Include Northampton

Include Northampton 8 Talavera Court, Darnell Way, Moulton Park, Northampton NN3 6RW

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Overall effectiveness Requires improvement

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Effectiveness of leadership and management Requires improvement

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Requires improvement

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Personal development, behaviour and welfare Requires improvement

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Outcomes for pupils Requires improvement

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

This is a school that requires improvement

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

 The quality of teaching and learning does not ensure that all pupils make good progress in English and mathematics from their various starting points.  Pupils, particularly at key stages 3 and 4, do not always pay sufficient attention and maintain a consistent focus on their work.  Persistent absence by a minority of pupils at key stages 3 and 4 restricts their progress.  Pupils in key stages 1 and 2 are not sufficiently confident in the use of phonics to assist them with the development of their reading.  The school’s arrangements for the tracking of pupils’ progress over time are not precise enough to make reliable comparisons with national figures.  Recently introduced GCSE examination courses cover a narrow range of subjects and require further development.

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

The school has the following strengths  The actions of the recently appointed headteacher are having a positive impact on the quality of teaching and pupils’ progress.  The school’s governance arrangements provide robust challenge and support for the headteacher’s strong drive for improvement.  Senior leaders have planned effectively to improve arrangements for pupils’ induction, their curriculum and outcomes at key stages 3 and 4.  Teachers and support staff are increasingly planning learning activities that interest and involve pupils. They are now monitoring pupils’ engagement and ensure that pupils know what they are expected to do and to learn.  Most pupils develop their self-esteem and confidence. As a result, they improve their speaking and listening skills, and their willingness to take an active part in lessons.  Pupils are safe in school. Arrangements for the safeguarding of pupils are robust and effective.

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

Compliance with regulatory requirements  The school meets the requirements of the schedule to the Education (Independent School Standards) Regulations 2014 (‘the independent school standards’) and associated requirements.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Improve the quality of teaching by:  ensuring that all pupils are confident in the use of phonics to be able to read increasingly complex and unfamiliar words  improving learning by reducing incidents of inattentive and distracting behaviour, particularly at key stages 3 and 4  embedding and extending the recent introduction of GCSE courses for pupils in Years 10 and 11  using assessment and tracking arrangements to enable staff to set challenging goals that ensure that all pupils make consistently good progress from their various starting points.  Improve the attendance of persistent absentees at key stages 3 and 4.

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Effectiveness of leadership and management Requires improvement

 The school’s first year of operation presented considerable challenges for school leaders, including the relocation of the provision for secondary-aged pupils. Over the year, there was a gradual improvement in pupils’ behaviour and learning. However, outcomes for pupils, particularly at key stages 3 and 4, require further improvement.  At present, the key stage 4 curriculum covers too narrow a range of subjects. Senior leaders have improved the level of challenge by introducing GCSE courses, including for English and mathematics. These courses meet the needs and capabilities of pupils better, but still require further development.  The school’s arrangements for assessing and tracking pupils’ progress require greater precision and detailed analysis. In particular, the headteacher has identified the need for accurate comparison of pupils’ progress with that of other pupils nationally with similar starting points.

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Effectiveness of leadership and management Requires improvement

 During the last year, senior leaders moved the school gradually towards an ethos of cooperation and engagement by pupils. They introduced flexible learning arrangements, including the use of off-site providers, for older pupils. However, overall attendance is not good enough and pupils do not make consistently good progress from their mostly low starting points.  The school curriculum, despite recent changes, remains relatively narrow. There are limited opportunities for pupils to excel in aesthetic and creative activities, sports or outdoor activities.  The recently appointed headteacher has rapidly completed an accurate evaluation of the school’s strengths and areas for improvement. She has worked closely with the executive principal, who represents the proprietors, and provides effective support and accountability.  Senior leaders and staff share high expectations and ambition for pupils to succeed.

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Effectiveness of leadership and management Requires improvement

Staff value the ethos of improvement and systematic review of all aspects of the school’s work which the headteacher has established, together with an emphasis on effective teamwork, listening and responding.  Staff believe that their views are valued and that some long-standing concerns, particularly about pupils’ behaviour and attitudes, are being dealt with.  There are good opportunities for staff training, for example in safeguarding, fire safety, first aid and the assessment of risk. In addition, a number of staff members have improved their impact on pupils’ behaviour and achievement through study for further qualifications.  The headteacher meets with all parents and pupils entering key stage 4. She has set clear expectations for pupils’ response to staff and engagement in learning, particularly for those returning from placements with external providers.  School leaders have strong regard for British values in the personal development of

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Effectiveness of leadership and management Requires improvement

pupils, particularly through the effective programme of personal, social and health education. Pupils understand the importance of respect and equality of opportunity for all pupils in the school and for the variety of people, cultures and beliefs that they meet in their daily lives.

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Governance

 The executive principal provides effective support for the headteacher, together with appropriate systems for monitoring and evaluation of the school’s work.  The proprietor and senior company officers have a good understanding of the school’s needs and areas for improvement. Suitable arrangements are in place for regular reporting of the school’s performance to the proprietor’s senior leadership team.  The school is due to close at the end of this term, but staff and pupils benefit from new ideas and raised expectations as the proprietor prepares to open an alternative provision free school in January 2017.  Suitable arrangements for the management of staff performance and appraisal are in place, including the setting of appropriate targets for pupils’ outcomes.  Senior leaders have ensured that the school meets the requirements of the independent school standards. Although recently appointed, they have quickly

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Governance

demonstrated strong leadership skills and the capacity for further improvement.

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Safeguarding

 The arrangements for safeguarding are effective. School procedures are robust, widely understood by staff and implemented effectively. They include rigorous arrangements for the identification of pupils at risk, recruitment of suitable staff and all aspects of health and safety.  Senior leaders investigate and report all absences immediately. They work very closely with the school attendance services of the local authority and with parents to ensure the safety and well-being of absentees.  Staff are suitably trained to recognise the risks associated with child sexual exploitation, online abuse, radicalisation and children missing education.  The school has published its safeguarding policy on its website. The policy has appropriate regard to current government requirements.  The headteacher has overseen significant improvement in the school’s provision for the safety and well-being of pupils. She has strengthened safeguarding arrangements

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Safeguarding

through improved relationships with parents and external agencies, including representatives of the placing local authority.

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Requires improvement

 The quality of teaching does not ensure that all pupils make good progress from their starting points, particularly at key stages 3 and 4. Planned learning activities, sometimes, do not provide sufficient challenge to extend the learning of older pupils. Activities do not always require pupils to think deeply enough, or to give more than one idea in their oral and written answers.  Teaching and support staff are not always sufficiently aware of how the progress of their pupils compares with that of other pupils with the same starting points nationally.  None of the current pupils entered the school with attainment above expectations for their age. However, teachers are aware of pupils’ prior attainment and they provide individual tasks and activities, which do not, however, sufficiently extend pupils’ learning.  Pupils do not pay adequate attention and concentrate fully on their learning. Small distractions by individual pupils sometimes prevent other pupils from making the

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Requires improvement

progress of which they are capable. This occurs across the age range of the school, but more frequently in lessons at key stages 3 and 4.  Younger pupils do not have sufficient understanding of how to use phonics to help them read unfamiliar or complex words. Teachers pay good attention to the teaching of phonics, but do not follow an agreed systematic, whole-school approach.  Teachers, mostly, plan suitable learning activities that build successfully on pupils’ earlier work. The majority of pupils at key stages 1 and 2 enjoy learning and engage fully in the tasks and activities provided. Teachers monitor pupils’ work continuously and intervene appropriately to correct any misunderstandings and to encourage deeper thinking.  Classroom support workers help pupils to understand what they are expected to do and ensure that they are challenged to consider the quality of their ideas and written responses. These one-to-one teaching support arrangements are effective, but not

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Requires improvement

always available, due to the relatively small size of the staff team.  Teachers and support staff, mostly, demonstrate good questioning skills, helping individuals and groups to extend their vocabulary and to think more deeply about their answers. Occasionally, they do not reshape questions or modify their language sufficiently to ensure successful understanding.  Teachers mark pupils’ work regularly and provide effective oral feedback throughout lessons. They use regular written assessments to check on pupils’ progress through the requirements of the national curriculum.  The school has made good use of functional skills qualifications at key stage 4 to ensure that pupils have a record of achievement suitable for transition to further education. Regular assessment against GCSE requirements has started this term for the new courses introduced this year.  All staff place an appropriate emphasis on the development of suitable literacy and

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Requires improvement

numeracy skills across all subject areas. This is beginning to have a positive impact on reading, handwriting and basic number skills.  Previously reluctant learners begin to engage successfully in their learning in response to the patience and skill of teaching and support staff. Pupils of all ages re-focus when their attention wanes because staff use the school’s reward system effectively to celebrate achievements.  All staff share a clear commitment to help pupils develop a mature and disciplined approach to their work and to eliminate any off-task, distracting behaviour. This is a high priority in the regular staff meetings, at which all staff review pupils’ progress and behaviour.  The staff identify and implement suitable strategies to motivate and interest pupils which enable the majority of pupils to make gradual improvements in their attitudes to learning.  Pupils, particularly at key stages 1 and 2, concentrate and learn effectively in

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Requires improvement

response to suitable, stimulating resources, including regular use of computer programmes and suitable website material. At key stage 4, photocopied resources sometimes lack sufficient quality of presentation to stimulate and interest all pupils.  Relationships between staff and pupils are strong. This results in respect, cooperation and improvement over time in pupils’ willingness to learn.

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Personal development and welfare

 The school’s work to promote pupils’ personal development and welfare is good. Over time, all pupils develop increased confidence and self-esteem.  Senior leaders and staff present common values and expectations. They achieve significant success in enabling the great majority of pupils to be increasingly responsible and to consider the consequences of their own actions.  Pupils’ personal development is supported by increasingly strong relationships with external agencies, including educational psychologists and the local child and adolescent mental health services (CAMHS). The school is diligent in securing scarce human resources to support the personal development of potentially vulnerable pupils.  Pupils respond well to opportunities to discuss matters related to respect and tolerance within the school and in the wider community. Pupils feel safe in school and they state that there is very little bullying. In this relatively small community, they

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Personal development and welfare

believe that staff deal with any concerns swiftly and fairly.  Pupils have access to suitable information and guidance as they prepare for the transition to further education or training at the end of Year 11, including interviews with representatives of the local careers service.

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Behaviour

 The behaviour of pupils requires improvement. Pupils join the school because of the breakdown of placements in previous settings. They take time to adjust fully to the learning ethos and expectations of the staff.  The attendance of older pupils is too variable and requires improvement. The attendance of a small number of persistent absentees is poor.  Over time, pupils at key stage 4 improve their attitudes and engagement in lessons and work successfully to achieve externally assessed qualifications. They recognise the considerable support and encouragement provided by the staff to enable them to respond positively to the challenge of studying for external examinations.  Pupils at key stages 1 and 2 adjust quickly to the expectation that they will behave appropriately and focus on their work. They are mostly well motivated and cooperative.  Pupils at key stages 1 and 2 attend regularly and there is very little unauthorised

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Behaviour

absence.  The school makes a prompt response to any absence. Rigorous procedures are in place to communicate immediately with parents, and the school reports all absences continuously to the placing authority. Staff are aware of the possible vulnerability of pupils and they take effective steps to ensure that potential risks resulting from absence are minimised.  The school has previously placed a number of pupils in off-site alternative provisions for part of the school week. The headteacher has reduced the use of off-site providers in order to focus on the achievement of GCSE qualifications that will enable all pupils to progress to further education or training.

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Outcomes for pupils Requires improvement

 Pupils, overall, do not make consistently strong progress across a wide range of subjects, from their various starting points.  Pupils enter the school with low starting points compared with the national average for their age. This is often because of disruptions in their previous educational experiences.  Pupils across the age range of the school do make progress, particularly in English and mathematics. However, they do not always make sufficient progress compared with that of other pupils with similar starting points.  Disadvantaged pupils and those who have special educational needs and/or disabilities make gradual progress in English and mathematics towards that of other pupils with similar starting points, but this is not consistent for all pupils.  Most pupils enjoy reading and demonstrate suitable comprehension of the texts that they read. They, mostly, make sound progress with the development of their reading

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Outcomes for pupils Requires improvement

skills.  Most pupils across the full age range of the school make good progress with the improvement of their handwriting and presentation of their written work.  The small number of pupils who left the school in summer 2016 gained success at the end of key stage 4 with functional skills examinations at entry level and level 1 in English, mathematics and information and communication technology (ICT).  The majority made a successful transition to further education college courses or employment.  Current key stage 4 pupils commenced GCSE courses at the start of this term. These courses present a suitable level of challenge to extend pupils’ learning. They are making progress with their learning in English, mathematics, biology and geography.  The school’s assessment procedures focus mainly on pupils’ progress in English and mathematics at key stages 1 to 3 and on external examinations at key stage 4. While

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Outcomes for pupils Requires improvement

the curriculum, particularly at key stages 1 and 2, is appropriately broad, the school records little evidence of progress across the wider curriculum, including in sport, drama, art and music.

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School details

Unique reference number 142532 DfE registration number 928/6001 Inspection number 10020875 This inspection was carried out under section 109(1) and (2) of the Education and Skills Act 2008, the purpose of which is to advise the Secretary of State for Education about the school’s suitability for continued registration as an independent school. Type of school Day special school School status Independent school Age range of pupils 5–16 years Gender of pupils Mixed Number of pupils on the school roll 24 Number of part-time pupils 0 Proprietor Catch-22 Chair Tracy Pepper Headteacher Kerrie Henton Annual fees (day pupils) £16,000 to £19,000 Telephone number 01604 491326 Website www.catch-22.org.uk/services/include-northampton Email address Kerrie.henton@catch-22.org.uk Date of previous inspection Not applicable

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Information about this school

 This was the school’s first standard inspection since it registered as an independent school in November 2015.  Secondary-aged pupils have moved to a new site since the time of the registration inspection.  Include Northampton provides full-time education for pupils who have social, emotional and mental health difficulties.  The school started to use the services of two alternative providers during the week of this inspection. These are REAL (Realm of Experiential and Alternative Learning) and the HITZ Project. Both of these are located in Northampton.

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Information about this inspection

 The inspector observed teaching and learning and looked at samples of pupils’ work across the full age range of the school at both sites.  The inspector held meetings with representatives of the proprietors, the headteacher and the executive principal, and had discussions with staff. He attended a regular staff meeting and considered inspection questionnaire responses from nine members of staff.  The inspector took account of a small number of responses to Ofsted’s Parent View questionnaire. He spoke with a number of pupils and listened to a sample of pupils read across the full age range of the school.  The inspector scrutinised a number of school policies, procedures and records, in order to check the school’s compliance with the independent school standards.

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Inspection team

David Young, lead inspector 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 .

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Inspection team

Parent View 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. 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 children looked after, 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-

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Inspection team

government-licence , write to the Information Policy 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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