Education In Hospital 1 (Airedale)

Education in Hospital School 1 (Airedale) c/o Tracks Education, Futures House, Bolling Road, Bradford BD4 7EB

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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 Good

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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 Inadequate

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This is a school that requires improvement

 Teachers’ knowledge and understanding of how to teach children with special educational needs, especially those with more severe or complex needs, are developing but are not secure.  The accuracy and precision of assessment and recording are inconsistent.  Assessment information is not used systematically to identify whether there are any gaps in the progress of different groups of pupils.  Working arrangements with local schools require improvement to ensure better continuity of learning when pupils are admitted to hospital.  Senior leaders are not able to identify clearly the features of teaching, learning and assessment which require improvement to be good.  Leaders and the management committee have responded well to the frequent changes in staffing, but the systems and practices they have recently introduced are not fully applied.  Information about the impact of the school’s work is not interrogated rigorously by senior leaders to

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This is a school that requires improvement

drive further improvements in teaching and outcomes for all pupils.  The management committee has not got to grips with their key role of evaluating the school’s effectiveness. Their plans to secure improvement are weak.

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The school has the following strengths

 Pupils demonstrate a strong work ethic and enthusiasm for learning.  Teachers are skilled in building trust and rapport with pupils. They successfully promote pupils’ confidence, interest and engagement in learning.  The school works effectively with parents and medical staff to ensure that pupils are safe and well cared for.  The acting headteacher and acting deputy headteacher provide good direction. They have tackled inadequate teaching and brought about improvement. They have also secured better access to facilities and resources in the schoolroom for children and young people with medical conditions.

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Full report

In accordance with section 13 (4) of the Education Act 2005, Her Majesty’s Chief Inspector is of the opinion that the school no longer requires special measures.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Improve the quality of teaching, learning and assessment by: – making sure teachers develop a secure knowledge and understanding of how to teach children with more severe and complex special educational needs – supporting teachers to develop more precise and accurate assessments of what pupils have learned and the progress they make – ensuring teachers systematically identify gaps in pupils’ knowledge and understanding and use this information with greater precision in their planning and teaching to ensure that pupils make rapid progress – working even more closely with primary, secondary and special schools to ensure that they are more actively involved in maintaining continuity of learning when their pupils are admitted to hospital.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Strengthen and develop day-to-day and strategic leadership and management by: – implementing systematic checks and reporting on the school’s work, especially on the quality of teaching, to identify the impact on pupils’ learning, development and progress – ensuring sharper and methodical analysis of assessment information for different groups of pupils to identify where there are gaps and, where they are identified, taking action to ensure that they are closing quickly – developing the management committee’s understanding of how to challenge staff rigorously, support them and contribute to bringing about the changes that will result in a good school – strengthening the school’s plans for development to reflect its key priorities for improvement.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

An external review of governance 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

 School leaders and the management committee responded to the concerns raised in the school’s previous inspection and their actions have brought improvements to the quality of teaching and learning.  Checks on the quality of teaching have evolved over time and considerable information is now available. Leaders and the management committee do not use it well enough, however, to drive the swift improvement that is needed. Leaders and committee members do not have a clear picture of the impact of the school’s work on the attendance, teaching, learning or progress of different groups of pupils.  School planning is not sharply focused because leaders have not identified whether hospital provision is meeting the needs of all groups of pupils fully and have not taken key decisions about how it needs to improve.  The acting headteacher and acting deputy headteacher have brought about improvements in the quality

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Effectiveness of leadership and management requires improvement

of teaching in the short time they have been in post. A more accurate view of the school’s performance is now emerging. Leaders know that the quality of teaching and the activities provided to pupils are becoming more consistent as a result of the routine visits they make to the hospital classroom and ward to check what is happening. Their reports, however, do not draw out the next steps for improvement that would move the quality of teaching securely to good.  All teachers are making use of the procedures, teaching plans and resources that leaders have introduced to support teaching and the implementation of a wider curriculum. Leaders recognise that there is much to do to ensure that they are used consistently and confidently by all teachers.  A formal programme of training in English and mathematics, together with placements and focused visits to a range of other schools, is helping to update teachers’ knowledge and understanding of current

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Effectiveness of leadership and management requires improvement

practice in primary, secondary and special school classrooms.  As a result of these developments, the culture and ethos of the school has changed significantly since the previous inspection two years ago and leaders’ ambitions for improvement are shared by all teachers and the management committee.  A programme of formal appraisal and management of teachers’ performance is in place. Targets and performance objectives are now closely aligned to the minimum national standards expected of all teachers. A full cycle of appraisal of teachers’ performance is only just nearing completion, after several false starts and interruptions due to long absences of teachers and leaders.  Training to enable teachers to take on responsibilities for aspects of the school’s work has begun. This has not been a high priority, however, and has not been sharply linked to the needs of pupils.  Pupils benefit from a curriculum that retains an appropriate emphasis on the development of literacy and

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Effectiveness of leadership and management requires improvement

numeracy skills, and is personalised to each pupil’s needs and interests. It prepares them adequately for their next steps in life. Staff use facilities and resources that provide better access to education for very young children and older students with medical conditions.  Pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is promoted adequately within the constraints of children’s admission to hospital and the nature of their illness. Teachers, together with medical staff, provide good support for pupils’ social and cultural needs. Children and their families have access to counselling to support them in times of crisis. Pupils engaged well during the recent placement of an artist in residence and the ward and schoolroom is bursting with examples of their artwork.  The school works closely and effectively with parents and medical staff. Partnerships and engagement have improved since the last inspection. Parents are kept well informed through regular daily contact and

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Effectiveness of leadership and management requires improvement

many choose to join lessons at their child’s bedside or in the schoolroom.  The acting deputy headteacher has been instrumental in ensuring better communication with primary, secondary and special schools. Continuity between pupils’ work in school and the work they do while they are in hospital is not strong enough, however, particularly for those pupils who are admitted regularly. Currently, pupils with severe and complex needs do not always have the same opportunity as others to continue their learning and make good progress.  The local authority has provided useful advice and support to the school since the previous inspection.  The governance of the school – Members of the management committee are still getting to grips with their governance role. They have been presented with reports but do not rigorously question and challenge senior leaders about the school’s performance and the impact of teaching on different groups, such as disadvantaged pupils

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Effectiveness of leadership and management requires improvement

or disabled pupils and those who have special educational needs. As a result, the school’s plans for improvement are not sufficiently detailed and do not identify the key priorities for improvement. – Committee members are increasingly involved in the school’s work, and are aware of arrangements for reviewing teachers’ performance and that of the acting headteacher. They do not check thoroughly that the support they commission for leadership, and the use of additional funding for physical education and sport and for disadvantaged pupils, provide value for money.  The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment requires improvement

 Teaching has improved from a low base but many changes are recent and are not regularly applied. Several aspects of teaching are not yet consistently good. Although teachers’ subject knowledge has improved, especially in English and mathematics, their knowledge of how to teach children with severe or complex needs is not secure.  The accuracy of teachers’ assessment and recording is improving but remains inconsistent. Teachers’ planning for the next steps in pupils’ learning sometimes lacks precision.  The schoolroom is bright and welcoming. Good learning resources, including the school’s virtual learning resource, support pupils’ engagement and learning. Teachers quickly build trust and rapport with pupils.  Teachers use a range of information, including from pupils, parents and schools, to identify pupils’ interests and levels of ability to determine their starting points.  Learning activities link well to children’s interests. For example, a Year 1 pupil’s engagement in a role-play

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment requires improvement

activity was extended to include work on calculations using 10 pence, 50 pence and £1 coins. In another session, a Year 10 pupil consolidated her understanding of highest common factors, prime factors and Venn diagrams. Teachers draw upon their recent training and use resources effectively in activities.  Teachers’ questioning is consistently good. Pupils responded confidently in lessons as teachers helped them to explain their ideas and thinking, and to develop and deepen their knowledge and understanding in a range of subjects. For example, a four-year-old reading ‘The Tiger Came to Tea’ extended his single word or short answers because the teacher asked, ‘Why?’, ‘Tell me more about . . .’, and ‘How would he feel?’ Consequently, the child developed his understanding of the characters and the sequence of the plot.  Pupils respond positively and enthusiastically to learning opportunities in the schoolroom. They extend

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment requires improvement

what they have learned in these sessions through independent work on the children’s ward.  Discussion and feedback to pupils identifies strengths and areas for improvement in their work. Pupils routinely reflect on their learning in lessons. They identify what they did well and what they need to do better, in addition to the things they have enjoyed.  Communication with link schools has improved but varies between schools. At its best, teachers visit the hospital school and share planning to ensure that their pupils do not miss out on learning. For example, a child’s home school and the hospital have worked effectively to create a ‘hospital workbox’ to support the learning of a young child who is regularly admitted, and help him to develop literacy and numeracy skills and ensure that he does not miss out on special activities while in hospital. In contrast, information is not provided by some schools to ensure a smooth transition to promote continuity in pupils’ learning.

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Personal development and welfare

 The school’s work to promote pupil’s personal development and welfare is good.  Good care and safety of pupils is at the heart of the school’s work. Effective links between teachers and medical staff ensure that specialist hospital protocols are firmly adhered to. For example, daily checks between teachers and health colleagues are consistently implemented to establish pupils’ readiness to learn.  Teachers are skilled in re-engaging pupils in learning carefully and sensitively. A positive and welcoming schoolroom, together with warm, friendly and encouraging questions, build pupils’ self-confidence in returning to lessons. For example, one pupil reported feeling ‘buoyed up’ by success in calculations.  Pupils report that they enjoy activities and they, their parents and medical staff value the difference that ‘going to school’ makes to them and their recovery. Typically, pupils are less anxious, happy to attend,

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Personal development and welfare

participate fully in lessons and are reflective learners.  Pupils are adamant there is no bullying and are confident in telling staff if they are troubled.

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Behaviour

 The behaviour of pupils is good. Pupils’ behaviour and attitudes to learning remain very positive.  Expectations are clear and pupils are managed well by teachers. Staff know the policies and how to distract pupils or diffuse unwanted behaviours early, and incidents rarely occur. Relationships between pupils and between teachers and pupils are characterised by friendly and respectful discussion and questioning.  Pupils work mainly in small groups or in individual sessions with the teacher. Typically, they sustain concentration and are engaged by the interesting activities and by the encouragement and praise they receive. Consequently, many older pupils work independently to complete tasks and are keen to receive feedback on their work.  Attendance and take-up of formal lessons has increased over the last few months. Around half of the pupils admitted to hospital are taught during their stay. However, the school does not analyse records

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Behaviour

carefully in order to check whether the provision is appealing to all groups of learners equally or whether some groups choose to opt out.

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Outcomes for pupils require improvement

 Historic data and assessment information shows that pupils’ progress from their starting points varies considerably for different pupils and for the same pupil over time.  Assessment information is not used systematically to analyse outcomes for different groups such as those who are regular and recurrent pupils or those admitted to the children’s ward for an isolated stay. The school has made little progress to improve this aspect of their work since the previous inspection.  Observation in lessons, checks on pupils’ work and the school’s assessments in ‘daily learning records’ show that more pupils are achieving their daily targets and objectives as a result of improvements in the quality of teaching. Several are now making expected progress in gaining and consolidating their knowledge and skills, especially in English and mathematics.  However, senior leaders cannot be sure that they are accurately identifying those pupils who are

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Outcomes for pupils require improvement

disadvantaged, those who have special educational needs or those who may need support to catch up. Importantly, they cannot identify whether these pupils are closing the gaps on their peers. In this respect, work with local schools has not been effective enough in enabling a secure exchange of information with the hospital school.  In discussions with inspectors, pupils said that they gain new knowledge and understanding in lessons. Pupils’ reviews of lessons, and inspectors’ observations during the inspection, show that pupils make small steps to develop their understanding and knowledge while in hospital as a result of individual tuition. Often this is focused on an aspect of mathematics, written comprehension or reading that they were unsure about or on refining skills they were taught in their regular schools.  The school prepares pupils well for their next steps in education and, as a result, many pupils feel more

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Outcomes for pupils require improvement

confident in returning to school after periods of illness.  Parents, some of whom are present in lessons with their child, at their hospital bedside or in the hospital classroom, feel that their children make good progress.

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School details

Unique reference number 133753 Local authority Bradford Inspection number 10001583 This inspection 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 4–18 Gender of pupils Mixed Number of pupils on the school roll 9 Appropriate authority Local authority Chair Philippa Tomlinson (Chair of Management Committee) Headteacher Susan Sutcliffe (Acting Headteacher) Telephone number 01274 378446 Website www.tracks-education.org Email address office@tracks-ed.org Date of previous inspection 18 September 2013

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Information about this school

 The school provides classroom and ward teaching at Airedale Hospital for children who may be in hospital for a day or longer, either through accident, through illness or for those who have acute or long-term conditions that require them to attend frequently for treatment.  All pupils are dual registered, which means they remain on the roll of their mainstream or special school.  At the time of the inspection, nine pupils were being taught at the school, but the number varies from day to day. Over the course of an academic year the school helps to educate over 350 pupils.  The service is able to provide education for occasional learners aged four and for those over the age of 16 there is no formal early years and post-16 provision.  Pupils come from a diverse range of ethnic and cultural backgrounds. They mostly come from the Bradford, Keighley, North Yorkshire and Lancashire areas.  No pupils take externally marked examinations or tests at the school, and the school does not use off-site

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Information about this school

alternative provision.  No pupil is currently supported through pupil premium funding and only one pupil received this support in the previous academic year. This is additional government funding for disadvantaged pupils and children looked after by the local authority. This proportion is below the national average. The pupil’s outcomes are not referred to in this inspection report as the pupil may be identified.  The school is led by an acting headteacher and an acting deputy headteacher, who also manage two other pupil referral units, Education in Hospital (2) at Bradford Royal Infirmary, Tracks School and Bradford local authority’s home tuition service.  There were many changes in teaching staff and school leaders throughout the 2014/15 school year.

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Information about this inspection

 Inspectors observed teaching and learning in three lessons taught in the schoolroom and a ward at Airedale Hospital. All lessons were observed jointly with the acting deputy headteacher.  Meetings were held with the acting headteacher and other leaders, with groups of staff, members of the management committee and representatives from the local authority.  Inspectors observed the school’s work, looked at a range of information about pupils’ current progress and examined samples of pupils’ work. Inspectors examined the school’s documentary evidence, including reports and checks on how well it is doing, its development plans, safeguarding arrangements and minutes of meetings held by the management committee.  Inspectors met with representatives of two schools, one primary and one secondary, who have pupils who regularly use the school’s provision.  Inspectors took account of the views of pupils, parents and other professionals. These were expressed in

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Information about this inspection

meetings and through the school’s own surveys and two responses recorded on Parent View.  Inspectors also took account of the responses to a questionnaire by five staff.

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Inspection team

Gina White, lead inspector Her Majesty’s Inspector Nicholas Whittaker Her Majesty’s 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

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