Ealing Alternative Provision

Ealing Alternative Provision Compton Close, London, W13 0LR

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Overall effectiveness

Previous inspection: Good 2 This inspection: Good 2 Leadership and management Good 2 Behaviour and safety of pupils Outstanding 1 Quality of teaching Good 2 Achievement of pupils Good 2

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This is a good school:

 Students’ behaviour is outstanding. On arrival at the school, students learn how to manage their emotional and behavioural problems and to take responsibility for their own conduct. As a result, they make good progress in their learning.  Students feel very safe and secure as a result of outstanding pastoral care. They enjoy being at the school and their attendance is above that typically found in similar schools.  A growing number of students at Key Stage 3 successfully return to mainstream schools. Older students achieve a range of GCSE qualifications and this enables them to successfully go on to college courses.  Students enjoy their learning. The subjects they study are well chosen to interest them and promote their progress.  Teaching is good throughout the school. There have been consistent improvements in the quality of teaching through rigorous checks on the consistency of teachers’ work.  The experience and expertise of the headteacher

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This is a good school:

have enabled her to build an effective team of senior staff. Together, they have successfully added to the school’s strengths in teaching and ensured that students make good progress and behave well.  The management committee is very well informed about the school’s work. Members carefully monitor the quality of teaching and the extent of students’ progress. The committee provides a significant level of challenge to, and support for, the school’s leadership team.

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It is not yet an outstanding school because

 There are inconsistencies at times in the way teachers record the small advances in progress which the students make.  Sometimes teachers do not set work at the right level to enable all students to achieve as well as they should.  Teachers do not always ensure that students take sufficient notice of written comments in their books about how to improve their work. As a result, students do not always fully understand how to make their work better.

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Information about this inspection

 Inspectors observed students’ learning in 14 lessons, all of which were joint observations with senior staff.  Meetings were held with senior leaders, staff, members of the management committee and representatives from the local authority. Informal discussions were held with students in lessons and at break times.  Inspectors took into account the school’s surveys of parents’ opinions. There were too few responses to the online questionnaire, Parent View, to make analysis meaningful. The 34 returned staff questionnaires were taken into account, as well as recent student questionnaires.  The inspectors observed the work of the school and looked at a range of documents including the school’s review of its own progress and forward planning. Records of students’ progress and achievement both academically and in personal development, behaviour and well-being were analysed. In addition, monitoring reports on the quality of teaching, the management of the performance of staff and curriculum

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Information about this inspection

documents were also scrutinised.  Attendance records were looked at, as well as all aspects of the procedures for safeguarding students.

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Inspection team

Melvyn Blackband, Lead Inspector Additional inspector

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Information about this school

 The Study Centre has very recently changed its name to Ealing Alternative Provision in preparation for arrangements to take effect in September 2015.  The provision caters for secondary-aged students who have been permanently excluded from mainstream schools. From September 2015, a wider range of students will be taught in this centre at Compton Close. This will include students with underlying behavioural, emotional and social problems including permanent exclusion, special educational needs or health problems.  A substantial amount of new building is presently taking place to accommodate the rise in student roll in September.  An above average proportion of students are from minority ethnic groups, particularly Black Caribbean and Black African. A very small minority of students speaks English as an additional language.  All the students have special educational needs or education, health and care plans as a result of their

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Information about this school

behavioural, emotional and social difficulties.  About two thirds of students are boys.  An above average proportion of students is eligible for the pupil premium funding. This is additional government funding which is granted to support students who are entitled to free school meals or who are looked after.  A very small number of students on the school roll attends full-time alternative provision with providers commissioned by the local authority. This alternative provision operates independently of the school and the students are not part of the school’s responsibility, although the headteacher line manages the staff at the provision.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Improve the quality of teaching further by ensuring that teachers:  ensure there is consistency in the way they record the small steps in students’ learning  set work at the right level so that students achieve their best  enable students to take sufficient notice of written comments in their books so that they fully understand how to make their work better.

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The leadership and management are good

 The headteacher successfully leads a senior team of competent and enthusiastic staff. They communicate high expectations of adults and students. Middle leaders in charge of subjects effectively check on the students’ progress and the quality of teaching in their areas of responsibility.  The management committee provides a significant level of challenge to the school’s leaders in their efforts to raise standards. As a result of effective leadership and management, teaching is good so that students behave and achieve well.  The local authority have regularly worked with leaders to support and challenge the work of the provision. They recognise that there is a good capacity to continue to make further improvements.  Leaders systematically check the progress of each student and intervene quickly to give extra support should a student start to fall behind. Adults are committed to providing equal opportunities for all students

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The leadership and management are good

to achieve as well as they are able. There is no discrimination. Students from all groups, including those from minority ethnic backgrounds and those who speak English as an additional language, achieve as well as other students.  The school makes good use of additional government funding for disadvantaged pupils. Extra support in English and mathematics is provided by learning mentors who work with each student to promote their progress. The school also uses the Year 7 catch-up funding effectively to provide additional support in literacy, which enables disadvantaged students to make similarly good progress to their classmates.  Leaders rigorously monitor the performance of teachers. There are clear criteria to evaluate teachers’ work, based on national standards and which lead to challenging targets for improvement. Teachers are well aware that pay awards are dependent on their performance in helping students to make good or

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The leadership and management are good

better progress. They appreciate the high levels of supervision and the many opportunities for further training and, as a result, staff morale is high.  The school’s leaders check carefully on all aspects of the school’s work. They evaluate its success accurately and consistently. Leaders are aware, for instance, of the occasional inconsistencies in teaching which reduce students’ achievement.  Students are interested in the subjects they study. This has a positive impact on their behaviour and attitudes to learning. English and mathematics are priority subjects throughout the school. They are well taught and students make good progress. These subjects are promoted successfully throughout the curriculum.  Literacy, whether in aspects of reading or writing, is incorporated appropriately into every lesson, and teachers include mathematics work in subjects such as science, art and physical education. This enables

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The leadership and management are good

students to practise and enhance their skills in a variety of contexts and makes a strong contribution to their achievement across all subjects.  Year 10 and Year 11 students follow appropriate programmes which lead to GCSE qualifications in a range of subjects, including English and mathematics. There are good opportunities for work experience. In addition, the school gives excellent careers guidance and support which have resulted in a very high proportion of students going on to further education or training.  The students are very well supported through extensive personal education courses. All students have learning and behaviour mentors who work individually with them. They learn through daily circle time about aspects of safety and how their behaviour affects others. The curriculum, together with excellent behaviour management, teaches the students effectively how to regulate their conduct and have regard

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The leadership and management are good

for the feelings of others.  Students gain a good understanding of British values and are well prepared to take their place in modern Britain. Through subjects such as philosophy and ethics and the positive role models of adults, students learn effectively about the diversity of cultures and religious beliefs in their community and further afield. They learn about prejudice and the need to challenge stereotypes and to uphold the rule of law. They have recently been well taught about the dangers of extremism and radicalisation.  The curriculum contributes effectively to the students’ academic progress and their behaviour and emotional well-being. This has a positive impact on their spiritual, moral, social and cultural development.  Parents report that they are confident that their children are safe and well looked after and are making good progress. There are no concerns about bullying and the great majority of parents confirm that they

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The leadership and management are good

have good communication with their child’s teachers. Liaison with providers of training away from the school site is good and enables staff to check students’ attendance, behaviour and progress effectively.  The school’s arrangements for keeping students safe are very secure. Procedures are well organised and robustly checked at regular intervals by members of the management committee. Students and their parents are fully confident in the work of the school to keep students safe and secure.  The governance of the school:  Members of the management committee are well informed and have a good understanding of information on students’ progress and how progress compares with similar schools. They are knowledgeable about the setting of targets for teachers and how this is used to reward good performance and tackle underachievement. Members have a clear understanding of the quality of teaching at the school. As a result, they contribute well to the school’s development. They effectively

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The leadership and management are good

oversee the salary arrangements for teaching staff. They maintain close supervision of additional government funding and regularly check the impact on the students’ progress and well-being. Members are able to strongly and effectively challenge the school’s leaders, particularly since there is a significant proportion of senior education professionals on the committee. They are very well informed about aspects of child protection and safeguarding and in the use of information on students’ behaviour and attendance. They ensure that all current statutory requirements in the safeguarding of students are met.

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Behaviour

 The behaviour of students is outstanding. They enter the school, often with negative experiences in previous schools. Very quickly, they gain interest and enthusiasm for their studies. They attend regularly, except for a very few persistent absentees, and are punctual to their lessons. Lessons are characterised by calm, supportive relationships between students and staff and the students display very good attitudes in their learning. This has a significant impact on their good achievement.  As a result of positive relationships with staff, students’ conduct around the school is excellent. Adults provide outstanding positive models for students’ behaviour. The school is a harmonious place of learning.  Behaviour is managed exceptionally well. Students quickly learn what is expected of them. Rules are few, but consistently applied. The school’s records show that incidents of unacceptable behaviour and

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Behaviour

temporary exclusions have decreased consistently.  The students receive a substantial level of support where necessary. This may involve personal counselling from mentors or more specialised help from outside agencies. Detailed behaviour plans are drawn up to ensure the right amount of relevant support is quickly given to help students cope with difficulties they face outside school. Students over time effectively learn to regulate their own behaviour and to gain a good understanding of how their conduct affects others. As a result, a growing proportion of students is able to return successfully to mainstream schools or confidently go on to college courses.  The school monitors the students’ behaviour very effectively. Detailed records are kept of any incidents to allow staff to revise procedures for ensuring the well-being of each student. Parents, staff and students have full confidence in the school’s procedures. The school’s leaders ensure the good behaviour, safety

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Behaviour

and well-being of the students in the alternative provision.

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Safety

 The school’s work to keep students safe and secure is outstanding. Safeguarding procedures are very well organised and secure. All staff are regularly trained in the school’s policies. Systems have been rigorously checked by local authority officers.  The students are invariably very well supervised. They report that bullying is rare and that it is quickly dealt with. Adults work effectively with bully and victim to show why actions were unacceptable and how to restore trust and friendship. The students have a good understanding of how to combat bullying, including through social media. Daily circle time and regular sessions with mentors teach students how to keep themselves safe, to be aware of drugs and local gangs and to live a healthy lifestyle.  Adults consistently demonstrate and teach students to be respectful to others. Students are made very aware of language which may be derogatory to the feelings of others.

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Safety

 The few persistent absentees receive a high level of support from the school and outside agencies to attend regularly. The school makes determined efforts to ensure students attend regularly.

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The quality of teaching is good

 There have been consistent improvements in the quality of teaching since the previous inspection as a result of regular systematic checks by senior and middle leaders. Where necessary, teachers are supported through further training and the opportunity to work with more experienced colleagues. Teaching over time is good, and occasionally outstanding. As a result, all student groups make good progress.  Teachers have high expectations of what students can achieve. Academic progress targets are set at mainstream school levels and through effective teaching, most students achieve them.  The activities stretch students and challenge them to do their best. Students respond well to the challenges and this has a positive impact on their progress. On some occasions, however, teachers do not plan effectively to take account of the learning needs of each individual student. Work can be too easy or too hard and this can slow down learning.

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The quality of teaching is good

 There is good teaching in English. Students read a variety of factual and literary texts and write often at length. Work in students’ books and displayed around the school demonstrates their growing confidence and ability in literacy. Reading and writing tasks are specifically built into all lessons. Students have good opportunities to practise their skills in a range of contexts and this supports their good progress in all subjects. Activities are generally well adapted to take account of the students’ reading ability.  Mathematics teaching is effective because, in this subject, individual students’ progress is minutely assessed and recorded. Students make progress in small achievable steps. Where relevant, teachers incorporate mathematical processes into lessons, for instance through counting and measuring in physical education and calculating the shape and size of objects in science and art.

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The quality of teaching is good

 Teachers are in most cases specialists in their subjects. They are able to ask questions which help students to reinforce and extend their understanding. Teachers are adept in reshaping their lessons where students do not fully understand or where extra practice would ensure better progress. This gives the students confidence to make mistakes and learn from them.  Teachers mark students’ work thoroughly and always include detailed comments about how the students can improve their work. On some occasions, however, teachers do not follow up on these comments and ensure that the students fully understand how to make their work better. This can result in students making the same mistakes again which reduces their ability to improve their work.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 Students usually enter the school with attainment which is lower than average, because of poor attendance and a troubled history at previous schools. Most students enter the school at different times during the school year. Their attainment remains generally lower than average during their time at the school.  Despite this, almost all students make good progress over time and an increasing proportion makes rapid and sustained progress. This is a reflection of their rapidly improving behaviour and attendance and good teaching.  The most able students make excellent progress which enables them to return quickly to mainstream schools or to gain high grades in GCSE. They make very good progress from lower than average starting points.  As a result of good teaching, students make good progress in English and mathematics. Work in students’ books shows consistent progress in reading and writing and confidence in using and applying number

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The achievement of pupils is good

skills. This has resulted in a rising proportion of students who successfully return to mainstream schools.  Older students achieve success in GCSE qualifications in English, mathematics, science, information and communication technology and art. Although attainment levels are lower than national averages, their achievement represents good progress from low starting points.  There is no early entry for GCSE. Almost all students are successful in gaining GCSE qualifications and are well prepared for the next stages of their education or training in local colleges. Transition to college life is very well monitored and supported by school staff.  Disadvantaged students, a very large majority of the school’s population, make progress as well as other students. Their attainment is broadly similar. There are no gaps in their achievement. They are typically, in Year 11, about a year behind students nationally in both English and mathematics, but they make good

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The achievement of pupils is good

progress from generally low starting points. The gaps in students’ achievement are gradually narrowing as the school’s good teaching ensures students make consistently good progress.  Students from minority ethnic groups and those who speak English as an additional language make equally good progress. This is as a result of good teaching and well structured extra support for individual students. Students in the alternative provision make good progress in a range of work-related qualifications and almost always go on successfully to college courses.

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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 131753 Local authority Ealing Inspection number 448014

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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 90 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair John Noel Headteacher Tracie McNeil Date of previous school inspection 16–17 May 2012 Telephone number 020 8991 8570 Fax number 020 8991 8571 Email address tmcneil@study.ealing.sch.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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