Southwark Inclusive Learning Service (Sils)

School report Southwark Inclusive Learning Service (Sils) 2 Davey Street, Peckham, London, SE15 6LF

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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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This is a good school

 The headteacher and leadership team are relentless in their drive to see the school improve. They and the staff are determined to give every student the chance to succeed.  Students make good progress. In 2014 almost all Year 11 students went on to further education, training or employment.  The management committee knows the school well. Its members are supportive of the leadership team but also challenge it to make sure that the school continues to improve.  The leadership team checks the quality of teaching very regularly. Through this it identifies staff training needs very carefully and provides good quality training and support.  Teaching is good. Teachers plan lessons which students find interesting and help them make good progress.  Students make good progress in all aspects of English.  Students behave well in lessons and around the buildings. Relationships are good and students appreciate how much the staff tries to help them.

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This is a good school

Students say that they feel safe in school.  Most students improve their attendance and punctuality while at this school.  The range of subjects and activities matches students’ individual needs very well. As well as academic study the school provides a good range of work-related courses, either on site or in partnership with other organisations.  The intervention team works closely with the leadership team and teaching staff to make sure that individual students and their families receive high quality support.

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It is not yet an outstanding school because

 Teaching is not yet outstanding. Teachers are not consistently using questioning effectively enough to ensure that students make outstanding progress.  Students’ progress in mathematics is not as good as their progress in English.  Teachers in subjects other than mathematics do not routinely plan activities which use and extend students’ mathematical skills.

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Information about this inspection

 The inspectors visited 12 lessons and observed 12 teachers. Four lessons were jointly observed with members of the leadership team.  Two visits were made to alternative provision.  There were too few responses to the Ofsted online questionnaire, Parent View, to be considered but account was taken of the school’s own records of contact with parents and carers and discussions were held with a small group of parents and carers.  30 staff questionnaires were considered.  Meetings were held with senior and middle leaders, teaching and support staff, several students, the Chair and two other members of the management committee and a representative from the local authority. The lead inspector held a telephone conversation with a local headteacher to gather evidence on how well the school works with partner schools.  Documents reviewed included the school’s self-evaluation and development plans, financial records,

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Information about this inspection

teachers’ planning and assessment files, samples of students’ work, policies and procedures, management committee minutes and attendance records.

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Inspection team

Grace Marriott, Lead inspector Additional Inspector

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Information about this school

 The school provides alternative education for up to 110 students in Key Stages 3 and 4. At the time of the inspection there were 94 students on roll on a full or part-time basis. The school is on two sites about two miles apart and it also uses a wide range of other education settings to provide individual programmes for students. These include St Thomas the Apostle College, New Start, Life and Treasure House as well as a number of work-related placements which vary from term to term according to the specific needs of students.  The school mainly works with secondary schools in the London borough of Southwark but also takes some students from neighbouring boroughs. It offers an education to students who have been permanently excluded or who are at risk of exclusion.  Most students are from families of Black African, Caribbean or White British heritage. Boys usually outnumber girls.  Most students are entitled to support from the additional funding known as the pupil premium; this

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Information about this school

proportion is well above average. At any given time a number of students are in the care of the local authority. Changes to the way the school is funded mean that this is the first year when it has received the full amount of additional funding for these students.  All students have a range of special educational needs which are mostly related to social, emotional and behavioural issues. A small group of Year 11 students have recently arrived in the United Kingdom and are at an early stage of learning English, they are taught in a specialist unit.  The length of time students spend at the school varies greatly. Some Key Stage 3 students are on short- term, part-time placements, while others attend full time but with the aim of reintegration into mainstream education. Some students in Key Stage 4 are able to return to mainstream school but most Years 10 and 11 students remain at the school until they are 16.

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Information about this school

 The school has undergone considerable change since the previous inspection. In 2014 it changed from being managed directly by the local authority to having the same status as other schools. A new leadership team ls in place. In 2013, the school changed from having joint headteachers to having a single headteacher and a new head of the Key Stage 4 centre was appointed in January 2014.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Improve teaching so that teaching is typically outstanding by ensuring:  staff more consistently use challenging oral and written questions to extend and deepen students’ knowledge and understanding of their work  Further raise standards in mathematics by:  ensuring students can use their mathematical knowledge and skills in other subjects  increasing the range of specific, targeted support in this subject

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The leadership and management are good

 The headteacher is rigorous in her approach. Her high expectations for the students are the driving force behind improvements since the previous inspection. She is strongly supported by the leadership team and by subject leaders, who carry out their work effectively and take a full role in driving school improvement. The staff as a whole are overwhelmingly supportive of the current direction of the school.  The leadership team, subject leaders and staff show real concern for the welfare of individuals. They work hard as a team to enable students and staff to work in a pleasant, supportive environment where they are challenged to do their best.  The intervention team of additional adults is well managed to ensure that they provide high-quality and well-targeted support for students. This support helps students improve their behaviour, attitudes and attendance as well as their academic work. The school’s offer to students is regularly reviewed and

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The leadership and management are good

adjusted as needs change. Parents and carers and the students themselves are fully involved in decisions about their future.  A regular programme of checks on the quality of teaching and students’ progress ensures consistency across the sites and on the courses provided by partner organisations. Teachers know that they are accountable for their students’ progress and that the school sets high expectations for teaching.  Regular training sessions are used to meet identified staff needs. Teachers are encouraged to reflect on their teaching and to take additional qualifications.  Performance management is used well to improve the quality of education and outcomes for students. School leaders and the management committee use information from performance management to help them make decisions about school staffing priorities.  Relationships with other secondary schools are good. Communication between the schools is good. They

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The leadership and management are good

carefully monitor students’ behaviour, attendance and progress. The school makes sure that their work with students meets their individual needs.  Year 11 students who are at an early stage of learning English are based at a local secondary school. It enables the students to learn English very quickly and gain a range of educational qualifications which mean that they will be able play a useful role in society.  The curriculum is broad and balanced and very effective in meeting students’ needs. Equality of opportunity is promoted well. In Key Stage 3 the students take broadly the same subjects as in mainstream schools so that they are easily able to re-integrate. Outside recreational space is limited but well used and students take part in a range of sports using the local sports centre.  In Key Stage 4, in addition to English and mathematics, students are able to take a range of academic and work-related subjects. These vary from year to year according to the needs of different groups of

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The leadership and management are good

students but usually include construction, sport, business studies and health and social care.  This is the first year the school has received additional funding provided for disadvantaged students. It is being used to provide additional support to students and help them make faster progress. It is also used to work with students and families to improve their attendance. So far the funding is having a positive impact.  The school prepares students well for life in modern Britain through personal and social education, careers education and guidance and, where relevant, through work in humanities and religious education. Students have recently done some impressive work in humanities which showed their understanding of issues around the dangers of extremism and radicalisation. British values, including tolerance and respect, are promoted well.  Students confirm that very good individual guidance helps them to choose the right courses, training or

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The leadership and management are good

apprenticeships. Almost all students are able to go on to appropriate further education, employment or apprenticeships.  The local authority provides a good level of challenge and support for the school. Joint reviews have helped to improve the quality of teaching.  The governance of the school:  The change in the status of the school in 2014 meant that the management committee had to adjust rapidly to additional responsibilities. It has done this very effectively and members bring a good range of skills and varied experience to their work. They know the school well and work constructively with the leadership team to set challenging targets for improvement. The committee has been supportive of the leadership team when robust action has been needed to deal with difficult issues.  The committee regularly reviews information about students’ progress and the quality of teaching. It knows how performance management and training are used to improve teaching. All necessary

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The leadership and management are good

safeguarding checks and policies are in place and staff training in safeguarding is up to date and relevant. As a result, the school’s safeguarding procedures are effective. The management committee monitors how well additional funding is spent to provide individual support for students who need it.

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Behaviour

 The behaviour of students is good. Most students have a record of poor behaviour and negative attitudes to education. The staff work hard to help them to improve their behaviour and self-control and get as much as possible from school.  Students are left in no doubt about how the school expects them to behave. The rules are well understood and students know the likely consequences of any poor behaviour as well as understanding how the reward system works.  Staff offer excellent support when students are experiencing difficulties, whether related to school or to their lives outside school. In lessons staff make sure that any poor behaviour by an individual is not allowed to affect the learning of others.  Staff work closely with parents, carers and different agencies to ensure that specialist help is available for any students who need it.  Students have generally good attitudes to learning whether being taught on one of the main sites or on

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Behaviour

the other courses. Their ability to concentrate and willingness to work generally improve during their time at the school.  Staff are patient when students find work difficult and want to give up. They encourage them to keep trying. In discussion, students showed that they appreciated what the staff were doing to help them.  Attendance is still well below most mainstream schools. However, students’ attendance and punctuality improve significantly during their time at the school.

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Safety

 The school’s work to keep students safe is good. The two sites are secure and students are well supervised. The staff make sure that students behave well and are safe when working off-site in the alternative provision.  The school takes bullying seriously and as a result students and parents and carers say they are confident that any bullying would be rapidly dealt with. Students say they generally get on well with each other and do not regard bullying as a problem.  Students are very aware of the dangers of different types of bullying, including cyber-bullying, and the impact of homophobic and racist views. They understand how to stay safe on social media.  Students are proud of the school; it is litter and graffiti free and though the facilities are limited, they are well used.

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The quality of teaching is good

 Staff are very good at promoting students’ personal development and helping them to overcome the barriers which hinder their learning. As a result, students gain in confidence and realise that they can succeed.  Lessons are planned to take account of students’ individual learning needs. Teachers are very good at engaging students who may have previously disliked school. They use a good range of academic and practical activities to stimulate interest. For example, students studying health and social care were producing guidance on aspects of care based on the work they had done on case studies of real situations.  Well-planned and sharply focused intervention and support help students to develop good attitudes to work and catch up on work they have missed, particularly in English.  Teachers routinely question students to check their understanding. Where teaching is best, questioning is used very effectively to extend and deepen students’ knowledge and understanding. This use of both oral

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The quality of teaching is good

and written questioning is not consistent enough across the school and it means that students are not always able to achieve to the highest level possible.  The school has made improving literacy a major focus of its work. The use of key words, reading a variety of texts, an emphasis on the importance of writing clear and accurate English, whatever the subject, all help students to achieve well in English.  Though the teaching of mathematics is good, it was evident from students’ books and lessons that there had been less whole-school emphasis on developing mathematical skills. Opportunities for students to use mathematics in other subjects are often missed. Staff make positive and encouraging comments, both oral and written, which help to motivate students but they do not over-praise work which is not regarded as good enough. Students know that teachers have high expectations and that praise has to be earned.

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The quality of teaching is good

 Students’ attainment and progress are regularly and accurately assessed. The quality of marking has improved since the last inspection. Students now receive better feedback on the quality of their work and how to improve it but occasionally a few students do not respond to the feedback.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 Students usually join the school with knowledge and skills which are below, and frequently well below, that of students in mainstream schools. This is usually because their achievement has been affected by poor attendance or exclusions.  In Key Stage 3, the work is carefully tailored to meet individual needs so that students can catch up, particularly in basic skills. Most students make good progress in English and mathematics, so that when they return to mainstream school they can cope with the demands of the school curriculum.  Many students who join the school in Key Stage 4 have made comparatively little progress in Key Stage 3. Most of them start to make good progress and almost all students leave with recognised qualifications in English and mathematics. The school uses early entry to GCSE to help motivate students to achieve more than they might have expected. In the current Year 11 a good proportion of students are on track

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The achievement of pupils is good

to achieve a grade C or better in English and mathematics.  The most able students are set challenging targets based on a detailed assessment of their potential. Their progress is carefully checked and the most able students are currently on track to achieve five or more GCSE passes at grade C or above, including English and mathematics. This enables them to apply for higher-level courses when they leave the school.  GCSE attainment is below the levels expected nationally overall, but results in work-related courses such as business studies and physical education are broadly in line with national outcomes.  It was evident in lessons that very good relationships ensure that students are learning well and making good progress. They make particularly good progress in improving their literacy skills. Their progress in mathematics has historically been less good, at least in part because this has not been as much of a

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The achievement of pupils is good

whole-school focus as developing literacy. For example, there are fewer support groups in mathematics.  There is relatively little difference in the rate of progress of groups of students. Boys and girls, those with particular learning difficulties and those looked after by local authorities achieve equally well. The gap between the achievement of disadvantaged students and their peer group is narrowing. The school is checking carefully that the additional funding for these students is being used well to provide the support students need and helping them to make better 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 135260 Local authority Southwark Inspection number 448033

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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 11–16 Gender of pupils Mixed Number of pupils on the school roll 94 Appropriate authority The management committee Chair Sue Millington Headteacher Yomi Adewoye Date of previous school inspection 28−29 February 2012 Telephone number 02075251150 Fax number 02075251190 Email address yomi.adwoye@southwark.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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