Scarborough Pupil Referral Unit

Scarborough Pupil Referral Service Valley Bridge Parade, Scarborough, North Yorkshire YO11 2PG

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Overall effectiveness Requires improvement

Effectiveness of leadership and management Requires improvement

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Overall effectiveness Requires improvement

Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Requires improvement

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Overall effectiveness Requires improvement

Personal development, behaviour and welfare Requires improvement

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Overall effectiveness Requires improvement

Outcomes for pupils Requires improvement

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Overall effectiveness Requires improvement

Overall effectiveness at previous inspection Outstanding

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This is a school that requires improvement

 Senior leaders, the management committee and the local authority have not acted quickly enough to avert a decline in the overall effectiveness of the service since the previous inspection.  The management committee have not made sure the appraisal of teachers’ work meets statutory requirements.  Leaders do not ensure pupils benefit from a full range of subjects or that money for disadvantaged pupils is put to the best use for those pupils.  Attendance is too low. Poor attendance stops some pupils making progress and learning how to manage their feelings.  Some teachers do not use detailed and accurate assessments to plan activities that help pupils make rapid progress. Some teachers do not use every chance to help pupils improve their literacy skills.  Leaders and staff do not work out why some pupils get upset in the way they sometimes do. This means they do not put good enough plans in place to help those pupils.

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This is a school that requires improvement

 Some aspects of the building do not allow staff to safely support some pupils when they get angry.  Some pupils do not show enough respect to people who are different to themselves.

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The school has the following strengths

 Since September 2015 the head of centre has rapidly restored the service to a place where pupils want to come and learn. She has restored the confidence and morale of staff. Everyone connected to the service is working together to make sure the service becomes as good as possible.  As a result of the head of centre’s strong leadership, big improvements are evident in pupils’ behaviour and attitudes to learning and the effectiveness of teaching. As a result, pupils’ progress in English, mathematics and science is improving.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Improve leadership and management by ensuring that: – urgent modifications to the building are made so that pupils who are upset or angry do not have to be moved upstairs to find a quiet space – all statutory requirements for teachers appraisal are met so teachers get the specific development opportunities they need – all statutory requirements about publishing information about the service are met – additional money for disadvantaged pupils is spent on improving the outcomes for those pupils – pupils regularly benefit from a wider range of subjects.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Improve pupils’ personal development, behaviour and welfare by ensuring that: – attendance improves for all pupils – all staff work out why some pupils react and get angry, and carefully plan better ways to help pupils control their reactions and feelings – pupils always get a chance to have a say about what is helping them to manage their feelings and what is not working well – there are more opportunities for pupils to learn how to respect and tolerate everyone, including people who are different to themselves.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Increase the rate of progress all pupils make in every subject by improving teaching, learning and assessment, ensuring that: – teachers’ assessments of what pupils know, understand and can do are accurate – teachers assess and understand the difficulties pupils face when learning new skills – teachers use the information to plan activities that allow pupils to rapidly move through each step of learning – teachers take every opportunity to help pupils develop their reading, spelling, punctuation and writing skills.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

An external review of the work of the management committee should be undertaken in order to assess how this aspect of leadership and management may be improved.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

An external review of the school’s use of the pupil premium should be undertaken in order to assess how this aspect of leadership and management may be improved.

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Effectiveness of leadership and management requires improvement

 In January 2014 the local authority recognised the service was no longer outstanding, largely due to inadequacies in leadership. Recovery began in April 2015 with the appointment of an executive headteacher and a head of centre in September 2015. Their work has made the centre safe and built the foundations for improvement. However, the legacy of previous inadequacies means some aspects of leadership, including the management committee, require improvement.  Leaders are developing systems for checking the effectiveness of teaching and the accuracy of teachers’ assessments, but these aspects of their work are not firmly established. The range of subjects pupils are taught is limited, although English, mathematics, science and personal and social development are covered in depth. Leaders agree with pupils that regular art and music lessons would make the centre ‘more like a proper school’. Their plan includes developing these subjects, as well as continuing to

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Effectiveness of leadership and management requires improvement

increase opportunities for physical education. The local authority recognises that leaders are challenged by the constraints imposed by the building they have to use.  The executive headteacher’s first action was to establish the range of staff roles the service needed and recruit appropriate people to fill the roles. This work to develop a suitably skilled and experienced staff continues.  The head of centre immediately identified the most essential changes required and made them happen so that the centre is safe, pupils want to come to learn and teachers can teach. One pupil summed up the views of staff, pupils and parents about the head of centre when he said she has ‘really changed everything…she goes the extra mile so everyone can learn’.  Leaders have made sure that all staff are on board, have an accurate understanding of what more needs to be done and have put an appropriate development plan in place.

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Effectiveness of leadership and management requires improvement

 Leaders and all staff make sure that there are plenty of opportunities for pupils to develop their social, moral, spiritual and cultural understanding as well as tolerance and a respect for law. This is promoted throughout all of the subjects and an increasing range of enrichment activities. During the inspection pupils reflected on the ‘don’t stand by’ message of Holocaust Memorial Day. Some pupils do not take full advantage of this work. Leaders acknowledge that even more needs to be done, especially in steering pupils away from ‘far right’ extremist views that some are exposed to outside of school.  Older pupils speak positively about the help they get to plan their futures. The specialist careers advisers are key to making sure robust plans are in place to support each pupil when they leave school at the end of Year 11. Vocational courses at the local college support good progress in pupils’ practical skills and

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Effectiveness of leadership and management requires improvement

help pupils choose what they want to do next.  The local authority did not provide sufficient support quickly enough to stop the rapid decline the service experienced following the previous inspection. Effective support was provided once they became aware of the extent of the difficulties.  The governance of the school – Governance has not ensured all their statutory duties have been met. These include the appropriate and timely appraisal of teachers. As a result, teachers do not have individual targets to help them improve the standard of their work. – Governance has not ensured the pupil premium grant is spent to maximise the impact on the progress of the disadvantaged pupils for whom it is intended. – Governance has not made sure all the information about the service that should be available is available and up to date. – Governance recognises that the service is emerging from a very difficult period, fully support the new

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Effectiveness of leadership and management requires improvement

leadership and are committed to increasing the level of support and challenge to leaders. This commitment is evident in their growing, detailed knowledge of the service, which they develop during visits to check out the improvements being made.  The arrangements for safeguarding are effective. Leaders have made sure systems to protect pupils from harm and the risk of harm are robust. This includes training staff in a range of current safeguarding issues. Staff work with other agencies and services to provide help needed by some vulnerable young people and their families. Staff are not afraid to challenge these services if they think they are not acting quickly enough to protect the most vulnerable. Leaders demonstrate their commitment to listening to pupils and taking difficult steps to ensure concerns are addressed openly and with the support of external advisers.

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment requires improvement

 Some teachers’ assessment of what pupils know and understand is not always accurate. This means work they plan for pupils does not match what they need to achieve their next steps. Equally, some teachers do not work out the reasons why pupils struggle to learn new skills; nor do they use the recently introduced baseline assessment information well enough to plan lessons. As a result pupils do not make the rapid progress they need to so that they can make up for the time they have been out of school.  Pupils’ books show that there is not enough focus on making sure they develop basic literacy skills, particularly spelling and punctuation. Not enough teachers, across the range of subjects, consistently check spellings or punctuation errors. As a result, pupils’ progress in these essential skills is slower than it should be.  Some teaching assistants are not clear about their roles in lessons. Consequently they do not help to

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment requires improvement

challenge pupils to think deeply. Other teaching assistants were seen providing a high level of effective support to pupils.  Although not frequent enough, strong teaching is a feature of the service. The most effective teaching seen involved teachers linking aspects of British values about fairness to everyday activities and asking questions that made pupils think deeply and challenged them to explain their answers fully.  Some teachers talk with pupils about their work and how to improve it, as well as marking their books, giving challenges to do better. This is particularly productive in mathematics and English, where pupils know they have to start each lesson by correcting their work or having a go at an extra challenge. The strongest lessons result in pupils making good gains in learning.  Teaching at the alternative provisions is effective. Pupils are taught by tutors and supported by the

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment requires improvement

service’s teaching assistants. For example, inspectors saw the progress pupils are making in their skilful production of ‘flush joints’ in the ‘construction in the built world’ course.  Pupils take advantage of the daily opportunities to read and work through a commercial scheme that supports their progress in reading. Importantly, some pupils develop a strong interest in reading. Leaders have refreshed the library to make sure that the books are in good condition and match pupils’ interests.

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Personal development and welfare

 The service’s work to promote pupils’ personal development and welfare requires improvement. Some pupils have not responded well to the service’s approach to tolerance for others who may be different. Pupils talked about name-calling and teasing based on physical appearance, and inspectors witnessed this happening. This type of behaviour is not rife but could harm vulnerable pupils’ well-being.  Leaders have introduced the use of physical restraint, used as a last resort, to keep pupils safe when they lose control. Records show that staff have been trained in the procedures and their use of the techniques is proportionate and reducing. Pupils understand that sometimes they might be held when this is the only way staff can keep them safe, but some worry about the risk of using the techniques while walking up stairs. Leaders have identified this concern themselves and are working to resolve it by creating an

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Personal development and welfare

individual work room on the ground floor. Action on this is necessary and urgent.  The structure of the school day means there is limited opportunity for pupils to learn how to manage themselves outside of lessons. Getting on with each other and remaining calm during free time is a key skill most often pupils need to develop if they are to succeed back in mainstream schools or on their chosen college courses.  Physical education opportunities have just been introduced for Key Stage 3 but there are none for Key Stage 4. This means the oldest pupils do not get chance to develop important social skills through team games and competition, or develop good attitudes to healthy lifestyles.  Leaders make sure pupils get the help they need from a range of different council and health services, as well as providing sensitive support and understanding for pupils, some of whom have experienced enormous difficulties and traumas in their lives. Links have been established with the local police

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Personal development and welfare

community support officer to obtain valuable advice and support to individual pupils to help them reduce risky behaviours and keep safe.  Leaders have increased pupils’ sense of personal safety and well-being by ensuring personal searches on entry to the premises. This has helped to prevent any risk of harmful substances or weapons being brought on site. Pupils all accept the benefit this level of security brings to help them settle and learn.  Leaders have put in place robust risk management systems, so they can safely extend the range of activities pupils benefit from and enjoy.

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Behaviour

 The behaviour of pupils requires improvement. Attendance is low and proving hard to shift for a significant number of pupils, particularly boys. Leaders have not made sure all absences are recorded properly. During the inspection registers were corrected, which wipes out the small improvement in attendance from the same period last year.  Leaders’ work with individual pupils with a history of non-attendance does have a big impact for some, with a number of examples of attendance improving by over 20%.  Leaders have not developed a systematic way of recording how they help pupils learn to manage their behaviour. Pupils say staff talk with them and listen when they have been upset. Pupils sensibly suggest that introducing a ‘ritual’ of recording what caused the behaviour and what worked well to keep everyone safe would be a good idea. Inspectors agree.  Everyone connected to the service agrees that overall pupils’ behaviour has improved rapidly since last

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Behaviour

year. This is because pupils have cooperated with the service’s effective reward system. The system is based on how pupils behave and their attitudes to learning. Records show marked improvements for most pupils. In lessons inspectors saw skilful support to help pupils manage their feelings and moods, making sure that learning is not interrupted by poor behaviour.  Pupils are given good support when attending alternative provision. They behave well and respect workplace safety rules. This provides a solid base for their chance of future employment.

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Outcomes for pupils require improvement

 Over the last three years the service’s records show a significant decline in the progress pupils made and in the GCSE results they achieved at the end of Year 11. In 2015 most pupils achieved two to three grades below the grades teachers had predicted.  Since September leaders have established two important principles. First, pupils are thoroughly assessed in all areas of learning and their attitudes to school when they arrive at the service. Second, leaders use this information to target the amount of progress each pupil needs to make so they can catch up to where they should be, based on their Key Stage 2 results. Systems are now developing to support teachers to use this information to help pupils make the rapid progress they need to.  Evidence in some pupils’ books shows they are beginning to make the progress they need to, but not enough pupils are doing so. This is because teaching and pupils’ attendance require improvement.

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Outcomes for pupils require improvement

 Leaders track the progress of different groups of pupils, including the disadvantaged, disabled pupils and those with special educational needs. However, groups are too small to make comparisons with the same groups in different schools. The information shows that personalised provision for a very small number of pupils with education, health and care plans ensures exceptional performance in some subjects but less progress in social skills. Disadvantaged pupils make similar progress to others attending the service.  In 2015 18 out of 22 Year 11 pupils moved on to positive destinations. Leaders do not have the information about how many pupils have stayed on their courses and apprenticeships. Plans are in place to secure this information for the current Year 11.  For some pupils, one outcome they want to achieve is to get back to a mainstream school. Pupils say the service works with them to achieve this, but some pupils do not want to risk going back to mainstream

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Outcomes for pupils require improvement

school because they are enjoying success for the first time.

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School details

Unique reference number 132027 Local authority North Yorkshire County Council Inspection number 10001230

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School details

This inspection was carried out under section 8 of the Education Act 2005. The inspection was also deemed a section 5 inspection under the same Act.

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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 28 Appropriate authority The management committee Chair Jim Martin Head of centre Elaine Mallen Telephone number 01723 330629 Website www.scarboroughpru.n-yorks.sch.uk Email address admin@scarboroughpru.n-yorks.sch.uk Date of previous inspection 9 March 2011

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Information about this school

 The service has places for up to 30 pupils who have been permanently excluded, or who are at risk of exclusion, from their mainstream schools. Currently there are more permanently excluded pupils on roll than the local authority anticipated, due to the high number of Key Stage 3 pupils excluded from local secondary schools.  The vast majority of pupils are from White British backgrounds. A very small number have special educational needs. A larger than typical proportion of pupils are looked after by the local authority.  The executive headteacher works at the service one day a week, advises the head of centre and is a member of the management committee. He is headteacher at Brompton Hall School, a residential special school for pupils with social, emotional and mental health needs.  The head of centre joined the service in September 2015, as did six out of seven of the teaching assistants, a higher-level teaching assistant, one of the assistant headteachers, the placement support

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Information about this school

officer and the office manager.  The service sends pupils, supported by teaching assistants to a range of vocational courses at Yorkshire Coast College. A very small number of pupils are tutored at ‘The Street’ and at home due to medical reasons.  Pupils are beginning to use the sports facilities at Brompton Hall and a local rugby club.

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Information about this inspection

 Inspectors visited parts of lessons covering most subjects in Key Stages 3 and 4. The lead inspector and head of centre walked through all the classes and jointly observed a lesson.  Inspectors talked with pupils in meetings and during lessons and breaktimes. They looked at the pupils’ books and work, and examined records of their experiences with other schools and services.  A wide range of information provided by the service was reviewed, including management committee meeting minutes, risk assessments, safeguarding records and records of behaviour incidents and when physical restraint has been used.  Not enough parents responded to the Ofsted questionnaire, Parent View, for the inspectors to see the results. Inspectors did take note of two responses to the service’s own survey of parents, and spoke with one parent. Two members of staff responded to the staff survey.  Inspectors met with the service’s leaders, with most of the teachers and with most of the teaching

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Information about this inspection

assistants.  A meeting was held with members of the management committee, including the chair of the committee, and with a representative from the local authority.  An inspector visited pupils attending the construction course at Yorkshire Coast College and ‘The Street’, talked with them and looked at their work.

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Inspection team

Susan Hayter, Lead Inspector Her Majesty’s Inspector Fiona Dixon Ofsted Inspector 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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Inspection team

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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Inspection team

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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Inspection team

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, further education and skills, 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 1231, 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 www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence , write to the Information Policy Team,

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Inspection team

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Inspection team

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Inspection team

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

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