Cambian Red Rose School

Cambian Red Rose School Meadow Lane, Bamber Bridge, Lancashire PR5 8LN

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Effectiveness of leadership and management Outstanding

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Good

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Personal development, behaviour and welfare Good

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Overall effectiveness at previous inspection Not previously inspected

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

 The leadership of Cambian Red Rose School is outstanding. Leaders are exceptionally well organised and acutely responsive to pupils’ individual needs. In addition, and with the full support of all staff, leaders are determined in their ambition to nurture and develop pupils into competent and confident young adults.  Excellent support is available for senior leaders, and staff, from the Cambian Group’s director of education and other specialist staff. This helps to ensure that the quality of teaching and learning continually improves.  Pupils benefit from an imaginative and exciting curriculum, which enhances their spiritual, moral, social and cultural development, and their appreciation of British values, outstandingly well.  Parents and carers praise the school highly. They know exactly how well their children are achieving and are confident that children’s safety is given paramount importance.  The quality of teaching is good. Teachers are

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

patient, committed professionals, who know pupils exceptionally well. Teaching assistants are not always deployed effectively, to help pupils to achieve their very best.  Where teaching is especially effective, helpful and precise feedback is given to pupils on their work. This practice helps pupils take the next steps in their learning and is in line with the school’s feedback and assessment policy.  Opportunities are sometimes missed for pupils to write about their wide and varied educational experiences and practise and refine their skills across the curriculum.  Pupils’ behaviour is good. They attend school regularly, enjoy learning and understand the importance of developing positive attitudes to their school work.  Pupils achieve well. They make good, and sometimes outstanding, progress in a wide range of subjects, including English, mathematics and science.  An excellent range of qualifications is available

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

to pupils in subjects, including, art, citizenship and food technology. Pupils can, and do, excel in various entry-level and work-based learning qualifications.  Local authority partners say that communication with leaders is exemplary and that pupils’ social needs are catered for well.

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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 quality of teaching, learning and assessment by: – ensuring that teaching assistants are always deployed effectively to help boost pupils’ progress and raise standards even further – providing more opportunities for pupils to practise and develop their writing skills across the curriculum.

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Effectiveness of leadership and management Outstanding

 At Cambian Red Rose School, the proprietor and senior leaders are highly ambitious, exceptionally well motivated, and determined to make sure that all staff play their part in successfully educating and developing pupils to ‘have active and creative minds’ and ‘make a positive contribution to society’.  Although new to the school, the headteacher has held two headships prior to joining Cambian Group. He has made a seamless transition into his new role. Together with a highly-capable deputy headteacher and a newly formed senior leadership team, the headteacher ensures that the good and outstanding work of his predecessor continues to drive the school forward.  Together with the proprietor, senior leaders have ensured that the school meets all the independent school standards. Nothing is left to chance in this school and regulatory requirements are given paramount importance.  Some aspects of the school’s work are highly challenging, given the poor educational

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Effectiveness of leadership and management Outstanding

experiences and significant social and emotional challenges that many pupils have faced. Nonetheless, staff value their work, know pupils exceptionally well and consistently make sure that pupils’ educational, emotional and welfare needs come first.  Senior leaders regularly monitor the quality of teaching. They do this through observing teachers’ practice, talking to pupils about their learning and checking on the quality of work in pupils’ books. Feedback given to teachers on their work is highly effective in helping them to improve the quality of their practice. In addition, teachers are set highly aspirational targets, all of which are linked to improving outcomes for pupils and catering for their personal development and welfare.  Staff are highly appreciative of the many opportunities for their professional development. Senior leaders’ approach to training and development is very much linked to their ‘grow

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Effectiveness of leadership and management Outstanding

your own’ philosophy. Staff have been supported into middle management positions to, for example, lead on improving the quality of teaching and learning, and coordinate the school’s work with pupils who have special educational needs and/or disabilities.  Parents are of the view that the school is outstanding and speak of their children’s lives being ‘transformed’ and of children being engaged in learning having previously been school refusers. Representatives from local authorities are of a similar view, typically indicating that the school has an ‘excellent atmosphere’ and that behaviour management is ‘highly effective’. More than one representative stated that the school is one of the best for effectively working with pupils with complex needs.  Pupils benefit from an outstanding curriculum, which captures their interests, fully engages them in learning and supports their good and sometimes outstanding progress.

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Effectiveness of leadership and management Outstanding

Teachers know that there are always ways to get even the most reluctant pupil to develop a passion for learning. Teachers’ success is linked to their caring and personalised approach, as well as the rich and varied curriculum.  The school’s values pervade every classroom and corridor in the form of displays, posters and exhibitions linked to British values. Pupils have an excellent appreciation of the cultural diverse nature of British society, celebrated sports personalities and successful entrepreneurs. They learn about local politics and democracy, national and global issues, including crime and punishment, poverty and famine, and conscientiously raise money for various charities.  Senior leaders promote pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development outstandingly well. Pupils enjoy a wide range of outdoor learning activities, including fishing, horse riding, multi-sports, gardening and farming. They visit space centres, and

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Effectiveness of leadership and management Outstanding

science and living-history museums. Pupils have a good appreciation of visual and performing arts and recently went to the theatre to see Shakespeare’s ‘The Winter’s Tale’. In the Tate Art Gallery in Liverpool, they viewed an Andy Warhol exhibition.  Pupils visit zoos and are regular cinema goers. They have an excellent appreciation of world faiths, including Christianity, Hinduism, Judaism and Islam, and recently toured Manchester Cathedral and Preston Mosque.  Pupils enjoy art, crafts and woodwork, and produce outstanding work in these subjects. They appreciate poetry, enjoy debating various issues and enthusiastically participate in problem-solving activities. These experiences help pupils to develop ‘active and creative minds’, as well as good reading, writing and mathematical skills.  The school’s website is up to date and contains all necessary statutory information. The site is easy to navigate. All policies, including those for safeguarding, complaints and

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Effectiveness of leadership and management Outstanding

behaviour are current and published on the website.

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Governance

 There are strong links between all schools, and other services, in the Cambian Group. The work of both the headteacher and deputy headteacher is managed by the education director for the Cambian Group.  The director has an excellent overview of the school’s work. Specifically, he knows that the quality of teaching and outcomes for pupils are good and improving, and that the leadership and management of the school are outstanding.  The headteacher regularly provides information to the director on pupils’ attendance, teachers’ performance and pupils’ progress, and meets regularly with him for performance management purposes. In addition, the director regularly ‘drops in’ to the school to meet pupils and staff. The director reports to the proprietor on the performance of the school.  Support is available for the headteacher, and senior leaders, through various ‘arms’ of the Cambian Group, including those relating to human resources and social services.

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Governance

Governance arrangements are outstanding because they enable the director of education to have a well-informed overview of the quality of provision and provide excellent continuous professional development for senior leaders and staff.

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Safeguarding

 The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.  The school leaves absolutely nothing to chance when it comes to ensuring that pupils, staff and visitors are safe. Stringent checks are carried out on members of staff when they join the school to ensure their suitability to work with children. These are regularly updated. Detailed risk assessments are carried out in relation to all aspects of school life, including school visits. These also safeguard pupils when they are working off site.  Staff are exceptionally well trained to fully implement safeguarding procedures and are skilled at identifying signs of abuse and acting on any concerns. In addition, staff work exceptionally well with parents, carers and other stakeholder to make sure that pupils are well supported and safe.

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Good

 Consistently good teaching and assessment, including well-planned learning activities that cater for pupils’ individual learning needs, ensure that pupils enjoy school and make at least good progress, often from very low starting points.  Effective assessment procedures, carried out when pupils enter the school, support teachers in establishing pupils’ skill levels in different subjects, including reading, writing and mathematics. This enables teachers to tailor learning appropriately.  Pupils learn in bright, stimulating environments where their written, mathematics, art and science work is exhibited and celebrated. Teachers ensure that pupils know that their work is valued and encourage them to take care with the presentation of their work.  Teachers know pupils exceptionally well. They are aware of pupils’ learning styles and are highly skilled at engaging them, encouraging them to persevere and to develop their

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Good

skills. This was exemplified in an art lesson, where the teacher knew exactly when to encourage pupils to push on and experiment with their painting styles, as well as when to hold back, allowing pupils to reflect on and improve their work.  Mathematics teaching is very effective; activities are closely matched to the individual needs and abilities of pupils. Work in pupils’ books show many examples of them applying their mathematical skills to everyday practical problem-solving situations, such as shopping and measuring. Teachers focus on making up for pupils’ lost learning, helping to consolidate their calculation skills and familiarity with, for example, the characteristics of various shapes, fractions and decimals. One-to-one support is available for those pupils following the GCSE mathematics curriculum.  Safety comes first in all lessons. This was exemplified in science, where the teacher expertly used a rap music video and cartoon drawings to illustrate, in a fun way, the

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Good

potential dangers and hazards of working in a laboratory environment. In food technology, pupils know to use knifes carefully, take care around boiling water and sterilize their hands. In woodwork, pupils respect the joiners’ tools and use them carefully and sensibly.  Teachers have good specialist knowledge in a wide range of subjects, including English. Workbooks show evidence of pupils writing for different purposes and in various styles. Teachers take a consistent approach to checking pupils’ grammar, punctuation and spelling. As a result, pupils’ writing skills improve over time.  Teachers encourage pupils to read in class and write poetry. Examples of poetry can be seen in pupils’ books, including very thoughtful writing linked to Alfred Noyes’ poem, The Highwayman. Outstanding examples of pupils’ thoughtful poems, written as if from Bess to Dick Turpin, were seen by the inspector. However, opportunities are sometimes

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Good

missed for pupils to capture and write about their many educational visits and extra- curricular activities and for them to practise and refine their writing skills across the curriculum.  In this school, therapy plays an important part of teaching and learning, and is especially effective in encouraging the participation of reluctant pupils in learning activities. This was illustrated well in an animal-therapy session where pupils gradually developed their confidence to pet and care for three chihuahua dogs, and groom two rabbits.  Teachers work effectively to ensure that pupils commit to completing their work, both in school and at home. In addition, most teachers fully adhere to all aspects of the school’s feedback and assessment policy.  Teachers and teaching assistants generally work well together, ensuring that pupils benefit from intensive support and close attention to their needs. When this partnership is

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Good

less effective, teaching assistants are not always fully involved in teaching and learning activities. Due to this, teaching assistants’ focus is sometimes more on managing pupils’ behaviour, rather than meeting senior leaders’ expectations, which relate closely to supporting pupils in acquiring skills and knowledge.

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Personal development and welfare

 The school’s work to promote pupils’ personal development and welfare is outstanding. The school’s excellent work to ensure that pupils have the skills, knowledge and competencies necessary for their next stage of learning or employment is exemplary.  Key stage 4 pupils benefit from regular and comprehensive independent careers advice. All pupils are encouraged and supported to follow their interests. Senior leaders are constantly exploring opportunities, in partnership with employers and colleges, to extend the range of academic and skills-based pathways on offer to pupils.  For most pupils, their resilience and ability to try out new things and learn from mistakes, is measured in very small steps, which often represent giant strides, given pupils’ starting points. For example, the inspector observed pupils succinctly summarising mathematics work, reading challenging poetry, and debating the pros and cons of restorative justice as

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Personal development and welfare

a means of victims of crime coming to terms with their experience. Such aspects of the school’s work are outstanding and support pupils exceptionally well in becoming productive and active citizens.  Pupils have an in-depth knowledge of how to keep themselves safe, which they learn through the personal, social, health and emotional aspects of the curriculum. They have an exceptionally strong understanding of how to stay safe while on line. Pupils know exactly why they should be careful when using social-networking websites. There are constant reminders around the school which give pupils an acute sense of awareness in relation to e-safety. Pupils understand the need for restricted internet access, which they say gives them the confidence to use computers safely.  An excellent range of sports is on offer for pupils. The school has good facilities on site, including a five-a-side football pitch and a grassed adventure area, with equipment that

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Personal development and welfare

includes a zip wire and tyre swing. Pupils have access to a wide range of facilities at the adjacent leisure centre. Here, they can engage in gymnastics and various team sports.  Pupils’ understanding of the harmful effects of smoking and drinking and using illegal drugs is exceptionally well developed through the citizenship curriculum, as is their understanding of social injustice and how to avoid gangs and criminal activities.  Leaders work effectively with alternative providers to ensure that pupils’ personal development and welfare is well promoted.

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Behaviour

 The behaviour of pupils is good. Pupils continually learn how to conduct themselves appropriately, when in school, on placements in college and when on educational trips and visits. This is because staff concentrate on conveying to pupils the importance of abiding by the rules. Staff take a consistent approach to managing behaviour and explain clearly to pupils why they should have control of their emotions and consider the thoughts and feeling of others.  Some pupils find it difficult to manage their own behaviour. Staff are expert in reading pupils’ body language and identifying any signs which might indicate that a pupil is distressed. Typically, staff intervene and diffuse such situations.  Many aspects of the curriculum support pupils exceptionally well to learn to manage their own behaviour. Plenty of opportunities are available for pupils to ’cool off’, take ‘time out’ and reflect on their thoughts and feelings.

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Behaviour

 The school keeps meticulous behaviour and restraining logs, all of which indicate that staff consistently adhere to the school’s policies for managing behaviour. In addition, they indicate considerable improvements in pupils’ behaviour over time.  Parents have no concerns about pupils’ behaviour, in fact they are highly complimentary about the school’s work in this area. Similarly, representatives from placing authorities are satisfied that pupils’ behaviour is good. Staff are also of this view, as are partners from colleges and the various centres visited by pupils.  Pupils say that behaviour is good most of the time. They indicate that pupils sometimes have ‘meltdowns’. However, these are always dealt with effectively. Inspection evidence indicates that behaviour is typically good.  Pupils have a good understanding of racism and homophobic bullying, which they say rarely happen at school.

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Outcomes for pupils Good

 Almost all pupils attending the school have spent long periods of time out of school, or have not been productive in their previous schools. As a result, on entry, the skills and abilities of most are not commensurate with those expected for their age in subjects such as reading, writing, mathematics and science.  Where the school has records from previous schools on pupils’ achievements, these are indicated as the starting points in pupils’ ‘flight path’ folders. This information sits alongside the school’s baseline assessments of pupils’ skills and abilities, which are carried out when each pupil joins the school.  Because of the very small number of pupils in each class, usually less than five, it is not possible to make any meaningful comparisons between their progress and attainment and that of other groups of pupils nationally. However, considering the school’s robust procedures for assessing pupils’ skills and abilities on entry and taking into account the

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Outcomes for pupils Good

quality of work in pupils’ books, pupils make good and sometimes outstanding progress from their starting points in the school, in a wide range of subjects.  At the end of Year 11 in 2016, the school’s first full academic year, a very small number of pupils took GCSEs in English and mathematics. Although not all gained good grades, the school’s assessment information and work in pupils’ books indicate that pupils made good progress from their low starting points. Current pupils are making good progress, including with their GCSEs, which are being taken by more pupils this year.  Pupils make outstanding progress in art. This is evident in the vibrant and skilfully executed work produced by pupils and displayed around the art room. Art excellence is identified and nurtured by the art teacher, who encourages pupils to take pride in their work and collate portfolios in preparation for their GCSE examinations.

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Outcomes for pupils Good

 Imaginative and thoughtful science teaching, often delivered on a one-to-one basis, engages pupils in learning and ensures their good progress. Similarly, in food technology, pupils can prepare and cook tasty dishes, such as leek and mushroom pasta, which was served during the inspection. In such subjects, pupils acquire valuable skills, which prepare them well for independent living after leaving school.  Pupils who have special educational needs and/or disabilities make accelerated progress in a wide range of subjects. This is because they are cared for well by experienced and skilled staff, who focus not only on improving pupils’ reading, writing and mathematics, but also on developing pupils’ confidence to engage in learning and share their ideas in class.  Pupils make accelerated progress in mathematics, because tasks and activities are closely linked to their different skills and abilities. In addition, pupils enjoy mathematics and have

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Outcomes for pupils Good

a good appreciation of its relevance in everyday life. Pupils’ workbooks indicate that they receive useful advice on their work. This they take, and progress exceptionally well as a result.  In English, pupils make good progress in developing their use of grammar and punctuation. Their workbooks show that over time, their spelling and writing ‘stamina’ is improving. Pupils’ reading skills are developing, as they increasingly spend time reading in class. The school is looking at ways to further develop pupils’ appreciation of books and to encourage them to read more often.  In addition to GCSEs, pupils can excel in the extensive range of qualifications available to them, including in volunteering and food hygiene. Pupils can study for personal, social, health and emotional development certificates, acquire functional-skills qualifications in English, mathematics, information and communication technology, fire safety and first aid

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Outcomes for pupils Good

and complete short courses on safety in the workplace, citizenship and preparation for working life.  The school works closely with virtual headteachers in different local authorities and regularly submits plans to show how it intends to spend additional pupil premium funding for eligible pupils. Plans are imaginative, and range from providing additional support and educational resources for pupils to supporting various educational trips and animal therapy sessions. School records show that such pupils make good progress in reading, writing and mathematics and attain well from their often low starting points.  The school has few high-attaining pupils. However, teachers are adept in developing talent and encouraging pupils to achieve to their very best. The most able pupils are encouraged to study for GCSEs in subjects such as art and food technology, as soon as they have the necessary skills.

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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 A school for pupils with social, emotional and mental health difficulties (SMEH) School category Independent school

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School details

Website www.cambiangroup.com/cambiangroup.aspx

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School details

Email address Simon.harrison1@cambiangroup.com

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School details

Date of previous inspection Not previously inspected

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Information about this school

 The Cambian Group owns the school. The Group has a nationwide portfolio of Department for Education (DfE) registered special schools, each of which provides for children with a broad range of social, emotional and mental health difficulties (SEMH).  Cambian Red Rose School is an independent, coeducational day school, providing specialist education for up to 30 pupils, aged five to 18 years. The school aims to provide ‘high-quality, personalised education for students with social, emotional and mental health (SEMH) difficulties’. The school believes that its success is ‘based on an approach which combines high expectations with sensitivity to the needs of individual students’ .  At the time of the inspection there were 20 pupils on roll, 10 boys and 10 girls, aged between 13 and 16. Almost all pupils are in the care of various local authorities.  The school caters for pupils with a wide range of abilities. All have special educational

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Information about this school

needs and/or disabilities. Almost half of all pupils have education, health and care plans or a statement of special educational needs.  Most pupils are of White British heritage, none speaks English as an additional language.  All pupils learn in one of five classes. Most groups contain fewer than five pupils. Learning is tailored to meet the individual learning needs of pupils. One-to-one activities are available in areas including art, food technology and woodwork.  Most pupils are eligible for additional support through the pupil premium funding. Senior leaders submit plans to various placing authorities, which indicate how the school intends to spend the funding and measure its impact.  Pupils study for a range of qualifications, most of which are entry-level, in subjects including mathematics, English and citizenship. A small group of pupils is studying for GCSE qualifications in subjects including English, mathematics, science and art.

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Information about this school

 A small number of pupils study off site and are studying for vocational qualifications in construction at Preston Vocational Centre.  At the request of the registration authority for independent schools, a pre-registration inspection was carried out under section 99 of the Education and Skills Act 2008. At this time the school either met, or was likely to meet, all independent school standards.

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Information about this inspection

 The inspector observed pupils in various lessons, including English, mathematics, science, art, citizenship and food technology. Observations of teaching were carried out with the headteacher and deputy headteacher.  Pupils’ work was scrutinised during lessons and separately. Meetings were held with the senior leaders and middle leaders responsible for teaching and learning, improving the quality of teaching and for the provision for pupils who have special educational needs.  The inspector held various discussions with pupils throughout the course of the inspection. He scrutinised the school’s surveys of pupils’ views. There were too few responses to Ofsted’s online survey, Parent View, to consider.  The inspector scrutinised responses to the inspection questionnaires completed by 12 members of staff. He considered the school’s own surveys of pupils’ and parents’ views, as well as those of representatives from placing authorities.

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Information about this inspection

 Telephone discussions were held with parents and carers, a representative from a placing authority and a representative from Preston Vocational College.  A meeting was held with the education director for the Cambian Group and a representative from a placing authority.  Various documents were scrutinised. These included a wide range of policies, including those relating to health and safety, safeguarding, equality and diversity and complaints. The inspector examined the school’s evaluations of its own performance, development plans, records of monitoring the quality of teaching, behaviour logs and data and information on pupils’ performance.

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Inspection team

Lenford White, 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

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.

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Inspection team

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 .

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Inspection team

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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.gov.uk/ofsted

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