Coventry Extended Learning Centre

Wyken Extended Learning Centre Axholme Road, Coventry, CV2 5BD

p.1

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

p.1

Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

 The acting headteacher and deputy headteacher have maintained and further improved all aspects of the provision. As a result, teaching has improved and achievement has risen.  Teaching is consistently good and the proportion of outstanding teaching is rising. The good relationships staff have with the students help develop their positive attitudes to learning.  Students make good and at times outstanding progress and this helps them to begin catching up on their lost education. Many quickly return to mainstream education.  Teachers use a wide range of resources to ensure they can teach all the main subjects and re- engage students in learning. Where necessary the provision provides a range of alternative education, such as work-related skills to encourage the students.  The opportunities provided by the centre to develop the students’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development are excellent.  The management committee has been restructured

p.1

Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

since the last inspection. This has resulted in members being far more challenging and supportive. They know the provision well through careful monitoring of all aspects of the provision’s work.  Behaviour is good and students rightly feel this is the case, although they recognise there can be issues at times due to their various behavioural difficulties. However, students make rapid progress in managing their own behaviour.  Students say they feel very safe in the centre and that staff keep them safe. They feel they can talk to the staff and that any issues are dealt with fairly and effectively.  The work the centre does to keep the students safe is outstanding. All staff follow the policies and procedures consistently and excellent training ensures they all know what to do should an issue arise.

p.1

It is not yet an outstanding school because

 The proportion of outstanding teaching is not yet high enough to bring about outstanding achievement. This is due to students not being provided with enough opportunities to improve their work.  The senior leadership team does not routinely check the progress of a few different groups in the school. This in turn means that the senior leadership team does not have an easily accessible overview of students’ progress across the whole provision.

p.1

Information about this inspection

 The inspector observed lessons across the provision, several of which were jointly observed with the headteacher.  The inspector observed students reading in a range of lessons.  A range of students’ books were scrutinised covering work from both this academic year and the previous year. The inspector also observed behaviour at break and lunch times.  The inspector spoke to a member of the management committee, senior leaders and managers and two representatives from the local authority. He also spoke to students both informally across the provision and in an arranged meeting.  The inspector studied a range of documentation relating to the progress and attainment of students, the work the provision does to keep students safe and records regarding the quality of teaching. The inspector also scrutinised documentation relating to students’ behaviour, attendance and the results of the use of the pupil premium were also examined.

p.2

Information about this inspection

 There were not enough responses to register on Parent View, (the online questionnaire), but the inspector took account of the 11 responses to a recent provision parent questionnaire. He also took account of the 11 responses to the Ofsted staff questionnaire.

p.2

Inspection team

Ronald Hall, Lead inspector Additional Inspector

p.2

Information about this school

 The provision provides short term education for Key Stage 3 students experiencing behavioural difficulties which affect their education. These students have either been permanently excluded from school or are at risk of being permanently excluded.  The centre has been led for the past two years by an acting headteacher with an acting deputy headteacher appointed in the last year.  The provision has recently increased its maximum numbers to 30 students. The maximum time any student spends in the provision has been three terms. Most students spend only a term and a half in the provision. Some of the students are dual registered and so remain on their mainstream school roll.  All students have special educational needs for emotional, social and behavioural difficulties.  Just less than half the students in the provision are supported by the pupil premium, special government funding, which is above average compared with national figures. This extra funding supports pupils who

p.3

Information about this school

are known to be eligible for free school meals or are looked after by the local authority.  The vast majority of students are of White British origin.  The organisation Positive Youth Foundation, Coventry, provide external specialists which works with some students, within the centre, to enhance their self-esteem through the use of practical activities.

p.3

What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Improve the proportion of outstanding teaching by ensuring that teachers consistently provide written feedback to students, which enables them to improve their work and so raise achievement further.  Strengthen leadership and management by ensuring that data analysis routinely includes checking on the progress of the various groups in the provision in order to give the senior leadership team an even sharper view of progress and achievement across the whole centre.

p.3

The leadership and management are good

 The senior leadership team has effectively ensured that the work of the provision has improved and that all students make good progress in their academic and behavioural development. Expectations are consistently high and all staff ensure that students know what is expected of them both in terms of behaviour and their achievement.

p.4

The leadership and management are good

 Although the provision has a relatively small staff the subject leaders, who make up the middle leadership team, support the headteacher and deputy headteacher effectively. They regularly monitor the quality of teaching and the work the students produce.

p.4

The leadership and management are good

 The leadership and management of teachers’ performance are rigorous and closely linked to their professional development and pay rewards. As part of the process staff training is closely linked to the needs of the provision and the individual’s own professional development. Staff feel this is a robust system, which they find helpful and developmental.

p.4

The leadership and management are good

 The subjects taught in the centre are rightly focused on the core subjects of reading, mathematics, English and science, well supplemented by a range of subsidiary subjects. For some students the pupil premium funding is used to provide alternative forms of education and work-based skills. Physical education is taught in a nearby sports centre through both the provision’s own staff and specialist trainers from the sports centre when needed. Some students receive other forms of education by an external provider to develop self-confidence and self-esteem, which in turn has improved rates of progress.

p.4

The leadership and management are good

 The senior leadership team has begun considering its approach to assessment without National Curriculum levels. Leaders are working closely with the local high schools to ensure a continuity of approach and ensure that students are assessed in a cohesive manner.

p.4

The leadership and management are good

 The opportunities the centre provides to develop the students’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural understanding are excellent. Staff weave these elements into all their lessons and this results in the students having a good understanding of living in a modern British society. This was seen during an art lesson where the techniques being taught were effectively woven into discussion regarding society’s view of art and how art influences society. In turn students were encouraged to express their views on various topics and how their reactions can influence others.

p.4

The leadership and management are good

 There are very good links with the local authority and the local high schools the provision serves. The senior leadership team effectively engage them in monitoring all aspects of their work. This results in continuity for the students and that work being set supports their development and road back into mainstream schools. The links with other specialist agencies are also very strong to ensure that all students’ needs are fully catered for. In this way students have equal opportunities to succeed, and discrimination of any kind is not tolerated.

p.4

The leadership and management are good

 The provision works well with parents who are very positive about the work it does and the positive changes it brings about in the students. A recent parent questionnaire clearly indicated that they were very happy and felt that their children’s behaviour rapidly improved. Parents are also fully included in and consulted about the work of the provision.

p.4

The leadership and management are good

 Safeguarding policies and procedures are rigorously followed, linked to extensive staff training, which in turn results in a highly safe and positive environment being created. This has led to a marked drop in incidents of poor behaviour and physical restraints. All records related to behaviour, physical restraint and accidents are carefully cross-referenced, with all incidents fully reported upon.

p.4

The leadership and management are good

 The senior leadership team know where all their students are even when absent, which helps ensure their safety and well-being to a very high level. All checks on staff and any visitors to the provision are highly rigorous. This includes detailed checks on any one who may have worked abroad or had ‘time out,’ to ensure that all the students are kept safe. Therefore, safeguarding and child protection systems meet current regulations and are highly effective.  Risk assessments of offsite activities and external education are a strength of the provision’s safeguarding systems. Staff check attendance, staff suitability, any potential aspects that may cause harm and ensure that all reports are highly detailed.

p.4

The leadership and management are good

 The additional funding provided through the pupil premium has been used effectively for a number of purposes. For example, it helped to purchase a scooter to enable a student to attend regularly and on time. It also provides external work-related experiences to widen the students’ skills and develop self- confidence and greater engagement in learning. These measures have resulted in marked increases in attendance rates and achievement levels for disadvantaged students. School information on their progress shows that these students leave the provision having made faster rates of progress than the others in the centre. This is especially so in their reading skills, which improve rapidly.

p.5

The leadership and management are good

 The centre works well with the local high schools and other agencies to ensure that students can make informed choices about their future careers and/or next steps in their education.

p.5

The leadership and management are good

 The senior leadership team monitor and track the individual performance of each student effectively in mathematics, English and science as well as other subjects. The senior leadership team use this information to ensure that all students are progressing as they should and all have equal opportunities to improve. However, although checks are carried out from time to time on the various groups within the centre, this is not routinely the case and so the senior leadership team do not have an easy way to produce an overall picture of achievement across the whole centre.

p.5

The leadership and management are good

 The governance of the school:  The management committee has undergone a number of changes since the last inspection, which has resulted in it being able to challenge and support the provision much more effectively. The greater participation by local headteachers in the management committee has provided rigorous scrutiny of all aspects of the centre’s work, including the use of data. This means that members use their knowledge of the provision’s work to ensure that students are well prepared for their return to mainstream schools. This means checking the students’ progress in all core subjects to ensure they are on track for their return to mainstream settings. They have a secure understanding of all information regarding both student and staff performance. This they use effectively when considering performance management processes and rewarding positive staff performance and tackling any underachievement. They regularly

p.5

The leadership and management are good

visit the site and carry out a range of observations to ensure they have all the information they need about teaching to carry out their duties. Safeguarding arrangements are always a key part of their meetings and they ensure they meet their statutory duties very effectively. They attend regular training to ensure they are fully up to date.

p.5

Behaviour

 The behaviour of students is good. Wyken Extended Learning Centre is a calm and relaxed place where students and staff rightly feel that behaviour is good.

p.5

Behaviour

 Students enjoy attending the centre and this is clearly seen by their rapid improvements in attendance. Their behaviour improves considerably once they settle into the centre and understand the rules. This in turn means they make brisk gains in their social skills and most return to mainstream schooling within a term and a half. Due to the good work of the staff all students return to mainstream or other schools within three terms.

p.5

Behaviour

 Students clearly stated that they felt they could talk to staff and, that the way in which all adults spoke to and treated them helped them overcome their issues. They stated there was little bullying and if and when any instances did occur they were dealt with quickly and effectively.

p.5

Behaviour

 Parents are positive about behaviour in the centre, as are the staff, and rightly so. The centre’s records of behavioural issues are very well kept and show a rapid decline in behavioural issues and physical restraints. Through consistency of approach, all the students know that staff will not tolerate unacceptable behaviour. The number of exclusions has reduced as students understand that staff are supporting them effectively in changing their behaviour.

p.5

Behaviour

 Students accept that sometimes they are not perfect and things go wrong for them, which is why behaviour is not outstanding. However, they generally respond quickly to staff instructions and accept correction sensibly. The alternative learning methods provided by the external specialists help in this process as they help give the students confidence, self-esteem and the skills to manage their behaviour.

p.6

Behaviour

 On entry to the centre the students have a record of very poor attendance in their mainstream schools. All absences are checked straight away and a range of external support is provided for both the students and their families to encourage attendance.

p.6

Safety

 The school’s work to keep students safe and secure is outstanding. This is due to the excellent safeguarding and child protection systems, which ensure that all students and staff feel and are kept very safe. Parents also rightly feel that the centre is a safe place for their children. All students have risk assessments and so staff fully understand what may cause a student to lose control.

p.6

Safety

 All staff are highly trained in how to help calm students and avoid conflicts, which helps ensure students feel safe and secure. Students trust the staff and during discussions students stated that staff only use physical restraint when absolutely necessary and do so for their own safety.

p.6

Safety

 Staff work with the students very effectively to ensure they know how to stay safe and healthy. They are taught about drugs awareness, healthy lifestyles and other forms of abuse. Students were very fluent and confident in their explanations of this work and were very clear that it helped them stay safe out of school.

p.6

Safety

 Students also have an excellent understanding of e-safety and the various types of bullying that may occur through it. Through the excellent teaching of British values and social and moral issues, the students respect others regardless of gender or sexuality.

p.6

The quality of teaching is good

 Teaching is consistently good and rapidly improving with an increasing proportion that is outstanding. As a result, progress rates are increasing and achievement in English, mathematics and science is good. This is because teachers motivate and engage students in learning effectively.

p.6

The quality of teaching is good

 Teachers have good subject knowledge and use their skills well to find a range of methods to ensure students fully understand their work. Effective planning ensures that each student’s needs are fully catered for, which means that work set is fully appropriate and challenging.

p.6

The quality of teaching is good

 Students enter the centre with considerable gaps in their education. Close working with staff from local mainstream schools means teachers can and do help the students to begin rapidly closing these gaps. As the representative from the management committee stated, ‘The schools and centre work closely to ensure that when the students return to mainstream settings they do not have too much to catch up on.’

p.6

The quality of teaching is good

 Teachers are skilled at integrating moral and social development into all lessons and so constantly helping the students understand their issues and how to overcome them. In an English lesson developing sentence structure and vocalisation, the students were encouraged to give their opinion on each other’s views, their tone, and body language and how they felt. This resulted in the students not only gaining an excellent understanding of language structure, but also how their own body language and tone of voice can change the meaning of what they are saying.

p.6

The quality of teaching is good

 All staff question and challenge the students effectively. The verbal and written feedback they give is generally good. However, this is inconsistent across the centre, and students do not always have the opportunity to improve their work based on this feedback.  The other adults who support learning provide positive support for all students both in their academic and behavioural development. Teachers plan for their work effectively and brief them prior to lessons so they are aware of their role in the lesson. Teaching by the external specialists is monitored effectively and results in students making good progress overall.

p.6

The quality of teaching is good

 The teaching of reading is effective as staff provide the students with a wide range of reading material. They encourage reading for both pleasure and information as well as developing phonics skills where required. This has resulted in students making very rapid progress in their reading skills.

p.7

The achievement of pupils is good

 Students enter the centre from many different starting points, but all are at least several years behind their peers in mainstream schools due to their previous poor attendance. The centre’s information on the progress they make shows that all students make good progress in writing, mathematics, science and English. Progress in reading is an outstanding feature with students making up to 18 months progress per term. However, this still leaves them approximately a year behind their peers when they return to mainstream education.

p.7

The achievement of pupils is good

 The most able students are challenged effectively by staff and so they achieve well and at times make outstanding progress from their starting points in all the core subjects. This good progress is also seen in all their other subjects and is due to staff re-engaging the students in learning and giving them the desire to do their very best.

p.7

The achievement of pupils is good

 Disadvantaged students actually make even more rapid progress than the others in the centre and close gaps in attainment rapidly. By the time they leave they have closed the gaps on their peers in the centre, but are approximately a year behind students who do not benefit from the pupil premium nationally.

p.7

The achievement of pupils is good

 Students who find it difficult to attend school are supported through specialists who visit the centre and help them develop their confidence, skills and understanding. They are also taught a range of life and work skills. The senior leadership team have also arranged work-related learning for them.

p.7

The achievement of pupils is good

 Parents rightly feel students make good progress in their academic subjects and excellent progress in their social and behavioural skills. This is very effectively reinforced for some students through the specialist, alternative learning the centre provides.

p.7

The achievement of pupils is good

 All staff routinely assess the work of the students and use this information to plan future learning. All work is routinely checked by the senior leadership team to ensure that all students make at least good progress. In turn it is also monitored by the local authority and the headteachers on the management committee to make sure it matches the quality found in mainstream settings.

p.7

The achievement of pupils is good

 The case studies presented show that the provision goes as far as it can to assist the students in re- engaging in education. They clearly show that links with specialist agencies are used effectively to help students achieve good and at times outstanding progress in managing their own behaviour, self- confidence and self-esteem.

p.7

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

p.8

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.

p.8

School details

Unique reference number 134269 Local authority Coventry Inspection number 447985

p.9

School details

This inspection of the school was carried out under section 5 of the Education Act 2005.

p.9

School details

Type of school Pupil referral unit School category Pupil referral unit Age range of pupils 11–14 Gender of pupils Mixed Number of pupils on the school roll 34 Appropriate authority The local authority Chair David Kershaw Headteacher James Heaton (acting headteacher) Date of previous school inspection 7 March 2012 Telephone number 02476 787810 Fax number 02476 615920 Email address james.heaton@coventry.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 .

p.9

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.

p.10

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

p.10

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

p.10

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’.

p.10

School details

T: 0300 123 4234 Textphone: 0161 618 8524 E: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk W: www.ofsted.gov.uk

p.10