Setting

Aviation House 125 Kingsway London WC2B 6SE T 0300 123 1231 F 020 7421 6855 enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk www.ofsted.gov.uk

p.1

Mr R Williams Headteacher Malton School Middlecave Road Malton North Yorkshire YO17 7NH

p.1

alternative provision

Thank you for your hospitality and cooperation, and that of your staff and students, during my visit with Diana Choulerton HMI on 17 and 18 September 2014 to look at the school’s use of alternative provision. During the visit we met with you, the deputy headteacher, the coordinator of provision for students who have special educational needs and the teacher who is second in the science department. We also met students and visited the following providers that your students attend: Derwent Training Association (part of Craven College) and Ryedale Out of School Education (ROOSE).

p.1

alternative provision

The visit provided valuable information which will contribute to our national evaluation and reporting. Published reports are likely to list the names of the contributing institutions but individual institutions will not be identified in the main text without their consent.

p.1

alternative provision

This letter briefly summarises our discussion at the end of the visit.

p.1

Strengths of this aspect of the school’s work

 You use alternative and off-site provision for a relatively small number of students. The majority are students in Years 10 and 11 who are studying BTec Engineering and who attend the Derwent Training Association for part of their studies. A very small number of students are working with ROOSE.

p.1

Strengths of this aspect of the school’s work

 The BTec course in engineering is part of the curriculum offer and as such is available to all students should they choose this option at Key Stage 4. It is not used as a means of engaging students who might otherwise become disaffected. The BTec is taught partly by your staff and partly by staff at Derwent Training Association.

p.1

Strengths of this aspect of the school’s work

 ROOSE is a collaborative arrangement between Malton School and three other secondary schools. It works with students who have been excluded or are at risk of exclusion, or who have emotional or health-related difficulties. As such, it caters for potentially vulnerable young people. One of the partner schools in the collaborative is the lead school for ROOSE and the service is delivered to all four schools under a service level agreement with the local authority. The local authority is not involved with Derwent Training Association; you have commissioned this work directly. You have worked with both of these providers for several years.

p.2

Strengths of this aspect of the school’s work

 The major thrust of the work of ROOSE is to enable students to deal with the difficulties they face so that they can return to full-time, mainstream education where possible and achieve their academic potential. This work has had a good impact on outcomes for some of your students.

p.2

Strengths of this aspect of the school’s work

 Both of the providers operate in clean, modern premises that are well- equipped and safe. The accommodation at Derwent Training Association is purpose built. Accommodation at ROOSE is rather small, which restricts the range and nature of activities that can take place there.

p.2

Strengths of this aspect of the school’s work

 You make sure that providers have the information they need at the start of placements. This includes information about students’ prior attainment and their personal development. Details of special educational needs, medical needs and child protection information are also shared. You have taken steps to ensure that any information sent by email is secure. Both providers are clear about what steps to take should they have concerns about a student’s welfare. However, there is some lack of clarity about how ROOSE’s procedures for managing and referring concerns, particularly those related to child protection, dovetail with those of the four schools in the collaboration. Although ROOSE is part of one of the secondary schools, it is situated in a separate unit that is not on or close to the school’s site. The head at ROOSE is not a named and designated lead person for safeguarding.

p.2

Strengths of this aspect of the school’s work

 Both providers felt that communication with Malton School staff was good and that staff would respond quickly to any issues or concerns.

p.2

Strengths of this aspect of the school’s work

 Because the BTec Engineering course is part of the range of option choices, students do not miss out on other studies. A few students expressed regret that time at Derwent was short. Students supported by ROOSE staff who are being taught at home are on reduced timetables because of their medical needs. Importantly, you are looking at ways to extend learning time, for example by providing the opportunity for further study by computer, so that students move closer to their entitlement to full-time education. We discussed the need to make sure that absence from school for these students is properly coded on the attendance registers.  All of the students attending alternative provision last year gained a GCSE pass in English, with eight reaching higher grades. There was a similar picture in mathematics. They were equally successful with their BTec studies. Some students currently attending said that the course was

p.2

Strengths of this aspect of the school’s work

having a positive impact on their achievement overall. All of the students but one are on track to meet or exceed their predicted grades. The BTec engineering course is for many students part of a progression to work or further study either through apprenticeship or through studying engineering in the sixth form. Seven students in Year 13 are studying engineering.

p.3

Strengths of this aspect of the school’s work

 Malton School staff make regular visits to both providers and observe students in lessons informally. Staff at both providers are observed and appraised by staff from their host organisations. They are also subject to inspection by Ofsted. I note, however, that although ROOSE has been in operation for several years, it has not yet been included in the inspection of any one of the schools in the collaborative. Similarly, when Craven College was last inspected Derwent Training Association was not visited.

p.3

Strengths of this aspect of the school’s work

 You make sure that staff in both organisations have been checked to make sure they are suitable to work with young people .

p.3

Strengths of this aspect of the school’s work

 Policies and risk assessments related to the use of engineering equipment are discussed. However, this is not done in a systematic way or to a planned schedule.

p.3

Strengths of this aspect of the school’s work

 Students were very positive about their experiences at Derwent and ROOSE. They felt well supported and enabled to achieve of their best.

p.3

Areas for improvement, which we discussed, include:

 making sure that the monitoring of teaching and learning at Derwent includes some formal observations and ensuring that reviews and checks of policies and procedures are carried out regularly, systematically and the outcomes recorded.

p.3