Dove School

Dove School 194 New Road, Barnsley, South Yorkshire, S75 6PP

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Overall effectiveness 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

 Students make good progress from their different starting points. They achieve well over time.  Teaching is good. Students’ different needs and interests, including those who have special educational needs, are well met.  Staff work hard on building relationships and go the extra mile to help students improve their behaviour. As a result, behaviour is good.  Students know what to do to improve their work because staff frequently check their work and give them useful guidance.  Students say they feel safe because staff keep a close watch on them.  The learning activities on offer are good. The subjects taught enable students to prepare well for their future learning or employment.  Students’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural understanding prepares them well for life in modern Britain.  Leadership is good. The headteacher manages teaching and learning well. She ensures that the school continues to improve and students achieve

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This is a good school

well.  The school complies well with all the independent school standards.

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It is not yet an outstanding school because

 Staff do not always provide students with the next tasks quickly enough in lessons.  The work set for students is not always challenging enough.  Occasionally, students’ good attitudes slip and their progress slows.  The proprietors do not have a clear enough view of the school’s performance. They have not acted to boost students’ achievement to outstanding.

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Compliance with regulatory requirements

 The school meets the schedule to The Education (Independent School Standards) Regulations 2014 (‘the independent school standards’) and associated requirements.

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Information about this inspection

 The inspector observed four lessons and scrutinised samples of students’ work in different subjects. He held meetings with staff and the headteacher, and spoke by telephone to one of the proprietors.  A number of school documents were examined in order to check compliance with the independent school standards. These included the school’s prospectus, policies, information about students’ progress and the school’s own evaluation of its work. Records relating to behaviour, attendance and safeguarding were also scrutinised. The inspector looked at the school’s website.  There were not enough responses to the online Parent View survey for these to be analysed. The inspector took account of four staff questionnaire responses and the school’s own surveys of students’ views. He also spoke to a placing authority representative who reported on the views of parents.  The inspector spoke to students in separate meetings.

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Inspection team

Jonathan Woodyatt, Lead inspector Additional Inspector

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Information about this school

 The school occupies a terraced house, adapted suitably with classroom, kitchen and dining areas and staff offices. A fenced-off garden behind the school is available for use by students at break and lunchtimes.  The school is registered to admit up to 16 students aged from nine to 16 years. There are five students currently on roll.  Students are taught in the school and by school staff in suitable rooms in residential accommodation run by Dove Adolescent Services.  Students start in the school at different ages and at different times in the year. The majority start in Years 10 and 11. Some remain at the school until the end of Year 11. At the time of the inspection, most students were in Year 11 and two students had joined within the last three months.  Students placed at the school have behavioural, emotional and social difficulties. At the time of the inspection, two students had statements of special educational needs. No disabled students currently

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Information about this school

attend the school.  Until September 2014, the headteacher was the only full-time member of staff. Since then a second full- time staff member has joined the team. There are three part-time staff. The school does not have middle managers.  The school makes use of alternative provision at Enhancement Training Limited near Doncaster.  The school was previously inspected in October 2011 when all the independent school regulations were met.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Improve teaching to outstanding in order to boost achievement by: ensuring staff move students onto their next tasks more quickly when they have understood what to do staff giving students more challenging work.  Develop personal and social education to secure even better attitudes for students in order to keep them completely engrossed in learning.  Increase the involvement of the proprietors in the school’s own evaluation process in order to plan for outstanding achievement.

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The leadership and management are good

 Good leadership has ensured that a positive culture exists in school in which teaching and good behaviour can flourish.  The headteacher’s drive and ambition permeates throughout the school. She knows how well teaching is improving achievement because she monitors staff and students’ work regularly. She makes good plans to improve the school. The headteacher trains staff to have the necessary skills, such as in teaching English and mathematics in order for staff to support learning effectively. She ensures that staff in the school and residential settings work well together. Students and placing authority representatives singled her out for praise.  Leaders deploy a member of staff with each student to support learning. This ensures that staff meet each student’s different needs well, including those with special educational needs. This approach by leaders ensures that they successfully promote equality of opportunity, foster good relations and tackle

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The leadership and management are good

discrimination.  Staff transport students to and from the alternative provision used. This means they can keep a close eye on their attendance, behaviour and achievement. The school has rigorous procedures in place to monitor students in these respects.  Many good quality learning opportunities ensure that students access a wide range of subjects in order to prepare well for the future and to make good progress. Students study English, mathematics, science, information and communication technology (ICT), food studies, art, music, drama, construction, humanities and physical education.  Staff give good attention to developing students’ skills in reading, writing and mathematics. They take prompt action to fill any gaps in students’ previous learning.  Activities developed by the headteacher ensure that students’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is effective and prepares them well for life in modern Britain. These include studying

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The leadership and management are good

citizenship, religious education, personal, social and health education, work experience and alternative provision.  Leaders use external staff to provide independent careers advice and guidance for students. This helps them make appropriate choices about what courses and experiences match their interests and skills best.  The learning opportunities on offer ensure that students can explore prejudice and extremism. For example, in English lessons students read and studied the book ‘Boy in the Striped Pyjamas’ and learned about Jewish people.  Visitors help students learn about other faiths, such as Islam, in order to develop mutual respect and tolerance. Students explore their different issues well because they can talk to the police, careers advisers, drugs advisers and other health support partners.  Leaders ensure that regular student meetings give students experience in discussing and listening to the

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The leadership and management are good

views of others. Consequently, students play an active part in making decisions in the residential settings. This increases their self-confidence and sense of responsibility to one another, and teaches them about democracy. It also helps prepare students well for life in modern Britain.  The proprietors and headteacher ensure that the school meets the required standards for safeguarding.  The proprietors and the headteacher have ensured that the school has continued to fully comply with the independent school standards since the last inspection.  The governance of the school: The proprietors play an effective role in the work of the school and meet monthly to check how well the school is doing. They receive regular updates on the quality of teaching and achievement of students from the headteacher. This helps them to make many important decisions, such as using their finances wisely to increase the staff team and maintain the good teaching in the school.

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The leadership and management are good

However, the proprietors fully recognise that they are not clear enough about the next steps they must take in order to improve the school further. The proprietors have effective systems in place for matching the performance of staff to their pay. This ensures that they can robustly tackle any underperformance. The proprietors have appropriate plans for improving accessibility for everyone at the school.

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Behaviour

 The behaviour of students is good. Students pay close attention to staff requests and follow instructions quickly. They carry out the different tasks they are given well, such as drawing graphs or mixing food ingredients.  The school’s behaviour management system provides clear steps for students to help improve their own behaviour. The rewards system is used consistently by staff in and out of the school. Students recognise that there are consequences for misbehaviour and they work hard to make improvements and earn rewards. Students appreciate that the staff regularly celebrate their successes at the weekly meetings and encourage them to do better.  Students’ work in their books is neat and tidy. They take pride in the appearance of their writing and setting out their work in mathematics.  School staff keep a close eye on students at all times of the day. This means that they can quickly intervene and help students to manage their different behaviour needs well.

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Behaviour

 Students told the inspector that they learn about bullying in their lessons and discussions with staff. They said that bullying rarely happens in the school because of the good staff supervision.  Staff consistently provide good support and guidance to help students improve their behaviour. The good learning activities on offer are matched well to students’ interests in order to help them improve their attitudes to learning. As a result, they develop positive attitudes. For the majority of students, attendance levels are typically better than students in other schools. However, some students occasionally struggle to overcome long-established negative attitudes. This leads to them missing learning and holds back their achievement.  School records indicate that behaviour at the alternative provision is generally good.

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Safety

 The school’s work to keep students safe and secure is good. Placing authority staff, school staff and students all agreed that the school keeps them safe.  Students told the inspector about the different ways that they learn to be safe. For example, they are taught in lessons how to keep themselves safe when using the internet. They have planned opportunities to talk to the police about risky behaviour, such as involvement in gangs.  Students are transported by staff to and from the school and alternative provision at the start and end of their sessions. This ensures they are punctual and are kept safe while travelling. School records indicate that safety at the alternative provision is good.  The headteacher and proprietors ensure the school fully complies with its duties to carry out safe recruitment and to provide staff training in child protection and first aid.  Fire safety equipment is checked regularly, fire evacuation drills are carried out termly and procedures are

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Safety

monitored routinely by the headteacher and proprietors.  In relation to behaviour and safety, the school meets all of the relevant independent school standards well.

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The quality of teaching is good

 Teaching is good. School records and inspection evidence demonstrate that the quality of teaching has been maintained since the last inspection. This is because the headteacher has ensured that staffs’ subject knowledge and teaching skills continue to improve through her effective training and support.  The good quality of teaching ensures that students achieve well, including in literacy, reading and mathematics.  Assessment is effective and accurate. Staff mark students’ work often. This gives staff a clear picture of what students have learned. They use this information well to plan the next lessons and to provide advice about what students need to do to improve.  Staff ensure that students have appropriate support. Students benefit well because this ensures that their different needs are met. For example, in a food studies lesson the students carried out all the tasks at their own pace because they had access to all the resources.

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The quality of teaching is good

 Work in books and folders shows students’ good standards of presentation due to their positive attitudes to learning. Staff provide work that encourages them to read out loud and write often, which develops good literacy and communication skills.  Staff regularly check how well students have understood their work during lessons. They spot if students have not understood and provide extra help. However, students are not always moved onto the next task quickly enough and sometimes miss out on making the best progress.  At times, the work set for students is not challenging enough for them to reach higher levels of attainment. This limits the opportunities for students to achieve outstandingly well.  In relation to teaching, the school meets all of the relevant independent school standards well.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 Most students join the school in Key Stage 4. They start with skills that are typically well below those of other students of their age in other schools. This is because they have experienced considerable amounts of time out of learning.  Students make good progress in all the subjects, including English and mathematics, because staff match the work well to their needs. Their progress is similar to other students nationally from their different starting points.  Although attainment levels are below those in other schools, records demonstrate that students who continue in the school from one year to the next are supported well to reach the next levels in different subjects, including English and mathematics. This provides further evidence of good achievement.  More-able students are provided with opportunities to take subjects at GCSE level, such as biology. Records of achievement and pass grades at GCSE level provide clear evidence that more-able students

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The achievement of pupils is good

achieve as well as any other group in school. The school has not made any early entries to GCSE examinations because this has not yet been warranted.  All groups of students, including those with different special educational needs, make good progress because of the good support they receive from staff, which is planned effectively to meet their needs.  Students are well prepared for the next steps in their learning. In conversations they explained how the staff help boost their confidence as well as their skills. As a result, students participate successfully in alternative provision and work experience placements. For example, students attending alternative provision achieve well.  In relation to progress, the school meets all of the relevant independent school standards well.

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Grade Judgement

Grade 1 Outstanding Grade 2 Good Grade 3 Requires improvement Grade 4 Inadequate

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Grade Judgement

Detailed grade characteristics can be viewed in the Non-association independent school inspection handbook which is published on the Ofsted website: www.gov.uk/government/publications/non- association-independent-school-inspection-handbook .

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School details

Unique reference number 135376 Inspection number 454281 DfE registration number 370/6005 This inspection was carried out under section 109(1) and (2) of the Education and Skills Act 2008, the purpose of which is to advise the Secretary of State for Education about the school’s suitability for continued registration as an independent school. Type of school Special Day school for students with behavioural, emotional and social difficulties School status Independent school Age range of pupils 9–16 Gender of pupils Mixed Number of pupils on the school roll 5 Proprietor Dove Adolescent Services Chair Dianne Lodge and Barbara Whittaker Headteacher Helen Mangham Date of previous school inspection 4 October 2011 Annual fees (day pupils) £32,370 Telephone number 01226 381380 Fax number Not applicable Email address educationstaff@dovecare.co.uk guidance 'Raising concerns and making a complaint about Ofsted', which is available from Ofsted’s website:

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School details

www.gov.uk/government/publications/complaints-about-ofsted . 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.gov.uk/government/organisations/ofsted

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School details

inspects to 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. If you would like a copy of this document in a different format, such as large print or Braille, please telephone 0300 123 4234, or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk . You may reuse this information (not including logos) free of charge in any format or medium, under the terms of the Open Government Licence. To view this licence, visit

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School details

www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence/ , write to the Information Policy Team, The National Archives, Kew, London TW9 4DU, or email: psi@nationalarchives.gsi.gov.uk Interested in our work? You can subscribe to our website for news, information and updates at https://reports.ofsted.gov.uk/user .

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School details

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

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