Lionheart School

School report Thompson House Tuition Centre

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Berry Hill, Lake, Isle of Wight, PO36 9JB

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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

 Strong leadership by the new headteacher, ably supported by the deputy headteacher, has ensured improvement in all areas of the Centre. As a result, students achieve well in English, mathematics and science.  The governing body has improved because of additional training which has increased its skills, enabling its members to challenge leaders.  Students make good progress in English, mathematics and science. Students who are eligible for additional funding make similar progress to their classmates.  Students in Year 11 acquire a wide range of accreditation before they leave the Centre. These include some GCSE passes at A* to G, BTEC and entry-level qualifications.  Almost all students who left Year 11 at the end of 2014 found college placements or employment.  School staff are overwhelmingly supportive of the new leadership team and feel proud to work at the school.  Parents who responded to the Centre’s own

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This is a good school

recent questionnaires are pleased with the progress their children make.  Students enjoy their learning because of the good range of topics and subjects which meet their needs well.  Students’ personal development improves at this Centre because of a strong focus on supporting their spiritual, moral, social and cultural development. A wide range of effective therapies ensures that the provision meets students' individual needs well.  Students in Years 10 and 11 benefit from good quality vocational experiences through effective links with local businesses. These help to improve their confidence and self-esteem, and prepare them well for their futures in modern Britain.  Students show that they enjoy their time at the Centre through their vastly improving attendance. Students behave well. They are safe and secure at the Centre and on external visits and activities.  Teaching has improved because of rigorous

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This is a good school

monitoring and is almost always good or better. Marking is particularly effective and regularly helps students to improve their work.

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It is not yet an outstanding school because

 At times, a few students are not challenged well enough by the work set for them so that they do not make enough progress.

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Information about this inspection

 The inspector observed students’ learning in seven lessons, some jointly with the headteacher. The inspector also listened to some younger students reading their books.  The inspector spoke to different groups of students about their work and looked at their work books.  The inspector held meetings with the headteacher, senior and middle leaders, the Chair of the Governing Body and two other governors, the outreach teacher and a representative from the local authority. A telephone conversation was held with the headteacher of a local primary school who has pupils who have received outreach support.  The inspector observed the work of the school and looked at a range of documents. These included the school’s own information about students’ progress, planning and monitoring documents, and safeguarding information.  The inspector took account of the school’s own parent questionnaires because there were too few

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Information about this inspection

responses to the Ofsted online survey, Parent View. The inspector also considered seven responses to the staff inspection questionnaire.

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Inspection team

Denise Morris, Lead inspector Additional inspector

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Information about this school

 Thompson House takes students from all the island’s schools. It caters for students from age 4 to 16, although there were no students under the age of six during the inspection.  Students in Key Stages 1 and 2 are those at risk of permanent exclusion or who have been permanently excluded from their mainstream schools because of their behaviour, social and/or emotional difficulties.  Students in Key Stages 3 and 4 are at Thompson House because of medical difficulties. These students are dual registered with a mainstream school.  A few students are supported by a statement of special educational needs for their learning difficulties and a very few have a diagnosis of autistic spectrum disorder.  Thompson House provides home tuition for particularly vulnerable students and for those whose long-term poor health means they are unable to leave home.  Staff provide outreach support to schools across the island.

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Information about this school

 Almost all students are of White British heritage.  The Centre does not receive any direct funding through the pupil premium or primary school physical education and sport premium. This is paid to the eligible students’ mainstream schools. The proportion of students attending the centre who are eligible for the pupil premium is above average. The pupil premium is for students known to be eligible for free school meals and those children who are looked after.  Students do not have any off-site courses at local colleges in Key Stage 4 because of their vulnerabilities. There are opportunities for students to experience vocational opportunities such as woodwork and farm studies within the local community.  The Centre recently moved to a new site, from Newport to Sandown.  The headteacher was appointed eight months ago.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Enable students to make even better progress in English and mathematics by making sure that tasks are set at the right level for each student.

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The leadership and management are good

 Strong leadership by the new headteacher, effectively supported by the deputy headteacher, has enabled good improvement in all aspects of this centre. Together, leaders have built on the previously effective practice to secure a successful transfer to the new site. They have ensured that teaching, behaviour and students’ social and emotional development are all good.  School staff are extremely proud to be working at the Centre. Regular checking of the Centre’s provision by leaders has ensured that they know how effective the quality of teaching and achievement is.  Students are happy to be there. They show this by the way their attendance rises once they start. Almost all now attend well. Most develop positive relationships with their classmates and value the good support that staff provide for them. As a result, their behaviour and their achievement improve.  Middle leaders have improved the provision for English, mathematics and science through their high

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The leadership and management are good

quality skills and rigorous approaches. They check their subjects regularly to ensure that students are achieving well. They play a valuable part in developing a curriculum that meets students’ individual needs.  All groups of students benefit from a broad curriculum, often tailored specifically for each individual student. The Centre provides a wide range of accreditation for students in Years 10 and 11 so that they can achieve as well as other students in their previous schools.  Leaders set targets for teachers which are matched to their students’ successes. This ensures that provision is effective. Increases in teachers’ salaries are closely linked to how well these targets are met.  Strategies for managing students’ behaviour are effective, resulting in good relationships. Students know that there is always someone available to help them if they have any problems.  Students have regular visits into the community to help prepare them for their futures. These develop

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The leadership and management are good

their confidence, self-esteem and awareness of safety.  Activities to promote students’ understanding of life in modern Britain are evident across the curriculum. These include learning about other countries and cultures, maintaining effective links with local schools and businesses, and carrying out visits. All of these help to promote students’ personal development, including their spiritual, moral, social and cultural development.  Students are helped to understand and develop British values through their vocational links with local farms and businesses in the community. They learn about democracy through their new school council and through fundraising activities for different charities. Some students were discussing outcomes of the government’s budget announcements during the inspection.  Students’ outcomes are moderated with a local academy to ensure accuracy. The Centre provides additional support for any student who falls behind, ensuring that they quickly catch up.

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The leadership and management are good

 Leaders ensure that the achievement, behaviour and attendance of students during off-site visits, activities and work experience are effective through regular checks.  Work experience for students in Years 10 and 11 is provided through links with local businesses. Careers guidance is available for students, who feel that it is helpful to them.  The Centre’s achievement data shows that most students make good progress in English, mathematics and science during the relatively short time they are there. Leaders know that there is more to do to improve achievement further.  Students with additional special educational needs and those who are disadvantaged achieve as well as other students in their class. This is because they benefit from extra support to ensure they make the progress expected of them in English and mathematics.  Parents who responded to the Centre’s own questionnaires are pleased with their children’s progress.

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The leadership and management are good

 The Centre ensures equality of opportunity for all students through the curriculum. This provides them with an understanding of the different cultures and faiths that make up modern Britain. As a result, there is no discrimination and students develop positive relationships.  The Centre provides outreach support to mainstream primary and secondary schools. This is well received and felt to be very supportive. One headteacher of a primary school commented that the expertise provided to her school by the Centre had been excellent. As a result, staff at the school had been able to manage students well within their mainstream setting.  The local authority provides good quality guidance to leaders, helping to check teaching and students’ progress. Recent reports from the local authority show that there has been good improvement in provision and in students’ achievement since the new leadership team was appointed.

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The leadership and management are good

 Although the centre does not receive any additional sport funding, regular sporting activities are provided for students to help them keep fit and healthy.  Despite not receiving any additional funding for those students who are eligible for the pupil premium because it is retained by their mainstream schools, leaders provide extra support for these students so that they make similar progress to their classmates in English and mathematics.  Safeguarding procedures are effective and meet requirements. Regular training is provided for staff to ensure they know how to identify students at risk of harm. Good systems to ensure students’ safety are fully embedded. Risk assessments are thorough and regularly completed for all external activities.  The governance of the school:  Governors have improved their skills with some recent training. This has ensured that they now have the skills to support the Centre and hold leaders to account. They check the quality of teaching through

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The leadership and management are good

regular visits and fully understand the performance data and assessments. Governors know where achievement and behaviour are best and have a clear understanding of the quality of teaching. Members check the performance of staff on a regular basis. They know how well the Centre is doing and they check performance data with other schools to ensure its effectiveness. Overall financial management is good.  Governors are working closely with local feeder schools and the local authority to acquire a proportion of the pupil premium funding for eligible students. They are also working to acquire sport funding for primary pupils.  Governors understand the procedures for setting targets for teachers and they use these to reward the best teachers.

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Behaviour

 The behaviour of students is good. Exclusions and incidents are decreasing following the introduction of rigorous monitoring by leaders and effective support for all students.  Students’ behaviour in and around the Centre is almost always good. It has improved because of the introduction of therapies and half termly rewards based on behaviour data.  Just occasionally, the behaviour of younger students in particular dips because of their social and emotional needs. This is well managed but it sometimes impacts adversely on their learning. As a result, behaviour is not outstanding.  Older students in Key Stages 3 and 4 show very positive behaviour, work hard and benefit from the positive support provided by staff. Relationships are positive and most students say they enjoy being at the Centre.  Students know about different forms of bullying. Older students said that there is no bullying at the Centre

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Behaviour

‘because it is small and everyone gets on well’.  The Centre’s staff are overwhelmingly positive about behaviour and safety. A typical comment from staff is: ‘Clear and approachable leadership make sure that students are safe and behave well.’  Students’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development improves at the Centre because of the effective curriculum activities. Support staff provide high quality guidance to their students and are proud of their achievements. Students are fully aware of the Centre’s approach to a Christian religion, which also includes learning about many other world faiths.  Students’ attendance rises rapidly once they start at the Centre and is broadly average. Almost all students improve their attendance by a third in a very short time. This is maintained during their time there. Students do not attend off-site college provision because of their vulnerabilities. However, there are

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Behaviour

many opportunities for them to learn about the world of work during their local community visits and activities.  The Centre ensures that students are well prepared for their future lives through their improved behaviour and attendance and their good qualifications.  Counselling is available from the strong therapy team for any students who require it. It is also available to families.  Students behave well on visits into the community and beyond.

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Safety

 The Centre’s work to keep students safe and secure is good.  Students are safe at the Centre. Older students told the inspector that they feel safe because it is small and staff are always around. The Centre’s policies to ensure the safety and welfare of students are effective. They benefit from effective risk assessments for any trip or activity.  Staff make sure that students feel confident about risks, particularly during their vocational experiences in the community. A few younger students do not yet fully understand the impact of risk. As a result, safety is not outstanding.  Students know about e-safety. They are taught how to keep themselves safe. Road safety training is available for any student who needs it.  The behaviour and safety of students on work experience or trips are good.

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The quality of teaching is good

 The vast majority of students achieve well in English and mathematics because the impact of teaching is almost always good. Teachers ensure that most students work at a fast pace and complete the work set for them. Good quality training for staff and regular monitoring by senior leaders have ensured a positive impact in most lessons.  Staff usually have high expectations of students’ achievements, ensuring that progress in literacy and numeracy is good.  The teaching of reading, writing and mathematics is almost always good. Additional support by teaching assistants and the therapy team ensures promotes students’ progress well. Those with additional needs and those eligible for additional funding achieve as well as other students in their class.  Just occasionally, the tasks provided are not matched to students’ abilities. Some students find the work too easy and others find it too difficult. As a result, some do not complete enough work to make the

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The quality of teaching is good

progress expected of them. This is why teaching is not outstanding.  The introduction of phonics teaching (the sounds that letters make) for students in Key Stages 1 and 2 is having a positive impact on reading skills.  Teachers across the Centre regularly check how well students are doing. An effective new marking policy has had a profound impact on students’ improvements, particularly in writing. Staff check students’ work thoroughly and provide some good examples of how they could improve. Detailed feedback for students in literacy and numeracy is evident in their books. This is particularly strong in Key Stage 4.  Teachers ensure that lessons are not disrupted through the effective application of behaviour strategies. These ensure that almost all lessons are calm and behaviour is at least good.  Teaching in science is particularly good because of very well-planned tasks that meet students’ abilities

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The quality of teaching is good

well. For example, in Years 10 and 11 students discussed the moral issue of pollution through their study of renewable and non-renewable fuels. High quality support by staff ensured that all students could express their opinions. As a result, students’ progress in this lesson was outstanding.  The most-able students, particularly older ones, are highly challenged by the work set for them. This ensures that they achieve well and acquire good qualifications on their accredited courses. There are some very good examples at the Centre of students being highly motivated and working independently to improve their grades.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 Students’ attainment on entry to the Centre is variable, but is almost always below the levels expected for their age. This is because many have been poor attenders at their previous schools and have missed significant amounts of learning. It is also due to younger students’ challenging behaviour and to some older students’ medical needs.  Most students quickly settle and begin to enjoy their learning. They told the inspector that this was because of the small classes and the way that staff understood their difficulties.  School data shows that those students who have been at the Centre for two terms or more make at least good progress in English, mathematics and science.  Almost all students, including disadvantaged students, those who are eligible for additional funding and those with additional special educational needs, achieve equally well. This is due to high quality support and guidance from staff and leaders. Students feel valued and most make at least the progress expected

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The achievement of pupils is good

of them from their starting points.  In 2014, two thirds of students at Key Stages 1 and 2 were successfully re-integrated into a mainstream school because their behaviour and progress had improved. Students in Key Stages 3 and 4 tend to stay longer at the Centre because of their medical difficulties.  Students make good progress in reading and benefit from an effective range of books. They read regularly and improve their skills during their time at the Centre.  Achievement in writing is usually good but sometimes the tasks set for students do not challenge all of them. At these times, students do not achieve well enough; this is why achievement is not outstanding. For example, some younger students were disenchanted by being asked to describe a pencil while learning about adjectives. They lacked interest in the task and the work completed was not of a good quality.  Work books show that most students work hard and fully complete their tasks. Students achieve well in

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The achievement of pupils is good

mathematics. They enjoy the practical tasks and work well in lessons, making good progress from their starting points.  The most-able students make very good progress in English and mathematics and often work independently, outstripping other students.  Achievement in art is particularly good, with some students acquiring good GCSE grades in the subject.  In the most recent examinations, students in Year 11 attained GCSEs in English, mathematics, science and art. They also attained a range of BTEC and entry-level qualifications that will support them well in their futures. Although students do not achieve quite as well as mainstream students nationally, students achieve well from their own individual starting points at the Centre.  More-able students in Year 10 have the opportunity to take their GCSEs a year early. This has not limited the potential of the more-able students.  Students enjoy sports and make effective use of local facilities to improve their physical skills.

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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 133744 Local authority Isle of Wight Inspection number 449796

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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 6–16 Gender of pupils Mixed Number of pupils on the school roll 32 Appropriate authority The management committee Chair Grainne Andrews Headteacher Tom Pegler Date of previous school inspection 8–9 March 2012 Telephone number 01983 539967 Fax number 01983 539967 Email address Tom.pegler@islandlearning.co.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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