The Fortune Centre of Riding Therapy

Store Street Manchester M1 2WD T 0300 123 4234 www.gov.uk/ofsted

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Mrs Jennifer Dixon-Clegg Principal Fortune Centre of Riding Therapy Avon Tyrrell Bransgore Christchurch Dorset BH23 8EE

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Short inspection of the Fortune Centre of Riding Therapy (FCRT)

Following the short inspection on 18 and 19 May 2016, I write on behalf of Her Majesty’s Chief Inspector of Education, Children’s Services and Skills to report the inspection findings. The inspection was the first short inspection carried out since the Fortune Centre of Riding Therapy was judged to be good in May 2012.

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Short inspection of the Fortune Centre of Riding Therapy (FCRT)

Students continue to receive good education and training. The strengths identified at the previous inspection remain and effective action by senior leaders has resulted in good progress being made in most of the areas identified for improvement at the inspection.

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Short inspection of the Fortune Centre of Riding Therapy (FCRT)

Students’ outcomes remain good, with nearly all achieving their predicted outcomes and making good progress into employment or further training. Students’ achievement of literacy and numeracy qualifications is particularly good. Students make good progress into their intended and more independent living arrangements.

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Short inspection of the Fortune Centre of Riding Therapy (FCRT)

You and the senior managers have maintained and further developed strong links with the local community and a wide range of employers. Through these, the students are able to take up a range of external work experience placements, which enable them to make sustained progress into paid or voluntary employment.

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Short inspection of the Fortune Centre of Riding Therapy (FCRT)

At the time of the previous inspection, the trustees brought a broad range of expertise to the board; they understood the issues affecting FCRT and worked well with senior managers. Trustees have maintained this level of involvement. They provide a good level of challenge for you and your senior managers, ensuring that FCRT continues to provide good education and training. Senior managers need to ensure that trustees are trained in safeguarding and equality and diversity as soon as possible on taking up their appointment, and that their training is updated regularly.

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Short inspection of the Fortune Centre of Riding Therapy (FCRT)

You have implemented the study programmes well, building on your established and very good curriculum. All programmes meet students’ identified needs and provide the vast majority with external work experience in addition to the excellent and unique opportunities experienced on the horse care programmes. All students study English and mathematics at an appropriate level. Managers need to increase the quantity and range of external work experience placements to ensure all students can attend external work placements during their time at FCRT.

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Short inspection of the Fortune Centre of Riding Therapy (FCRT)

Senior managers have a clear and effective structure for managing safeguarding. Staff have received regular training in safeguarding and the lead safeguarding officer is trained to an appropriate level. A good e-safety policy is in place and students report that they know how to keep themselves safe when using technology. Records show that managers handle incidents well and these are referred to the appropriate authorities when needed. Students say that they feel very safe at FCRT.

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Short inspection of the Fortune Centre of Riding Therapy (FCRT)

Staff analyse serious incident data well to identify trends and emerging patterns, which they then respond to promptly and put in place strategies to minimise further incidents. However, the same analysis does not take place for the less serious incidents.

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Short inspection of the Fortune Centre of Riding Therapy (FCRT)

Senior managers have good arrangements in place to increase young people’s awareness of the risks associated with extremism and radicalisation and to prevent them from being drawn into extremist groups. Managers have developed a very good policy to cover the requirements of the ‘Prevent’ duty, with guidance and risk assessments in place, which staff use well to ensure the protection and safety of all students. Staff and trustees are trained and understand the risks to students’ safety.

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Inspection findings

 Since the previous inspection, senior managers have made significant improvements to quality assurance and improvement plans. Staff involvement in quality improvement actions is much greater and the trustees on the quality and standards committee have considerably increased scrutiny of students’ outcomes. The self-assessment report and quality improvement plan are detailed and accurate and clearly identify the improvements in provision since the previous inspection.  The monitoring of students’ progress was an area for improvement at the previous inspection. Tutors monitor the progress of individual students well during day-to-day activities and during weekly tutorial reviews. Although tutors provide detailed reports on students’ progress, students’ files do not show clearly how well a student has progressed since starting their programme. The recently introduced monitoring system, which managers use to keep track of the overall progress of students, does not monitor all

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Inspection findings

the components of students’ training such as work experience. Staff do not use the system well enough to identify students who may be making slow progress. However, excellent communications across the teaching and support team ensure all learners achieve their short-term targets.  At the previous inspection, FCRT had insufficient staff with specialist expertise in literacy teaching to cater for students’ reading and writing development. Senior managers have made significant improvements in this area. All tutors hold appropriate teaching qualifications and some are trained as specialist teachers of literacy and numeracy. These skilled specialists mentor and support other tutors so that they can provide effective support for students to develop appropriate levels of literacy and numeracy.  Staff use the curriculum well to meet the differing needs and abilities of students. Tutors personalise their teaching sessions, using assessment

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Inspection findings

information from previous assessments, to ensure each student is working towards their agreed goals. Students develop new skills and confidence well because tutors explain what they have to do and learn in the context of their environment such as the working stable yard.  Tutors manage students’ behaviour well. Staff set clear expectations and consistently implement strategies to avoid disruptive and challenging behaviour, which allows students to work hard and to enjoy the opportunity to learn new skills and gain confidence.  Managers have not fully implemented the recommendation from the previous inspection to share best practice to further improve teaching and learning. The new system of peer support enables tutors needing help to improve, but does not improve the practice of tutors judged to be good.  At the previous inspection, the promotion of equality and diversity at induction and in sessions required improvement. The strong ethos of caring

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Inspection findings

and mutual respect identified at the previous inspection remains, and much valuable discussion takes place with individual students on a wide range of issues linked to equality and diversity. However, although tutors promote equality and diversity well at induction, they do not ensure that all students have sufficient opportunities to reinforce their learning in sessions.

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Next steps for the provider

Leaders and those responsible for governance should ensure that:

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Next steps for the provider

 trustees have training in safeguarding and equality and diversity as soon as possible on becoming a trustee and that they have their training updated regularly  all students have the opportunity to explore and develop their knowledge and understanding about all aspects of equality and diversity in lessons  they build up the quantity and range of work experience placements so that all students have access to external work experience during their time at FCRT  a single point of reference within the students’ files is established that shows how well each student has progressed since starting their study programme.

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Next steps for the provider

I am copying this letter to the Skills Funding Agency and the Education Funding Agency. This letter will be published on the Ofsted website.

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Information about the inspection

During the inspection we were assisted by the head of education as nominee. We met with the principal, senior leaders, managers, tutors and students. We carried out lesson observations, visited a student in the workplace and met with the employer. We reviewed strategic and policy documents, including documents relating to individual students, the overall performance of FCRT and safeguarding.

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