Future First Independent School

Progress monitoring school report Future First

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Hockley Port, All Saints Street, Hockley, Birmingham B18 7RL

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Context of the inspection

 This inspection was undertaken at the request of the registration authority in order to monitor the progress the school has made in implementing its action plan.  A material change visit was made to the school on 26 March 2015 at the request of the Department for Education (DfE), the registration authority for independent schools. This was in order to advise on the proprietor’s application to operate from its additional premises at the Oakland Young Peoples Centre and to increase the maximum number on roll to 90 pupils. At the start of that inspection visit, the proprietor explained that the school intended to educate up to 40 pupils with behavioural, emotional and social difficulties at the Hockley Port premises and up to 50 pupils learning English as an additional language at the Oakland premises.  The material change inspection found that a number of the independent school standards were unmet. At the request of the DfE, the school submitted an action plan to address these; this was

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Context of the inspection

evaluated by Ofsted in July 2015 and judged to require improvement.  The first progress monitoring inspection visit was made, without notice, on 26 November 2015; this found that most, but not all, of the previously unmet requirements had been addressed. The requirements that remained unmet related to the frequency of the routine checks on the emergency lighting system and the fire alarm system. As a result, the requirements relating to the leadership and management of the school also remained unmet.  The school submitted a revised action plan to the DfE following the first progress monitoring visit but this was not evaluated by Ofsted prior to this visit.  This second progress monitoring visit was made, without notice, to check the school’s progress in implementing the revised action.  This inspection was conducted by one inspector who met with the headteacher at the school’s Oakland site to discuss the progress made in implementing the school’s revised action plan.

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Context of the inspection

 The inspector reviewed the school’s records, policies and procedures to check on the school’s compliance with the independent school standards. He undertook a tour of the premises and visited lessons with the headteacher.

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Welfare, health and safety of pupils

 The material change visit in March 2015 found that the school did not fulfil the requirements for the health and safety of pupils and staff. The proprietor had not ensured compliance with the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 and, in addition, a number of health and safety hazards were noted. In particular, the proprietor had not ensured that daily checks were made to ensure the health and safety of the school’s pupils and staff following the use of the premises the previous evening.  The proprietor submitted an action plan setting out his proposals to address these failings. This was evaluated by Ofsted in July 2015 and found to require improvement. The proposals did not address all of the concerns raised during the inspection visit; in addition, the arrangements for evaluating the proposed action and the costings for implementing them were incomplete. Monitoring report: Future First, 17 March 2016 2 of 5

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Welfare, health and safety of pupils

 The first progress monitoring visit in November 2015 found that most, but not all, of the requirements were met. The proprietor’s failure to carry out routine emergency lighting and fire alarm tests at the required intervals continued to place the health and safety of pupils at risk. The proprietor was relying on the landlord to check the emergency lighting and the fire alarm systems. The intervals between these checks, three months and one month respectively, were judged to be too long.  The proprietor devised a revised action plan following the first progress monitoring visit to address these matters. This proposed that the emergency lighting would be checked by the school on a monthly basis and the fire alarm system would be tested weekly. The plan sets out the objectives, action proposed, completion date, responsible people, costs and resources, success criteria and monitoring arrangements. The timescale is appropriate and the plan is

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Welfare, health and safety of pupils

acceptable.  This second progress monitoring inspection visit found that the proprietor has implemented the action plan proposals to carry out monthly checks on the emergency lighting and weekly checks on the fire alarm system. This satisfies the requirements for health and safety; it also satisfies the requirements in respect of the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005.  The headteacher provided the records of the daily, monthly and other regular checks for scrutiny during this inspection visit. The recording template developed and now in use is a model of good practice. It successfully addresses the particular challenges the school faces in ensuring that the previous evening’s use of the premises by the youth club has not given rise to any health and safety issues.  The school has made good progress in implementing its action plan proposals and addressing the remaining requirements identified at the time of the first progress monitoring visit.

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Leadership in and management of schools

 The material change visit in March 2015 found that the school did not fulfil the requirements for Part 3 of the standards. As a result, none of the requirements for the leadership in and management of schools was met.  The proprietor submitted an action plan setting out his proposals to address the regulatory failings. This was evaluated by Ofsted in July 2015 but found to require improvement.  The first progress monitoring visit in November 2015 found that most, but not all, of the requirements for Part 3 were met. Consequently, the requirements for this standard remained unmet.  The proprietor devised a suitable revised action plan to address these matters within an appropriate timescale. This second progress monitoring inspection visit found that the proprietor had successfully implemented the action plan proposals. The requirements for Part 3 are now met. Consequently, the requirements for this standard are now met.

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Material change application

 The school now meets all the independent school standards. The DfE is recommended to approve the school’s material change application to operate from its additional premises at the Oakland Young Peoples Centre and to increase the maximum number on roll to 90 pupils.

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and associated requirements

Monitoring report: Future First, 17 March 2016 3 of 5

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Inspection team

Michael Best, lead inspector Ofsted Inspector

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Information about this school

 Future First is an independent school for pupils aged 14 to 16 years. The school was initially set up in 2004 as part of the charitable outreach of the Birmingham Community Venture (BCV) project. It was formally registered with the DfE in 2007 to provide education and support for 12 pupils who had been excluded from, or who refused to attend, mainstream education. The school subsequently extended its provision to include education for pupils who are new to the UK and speak English as an additional language. The DfE approved a material change application to register this provision and raise to 40 the number of pupils on roll.  The school remains based at its original premises at Hockley Port, All Saints Street, Hockley, Birmingham B18 7RL, where pupils with social, emotional and mental health difficulties (previously behavioural, emotional and social difficulties) are taught. The school moved into

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Information about this school

additional premises at Oakland Young Peoples Centre, Oakland Road, Handsworth, Birmingham B21 0NA, in January 2015. These premises are leased by the proprietor from Birmingham City Council. The school has exclusive use of the facilities between 9am and 4pm on each school day.  The school is operating from the additional premises. Provision is currently being made at Oakland for 30 pupils learning English as an additional language. Pupils, many of whom have recently arrived in the UK from Syria, Eastern Europe, Somalia or other countries, are placed at the school by Birmingham City Council. There are currently 15 pupils attending the Hockley premises.  The school aims to provide a positive learning environment and ensure a suitable destination is secured for each pupil at the end of Year 11. The school’s last standard inspection by Ofsted was in January 2012, when the quality of education was judged to be good.

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Information about this school

Monitoring report: Future First, 17 March 2016 4 of 5

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School details

Unique reference number 135422 Inspection number 10011304 DfE registration number 330/6121

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School details

This inspection was conducted at the request of the registration authority for independent schools. It was carried out under section 109(1) and (2) of the Education and Skills Act 2008.

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School details

Type of school Independent School status Independent school Age range of pupils 14–16 years Gender of pupils Mixed Number of pupils on the school roll 45 Number of part-time pupils 0 Proprietor Barket Hussain Chair Barket Hussain Headteacher Muhammed Majid Date of previous school inspection 10–11 January 2012 Annual fees (day pupils) £169 to £250 per week Telephone number 0121 551 4837 Fax number N/A Email address futurefirstschool@ymail.com guidance ‘Raising concerns and making a complaint about Ofsted’, which is available from Ofsted’s website: www.gov.uk/government/publications/complaints-about-ofsted . If you would like Ofsted to send you a copy of the guidance, please telephone 0300 123 4234 , or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk .

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School details

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School details

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School details

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School details

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School details

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