TLG Manchester

TLG Manchester Parish Hall, Water Street, Harpuhey, Manchester, M9 5US

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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 enter the school with low levels of attainment and achieve well.  The quality of teaching is good and contributes effectively to students’ enjoyment of learning. As a result, students respond to the staff with respect and cooperation.  Students demonstrate rapid improvements in their attitudes to school and their behaviour during the time that they attend. The school provides a secure environment in which they feel safe and trusted.  Senior leaders, including TLG’s Education Centre Development team, have taken effective steps to respond to difficulties with the recruitment of a permanent headteacher. Interim leaders and managers provide effective leadership.  Senior leaders have an excellent understanding of the strengths and areas for development in the school. They have ensured that the quality of teaching and students’ achievement have been maintained at a good standard.

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It is not yet an outstanding school because

 The quality of teaching is not outstanding. Students, particularly those in Key Stage 4, do not always make sustained and rapid progress with their learning.  Students do not have access to sufficient externally accredited qualifications in science.  While the school meets the regulations, the range of creative and aesthetic experiences provided for students is limited.

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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 visited classrooms to observe the quality of students’ learning and the impact of teaching on their progress. He scrutinised examples of their work in a range of subjects and records of assessment of their progress.  The inspector held discussions with: members of TLG Education Centre Development Team, including the acting headteacher; the original proprietor; the interim centre manager; and representatives of placing schools.  The inspector took the views of staff, students, parents and carers into consideration through individual discussions and the consideration of responses to questionnaires. There were no responses to Ofsted’s online Parent View questionnaire.  The inspector scrutinised a number of school documents in order to check the school’s compliance with the independent school standards. These included policies and procedures, records of attendance, incidents, exclusions and accidents, and details of staff training.

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Inspection team

David Young, Lead inspector Additional Inspector

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Information about this school

 TLG Manchester is located in the Harpurhey district of Northern Manchester. It is one of a number of similar schools operated by TLG The Education Charity. When the school first opened, it operated in partnership with the parish church in whose grounds it is located.  The school provides full- or part-time education for up to 20 students in the age range 11 to 16 Years. Local authority maintained schools in the area place students at the school. TLG aims to enable students to return successfully to full-time mainstream education.  There are currently nine students, aged between 13 and 16 years, on the roll of the school. All have behavioural, emotional and social difficulties and the majority either have been excluded from local schools or are at risk of exclusion. Students have mostly had trouble in adjusting appropriately to the demands of a larger school community.  Three students currently have a statement of special educational needs or are in the process of

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Information about this school

assessment for an education, health and care plan.  Full-time students attend the school for four days a week; their base school provides the fifth school day. Students are dually registered at both schools. Part-time placements are for two days a week.  The school does not make use of any alternative providers.  The school was last inspected in November 2011.  A new permanent headteacher and centre manager have been appointed to take up post in September 2015. Currently there is an acting headteacher.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Further improve students’ achievement, particularly in Key Stage 4, by ensuring that all staff: develop more effective questioning skills adjust students’ learning by checking their understanding in each lesson. Provide clear oral and written instructions so that students can always make a confident start on planned activities. accelerate students’ progress in GCSE work or its equivalent.  Improve the arrangements for teaching science and provide opportunities for students to achieve external accreditation in the subject.  Broaden the range of aesthetic and creative experiences in the learning opportunities provided for students.

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The leadership and management are good

 The leadership and management of the school are good. A strong working relationship between senior staff and TLG’s Education Centre Development Team underpins the school’s arrangements for effective leadership. The acting headteacher is a member of this team and other members are regular visitors to the school. They ensure the school continues to meet the independent school standards and provide effective leadership of teaching.  After a recent period of staffing instability, senior leaders have appointed an effective leader in the role of interim centre manager. This is ensuring that the school is maintaining its course of continuous improvement.  Senior leaders have an excellent understanding of the strengths and areas for development in the school. These are summarised in an exemplary self-evaluation document and school development plan.  The interim centre manager and acting headteacher have established high expectations for students’

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The leadership and management are good

behaviour and involvement in lessons. The interim centre manager ensures that students understand the school’s expectations and respond positively to them. As a result, teachers and support staff engage students in their learning, continuously checking their progress.  Parents and carers, placing schools and local authorities express positive views about the impact that the school has on students’ attitudes and behaviour. They comment favourably, for example, about students’ desire to attend school regularly.  Senior leaders have provided a range of learning experiences that ensure equality of opportunity for all students. Learning tasks and activities are organised appropriately in a way that enables each student to experience success.  There are no middle leaders in this small school. Each member of staff is aware of their individual responsibilities and they rotate roles as teachers, tutors and teaching assistants. This approach ensures

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The leadership and management are good

that the individual teaching and mentoring strengths of staff are used to best effect in the classroom. Students demonstrate respect and trust for all the adults with whom they work.  All the required areas of learning are covered in the subjects and activities provided for each student. Leaders have ensured that literacy and numeracy have a suitable prominence in daily tasks and activities. They have provided sufficient computers to enable all students to have regular access in both discrete information and communication technology lessons (ICT) and to support online learning in other subjects.  Staff ensure that students’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development has a continuous and effective profile through a range of activities and events. Students have experience of major world religions; they celebrate festivals such as Diwali and Chinese New Year, and consider contrasting political systems in

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The leadership and management are good

different parts of the world. Staff take regular opportunities to develop activities based on students’ areas of interest, including current items in daily newspapers.  Students have benefited from discussion of radicalisation and consideration in ICT lessons of themes such as ‘How do we know who we can trust?’ They are prepared well for the challenges and opportunities of life in modern Britain, including awareness of the diversity of beliefs and cultures in the local and wider communities. Senior leaders ensure that staff address any controversial political issues in a balanced and unbiased manner.  Senior leaders have established robust arrangements for safeguarding all students, including safe staff recruitment practices and effective training for all staff in child protection. The school meets all the requirements for safeguarding.  The school arranges for all students to have independent and appropriate guidance about their future

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The leadership and management are good

choices, including personal appointments with representatives of the local careers service team. TLG and students’ placing schools share the arrangements for the transition of Year 11 students to further education appropriately.  Senior leaders have ensured that the school meets all of the independent school standards. They have established strong arrangements for checking and improving all areas of the school’s work.  The school’s leaders, together with the TLG central team, demonstrate good capacity for continuous improvement.  The governance of the school: Members of TLG’s education centre development team act as an important and successful link between the school and the proprietors. They have an immense positive impact on the review of teaching and learning and the progress of students. Members of the team also oversee an extensive programme of training for staff, including opportunities to access teacher training routes through

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The leadership and management are good

further education courses. The proprietors are fully briefed about the school’s successes and areas for improvement. Their arrangements for the management of staff performance have a positive impact on the aspirations and skills of staff. These measures include suitable opportunities for performance-related pay awards.

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Behaviour

 The behaviour of students is good. Representatives of placing schools state that they see strong improvements in students’ attitudes to learning compared with their previous responses to school.  Students are placed at the school because they are making insufficient progress with their learning due to a variety of complex emotional and social needs. Their previous behavioural difficulties have prevented them from maintaining good attendance and a responsible attitude to learning.  As a result of the good quality of teaching and strong relationships with staff, students are mostly able to overcome their complex barriers to learning. A number have returned successfully to placements in state maintained schools.  Students take an interest in their learning and say that they enjoy coming to school. They value the opportunity to concentrate in the small teaching groups and believe that they are listened to.

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Behaviour

Relationships between students, staff and volunteers are mutually respectful.  All adults working with students understand students’ emotional characteristics and the challenges they are experiencing. Students are given time to adjust when they are experiencing difficulties with their concentration and engagement. Nonetheless, staff expectations are high; they support all students well to retain their focus on learning.  Students respond well to staff instructions, lessons start promptly and proceed without interruption. The interim centre manager, in particular, is quick to anticipate any potential lack of concentration and takes effective action to ensure that students retain their focus on learning.  The majority of students improve their attendance compared with previous placements. The school has robust strategies to maintain communication about attendance with students’ schools and families. A

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Behaviour

small number of students present particular challenges with their attendance; the school involves external agencies appropriately to work together to resolve these cases.  There is a positive atmosphere around the school during lessons, breaks and lunchtimes. The majority of students adopt a relaxed and positive attitude to school and benefit from the positive adult role models around them.  Staff use the school’s rewards and sanctions effectively. Occasionally, they use short-term exclusions as a sanction for a more serious incident. Staff record and evaluate all incidents appropriately.  The school makes good provision for the spiritual, moral and social development of students. They are encouraged to be reflective about their behaviour and attitudes and to take responsibility for their own decisions. Students grow in self-confidence and take an increasing pride in the school.  A number of themes in the programme of personal and social education contribute to students’

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Behaviour

awareness of right and wrong. They demonstrate appropriate empathy when considering the impact of homelessness or vandalism in the local community. They contribute positively to the local community, for example through serving at a local food bank or having assisted when a local dog shelter was destroyed by fire.

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Safety

 The school’s work to keep students safe and secure is good. Senior leaders ensure the effective safeguarding of students, for example through robust procedures for staff appointments and the training of staff in child protection. The school has effective policies, such as those for the management of behaviour and the prevention of bullying, which staff review regularly and implement consistently.  Staff use activities in the personal and social education programme to develop students’ awareness of personal safety, for example through the study of substance abuse, sexual exploitation and how to ensure e-safety.  Students state that they do not experience any bullying in school and that everyone gets on well together. The school’s records of incidents and sanctions support this view.  The proprietors give excellent attention to the safety of the premises, including fire safety. Staff complete appropriate risk assessments for all areas of the premises and for off-site visits. The school maintains

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Safety

robust records of all staff training, including the identification of renewal dates for all mandatory training.

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The quality of teaching is good

 The quality of teaching is good and ensures a positive learning environment in which students make good progress. The appointment of an interim centre manager established clear expectations of students’ behaviour and attitudes to learning.  The interim centre manager and the staff work effectively with the acting headteacher. They plan teaching together and provide learning activities that engage and interest students. As a result, all students take an active part in learning and willingly contribute their individual thoughts and ideas.  Robust schemes of work underpin teachers’ planning and the sequence of learning activities provided. There is an appropriate focus on the development of students’ skills in English, reading, mathematics and information and communication technology. All students have suitable access to functional skills qualifications in these areas of learning.  Students also study an appropriate range of additional subjects including science, personal and social

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The quality of teaching is good

education, art and physical education. Although teachers provide aesthetic and creative experiences the range is not extensive.  The teaching staff lead students effectively through examples of tasks that prepare them well to complete individual activities at levels suited to their abilities. They use computers well to provide a strong visual focal point for group work; students are engaged and keen to contribute orally.  Teachers question students continuously during whole-class learning sessions in order to judge the extent of their knowledge and understanding. In these sessions, teachers sometimes move students’ learning on to new tasks and activities without sufficient monitoring of the depth of their understanding. Similarly, teachers do not always present oral and written instructions with sufficient precision to ensure that students can always make a confident start on planned activities.

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The quality of teaching is good

 Teachers use a commercial online programme to develop and assess students’ progress in English and mathematics. This makes a strong contribution to their learning. Students enjoy the challenge of completing activities accurately and demonstrate pride in their successes, particularly when their results tell them that they have ‘moved up a level’.  Staff check on students’ progress and have an accurate understanding of each student’s current level of achievement. The structure of the online programme ensures that students can move on to an appropriate next step in their learning. The relatively small number of Key Stage 4 students do not always have opportunity to progress rapidly on to GCSE and equivalent learning appropriate for their age and stage of development.  Students also enjoy and demonstrate success with activities in art and cookery lessons. Staff communicate high expectations about behaviour, concentration and the rate at which students work.

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The quality of teaching is good

During the inspection, all students achieved success and satisfaction in the baking of muffins; they applied accurate skills in the measurement of ingredients and followed instructions carefully.  The high adult to student ratio ensures that each student has the confidence to ask for help and the opportunity to share their ideas. Volunteers make an effective contribution to students’ engagement and progress working well alongside the permanent staff.  All adults working one-to-one or in small groups listen effectively to students. They confirm students’ successes and help them to work diligently through new challenges. Learning activities are particularly well matched to students’ current levels of literacy and numeracy.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 Students’ achievement is good; they make good progress across a range of subjects once they have adjusted to the expectations of the school. The majority of students make good progress in a short period of time from low or very low starting points compared with other students of their age.  The school’s assessment data indicate that there was a slight slowing down of students’ rates of progress during the latter part of 2014. Decisive action by TLG central staff has overcome difficulties with staff recruitment and students are now making good progress once again across the full range of subjects studied.  Representatives of students’ previous schools state that TLG enables students to turn around their attitudes to learning and to make good progress, usually for the first time in a number of years.  Disadvantaged students and those with identified special educational needs make progress with closing

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The achievement of pupils is good

the gaps in their learning compared with other students nationally. The individual learning programmes provided for them pay close attention to the specific skills in literacy and numeracy with which they require additional help.  Students across the age range of the school make good progress with the development of their skills in English and mathematics. They demonstrate the ability to express themselves orally in a mature and considered manner. They listen well to each other and value the contributions of others. Their reading skills are sufficiently established to enable them to access learning materials in the full range of subjects studied successfully.  Students make good progress with their writing including, for example, the ability to compose creative poetry with suitable rhyming and alliteration. They demonstrate the ability to apply their writing skills to everyday situations as they concentrate well on completing online tasks in their functional skills English

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The achievement of pupils is good

course.  Students’ progress in information and communication technology is at least in line with national expectations. Students benefit from regular access to online learning in the core subjects; as a result, they develop confidence and expertise in the daily use of computers.  Students’ work demonstrates good progress in aspects of science, art, physical education and cooking.  Some students return to their base schools to take GCSE examinations in a small number of subjects.  Students’ progress in mathematics is at least in line with national expectations and a number of students exceed national rates of progress in English. A large majority of students placed at the school in the last academic year achieved nationally recognised qualifications. A number remain at the school and continue to build on these qualifications.  A relatively small number of students completed Key Stage 4 courses at the school during the last two

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The achievement of pupils is good

years. The small number of students in Key Stage 4 generally make good progress from low starting points but do not always progress rapidly to enable them to access work at a level equivalent to GCSEs.  The school’s data indicates that more than 80% of these leavers continued on to suitable courses in colleges of further education.

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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 136242 Inspection number 454292 DfE registration number 352/6070 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.

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School details

Type of school Day special school School status Independent school Age range of pupils 11–16 years Gender of pupils Mixed Number of pupils on the school roll 9 Number of part time pupils 3 Proprietor TLG The Education Charity Chair Andrew Burton Headteacher (Acting) Helen Laws Date of previous school inspection 23 November 2011 Annual fees (day pupils) £15,200 (full-time) Telephone number 0161 660 8678 Email address helen.laws@tlg.org.uk guidance 'Raising concerns and making a complaint about Ofsted', which is available from Ofsted’s website: 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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