Park View Academy

Park View Academy 146–148 Parkview Road, Welling, Kent DA16 1SR

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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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Overall effectiveness at previous inspection Inadequate

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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 school currently lacks leadership, as there is no headteacher in post. However, leaders and staff have worked together through a difficult period. Staff were positive about their involvement in the recruitment of a new headteacher, who takes up his position in April 2017.  The quality of teaching requires improvement because staff lack some of the required knowledge and skills to teach pupils who have special educational needs and/or disabilities. Staff say they need more training opportunities and support.  Some of the most able pupils told the inspector that teaching does not always challenge them sufficiently.  Leaders do not know how much progress pupils have made from their starting points. This is because accurate checks on pupils’ skills and abilities are not undertaken when pupils enter the school in all subjects. The system for monitoring progress following these checks is being developed.  Pupils make significant progress socially,

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

emotionally and personally. Leaders are now in the process of implementing a new system to track and evaluate this progress formally.  While pupils’ behaviour improves over time, leaders acknowledge that expectations need to be raised further, to fully prepare pupils for their next steps.

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

 Leaders have ensured that all the independent school standards are met.  Pupils say they feel safe. This is because the designated safeguarding leader, supported by a staff team who care deeply about the pupils, works tirelessly to ensure safeguarding is effective.  The school’s managing director has a clear vision for the direction of Park View Academy and has already significantly improved the school during his first year in post.  Parents would recommend the school; one described it as a ‘saviour’ for their child.

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

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 effectiveness of leadership and management and the quality of teaching, learning and assessment by ensuring that: − the new headteacher is fully supported by the proprietor and governors in making the necessary changes to further improve the school − appropriate professional development opportunities are provided to those with teaching responsibilities to rapidly raise the quality of teaching, learning and assessment for all pupils, including the most able.  Improve pupils’ outcomes and personal development, behaviour and welfare by: − consistently recording, monitoring and evaluating pupils’ progress in all subjects from their starting points − implementing the new system for tracking and evaluating progress in pupils’ personal, social and emotional development from their starting points.  Improve pupils’ behaviour by further raising the school’s expectations, especially in relation to dress code and pupils’ use of mobile phones and headphones.

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Effectiveness of leadership and management Requires improvement

 The school’s managing director has been in post for just over a year. He has overseen significant improvements, including ensuring all the independent school standards are met, despite multiple challenges. The school’s headteacher and lead teacher left the school during the autumn term and the recruitment of staff is a significant and continual challenge. However, with the support of an experienced part-time acting headteacher and two strong school leaders, he has worked diligently to begin to tackle weaknesses in performance and to resolve historical concerns. After an unsuccessful initial recruitment campaign, the appointment of a new headteacher has been made. Staff and pupils in the school, who were involved in the recruitment process, told the inspector they were feeling positive about a new start with the incoming headteacher. An appropriately qualified lead teacher is also currently being sought.

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Effectiveness of leadership and management Requires improvement

 The inspection found the school to be appropriately staffed and adequately resourced, though leaders acknowledge the need to invest further in the physical environment. The inspector met with all available staff, who told him they are excited about the direction in which the school is heading. They were also clear about needing more guidance and professional development to really know how best to meet the needs of all the pupils, some of whom have particularly severe and complex special educational needs and/or disabilities.  The inspector joined parents at their recently formed parents’ group meeting, during which parents share experiences and support each other, while also organising fund- raising events for the school. All the parents spoken to were exceptionally positive about the school, describing the school as their ‘saviour’ and the staff as people ‘who can deal with our children; they understand them’; parents say ‘they treat our children with

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Effectiveness of leadership and management Requires improvement

respect and dignity’. The school’s most recent internal survey, undertaken in December 2016, confirmed that all parents who responded would recommend the school to others.  The curriculum is appropriately designed to meet pupils’ needs. Pupils in the main primary and secondary phases access an effective thematic curriculum, while pupils and students at key stages 4 and 5 have several options, including qualifications in, for example, ‘careers and experiencing work’, expressive arts, cooking, life skills, music technology, radio production, animal care, science and motor mechanics. The quality of careers education for pupils is strong and developing further with support from an external provider; older pupils and students rightly focus increasingly on employability, independent living and personal development.  The school’s assembly programme and daily morning sessions have a positive impact on pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development. They include opportunities for

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Effectiveness of leadership and management Requires improvement

pupils to learn about British values, equality and diversity and how they can positively change their school as members of the developing school council.  The monitoring of the quality of teaching, learning and assessment is developing, as is the school’s system for managing staff performance. An appropriate programme of visits to classrooms and checks on planning, pupils’ work and outcomes is well received by staff and has raised standards, but is somewhat limited in its impact in the absence of a full- time headteacher and lead teacher.

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Governance

 Governance is effective.  The headteacher, when in post, will be supported and held to account by the wider organisation’s managing director, and the school’s chair of governors. There are two governance boards: an executive board which meets three times per year to oversee the work of the group of schools, and a local management board which meets six times per year to oversee the work of this school. The headteacher’s reports are scrutinised at all meetings and their content is verified with visits from consultant headteachers and other directors.  Minutes from governors’ meetings confirm that board members provide appropriate support and challenge to the school’s leaders. They acknowledge the difficulties around recruitment of appropriately qualified staff and the need to invest further in the school’s physical environment. Governors also rightly identify the need to provide significant strategic support to the new headteacher, to give him the best chance of improving the

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Governance

school further.  Governors, under the direction of the managing director, are more effectively overseeing the school’s system for managing the performance of staff. Staff now have clear pay scales and are aware of their performance targets. Governors are involved in ensuring that decisions about salary increases for staff are based on evidence that is securely linked to quality of provision and pupils’ outcomes.  Governors, and especially the managing director, have an accurate understanding of the school’s performance and the actions required to further improve provision.

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Safeguarding

 The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.  The school’s designated safeguarding leader is an especially effective member of staff. Staff and pupils alike told the inspector that they trusted her and that her ‘open door’ policy meant they could always seek advice, guidance and support.  Frequent training, daily briefings and regular, informal checks on staff members’ understanding of national, local and internal policy and guidance help to ensure regard for pupils’ safety is of paramount importance.  A safeguarding culture of ‘no concern is too small’ pervades the work of the school. Concerns are very well documented and referred on to external agencies, which are worked with collaboratively and effectively. An example of this was confirmed when the inspector spoke with the local authority’s designated officer (LADO).  All relevant staff training is up to date. Where specific training needs have arisen, for

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Safeguarding

example in relation to self-harm or female genital mutilation, the school has organised additional training.  The school’s policy for, and use of, physical intervention is effective. Though it is very rarely required, all staff are appropriately trained and any incidents are thoroughly documented.  The school’s safeguarding policy reflects the most recent statutory guidance, ‘Keeping children safe in education’ (September 2016). It is published on the school’s website alongside all other required policies and information.

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Requires improvement

 The quality of teaching, learning and assessment is improving and typically enables pupils, who have generally had very difficult educational histories, to re-engage with learning.  The hallmark of the school is the excellent relationships between pupils and staff. Very positive working relationships with assistant teachers and teaching assistants enable pupils to feel able to seek advice and guidance when required.  Though the school is a caring and nurturing environment, teachers have generally high expectations of pupils. However, teachers need leadership, professional training opportunities and suitably qualified, experienced role models to learn from. This would serve to enable teachers to know how to get the best from pupils, especially those who are the most able or have especially complex needs.  Teachers’ planning is appropriately based on checks made on pupils’ attainment on entry to the school and considers how to meet pupils’ learning needs and interests. As a result,

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Requires improvement

teaching generally engages pupils and helps to develop their confidence and self-esteem. Pupils ask questions, engage in discussion and are enthused about their learning, often for the first time in years. Pupils’ reading skills are well developed.  Teachers’ management of behaviour in class is generally effective, though pupils’ use of mobile phones and headphones is sometimes disruptive and provides an easy mechanism for them to ‘opt out’.

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Personal development and welfare

 The school’s work to promote pupils’ personal development and welfare is good.  Pupils say they feel, and are, safe. They know that staff will always support them.  Bullying is very rare, and appropriately dealt with when it does happen.  Pupils are explicitly taught about how to stay safe, including online. They are also taught about equality, discrimination and the importance of British values through daily ‘good morning’ sessions and planned weekly assemblies. During the inspection, pupils engaged very positively with a visiting theatre production company, who facilitated discussion and learning about a range of pertinent topics, including sex and the law, relationships, peer pressure and smoking.  Pupils’ social and emotional well-being is developed as a matter of priority. Pupils develop their social skills and resilience to manage their emotions through the school’s patient, child-centred approach. An increasing therapeutic offer, which currently includes speech

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Personal development and welfare

and language and animal therapies, and will soon include music therapy, enhances pupils’ progress. However, though the school monitors pupils’ personal development anecdotally and in case studies, leaders are rightly planning to implement a new system to accurately record all pupils’ progress in relation to their social, emotional and behavioural development.

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Behaviour

 The behaviour of pupils requires improvement.  Though expectations have risen over the past year, they need to be raised further. The inspector was told that, historically, the school felt like more of a ‘youth club’. While this is no longer the case, leaders acknowledge that to usefully prepare pupils for their next steps, expectations around dress code, the wearing of jewellery and the use of mobile phones, headphones and the playing of inappropriate music need to become more robust.  Incidents of challenging behaviour are dealt with safely and effectively. Leaders record and review these incidents carefully. As a result, the team discuss pupils’ specific triggers and tailor provision accordingly.  Attendance and punctuality is good overall. Most pupils attend very well, which is a significant success as many of the pupils arrive at the school with histories of school refusal or significant periods of time out of school. Where pupils’ attendance is low and

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Behaviour

not improving quickly enough, as is the case for a significant proportion of the oldest pupils and students, the school does all it can with the pupil, parents and external agencies to support improvement.

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Outcomes for pupils Requires improvement

 Pupils typically arrive at the school with significant gaps in their education as a result of their complex needs and previous placement breakdowns. Many have previously refused to attend school or have attended a number of different settings before their placement at Park View Academy. Pupils also often join and leave the school at different times of the year. Despite this, the inspection found evidence that pupils make progress in a range of areas, especially in their social skills and in English and mathematics.  On entry, each pupil’s attainment in the core skills is checked to confirm their starting points. However, the progress pupils make from their different starting points in all areas of learning is unclear because there is no consistent system in place to identify this. The school is therefore unable to provide consistent, accurate information about pupils’ outcomes.  The school’s curriculum provides pupils with opportunities to work towards functional

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Outcomes for pupils Requires improvement

skills qualifications and work-related courses designed to meet their needs and interests. Pupils are successful in completing a range of accredited courses in, for example, English, mathematics, computing, cooking, life skills, music technology, animal care, science and motor mechanics. As a result, the majority are being well prepared for the next stage of their education or training. However, the most able pupils say they need to be challenged further, with work and courses that make them learn more and think harder.  All pupils evidently make significant progress socially, emotionally and personally. Leaders are now in the process of implementing a system to track and evaluate this progress formally.  The overwhelming majority of pupils and students who leave the school proceed to further education, employment or an apprenticeship.

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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

Annual fees (day pupils) £35,000 to £36,700

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School details

Date of previous inspection 5–7 June 2013

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Information about this school

 Park View Academy is one of three schools in the ALP group. It caters for pupils who have a statement of special educational needs or an education, health and care plan related to their autism spectrum condition and/or social, emotional and mental health difficulties.  While the school aims to meet the needs of pupils on a temporary basis as an alternative provision, many pupils remain at the school for the long term. All pupils are placed and funded by a range of local authorities. The majority of pupils access support from child and adolescent mental health services (CAMHS).  Pupils on roll at the time of the inspection were aged between 11 and 19. The school does not operate separate sixth form provision.  This is the school’s second full standard inspection. Its last full standard inspection was in June 2013, when its overall effectiveness was judged to be inadequate. Following this, the school was subject to three progress monitoring inspections, the latest of which was

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Information about this school

in May 2015, when the previously unmet independent school standards were judged to be met.  Some pupils access alternative provision as follows: – cooking and motor mechanics courses at Archway, Thamesmead, London SE2 9BS – hair and beauty and construction courses at Bexley College, Kent DA17 6JG – animal therapy at Animal Days Out, Welling DA16 3AD.  Additional off-site sports and enrichment activities are made available to pupils as follows: – sports activities and physical education at Crook Log Leisure Centre, Bexleyheath DA7 4HH – swimming and sports activities at Allhallows Leisure Park, Rochester ME3 9QD.  The school’s website meets all the requirements of the independent school standards.

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Information about this inspection

 This full standard inspection took place with one day’s notice.  The inspector jointly observed learning in all classes with the acting headteacher. He also heard pupils read, met with several pupils, observed an assembly and spoke with staff and pupils informally throughout the inspection. He also observed pupils engage in a theatre visit to their school.  The inspector jointly scrutinised the school’s information about pupils’ progress and their attendance and behaviour.  The inspector had several meetings with a wide range of staff including the managing director, acting headteacher, designated safeguarding lead and those with teaching responsibilities.  The inspector considered nine questionnaires completed by staff.  The inspector spoke with a representative of a placing local authority.  The inspector reviewed a wide range of documentation, including school policies, logs, evidence of staff training and information related to safeguarding and health and safety.

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Information about this inspection

He also spoke with the local authority’s designated officer (LADO) and met with the school’s ‘safer schools’ police officer.  There were very few contributions to Ofsted’s online questionnaire, Parent View. However, the inspector also took account of parents’ views by considering the school’s most recent internal survey. He also met with four parents.  The inspector also toured the premises and considered additional information and evidence in relation to the independent school standards.

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Inspection team

James Waite, 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.

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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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