Caldecott Foundation School

School report Caldecott Foundation School

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Overall effectiveness

Previous inspection: Requires improvement 3 This inspection: Requires improvement 3 Leadership and management Requires improvement 3 Behaviour and safety of pupils Requires improvement 3 Quality of teaching Requires improvement 3 Achievement of pupils Requires improvement 3 Sixth form provision Requires improvement 3

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

This is a school that requires improvement.

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

 The quality of teaching is not consistently good. Teachers do not always plan activities to match the needs of every student.  School leaders have not yet ensured that the overall quality of teaching is at least good.  Marking of students’ work is not up to date in all classes. Feedback to students does not always make clear what they need to do next to make more progress.  Over time, not all students make enough progress in mathematics.  Teachers do not always do enough to challenge and support more able students to achieve better grades in GCSE examinations.  Learning is sometimes disrupted by the poor behaviour and attitudes of a small number of students. Staff do not always intervene quickly enough to prevent situations from escalating. As a result, a very few students say that sometimes they feel unsafe.  The sixth form requires improvement. There is not enough focus on meeting the needs of older

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The school has the following strengths:

 School leaders are ambitious for their school and have recently improved teaching in some subjects. They are now relentless in their drive to improve standards.  Governance is good. Trustees provide effective support and challenge to school leaders. They recognise and reward strong performance over time by effective teachers.  Students thoroughly enjoy the available work- related education activities. They understand that these help to develop skills which will be important to them in the world of work.

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Information about this inspection

 The inspector observed teaching in six lessons. On four occasions, he was accompanied by a member of the senior leadership team. He made other visits to class to look at students’ work files and books. The inspector joined students at lunchtime and met a group to discuss their views of the school.  Close analysis of important school documents was carried out. The inspector reviewed minutes of Trustees’ meetings and school leaders’ records of their monitoring activities. He scrutinised teachers’ planning. Important policies were reviewed, such as those for keeping students safe and those relating to the management of behaviour.  The inspector met the social care inspector who was carrying out an inspection of one of the foundation’s residential homes.  Meetings were held with school leaders, teachers and with Trustees. The inspector analysed the views of the 16 members of staff who returned the staff questionnaire. There were no responses to the online

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Information about this inspection

Parent View survey for the inspector to review. He noted the views of the very few parents and carers who completed a school survey earlier in the year.

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Inspection team

Bob Pugh, Lead inspector Additional Inspector

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Information about this school

 All of the students who attend the school have a statement of educational needs relating to their social, emotional and behavioural difficulties. Many have been excluded from other settings before joining this school. Almost all are from White British backgrounds and none speak English as an additional language.  A higher than average proportion of students are eligible for support through pupil premium funding. This is additional funding for those who are known to be eligible for free school meals and those who are looked after by the local authority.  The school provides the educational service within the Caldecott Foundation. One of the foundation’s children’s homes was inspected at the same time as the school .  Day students make up almost half of the school’s population. Other students reside in one of the foundation’s nearby children’s homes.  The head of education and the head of school have both been in post for less than two years. Other

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Information about this school

members of the senior leadership team have joined the school very recently.  Provision in the sixth form is very new; there are just two students in this part of the school, one of whom was at another school until the end of last term.  The school has a motor vehicle workshop in the town, where motor vehicle studies is taught to its own students and those from other, similar schools.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Improve teaching so that all students make good progress from their different starting points, especially in mathematics, by ensuring that :  in all activities during the school day, teachers explain carefully to students what is expected of them in terms of their behaviour and what they need to do to make faster progress  teachers regularly mark students’ work and provide them with clear feedback about what they need to do to next to achieve even more  teachers always use a wide range of appropriate resources effectively when revisiting prior learning or introducing new ideas  teachers challenge all students to produce their best work and set rigorous targets for the more able which focus on working towards high grade GCSE passes  teachers provide students with good guidance about their homework and check that this is properly completed.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Fully establish systems for managing the quality of teaching and learning in order to bring about rapid improvements.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Improve students’ behaviour and safety by:  planning lessons which always capture their interest by matching the learning to their individual needs  ensuring that staff always intervene quickly when disruption occurs so that learning for all students can resume as quickly as possible, including in the sixth form.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Improve leadership and management of the sixth form so that it quickly establishes a clear identity within the school and focuses effectively on the needs of the older students.

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The leadership and management requires improvement

 School leaders and managers have not yet secured good quality teaching across the school.  Leaders are ambitious for the school and have recently introduced systems for checking the quality of teaching which have provided them with clear information on strengths and weaknesses. However, these systems are not yet leading to rapid improvements in all subjects.  The range of activities and subjects taught provides students with good opportunities to learn about life in modern Britain. School leaders have organised the timetable so that each day begins with a tutorial session to encourage students’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development. Time in these sessions is used well to promote students’ knowledge of the similarities and differences among faith groups and in lifestyles.  Students’ understanding of the world of work and their preparation for adult life have improved because school leaders have expanded the range of work-related courses available. They have provided older

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The leadership and management requires improvement

students with better opportunities for making choices, including about possible careers or next steps.  School leaders have challenged teachers to promote literacy and numeracy skills in every lesson. This has helped raise students’ achievements in English, but not yet in mathematics.  Regular training provides staff with information about techniques for improving students’ behaviour. The techniques promoted are not used consistently throughout the day by teachers and their assistants. Other training provides all staff with the skills necessary for keeping students safe and identifying those who are at risk, though these are not always employed to good effect in all subjects.  Support from the local authority has been focused on the needs of individual students, such as creating effective, personal education plans.  Despite school leaders’ regular attempts to obtain funding for those who are eligible to receive the pupil

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The leadership and management requires improvement

premium and other resources, local authorities have not passed the funding to the school.

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The leadership and management requires improvement

 The governance of the school:  Governance (undertaken by Trustees on the foundation’s education committee) is now good and provides effective challenge. School leaders are beginning to respond to this challenge by improving their systems for monitoring the impact of teaching on students’ learning. Trustees visit the school regularly and provide incisive feedback on their observations. They have supported school leaders in their attempts to gain additional funding for those pupils who are eligible to receive it. Because they have undertaken appropriate training, Trustees are able to analyse the information they receive about students’ achievements and behaviour. They make comparisons with their own findings and challenge everyone to make further improvements.  Trustees have ensured that there is a link between good teaching and the progression of staff through the pay scales. They provide effective support and challenge to the head of education by means of

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The leadership and management requires improvement

rigorous arrangements for performance management. Trustees have ensured that all arrangements for safeguarding and protecting children meet national requirements.

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Behaviour

 The behaviour of students, when on the school site, requires improvement. Sometimes, their entry to class is disorderly and disrupts the learning of others. Teachers and their assistants are not always successful in capturing their interests, which means that they do not always concentrate and learn well. At times staff do not intervene quickly enough to tackle disruptions to learning.  Students’ behaviour is good when they are away from the school site, on visits or at the motor vehicle workshop. This is because risk assessments carried out by teachers are more rigorous on these occasions.  Students’ behaviour is better when they understand the rules. This was particularly the case in a motor vehicle workshop away from the school site. The teacher told them what was expected and challenged them to work hard, providing light touch support when necessary. As a result, students got on with their

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Behaviour

tasks enthusiastically in an atmosphere of mutual respect.  Students understand the school’s rewards system and how they can earn points leading to a range of treats. A teacher encouraged a student to reflect on his own behaviour in a literacy lesson. Their discussion led to agreement on the number of points he should be awarded, to the student’s evident pride.  School surveys of students’ opinions show that they are more likely to enjoy their time at school now than previously. One younger student told an inspector about the subjects he likes. He enjoys working in small- size classes because this enables him to do better.

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Safety

 The school’s work to keep pupils safe requires improvement. Students say that the disruptive behaviour of some leads them to feel unsafe on occasions. They resent the distraction and the time taken to resolve problems.  Recording of incidents, including when bullying occurs, is rigorous. Advice and support for the perpetrator and victim are improving over time.  Students understand that there are different kinds of bullying. They learn about the need to stay safe online and are encouraged to report any concerns they have.  Recent steps to make the school site more secure have proved effective in improving students’ behaviour, because they have fewer opportunities for leaving their classrooms without permission. Good procedures are in place for monitoring the safety of students who are having time away from class in the playground and for finding and securing students on the rare occasions when they are missing from school.

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The quality of teaching requires improvement

 Teaching is not yet typically good. Sometimes, teachers do not make their expectations clear enough, nor do they always encourage students of all abilities, including the more able, to work harder so that they achieve higher grades in GCSE examinations or when working for Entry Level or BTEC qualifications.  Very recently, teaching in English has improved markedly. Planning and assessment are thorough and based on accurate understanding of every student’s needs. Because of this, students understand how to make better progress. However, the same improvement is not yet evident in mathematics.  When a teacher was listening to a student read, the inspector noted how well questioning was used by the student and by the teacher. As a result, the student gained a deeper understanding of the motives of the story’s characters and the teacher could be sure that he was working hard and achieving his targets.

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The quality of teaching requires improvement

 Teachers do not always mark students’ work thoroughly. Some work files are disorganised and do not show how much students have understood. Advice on the next steps for learning is not always provided.  Teachers do not always ensure that students know what they have to do when homework is set.  Teachers and their assistants do not always make the best use of available resources to help students make better progress. Sometimes, they do not take time to tell students what is expected of them in terms of behaviour or what they will be learning.  When teachers use their understanding of students’ individual strengths and needs effectively, their planning is so precise that everyone learns well. On these occasions, teachers promote students’ good literacy and communication skills. A good example of this occurred when students were producing a ‘mood board’ for a hairdressing salon. Students were challenged to write about the atmosphere they wanted in

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The quality of teaching requires improvement

the salon, and to make sure that their spelling was accurate and use of capital and small letters was correct.

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requires improvement

 Students’ attainment levels when they join the school are varied. Some are working well below national expectations while others match the levels at which students of the same age in mainstream schools are working. From their starting points, some students make good progress while others do not achieve as much as students in similar settings.  Typically,students who take GCSE examinations gain passes at grades D to G. On a very few occasions, students have gained one pass at grade C. Other students gain passes at Entry Level. More-able students are not always encouraged, by means of challenging targets, to work towards higher grades.  Achievement is similar among all groups. Boys make progress which is similar to girls’, and students eligible to receive additional funding do as well as others.  Since the previous inspection school leaders have created more opportunities for students to follow work-

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requires improvement

related courses so that they can gain qualifications such as BTEC. In these subjects, teachers help students to work hard and improve literacy and numeracy skills, as well as those related to the particular job, so that they will be well placed to compete with others in the world of work.  Students’ good progress in work-related subjects is not always matched by equally good progress in mathematics. This is because not enough emphasis is placed on working hard and behaving well. Students’ achievements in English do not yet match national averages. However, recent improvements to teaching have led to better achievement in English.  Among all age groups, progress in reading is accelerating rapidly. A few students make progress in reading which exceeds expectations while others make good gains over time. Access to daily newspapers in school, and books and magazines in their homes, helps many to improve their reading.

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requires improvement

 Students are keen to talk about their experiences of participating in sporting events such as the swimming gala or football matches. There are many good examples of how they have raised funds for local and national charities, such as lifeboats, while learning about the roles which those organisations play in national life.

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The sixth form provision requires improvement

 Leadership and management of the recently established sixth form require improvement. The sixth form does not yet have a separate identity within the school. Planning has not yet led to all subjects which school leaders want to include being fully available for study.  Students in the sixth form follow personalised timetables with a particular emphasis on work related learning.  One sixth form student told the inspector that he likes the opportunity he is given to choose to learn more about subjects he particularly enjoys, and which will help him to get a job.  Behaviour and safety require improvement in the sixth form. One student expressed concerns for his own safety because of the disruption caused by the behaviour of younger students.  Teaching in the sixth form is often good and teaching of work-related skills is sometimes outstanding. Teachers take time to plan well so that students are clear about what they have to do, for example when

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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 119027 Local authority Kent Inspection number 442446

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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 Special School category Non-maintained special Age range of pupils 10–18 Gender of pupils Mixed Gender of pupils in the sixth form Boys Number of pupils on the school roll 29 Of which, number on roll in sixth form 2 Appropriate authority The proprietor Chair Angus Fraser Headteacher Stacey McShane (head of education) Date of previous school inspection 9–10 October 2012 Telephone number 01303 815664 Fax number 01303 814230 Email address caldecottschool@caldecottfoundation.co.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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