Novaturient School

Copperfield School 22 Euston Road, Great Yarmouth, Norfolk NR30 1DX

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Effectiveness of leadership and management Inadequate

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Requires improvement

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Personal development, behaviour and welfare Inadequate

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Outcomes for pupils Requires improvement

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Overall effectiveness at previous inspection Good

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

 Arrangements to safeguard pupils are not effective.  Senior staff and the governors do not know enough about the statutory guidance for keeping children safe or the independent school standards.  Staff are not informed sufficiently about their responsibilities to protect pupils.  Not all of the pre-employment checks for staff have been carried out or recorded.  Governors do not play a full part in school improvement.  Pupils make expected, rather than good, progress in literacy and numeracy from their individual starting points.  Pupils’ academic achievements in a range of subjects are not clear because assessments are not sufficiently detailed or extensive enough.  The proprietor does not ensure that the school meets all of the independent school standards.

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

 Many aspects of pupils’ personal development and their behaviour are good.  Responsibilities for teaching and assessment are more widely shared than at the time of the previous inspection, and the leadership of teaching is strong.  Parents are very positive about the school, especially the support they have from staff.  Over the past two years, pupils have been well prepared for life after school. They transferred successfully to college and continue to do well.

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

 The school must take action to meet the requirements of the schedule to the Education (Independent School Standards) Regulations 2014 and associated requirements. The details are listed in the full report.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Make sure that governors know how well the school performs by: – monitoring and evaluating the quality of the provision frequently and robustly – knowing and understanding the independent school standards and the documentation that underpins the standards.  Improve the quality of teaching, learning and assessment by: – identifying pupils’ academic starting points precisely – targeting what it is that pupils must achieve across a wide range of skills – tracking pupils’ performance rigorously.

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The school must meet the following independent school standards

 The proprietor must ensure that teaching at the school: – enables pupils to acquire new knowledge and make good progress according to their ability so that they increase their understanding and develop their skills in the subjects taught – shows a good understanding of the aptitudes, needs and prior attainments of the pupils, and ensures that these are taken into account in planning of lessons (paragraph 3, 3(a), 3(d)).  The proprietor must ensure that arrangements are made to safeguard and promote the welfare of pupils at the school; and such arrangements have regard to any guidance issued by the Secretary of State (paragraph 7, 7(a), 7(b)).  The proprietor must ensure that bullying at the school is prevented in so far as reasonably practicable, by the drawing up and implementation of an effective anti- bullying strategy (paragraph 10)).  The proprietor must ensure that the relevant health and safety laws are complied with by

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The school must meet the following independent school standards

the drawing up and effective implementation of a written health and safety policy (paragraph 11).  The proprietor must ensure that an admission register is maintained in accordance with the Education (Pupil Registration)(England) Regulations 2006 (paragraph 15).  The proprietor must carry out appropriate checks to confirm, in respect of all members of staff, that they are not working in contravention of a prohibition order, an interim prohibition order, or any direction made under section 128 of the 2008 Act or section 142 of the 2002 Act, or any qualification, prohibition or restriction which takes effect as if contained in either such direction (paragraph 18(2), 18(2)(b)).  The proprietor must keep a register to show that all pre-employment checks have been carried out for all members of staff, supply staff and proprietors, together with the date that each check was made (paragraph 21(1), 21(3), 21(3)(a), 21(3)(a)(iii), 21(3)(a)(viii)).

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The school must meet the following independent school standards

 The proprietor must provide information to parents of pupils, parents of prospective pupils and others about: – the school’s address – the name and address for correspondence with the chair of the school’s governing body – the school’s policy on and arrangements for misbehaviour and exclusion – the school’s anti-bullying strategy – the school’s written policies for behaviour, health and safety, and first aid – the school’s academic performance during the preceding school year, including the results of any public examinations – the number of complaints registered under the formal complaints procedures during the preceding school year and provide the local authority with an annual account of income received and expenditure incurred by the school in respect of each pupil registered at the school who is partly or wholly funded by a local authority (paragraph 32(1), 32(1)(a), 32(1)(b), 32(1)(h), 32(2)(a), 32(2)(c), 32(3)(a), 32(3)(d), 32(3)(e), 32(3)(f)).

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The school must meet the following independent school standards

 The proprietor must ensure that the persons with leadership and management responsibilities at the school: – demonstrate good skills and knowledge appropriate to their role so that the independent school standards are met consistently – fulfil their responsibilities effectively so that the independent school standards are met consistently – actively promote well-being of pupils (paragraph 34(1), 34(1)(a), 34(1)(b), 34(1)(c)).

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Effectiveness of leadership and management Inadequate

 Arrangements to safeguard pupils are not robust enough. Policies and procedures have not kept pace with current requirements and the governors have not held senior staff to account for pupils’ well-being.  The headteacher is unfaltering in the ambition for pupils to achieve well and to play their part as sensible, well-informed citizens. A positive ethos pervades the school. Staff are proud to work at Copperfield School, staff morale is high and the retention of staff is good. These things create a stable environment for pupils and their parents to regain confidence in education.  Increasingly, with new appointments to the teaching team and the pastoral team, responsibilities for developing the provision are more widely shared than at the time of the previous inspection. This is improving the quality of teaching and the curriculum.  Relationships between staff and parents are good. Parents value the positive way that

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Effectiveness of leadership and management Inadequate

staff manage pupils’ behaviour. The Friday phone calls to parents are very popular, providing a positive end to the week.  Although they are kept well informed about their children’s behaviour, parents, prospective parents and local authorities do not have all of the required information available to them (as identified above in the list of unmet independent school standards). The website is difficult to navigate for school-related information because most information is about The Benjamin Foundation. The welcome pack for new parents and pupils has some useful information.  The curriculum is particularly effective in improving pupils’ behaviour. This is because the activities and skills of staff enable pupils to build confidence, self-belief and the motivation to do well. Pupils are given good opportunities to show that they can be trusted.  Pupils’ understanding of different beliefs and cultures is well supported through the

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Effectiveness of leadership and management Inadequate

curriculum. Contentious or topical issues are brought into the open. Teachers ensure that equal opportunities, regardless of gender, race, religion or sexuality, are appropriately understood.  The curriculum is suitably broad and balanced to support pupils’ academic performance, but has not had the same attention as the provision for pupils’ personal development. Nevertheless, improvements are in place, such as extending the range of nationally recognised qualifications from September 2016.  The Department for Education (DfE) commissioned Ofsted to consider the proprietor’s request to increase the number of pupils on roll from 12 to 24 secondary-aged pupils. The proprietor is not likely to meet all of the independent school standards if the change is implemented. This is because of the weak strategic overview of the provision, especially the responsibilities for pupils’ welfare, health and safety. The proposed changes to the

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Effectiveness of leadership and management Inadequate

accommodation are likely to meet the independent school standards for the pupils already at the school. With the exception of the standard regarding pupils making good academic progress, the school is likely to meet the standards for the quality of the curriculum, teaching, pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development, and the manner in which complaints are handled.

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Governance

 The governors are aware that they must improve their practice. They have a range of suitable business and financial skills but lack sufficient knowledge about what it takes to meet the independent school standards.  Governors know the pupils and their parents through visits to school and to special events. They liaise with Suffolk and Norfolk local authorities about developing the provision, but governors do not challenge or maintain a sufficiently strategic overview for the quality of the provision. For example, the records of their meetings show that the discussions focus too little on pupils’ outcomes and the effectiveness of safeguarding arrangements.  Governors are very proactive in developing the accommodation to enhance the provision for the current pupils and for the proposed expansion. Plans are well advanced and well thought through to provide more space for teaching and recreation, and to upgrade the

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Safeguarding

 The arrangements for safeguarding are not effective. Although the designated staff overseeing the arrangements to safeguard pupils have had relevant and recent training, the training has not been effective in informing or improving practice.  Staff know the general signs of potential abuse and know what to do if they are concerned. Similarly, staff are aware of their general duties to prevent extremist or radical views and child exploitation. However, policies and procedures, such as the anti-bullying policy, the admissions register and staff induction for safeguarding arrangements, are not comprehensive enough to check that all that can be done to protect pupils is done.  Staff and governors are not aware of the changes to statutory guidance for keeping children safe issued by the DfE since the previous inspection. Important information about the pre-employment checks for staff and how to record the information have been missed

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Safeguarding

or misunderstood. By the end of the inspection the required information had been checked for all staff and entered on the single central record.  Prior to the inspection, the safeguarding policy on the school’s page of The Benjamin Foundation (the proprietor) website was out of date and some of the information was either inaccurate or misleading. During the inspection, the policy was replaced by the policy for The Benjamin Foundation, but the policy is not precise enough about keeping pupils safe in school.

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Requires improvement

 Most teaching provides individual tuition or work in small groups. This supports pupils at each level of ability and whatever their attitude to learning.  It is not clear if the most able pupils are challenged sufficiently or consistently and this is linked more generally to weaknesses in assessment of pupils’ academic starting points.  Assessment is much improved since the previous inspection. The individual living and learning plans (ILLPs) provide a comprehensive range of assessment information. The ILLPs include targets for each pupil for each lesson. These targets are checked with pupils individually at the end of the sessions. These assessments provide a useful account of how well pupils’ emotional and social skills develop over time.  Too much assessment for academic performance relies on test results. Although useful as a summary, the test results are not always precise enough to break down future learning

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Requires improvement

into small enough steps. This means that either the daily targets are missing, if the test is incomplete, or targets are too broad and therefore not changed frequently enough.  Teaching staff have good, positive relationships with pupils. Pupils’ behaviour is managed well and when someone behaves inappropriately, others rarely join in.  Time for classroom staff to plan lessons together at the start and end of each day works well to present pupils with a coordinated and consistent approach for learning and behaviour management.  Literacy skills are better planned and taught than those for mathematics. The teaching of new mathematical concepts is not developed systematically.

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Personal development and welfare

 The school’s work to promote pupils’ personal development and welfare is inadequate because of the ineffective arrangements to safeguard pupils.  Many aspects of pupils’ personal development are strong because staff manage pupils’ anxieties, fears and frustrations well. They are quick to spot, and celebrate, the things that go well. Pupils’ confidence and readiness to learn develop well as a result.  Staff discuss pupils’ well-being continually, often formally, and create a culture where pupils discuss personal issues or sensitive themes openly and respectfully.  At monthly meetings, classroom staff and administrative staff discuss pupils’ personal development and agree ways forward. The involvement of all school staff works well to support pupils’ behaviour consistently throughout each day.  At the end of each day, the teaching team meets to celebrate successes and discuss concerns. Pupils’ health and safety is always an agenda item. Pupils’ ILLP personal risk

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Personal development and welfare

assessments are often amended immediately as a result of the discussions.  Lunch is a highlight of the day. Pupils love the food, get plenty of it and eat until their plates are empty. The menus are well planned and popular. Rice pudding is a particular favourite. Mealtimes are happy times around the kitchen table.  Pupils learn a lot about e-safety through informal discussions and formally through the curriculum. Laptops are used sensibly and suitable restrictions are in place to control pupils’ access to the internet.

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Behaviour

 The behaviour of pupils is good.  Attendance is above the national average for most pupils, which is a remarkable improvement given their often previously low attendance. Exclusions are rare, as are physical interventions.  In general, pupils behave well in lessons and around the site. Some take a while to settle in class, but once on task show respect and enjoy learning as a result.  Pupils generally behave well when off-site, including trips and alternative provision. Trust and independence are expected. For example, pupils attending Epic Studios are encouraged to make their own way there and back. They show that they can be trusted.  Some pupils smoke on-site and do not respect that smoking is illegal on or around the premises.

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Outcomes for pupils Requires improvement

 Pupils make at least expected progress from their individual starting points over time in literacy and mathematics, often from low starting points having underachieved previously.  Progress in literacy is stronger than in mathematics, which matches the stronger teaching in literacy.  Opportunities for externally accredited courses have been limited until recently. Additional accreditations are available from this academic year, but remain mostly for literacy and numeracy.  Most pupils read fluently and use their skills well across the curriculum.  By the time pupils move to further education, they have made sufficient gains in their personal development, which puts them in a good position to focus on learning. Most have not reached their academic potential, but have the skills and confidence to continue learning at the next level.

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School details

Unique reference number 138779 DfE registration number 926/6006

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School details

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.

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School details

Type of school Other independent special school

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School details

Website http://benjaminfoundation.co.uk/copperfield- school Email address sally.alden@benjaminfoundation.co.uk

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School details

Date of previous inspection 14–16 May 2013

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Information about this school

 This is the school’s second standard inspection since opening in September 2012.  The school occupies the basement of a three-storey building.  The school is registered with the DfE to admit 12 boys and girls. Currently, all pupils are boys. All pupils have education, health and care plans for their social, emotional and mental health needs. All are funded by Norfolk or Suffolk local authorities.  The senior leadership team, a group of senior managers and trustees of The Benjamin Foundation are responsible for the governance of the school.  The school currently uses alternative provision, once a week, at Epic Studios in Norwich.

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Information about this inspection

 Inspectors observed teaching and breaktimes, scrutinised pupils’ current and previous work and looked at teachers’ plans, assessment information and curriculum documents.  The single central record of pre-employment checks for staff was scrutinised, together with procedures and policies for safeguarding pupils.  Discussions were held with the headteacher, the lead teacher, teaching and non-teaching staff, the therapist, the governors and the chief executive of The Benjamin Foundation.  There were no responses from parents on Parent View. Phone calls were made to four parents and two local authorities. The school’s information about the views of parents, pupils, local authorities and an external consultant were considered.  Inspectors had informal discussions and conversations with pupils.  Twelve responses to Ofsted’s questionnaire for staff were considered.  This inspection was brought forward and commissioned by the DfE to consider the

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Information about this inspection

proprietor’s request to increase the number of pupils on roll from 12 to 36 and extend the age range from 11–16 to 5–16 years. During the inspection, the proprietor changed the request to remove the proposal for 12 primary-aged pupils. The request is now for 24 secondary-aged pupils and for the use of the whole of the three-storey building.

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Inspection team

Heather Yaxley, lead inspector Her Majesty’s Inspector

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Inspection team

Jenny Carpenter 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.

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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

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Inspection team

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Inspection team

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Inspection team

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Inspection team

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