Schools & FE · School inspection (CIF)
Mayesbrook Park School
Summary
John Lambern (lead), Christopher Christofides
What we read, and from where
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- Inspection date verified
30 Jun 2016
- Inspectors verified
Christopher Christofides, John Lambern
- Leadership and management verified
Requires improvement
- Overall effectiveness verified
Requires improvement
- Personal development, behaviour and welfare verified
Requires improvement
- Previous overall verified
Good
- Teaching, learning and assessment verified
Requires improvement
- Postcode verified
RM9 6TJ
- Name on report verified
Barking and Dagenham Tuition Service
- URN verified
132816
Deep dive
What this report says
In plain English
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Grade profile
Hollow rings show the previous inspection, 2013.
- OverallRequires improvement
- Leadership and managementRequires improvement
- Personal development, behaviour and welfareRequires improvement
- Teaching, learning and assessmentRequires improvement
Tone of the report
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Reads more critically than most reports of this type graded Requires improvement.
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Strengths
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Concerns
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Next steps
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- Effectiveness of leadership and management Requires improvement p.1
- Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Requires improvement p.1
- Personal development, behaviour and welfare Requires improvement p.1
- Overall effectiveness at previous inspection Good p.1
- Senior leaders and the management committee have allowed standards to decline since the last inspection. p.1
- The overall effectiveness of the service is no longer good. p.1
- Teaching, learning and assessment require improvement. p.1
- Teachers do not all have high expectations, or use detailed and accurate assessment information to help plan for the needs of the groups of pupils they teach. p.1
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Anatomy of the report
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- Pages
- 9
- Words of findings
- 3,287
- about usual (typical 3064)
- Reading level
- Hard
- Flesch 48, typical 47
- Average sentence
- 16 words
- Next steps
- 8
- typical 8
- Hedged sentences
- 14%
- “some”, “not always”, “most”…
Where the words go
Full report text
Barking and Dagenham Tuition Service Arden Crescent, Dagenham, Essex RM9 6TJ
p.1
Overall effectiveness Requires improvement
Effectiveness of leadership and management Requires improvement
p.1
Overall effectiveness Requires improvement
Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Requires improvement
p.1
Overall effectiveness Requires improvement
Personal development, behaviour and welfare Requires improvement
p.1
Overall effectiveness Requires improvement
Overall effectiveness at previous inspection Good
p.1
This is a school that requires improvement
Senior leaders and the management committee have allowed standards to decline since the last inspection. The overall effectiveness of the service is no longer good. Teaching, learning and assessment require improvement. Teachers do not all have high expectations, or use detailed and accurate assessment information to help plan for the needs of the groups of pupils they teach. Teaching assistants do not regularly allow pupils with special educational needs or disabilities to work without help. Therefore, some more vulnerable pupils are too dependent on support and this limits their progress in learning. Outcomes for pupils require improvement. Some pupils do not make enough progress from their individual starting points because of the varying standards of teaching across centres. Pupils’ behaviour requires improvement. A small number of pupils who have social, emotional and mental health needs fail to behave well or attend
p.1
This is a school that requires improvement
regularly. The number of disruptions from poor behaviour has not reduced significantly over time at all centres. Pupils feel safe, although unkind behaviour does occur more frequently at some centres than others. This is true of Seabrook.
p.1
The school has the following strengths
The majority of older pupils progress successfully on to their next stage of education or training. The most able pupils often achieve a range of GCSE subject passes at grades A* to C. Each centre offers a broad range of subjects to help meet the needs of pupils. The spiritual, moral, social and cultural development of pupils is supported well by the curriculum. Therefore, pupils respect each other’s differences and are prepared for life in modern Britain. The service supports pupils’ personal, development and welfare well. Most pupils improve their attendance from often low starting points. Some pupils are able to reintegrate back into mainstream schools. The service works closely with parents and other professional agencies to offer support and guidance to pupils and their families. Safeguarding is effective in all centres.
p.1
What does the school need to do to improve further?
Improve the effectiveness of leadership and management by ensuring that:
p.2
What does the school need to do to improve further?
the management committee holds leaders more firmly to account through clear routines and responsibilities, that are regularly checked across all centres leaders are consistent in their self-evaluation and analysis through closer monitoring of the quality of teaching, learning and assessment and pupil outcomes the different centres work more closely together to share good practice where it exists in the service.
p.2
What does the school need to do to improve further?
Improve the quality of teaching, learning and assessment by ensuring that:
p.2
What does the school need to do to improve further?
assessment information is used by all teachers to plan well and meet the needs of all pupils teachers and support staff use assessment information to ensure pupils make good or better progress from their starting points teachers check that pupils know how to improve their own work teachers have secure subject knowledge and high expectations.
p.2
What does the school need to do to improve further?
Improve the behaviour of pupils by ensuring that incidents of unkind behaviour reduce and those few pupils who show behaviour that is more challenging attend regularly.
p.2
What does the school need to do to improve further?
An external review of the work of the management committee should be undertaken to assess how this aspect of leadership and management may be improved.
p.2
Effectiveness of leadership and management requires improvement
Leadership is inconsistent across centres. Leaders are not consistently accurate in their evaluation of the centres’ strengths and weaknesses. They have not ensured staff share equally high expectations or a clear understanding of what is expected. Management policies and assessment procedures are not consistently applied. Some leaders of the centres have taken the initiative to work more closely with external support to improve standards since the last inspection. However, leaders’ expectations and the quality of teaching, learning and assessment remain too varied across the service. Staff with leadership responsibilities are not all effective in their checking of the quality of teaching, learning and assessment. They do not have a clear enough understanding of assessment information to be able to challenge teachers’ practice to ensure that it is consistent in all centres. Leaders and the management committee have not ensured teachers’ expectations are consistently high
p.3
Effectiveness of leadership and management requires improvement
across the service. While appropriate targets aimed at improving teachers’ professional skills have been set, they have not been reviewed in all centres. Leaders observe the work of teachers regularly and identify where weakness lies. However, since the last inspection expectations for pupils’ outcomes differ for each centre. Leaders have rightly recognised the need to improve outcomes for pupils at Seabrook. The local authority has arranged support from a national leader of education (NLE) to help improve the work of leaders and staff at the Seabrook Centre. Staff are able to access a range of professional development opportunities. Regular training involves all centres working together. Staff share the view that they receive appropriate training including behaviour management support and safeguarding to help them fulfil their duties. However, some staff told inspectors that they infrequently share good practice with their colleagues at other centres. Leaders have
p.3
Effectiveness of leadership and management requires improvement
established links with mainstream schools to share good practice, although these are not well developed. The curriculum offered at each centre is broad and suitable and meets the needs of most groups of pupils including the most able. It provides a balance of academic and vocational subjects and maintains the interest of pupils. At the Erkenwald Centre and the Tuition Centre, pupils study for a range of GCSEs including amongst others: English; mathematics; science; sociology; media; and art and design based subjects. Younger pupils are taught national curriculum subjects including personal, social and health education (PSHE). All pupils develop well their literacy and numeracy, and social and communication skills through the curriculum. A range of vocational and extra-curricular trips provide a balance to learning activities. However, a few vulnerable younger pupils including those in the nurture group are not
p.3
Effectiveness of leadership and management requires improvement
challenged to experience new learning opportunities. The service works closely with parents and other professional agencies to offer support and guidance to pupils and their families. The learning environment at each centre aims to promote a culture for pupils to feel included, safe and supported. However, the quality of and pride shown between centres varies. Plans are in place to improve the environment at the Seabrook Centre. Pupils are prepared sufficiently for life in modern Britain. They understand about differences and show tolerance for each other. Regular visitors promote pupils’ good spiritual, moral, social and cultural understanding. Pupils are able to share their personal experiences and apply a clear knowledge of modern British values to their work. For example, pupils during a sociology lesson were able to describe cultural identity and in music lessons visited, pupils performed riffs from well-known musical artists.
p.3
Effectiveness of leadership and management requires improvement
The pupil premium funding is used effectively. It provides for a range of interventions that promote pupils’ welfare, including: a breakfast club; counselling for pupils; extra-curricular enrichment and literacy and numeracy support. Leaders and the management committee review carefully the use of this spend for each centre. The governance of the school The management committee has not been effective in ensuring standards across the service have remained at least good since the last inspection. They are aware that outcomes for pupils at Seabrook are lower than expected. Inconsistencies in the quality and accuracy of leaders’ evaluation of the strengths and weaknesses of each centre have gone unchecked and leaders have not been held to account effectively. Members of the management committee are aware of the need to increase their understanding of the work of each centre through more frequent visits. They rightly acknowledge that evaluating reports
p.3
Effectiveness of leadership and management requires improvement
did not provide strong enough challenge to leaders. The management board has become more focused on improved outcomes for all pupils. Consequently, members are well informed of the changes to GCSE subjects and how assessment information is used to ensure pupils’ progress is checked. Records of meetings show that members of the management committee fulfil their statutory duties. Members have a good level of educational experience including being senior leaders of local schools. They appropriately check financial spending and performance management, and review the policies and procedures for safeguarding. However, some developments have not been well timed. For example, the website update has yet to be completed. The management committee has provided greater challenge since external support has identified shortcomings in the service. Members are focused on improving the consistency of the service. However, the local authority is still to implement changes planned for the Seabrook Centre.
p.4
Effectiveness of leadership and management requires improvement
The arrangements for safeguarding are effective. The safeguarding committee member frequently reviews the single central record of staff recruitment checks. All centre staff are trained effectively to identify when pupils may be at risk. They are aware of signs of abuse, including: female genital mutilation (FGM); neglect; child sexual exploitation (CSE); and extremism or radicalisation.
p.4
Quality of teaching, learning and assessment requires improvement
The quality of teaching, learning and assessment has declined since the last inspection because it is too varied across the service. Some teachers do not have high enough expectations. They do not consistently use detailed and accurate assessment information to help them plan for the needs of the groups of pupils they teach. Therefore, some pupils become uninterested in the work set and make progress which is too slow over time. This is particularly true of the few younger and more vulnerable pupils at the Seabrook Centre. Where expectations by teachers are too low, pupils are not moved on quickly in their learning. As a result, not all pupils make good progress from their starting points. This was seen by the quality of work in some pupils’ books in two of the three centres where gaps in learning were evident. The quality of presentation varied greatly because teachers were not ensuring that consistently high standards were maintained. Pupils’
p.4
Quality of teaching, learning and assessment requires improvement
work in books at the Seabrook Centre showed little extension or deepening of their understanding. This was particularly true where written work simply reviewed what pupils had already learned. The teachers’ use of assessment is too inconsistent. Some teachers fail to detect the errors pupils make in their work or provide feedback so that pupils understand how they can improve. Therefore, pupils’ progress rates are not as fast as they should be. This was true of the work seen for some pupils in mathematics at the Seabrook and Tuition centres. Teachers do not always plan well for the groups of pupils they teach. This was particularly true of the less able pupils in the Seabrook Centre. Inspectors observed these pupils showing less interest in their learning because they could not remember their past lessons as well as their peers. They were slow to complete learning activities. However, the most able were capable of using their ideas to extend their
p.4
Quality of teaching, learning and assessment requires improvement
written answers and make the progress expected of them. The progress of pupils who have special educational needs or disabilities varies between sites. In some centres and in some lessons teaching assistants do not regularly allow pupils with special educational needs or disabilities to work without help. Therefore, some more vulnerable pupils are not challenged enough to develop their work. This was not consistent with the deployment of teaching assistants at the Erkenwald Centre. Teaching assistants effectively challenge Erkenwald pupils with special educational needs or disabilities to think for themselves, discuss answers and share their learning. Pupils apply their literacy skills successfully. Work seen in pupils’ books in key stage 2 showed the development of vocabulary and handwriting skills from very low starting points. The work in pupils’ books at key stages 3 and 4 seen by inspectors included appropriate use of persuasive writing, character
p.4
Quality of teaching, learning and assessment requires improvement
development and poetry skills. Pupils’ reading and speaking skills develop well. Baseline assessment is used to check the progress pupils make in their reading and speaking. Inspectors observed pupils reading with fluency and expression. Pupils are taught numeracy skills through number, problem solving and graphing skills. Most pupils make at least expected progress in mathematics. The most able pupils in key stage 4 are well challenged to improve their mathematics skills. As a result, some of the most able pupils make strong progress in mathematics and achieve outcomes similar to pupils nationally.
p.4
Personal development and welfare
The service’s work to promote pupils’ personal development and welfare is good. The vast majority of pupils settle well to the routines expected. Pupils develop pride and gain the self-confidence to believe they can be successful. This enables pupils to access learning and be prepared to return to mainstream schools or move on to their next stage of education or training successfully. Pupils understand why they attend the service and not other mainstream schools. Older pupils shared their confidence that they were ready to move on successfully to college or sixth form. Younger pupils described how their behaviour had changed since joining. Pupils understand how to maintain their health. The breakfast club at the Tuition Centre provides a structured start to the day where pupils can openly talk with staff and each other. The nurture group at the Seabrook Centre helps pupils to understand how to behave and develop learning routines.
p.5
Personal development and welfare
Pupils receive a good range of information on keeping themselves safe. They told inspectors about their knowledge of e-safety, different types of bullying and their understanding of how to seek help if needed. The service works well with careers advisers and other professionals to provide pupils with careful guidance and transition support. Pupils follow programmes that improve their self-awareness. Pupils who spoke with inspectors reflected well on how their behaviour had improved over time. Parents who spoke with inspectors were positive about the support and guidance the service has provided for their children. Inspectors agree that the service provides effective guidance that promotes pupils’ physical and emotional well-being. For example, the service shares a counsellor and works closely with families, and other wider professional agencies including the police and the Child and Adolescent
p.5
Behaviour
The behaviour of pupils requires improvement. Pupils’ behaviour varies between the different centres of the service. Visual displays and the respect shown by pupils towards the environment differ greatly between centres. For example, at Erkenwald pupils spoke with inspectors about how they were able to use the library as a quiet space for reading and how the garden area was a calm place to be. Pupils at the Tuition Centre enjoy the breakfast club and opportunities to play table tennis in the hall at break. However, at the Seabrook Centre pupils do not always respect equipment. Inspectors observed pupils leaving rooms untidy and showing a lack of pride for some of their learning displays. Many pupils across the service conduct themselves positively. However, a small number of pupils who have social, emotional and mental health needs fail to behave as well as they should. Therefore, the number of disruptions from poor behaviour has not reduced significantly in all centres over time. This is
p.5
Behaviour
true of some pupils at the Seabrook Centre. Pupils often showed a lack of interest in their learning because they were insufficiently challenged by teachers to learn. Pupils who spoke with inspectors said that while they feel safe, unkind behaviour does occur more frequently at some centres than others. Inspectors agree with their view. Pupils at Erkenwald behave very well in comparison to other pupils. This is because of higher expectations from teachers for pupils’ behaviour. Attendance for the vast majority of pupils at all centres improves from their typically low starting points. In many cases, pupils significantly increase their regular attendance. Overall attendance for the three centres has improved over time, but remains below other schools nationally. This is because a few pupils do not attend as regularly as they should. Pupils who access the day six provision and those who are taught in alternative provision are supported
p.5
Behaviour
to improve their behaviour from often challenging starting points. The service ensures that alternative provision is quality checked and attendance and monitoring information is provided frequently. This allows close tracking to help keep pupils safe and improve their learning. Pupils who access alternative provision make similar gains in attendance to their peers.
p.5
Outcomes for pupils require improvement
Overall pupils do not make good progress from their individual starting points because there is too much variation in teaching across centres. While pupils start with often low levels of attainment because of gaps in their learning, not all groups of pupils make the progress expected of them. However, a number of pupils do successfully reintegrate back into mainstream school or pass national qualifications at the end of key stage 4. Since the last inspection, too much emphasis has been placed on pupils at the Seabrook Centre developing their personal development alone. As a result, a small number of pupils who are more vulnerable and pupils who have special educational needs or disabilities do not make the progress expected of them. Inspectors viewed too much work in pupils’ books that showed repeated learning from previous lessons rather than developing new knowledge and understanding. Pupils’ work seen in the nurture group showed a willingness to learn, with progress seen over time,
p.5
Outcomes for pupils require improvement
although few books showed pupils to be making good progress because teachers’ expectations are too low. Pupils’ reading skills in key stage 2 develop effectively from very low starting points when they join the Seabrook Centre. They are able to develop the skills of reading and include expression when reading aloud. The Seabrook Centre’s own information shows that over half of the pupils are currently making the progress expected of them in reading. However, very few pupils are making better than expected progress. Pupils’ writing skills at the Seabrook Centre do not develop as quickly as their reading skills. The centre’s own information shows that only a quarter of pupils are currently making the progress expected of them in their writing. However, pupils are making better progress in their mathematics. Work in pupils’ books showed that pupils are more confident in applying numeracy skills. Therefore, more pupils are currently
p.6
Outcomes for pupils require improvement
making better than expected progress in mathematics than in reading and writing. Pupils in key stage 3 at the Tuition Centre make variable progress. During the inspection, the work seen of these pupils showed that in some subjects such as English, art and science current pupils are making better progress than in mathematics. In 2015, a third of all Erkenwald pupils at the end of key stage 4 were successful in gaining five GCSE A* to C passes including English and mathematics. Furthermore, the most able pupils gained GCSE passes in English and mathematics with grades above average for all other pupils nationally. One in every four pupils from the Tuition Centre who took examinations at the end of key stage 4 was successful in gaining GCSE passes in English and mathematics. All pupils who took a GCSE art examination successfully passed. The majority of older pupils progress successfully on to their next stage of education or training at the
p.6
Outcomes for pupils require improvement
end of key stage 4. Overall, those pupils eligible for the pupil premium, those with special educational needs or disabilities and the more vulnerable make similar progress to their peers. Furthermore, gaps in performance between pupils eligible for the pupil premium and their peers have reduced. Current assessment information shows that pupils at the end of key stage 4 are on track to achieve similar results to those of 2015. Therefore, all pupils at the end of key stage 4 are likely to gain qualifications in line with their starting points. Work seen in the books of pupils from Erkenwald and the Tuition Centre shows that pupils in key stage 4 are making good progress over time. Eight out of 10 pupils in the current Year 11 from across the service have gained college places or apprenticeships. The vast majority of pupils who receive home tuition and alternative provision make similar progress to their peers. Therefore, very few pupils from this group fall behind and many pupils
p.6
Outcomes for pupils require improvement
progress on to their next stage of education successfully.
p.6
School details
Unique reference number 132816 Local authority Barking and Dagenham Inspection number 10021155 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.
p.7
School details
Type of school Pupil referral unit School category Pupil referral unit Age range of pupils 5–16 Gender of pupils Mixed Number of pupils on the school roll 178 Appropriate authority The management committee Chair Jeanette Alexander Headteacher Annie Blackmore Telephone number 0208 270 6000 Website https://www.lbbd.gov.uk/residents/schools-and- learning/specialist-alternative-provision-services/overview/ Email address office@tuition-c.bardaglea.org.uk Date of previous inspection 5–6 November 2013
p.7
Information about this school
The service provides a range of alternative education for pupils who do not access mainstream primary and secondary schools for a variety of reasons. It consists of three main sites located in the borough. Each part of the provision is led by a headteacher under the direction of the head of service. The PRU is funded for up to 70 pupils. The centre provides full-time education for permanently excluded pupils, up to 30 places for key stage 3 pupils on half-termly respite placements, and pupils who have been excluded on a fixed-term basis for more than six days. The Erkenwald Centre is a smaller provision, catering for up to 30 pupils aged 11 to 16 who have experienced significant difficulties in maintaining mainstream school attendance and require a more nurturing setting because of their diverse needs. The Seabrook Centre is a specialist provision for up to 35 10–14-year-olds with social, emotional and
p.7
Information about this school
mental health needs. A statement of special educational needs or an education, health and care plan supports the large majority of pupils who are more vulnerable than most. The Home Tuition service provides education for pupils aged five to 16 who are too ill to attend school. In addition, the service commissions alternative provision for key stage 4 pupils, which includes: FlexiLearning; The Lifeline Programme; and The Compass Programme. The proportion of pupils eligible for the pupil premium is above average. Catch-up funding and the primary sport premium are not received. Most pupils are White British, with a small minority of other pupils from a variety of ethnic groups, reflecting the make-up of the borough. A very small proportion of pupils speak English as an additional language. There are currently no pupils at an early stage of learning English. The service does not meet the requirements on the publication of specified information on its website. A
p.7
Information about this inspection
Inspectors visited all three sites of the service and 25 part-lessons, many jointly with a member of the senior leadership team. They also attended breakfast club and guided reading sessions. Inspectors discussed learning observed in the lessons jointly visited with senior leaders. Inspectors held meetings with: the headteachers of all sites; the head of service; other senior staff and those with leadership responsibilities; a range of staff including teachers from alternative provision; support staff; and groups of pupils. Discussions took place with parents, the vice-chair and a member of the management committee. Inspectors also held discussions with two representatives from the local authority and a national leader of education. Inspectors scrutinised a wide range of documentation including: records of meetings; the work of pupils; assessment information; each centre’s self-evaluation; improvement plans; and records relating to the
p.8
Information about this inspection
quality of teaching and anonymous records of the management of teachers’ performance. They also reviewed records relating to pupils’ behaviour and attendance, and checked the school’s records relating to safeguarding. Too few responses were available for inspectors to take account of parents’ responses to Ofsted’s online survey, Parent View.
p.8
Inspection team
John Lambern, lead inspector Her Majesty’s Inspector Christopher Christofides 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 .
p.8
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
p.9
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,
p.9
Inspection team
The National Archives, Kew, London TW9 4DU, or email: psi@nationalarchives.gsi.gov.uk .
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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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