The New Broadwalk PRU

The New Broadwalk PRU 51 Belvedere Road, Salford, Lancashire, M6 5EJ

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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

 Senior leaders provide confident leadership and the staff team shares their high expectations. The leadership of subjects is a major strength and adds to the centre’s good capacity for continuing improvement. The management committee provides a good blend of support and challenge, which is a marked improvement since the last inspection.  Teaching is confident and enthusiastic, and engages students who have previously been reluctant learners. This prepares most of the students well for their effective return to mainstream schools.  The students’ progress is carefully tracked and this ensures that their work is set at the right level. This helps the students to make at least good progress, and particularly good progress in mathematics.  Students often start at the centre with very negative attitudes. However, staff are skilled in helping the students rapidly to improve their behaviour. Parents and a representative from local

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

schools support this view and have very positive links with the centre.  Support for students’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is effective. This helps to develop the centre’s positive ethos. The students’ achievements are celebrated and they enjoy attending the centre.  The centre provides a safe learning environment that re-engages many students and allows them to become more confident learners.

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It is not yet an outstanding school because

 The proportion of students making outstanding progress is not high enough. This is because there are too few opportunities for them to increase the quantity and quality of their extended writing.  Students’ work is marked regularly and they are made aware of how to improve their learning. However, the marking has too little impact, as the students often continue to make the same mistakes.  Teaching assistants are key members of the staff team but, occasionally, their time is not used effectively and this slows the students’ progress.

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Information about this inspection

 The inspector observed eight lessons, jointly with senior leaders. The inspector also listened to some students reading.  The inspector observed the work of the centre and looked at a number of documents, as well as the centre’s website. The documents included the centre’s information about the students’ progress, planning and monitoring documents, safeguarding information and students’ work.  The inspector observed the students during some of their free time and spoke with a group of students to gain their views about the centre.  Meetings took place with the executive headteacher, the head of the centre, subject leaders, other staff, and members of the management committee. A telephone conversation was held with a headteacher from a local secondary school, a representative from the alternative provider used by the centre, a representative of the local authority and a consultant working with the centre.

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Information about this inspection

 The views of parents were taken from the centre’s own questionnaires and the inspector’s meetings with parents. There were not enough responses to the Ofsted’s online survey, Parent View, to provide the basis for an analysis.  The 17 responses to the staff inspection questionnaire were considered.

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Inspection team

David Smith, Lead inspector Additional Inspector

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Information about this school

 The New Broadwalk is a pupil referral unit for students that have been permanently excluded, or are at risk of being excluded, from mainstream schools. Most of the students are short-term placements and return to mainstream schools.  The proportion of disadvantaged students who are supported by the pupil premium is above average. This is additional government funding for those students known to be eligible for free school meals or who are in the care of the local authority.  The vast majority of students are from White British backgrounds.  There are currently more boys than girls on roll.  A high number of the students are disabled or have special educational needs and a small number either have a statement of special educational needs, or are undergoing assessment.  Since the last inspection, the executive headteacher and head of centre posts are now permanent rather than acting. Many of the teachers are recently appointed. Also, the centre now has its own dedicated

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Information about this school

management committee.  Brighter Futures is used by the centre as part-time alternative provision.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Increase the proportion of students making outstanding progress by:  improving the deployment of the teaching assistants so that their time is always used effectively to further boost the students’ progress  providing more opportunities for the students to extend the quantity and quality of their writing in all subjects  making sure that the marking of students’ work has a positive impact on their learning and helps them learn more effectively from their mistakes.

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The leadership and management are good

 The executive headteacher uses her wealth of experience to provide confident leadership for the centre and has secured good progress since the last inspection. Working with the head of centre, she has developed an ambitious vision for further improvements based on an accurate view of the centre’s strengths and areas for development. Staff are proud to be members of a positive and effective team, which places the needs of the students at the heart of their work. The centre has a positive reputation within the local authority and this view is supported by parents.  The students are set challenging targets, which are based on their assessment when they join the centre. Students are expected to make good progress and many do. Their progress is checked on regularly and this information guides the need for any additional help. The centre’s rigorous approach and the staff’s high expectations ensure that the students make good progress.

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The leadership and management are good

 Subject leaders are enthusiastic and their ideas help to make a good contribution to improvements in the centre. They carefully evaluate the strengths and areas for development in their subjects, which contribute to ambitious plans for the future.  The leadership of teaching is rigorous and staff are challenged to ensure that the students make good progress. The appraisal of staff performance informs the provision for their professional development. An example of the impact of this process is the marked improvement in English since the last inspection.  The curriculum is effectively designed to meet the students’ learning needs. There is a strong focus on their basic skills of literacy and numeracy to ensure that the students are able to cope when they return to a mainstream school. However, the centre has its own approach to making learning practical, relevant and exciting, which helps to change the negative attitudes of some students.

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The leadership and management are good

 The promotion of students’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is good and key to the success of the centre. The students develop a positive view of life in the centre and are encouraged to take increased responsibility for their learning and behaviour. They are prepared well for life in modern Britain as they learn to respect each other’s views.  The local authority has confidence in the leadership of the centre and, therefore, has a light-touch approach to school improvement. The local authority is keen to ensure that the centre has new accommodation in the near future. They have worked closely with the centre to restructure the staffing and develop their own management committee.  The pupil premium funding is used effectively to provide additional support for the disadvantaged students. Consequently, they achieve as well as others in the centre demonstrating the school’s effective

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The leadership and management are good

commitment to providing equality of opportunity.  Links with parents are very positive and help promote the students’ good attendance. Parents have confidence in the leadership of the centre and appreciate being kept up-to-date with their child’s progress.  Statutory requirements for safeguarding are met and staff work hard to keep the students safe.  The governance of the school:  The members of the management committee make a valuable contribution to the development of the centre. They are actively involved in the centre and have a good understanding of what needs doing to improve. They balance the challenge and support provided to senior leaders to help move the centre forward. The management committee fulfils its safeguarding responsibilities well. It is aware of the quality of teaching and knows that if teachers do not meet their targets, they will not receive pay rises. The management committee has a good overview of the performance management systems, including

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The leadership and management are good

that of the executive headteacher. It has a good understanding of the progress made by the students, including those receiving pupil premium funding.

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Behaviour

 The behaviour of students is good.  Students make clear progress in their attitudes to learning during their time in the centre. They develop pride in their work and are able to work productively in pairs and small groups. Relationships are positive, which helps the students to settle quickly into the centre. The staff team is committed to providing the students with a consistent and positive approach, which ensures that students feel part of the centre community. The behaviour of most of the students improves sufficiently for their successful return to a mainstream school.  Staff and students make the best of the accommodation despite the limitations, for example, in the design and layout of the rooms. Many of the classrooms are attractive learning environments and students take care of their surroundings. Their displays of work are well cared for and there was little evidence of litter seen during the inspection.

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Behaviour

 Students’ attendance has improved significantly since the last inspection and they say how much they enjoy attending the centre. The staff team work very well with parents and stress the importance of good attendance. Students expressed positive views about their time in the centre.  Students are well aware of the different kinds of bullying. The centre’s records and conversations with the students confirm that bullying is rare and, when it does occur, it is managed promptly and effectively. Racist and homophobic name-calling is very rare.  The links between the centre and Brighter Futures are very good. The students’ behaviour and attendance at the alternative provision are good.

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Safety

 The school’s work to keep students safe and secure is good.  Students, staff and parents agree that the centre is a safe place. A high priority is placed on ensuring that students are aware of the dangers linked to the misuse of drugs and alcohol. The centre also makes students aware of the dangers of extremist attitudes. There is a strong focus on e-safety and students are made aware of the risks of the misuse of the social media.  The need for safe restraint is infrequent, which reflects the students’ good behaviour. The staff team have received appropriate training and any incidents are recorded and followed up effectively.  Risk assessments are in place and staff training for safeguarding is up-to-date.

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The quality of teaching is good

 Staff have high expectations and ensure students have higher aspirations for their futures. A comment, ‘Teaching is mint’, reflects students’ typically positive views about the staff. Teaching in English has improved significantly since the last inspection and students now make good progress.  Teachers’ subject knowledge is a major strength underpinning consistently good teaching. This helps to ensure that the students are interested and engaged in their learning. This is evident in science where a wealth of experiments effectively engage the students who look forward to the next lesson as a result.  The staff know the students well and are able to pitch their work at the right level. Strong relationships help to establish a positive work ethic and encourage students to take pride in their work.  Students’ work is marked thoroughly. Teachers’ comments show students what they need to do to improve. However, this advice has too little impact and students continue to make the same mistakes.

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The quality of teaching is good

This was evident, for example, in students’ continued mistakes in the use of capital letters and errors in their grammar.  Literacy, reading and mathematics are taught well in the full range of subjects. However, opportunities for students to write at length in a range of subjects are too limited and dampen progress.  Teaching assistants make a valuable contribution to the students’ learning but, on occasions, their time is not used to best effect and this limits progress in a small number of lessons.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 Students join the centre with low levels of prior attainment, because many have missed much of their schooling and many have developed poor attitudes to their learning. Students’ knowledge and abilities are thoroughly assessed when they join the centre and they make good progress from their starting points. This helps to close the gap in their attainment, when compared to national averages. The headeacher from a local high school confirmed that the centre is very good at boosting students’ progress and, as a result, their return to mainstream education is usually successful.  Students make rapid progress in mathematics and good progress in science. They now make good progress in English, which is an improvement since the last inspection. The centre’s focus on improving the students’ reading has made a real difference. Students read for pleasure and quickly improve the speed and accuracy of their reading. Staff are skilled at persuading reluctant students to read aloud, which

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The achievement of pupils is good

helps to improve students’ levels of confidence. The next priority is to improve the quantity and quality of students’ writing in all subjects, for example, to help prepare them for the challenges of future examinations.  Students particularly enjoy practical activities and, as a result, make good progress in subjects such as food technology and art and design. They are proud of their achievements and enjoy taking home the food they have prepared in the centre. There are many displays of the students’ art around the centre, which reflect the high quality of their work. Students are also enthusiastic about the wide range of opportunities provided in physical education. They are tackling the challenge of the recent introduction of computer science to the curriculum and are starting to make good progress. Parents mentioned that the centre is skilled at re-engaging their child in learning and they are now keen to talk about their studies.

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The achievement of pupils is good

This is helping to raise the students’ aspirations for the future.  The most able students make good progress and there is no overall difference in the progress of boys and girls. The additional support provided for students with disabilities or special educational needs ensures that they make good progress. The disadvantaged students in the centre also make good progress. The additional pupil premium funding helps to ensure that the disadvantaged students make the same progress as other students in the centre in English and mathematics, and other subjects. The funding is used to pay for one-to-one support and additional resources to help boost progress.  Students’ attendance at part-time alternative provision helps to motivate them and this makes a positive contribution to their progress.

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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 132741 Local authority Salford Inspection number 448017

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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 11–14 Gender of pupils Mixed Number of pupils on the school roll 21 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Giles Caldwell Headteacher Debbie Ramsay Date of previous school inspection 5 October 2011 Telephone number 0161 778 0920 Fax number 0161 737 6736 Email address debbie.ramsey@salford.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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