The Lincolnshire Teaching and Learning Centre

Store Street Manchester M1 2WD T: 0300 123 1231 Textphone: 0161 618 8524 enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk www.ofsted.gov.uk

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Mr Wayne Parkes Executive Principal The Lincolnshire Teaching and Learning Centre Smith Street Lincoln LN5 8HY

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Learning Centre

Following my visit with Phil Harrison, Her Majesty’s Inspector, Joanne Ward, Ofsted Inspector, Jenny Digges, Ofsted Inspector and Karen Lewis, Ofsted Inspector to the centre on 15 and 16 March 2016, I write on behalf of Her Majesty’s Chief Inspector of Education, Children’s Services and Skills to confirm the inspection findings. Thank you for the help you gave during the inspection and for the time you made available to discuss the actions which have been taken since the centre’s previous monitoring inspection. The inspection was the third monitoring inspection since the centre became subject to special measures following the inspection which took place in February 2015. The full list of the areas for improvement which were identified during that inspection is set out in the annex to this letter. The monitoring inspection report is attached. Having considered all the evidence I am of the opinion that at this time:

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The school is taking effective action towards the removal of special

measures. The local authority’s statement of action is fit for purpose.

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The school is taking effective action towards the removal of special

The school may not appoint newly qualified teachers before the next monitoring inspection. This letter and monitoring inspection report will be published on the Ofsted website. I am copying this letter and the monitoring inspection report to the Secretary of State for Education, the Chair of the Interim Executive Board and the Director of Children’s Services for Lincolnshire.

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place in February 2015

 As a matter of urgency, make all sites of the provision safe for pupils by making sure that: — full safety audits and fire-risk assessments are completed on each site, and that shortcomings are acted upon immediately — there are robust procedures for checking the safety of pupils accessing sites of alternative provision — recruitment processes are compliant with the latest statutory guidance, and are implemented rigorously — all staff, including temporary staff, undergo suitable induction procedures — sanctions for poor behaviour are appropriate, and are in line with statutory guidance — pupils are appropriately supervised at all times to ensure that their behaviour is managed effectively, and to secure their own safety and that of others.

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place in February 2015

 Improve the quality of leadership and management by ensuring that: — there is agreement between the headteacher, the management committee and the local authority about the school’s status and that this is then communicated to all stakeholders — the management committee is correctly constituted and implements its statutory duties — leaders provide the management committee with the information it needs to fulfil its statutory duties and to hold leaders to account — all the required statutory policies are devised by leaders, approved by the management committee and implemented across all sites — pupils’ achievement can be more easily compared with the national picture through developing an appropriate data system — data about pupils’ behaviour are presented in a clear, simple format so that these can be analysed more effectively by leaders to support improvement — disadvantaged pupils benefit from the funding they are entitled to, to help

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place in February 2015

improve their achievement — leaders at all levels establish an accurate view about the quality of provision through the development of effective systems of self-evaluation.

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place in February 2015

 Improve the quality of teaching and accelerate pupils’ achievement by making sure that: — information about the progress pupils make, and the standards they achieve, is accurate — teachers’ marking consistently helps pupils to identify the next steps of learning and that teachers’ comments are acted upon by pupils — suitably skilled and adequately trained staff are deployed to support pupils’ learning — the most-able pupils are given work that is suitably challenging — teachers have more frequent opportunities to observe and learn from best practice across the provision — there is greater consistency in the coverage of different curriculum subjects between sites.

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place in February 2015

An external review 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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place in February 2015

An external review of the centre’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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Evidence

Inspectors observed the centre’s work, scrutinised documents and met with the executive principal, vice-principal, Chief Executive of the Wellspring Academy Trust, the Chair of the Interim Executive Board (IEB) and representatives from the local authority. They met with members of the senior leadership team, a group of teachers and visited each of the three main sites. They spoke informally with teachers and pupils and observed teaching and learning in classrooms. One inspector visited two of the alternative provisions commissioned to provide education for the centre’s Key Stage 4 pupils and spoke to The Lincolnshire Teaching and Learning Centre staff responsible for managing this work. Inspectors looked at the school’s records and documents relating to the well-being and safeguarding of pupils. Inspectors considered the progress the centre has made towards the areas for improvement identified at the last inspection.

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Context

There have been considerable and wide-reaching changes to every aspect of the centre since the last monitoring inspection in October 2015. A new IEB has been in place since January 2016 and the Wellspring Academy Trust is leading the work of the provision. There is a new executive principal and an interim vice-principal. Several members of the previous leadership team are no longer in post and one of the four previous sites, at Baumber, is no longer used. Leaders continue to use alternative provision for some Key Stage 4 pupils across five different settings, as well as supporting some pupils through one-to-one tuition. A major restructuring process for the leadership and wider teams of staff has started and will not be complete until July 2016. Plans for the development and expansion of existing sites and to acquire additional premises are at an advanced stage but unlikely to be in place fully until September 2016. Work to improve the physical state of the

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Context

buildings on the Lincoln site is already under way.

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Effectiveness of leadership and management

The IEB and executive principal have wasted no time in identifying and addressing the key issues in order to turn the provision around. Leaders from the centre, the IEB, local authority and academy trust have formulated a clear vision for redevelopment of the provision. Plans are now in place and are incorporated within the updated school development plan to ensure that there is no distraction from the immediate and ongoing focus on improving teaching and learning for the pupils currently attending the centre. The IEB has met on five occasions since its formation in January 2016. This reflects the commitment and determination of the IEB members in driving improvements forward at the fastest rate possible, while not compromising on the quality and impact of actions taken. The Chair of the IEB and the executive principal wrote to all staff and to all parents and carers at the beginning of February to inform them of

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Effectiveness of leadership and management

the key changes taking place and to give reassurance that current leaders are working hard to ‘help stabilise the pupil referral unit, raise standards and secure its future’. The executive principal is relentless in his determination to change the mind-set and culture of the provision, so that everyone’s focus is upon raising the standards of teaching and learning to ensure that the life chances of all pupils are improved. No one is in any doubt that all leaders at The Lincolnshire Teaching and Learning Centre are expected to be leaders of learning who can model excellence in teaching on a daily basis. Teachers on the Lincoln site say that this is already having a positive impact and that the Principal and vice-principal know pupils well and frequently give direct support in classrooms. However, there is more work to be done to ensure that staff on the other two sites feel equally well supported during

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Effectiveness of leadership and management

this inevitably unsettling period of rapid change. A priority for the new leaders quite rightly has been to start the complex and challenging task of restructuring the previous leadership and staff teams as neither were fit for purpose. This process has begun and close partnership working with the local authority is ensuring that all required protocols are being followed, while also recognising the urgency of the task. All leaders are very aware of their responsibilities to meet the needs of pupils who are currently accessing education away from the three main sites. They have been rigorous in carrying out recent checks and audits to ensure that this provision is of an acceptable quality. However, whilst it is recognised that many of the agreed changes to bring about required improvements cannot happen overnight, leaders recognise that ensuring that all pupils receive their full educational entitlement must

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Effectiveness of leadership and management

continue to be a priority. Leaders ensure that they continue to work effectively with five providers of alternative education at Key Stage 4. Despite the proposed changes to the delivery of this provision, managers with responsibility for this key stage maintain standards in terms of the frequency of their checks and contact with each organisation. Consequently, there remains a clear intent that pupils gain as much learning as possible from each placement.

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment

Leaders acknowledge that too much teaching is poor for too much of the time. The pace with which they are addressing this is impressive. A thorough review of the quality of teaching across the provision has been undertaken and leaders have wasted no time in using this information as the foundation for the much-needed review of roles and responsibilities across the different sites. The strongest teachers in each provision are now being used more effectively to model expected practice and teachers who are not demonstrating the skills and competencies needed are being supported to improve. Leaders and teachers are currently devising agreed formats for planning which will be used consistently across the centre. The revised plans for improving the school identify dates for whole-school training on how to implement these new systems in order to bring about the fastest possible improvements in pupils’ engagement and learning.

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment

The new executive principal and interim vice-principal are relentless in their determination that all teaching needs to be good or better. Their passion to improve the quality of teaching across the provision is central to the ambitious staffing restructure that is currently in progress. The executive principal has introduced a ‘blueprint to learning’ document, which outlines very clear expectations for all teachers and support staff and gives the clear message that all staff will be held to account for the well-being and progress of pupils. Although it is too early to see the true impact of this work, there are early signs that it is providing a useful tool in making sure that all staff are aware of what is non-negotiable in terms of everyday practice in classrooms. There are pockets of good teaching on each of the three sites and where this is the case, pupils are enjoying their work and making progress in their learning. In a class

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment

for Key Stages 1 and 2, pupils were learning about the Chihuahuan Desert with great enthusiasm. They were also eager to talk about previous topic work and could accurately recall factual information that they had learned more than five months previously.

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Personal development, behaviour and welfare

The new executive principal has brought a sense of heightened expectation and pupil entitlement. Posters in classrooms remind staff of the ‘golden threads’ of the centre’s agreed philosophy. These include:  unconditional positive regard for pupils  success and care for all  sense of belonging and self-worth  leading by example. Relationships between leaders, staff and pupils remain overwhelmingly positive despite the current pace of change. There is a sense of calm, order and engagement across each of the sites for the majority of the time. However, it is clear that some pupils are struggling with the inevitable disruption that the essential building and redecoration works and changes in staff are bringing. As a result, the number of instances where pupils demonstrate poor behaviour does not appear to be reducing. The heightened expectation, which leaders have of everyone, is beginning to have a positive impact on the attitudes to learning and conduct of a significant number of

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Personal development, behaviour and welfare

pupils. Many pupils are wearing their new uniforms with great pride, are trying their best with their work and are polite and helpful. This is most evident in Key Stages 1 and 2 classes. Where teaching is strongest, pupils’ attitudes to learning are improving. Examples of this include:  pupils being polite and taking personal responsibility for their own belongings and the tidiness and care of their classrooms  pupils trying their best and reflecting on their own learning, recognising what they have done well and what they could do even better. There is still too much inconsistency in the way in which staff respond to instances where pupils use derogatory language. Consequently, pupils do not receive clear messages about what is expected of them or the consequences of poor behaviour. The level of attendance of pupils remains a concern and leaders acknowledge the need to monitor this carefully and to ensure that this improves as a matter of

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Outcomes for pupils

The new senior leaders recognise that they do not have an accurate view of the achievement of pupils. They have worked hard to implement a system for tracking the progress and attainment of pupils in Key Stage 1 and Key Stage 2, and some teachers say that this is beginning to provide them with clear information about targets and next steps for pupils’ learning. However, systems are not yet embedded enough to provide reliable information to leaders in any of the key stages or to directly inform improvements in teaching and learning on a daily basis. While leaders are realistic about the limitations of their current information, they are equally resolute in their determination to keep a strong focus on the outcomes of all pupils. Consequently, information relating to the performance of pupils is reported upon and discussed at each of the fortnightly IEB meetings, and staff training is focusing intently upon bringing all staff up to speed with the centre’s new

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Outcomes for pupils

expectations for assessing pupils’ learning. Observations and scrutiny of work in classrooms indicate that pupils continue to be more successful in their learning in Key Stage 1 and Key Stage 2 than in Key Stages 3 and 4. The progress of pupils’ work in one primary class continues to be particularly strong because the work consistently captures their interest. The teacher has absolute confidence and belief in the potential of each of her pupils and as a result, pupils quietly shine with pride when they are given the opportunity to talk about their work.

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External support

The local authority is supporting the centre effectively through the work of senior officers on the centre’s project planning group and through the work of the school improvement adviser. Since the last monitoring inspection, the local authority has been extremely proactive in tackling the issues around the unacceptably weak leadership of the centre and has secured a successful partnership with the new IEB and leaders from the Wellspring Academy Trust. It is clear that the local authority is driven to provide the very best possible services for pupils. It is working hard to ensure that agreed plans for redevelopment and expansion of the provision come to fruition as quickly as possible. It is supporting the centre effectively in all areas of its work but particularly so in relation to the complex processes associated with the restructuring of staff teams. The local authority’s statement of action is fit for purpose and provides a helpful

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External support

tool in monitoring the impact of the work of the local authority and other stakeholders at this challenging time of rapid development and change.

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