, due often to their poor behaviour or chaotic lifestyles. ‘I enjoy learning here because teachers don’t let me give up’ was a typical student comment to inspectors, reflecting the ethos of the school.  Results at the end of 2013 showed an increase in the numbers of students leaving with at least five units of accreditation, including in English and in mathematics, whatever their starting point or arrival date. Students make equally good progress in English and mathematics because both subjects are given an equally high priority by school leaders and staff.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 The 2014 data show a further increase with more students achieving higher levels of accreditation in more subject areas such as science, art, information and communication technology, history, geography, food technology, physical education and design technology. This represents at least good and some outstanding achievement for the great majority of students.  Students’ progress in reading is good. The coordinator for English clearly recognises the importance of improving students’ reading skills across the school. Her well-organised approach to engaging students includes providing reading materials from a range of authors including a series written by young offenders. These different and often very relevant books engage students and, once ‘hooked’, they go on to a read a wide variety of GCSE texts including, for example, Romeo and Juliet and Of Mice and Men.  The vast majority of students are disadvantaged and, although their attainment remains lower than

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The achievement of pupils is good

national age-related expectations, they make similar and often better rates of progress than disadvantaged students nationally, often from very low starting points. Their success is due to the highly effective use of pupil premium funding which school leaders use to provide extra support to boost students’ achievement through one-to-one and other small-group sessions.  Most able students make good progress overall. However, they make less progress than they should because much of the timetable in the afternoon is given over to a vocational curriculum which results in less time for them to study more academic subjects such as art, information and communication technology, geography and history.  A very small number of students have just started to attend alternative provision. It is too soon to comment on the effectiveness of this provision.  Because of the well-targeted support, all groups, including disabled students, those with special

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The achievement of pupils is good

educational needs, the most able and the very few from minority ethnic backgrounds make equally good rates of progress as their peers in English and mathematics.

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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 failing

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Grade Judgement Description

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 108139 Local authority Wakefield Inspection number 447938

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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 14–16 Gender of pupils Mixed Number of pupils on the school roll 52 Appropriate authority The local authority Chair Ros Lund Headteacher Will Carpenter Date of previous school inspection 20 June 2012 Telephone number 01924 303770 Fax number 01924 304040 Email address wcarpenter@wakefield.gov.uk 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 and 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

telephone 0300 123 4234, or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk . You may copy all or parts of this document for non-commercial educational purposes, as long as you give details of the source and date of publication and do not alter the information in any way. To receive regular email alerts about new publications, including survey reports and school inspection reports, please visit our website and go to ‘Subscribe’.

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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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