Include School Norfolk

Include Schools Norfolk First floor, 29 Woodcock Road, Norwich, Norfolk NR3 3UA

p.1

Overall effectiveness Requires improvement

p.1

Effectiveness of leadership and management Requires improvement

p.1

Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Requires improvement

p.1

Personal development, behaviour and welfare Requires improvement

p.1

Outcomes for pupils Requires improvement

p.1

Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

This is a school that requires improvement

p.1

Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

 Leaders, governors and the proprietor are not ensuring that the independent school standards are met.  Staffing turbulence has slowed the pace of improvements.  Leaders have not secured a consistently good quality of teaching, learning and assessment. They have an overgenerous view of the quality of education the school provides.  The most able pupils have too few opportunities to take GCSE subjects, which restricts their achievement.  Staff do not fully understand the new systems to track pupils’ progress. Teachers are not using assessment outcomes effectively enough in their planning to ensure that pupils’ work is matched to their different abilities.  Teachers’ expectations for pupils’ learning are not consistently high enough.  Pupils’ attendance is below average with little sign of improvement. As a result, some pupils are not making good progress.

p.1

Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

 The majority of pupils make good progress in their behaviour and attendance.  Many pupils make good progress in vocational subjects because they attend regularly and their behaviour is good.  Most pupils transfer successfully to college or employment when they leave school.

p.1

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.

p.1

What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Strengthen leadership and management by ensuring that: – all of the independent school standards are met and are fully understood – all leaders, including governors and the proprietor, rigorously monitor the impact of teaching and assessment on pupils’ learning and progress.  Increase pupils’ rate of attendance and reduce persistent absence by working closely with the local authority and parents, and actively promoting the daily attendance of all pupils, including those on home-learning packages.  Improve learning and raise achievement by: – making sure that all staff understand the new systems of assessment and use these effectively to plan individual learning programmes matched to the different abilities of pupils – teachers have high expectations for pupils’ learning – increasing the range of GCSE subjects available for the most able pupils.

p.2

The school must meet the following independent school standards

 The proprietor must ensure that a written policy on the curriculum, supported by appropriate plans and schemes of work, is drawn up and implemented effectively and takes into account the ages, aptitudes and needs of all pupils, including those with an education, health and care plan (paragraph 2(1), 2(1)(a), 2(1)(b), 2(1)(b)(i)).  The proprietor must ensure that the 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 – fosters in pupils self-motivation, the application of intellectual, physical and creative effort, interest in their work and the ability to think and learn for themselves – shows a good understanding of the aptitudes, needs and prior attainments of the pupils and ensures that these are taken into account in the planning of lessons

p.2

The school must meet the following independent school standards

– demonstrates that a framework is in place to assess pupils’ work regularly and thoroughly and use information from that assessment to plan teaching so that pupils can progress (paragraph 3, 3(a), 3(b), 3(d), 3(g)). The proprietor must ensure that persons with leadership and management responsibilities at the school demonstrate good skills and knowledge appropriate to their role and fulfil their responsibilities effectively, so that the independent school standards are met consistently (paragraph 34(1), 34(1)(a), 34(1)(b)).

p.2

Effectiveness of leadership and management Requires improvement

 Leaders and governors have overseen deterioration in the school’s overall effectiveness since the previous inspection and have failed to ensure that all of the independent school standards are met.  Leaders’ and the proprietor’s views of the school are unrealistic and overgenerous. Their self-evaluation is not based on the rigorous monitoring of the impact of the curriculum, teaching and assessments across all sites on pupils’ learning and progress over time. Nevertheless, the monitoring of provision in King’s Lynn is stronger than in the other sites, leading to a higher proportion of good teaching and learning. The headteacher finds it difficult to provide the necessary support across the six sites to enable the staff to improve.  New leaders lack the essential skills to carry out their monitoring roles effectively. They do not check pupils’ work rigorously enough to ensure that their learning improves.

p.3

Effectiveness of leadership and management Requires improvement

Consequently, they have an inaccurate view of the quality of teaching and assessment on pupils’ learning and progress, which is not consistently good across all sites.  The school is not fulfilling its curriculum aim, ‘to personalise learning opportunities for each individual pupil to enable all to reach their potential’, effectively enough. The curriculum policy is supported by plans and schemes of work to provide a broad range of learning opportunities, including academic and vocational examination courses, especially at key stage 4. However, it is not implemented effectively. Individual plans do not take full account of the provision specified on pupils’ education, health and care (EHC) plans and there are too few opportunities for the most able pupils to study for GCSEs.  Leaders are ensuring that the wide range of vocational courses on offer are matched to pupils’ interests and chosen pathways on leaving school and are promoting enjoyment

p.3

Effectiveness of leadership and management Requires improvement

and achievement. Most pupils regularly attend a range of alternative providers to pursue their chosen courses in subjects such as engineering, childcare, construction and motor mechanics for one or two days per week.  The curriculum promotes pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development, including fundamental British values, effectively through its programmes for personal, social, health and economic education and citizenship. This includes a weekly slot for participating in a national programme, where pupils discuss a variety of topics and debates online before casting their votes.  The proprietor has recently implemented a new system of assessment to provide more detailed information about pupils’ academic progress, behaviour and attendance over time. Leaders are beginning to familiarise themselves with this system and use it to track pupils’ progress effectively, including the progress of some groups of pupils, such as

p.3

Effectiveness of leadership and management Requires improvement

disadvantaged pupils and those who have special educational needs and/or disabilities. However, they have not checked that teachers are familiar enough with these systems, and are unaware that staff are not using the information consistently enough in planning to set high enough expectations for pupils and match work to their different learning needs.  The recent local authority review of the school’s provision for children looked after and pupils who have special educational needs and/or disabilities has identified some of the shortcomings in assessment. The review also highlighted recent improvements to the curriculum, the management of behaviour and pupils’ attendance.  In discussion, parents were pleased with the provision and the leadership of the school in improving their children’s learning, behaviour and attendance. Parents particularly praised the good communication between home and school and felt that their views were taken

p.3

Effectiveness of leadership and management Requires improvement

seriously.  Most of the responses to the staff questionnaire were positive. Staff are proud of their school and feel valued.  The head of region is providing effective support for the new headteacher and curriculum leaders through regular visits to the school and promoting best practice.  Leaders are ensuring that pupil premium funding is used effectively to support the learning and well-being of disadvantaged pupils. The effectiveness of the use of enhanced pupil-premium funding for looked-after children is more variable. In some cases it is well used to support vocational learning and attendance.

p.4

Governance

 Governors have not ensured that all the independent school standards are met.  Governors are using the school’s data effectively to focus on key areas for development and have overseen the smooth implementation of the recent changes to the leadership team.  The executive principal has provided effective support and training for staff issues relating to behaviour management and safeguarding pupils.  Governors realise what needs to be done to improve the school and have a clear strategic plan in place for doing so.  Governors are ensuring that the school meets the requirements for safeguarding, with an up-to-date policy published on the school’s website and available as a paper copy to parents.

p.4

Safeguarding

 The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.  Leaders thoroughly check the suitability of staff, including supply staff and visitors, to work with pupils. They accurately record the checks made.  Leaders ensure that all potential risks to pupils are routinely assessed for activities in school, while on school trips and while pupils are attending off-site provision. Advocates are monitoring pupils’ engagement with learning while attending alternative provision on a regular basis. Leaders are planning to monitor the engagement of pupils on home learning on a daily basis.  Leaders are ensuring that all staff are familiar with the most recent guidance of safeguarding and are implementing the policy effectively. All training is up to date and the school follows the procedures laid down by the local safeguarding board effectively, as confirmed in discussion with the local authority designated officer for safeguarding pupils.

p.4

Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Requires improvement

 The quality of teaching, learning and assessment is too variable to ensure that pupils make good progress over time from their different starting points. There is not enough good teaching to ensure that pupils acquire new knowledge and skills rapidly enough and make the progress that they should.  Pupils’ work is of variable quality and shows that expectations for pupils’ learning and behaviour are sometimes too low. Some work is poorly presented and shows clear gaps in learning.  Some teaching does not consistently motivate pupils to be interested in their work or make sufficient effort to do well. During some visits to lessons, inspectors observed a significant number of pupils who were switched off learning and poorly motivated, which was also reflected in poor attendance in lessons. Sometimes, when pupils were disengaged with learning, support assistants sat passively and offered no encouragement for learning. In

p.5

Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Requires improvement

discussion, a significant number of pupils said that their lessons were boring.  Teaching is not adapted well enough to ensure that pupils are supported and challenged effectively in their learning. In many lessons seen and in pupils’ books, pupils of different abilities were given tasks to complete that did not move their learning on rapidly.  Many teachers lack a clear understanding of the new assessment system. They are not using the information from pupils’ prior learning to set tasks which are sufficiently challenging for the most able or achievable for the least able. As a result, some pupils find the tasks too easy and others find them too difficult.  Staff maintain good relationships with pupils, which underpins many of the successful learning activities. Pupils say that staff help them when they find tasks too difficult and clarify their misunderstandings.  The school’s information about pupils’ learning over time shows that some good teaching

p.5

Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Requires improvement

and learning occurs on all sites. Where teaching is good, staff use their good subject knowledge to develop pupils’ knowledge, skills and understanding rapidly. This was seen in some pupils’ books across different subjects, where work was well matched to pupils’ different needs.

p.5

Personal development and welfare

 The school’s work to promote pupils’ personal development and welfare requires improvement.  There are few opportunities for pupils to show initiative and take responsibility around the school.  Some pupils are not showing an understanding of the importance of good behaviour on their learning and progress.  A significant number of pupils smoke outside the school buildings. Staff provide lessons to promote healthy lifestyles, reminding pupils of the rules, dangers and harmful effects of smoking. Nevertheless, some pupils choose not to follow the rules.  The new ‘advocates’ on each site are providing sound advice and guidance to pupils. Older pupils have visited careers fairs and colleges and the school is using a commercial programme to enable pupils to make post-16 choices. An afternoon is also set aside on the timetable for ‘employability and college applications’. As a result, nearly all pupils have

p.5

Personal development and welfare

confirmed offers of placements at college or apprenticeships. The school continues to provide support for Year 11 leavers for 12 months after they have transferred to college, to enable them to settle into their courses.  Pupils benefit from a range of well thought-out activities to support their spiritual, moral, social and cultural development. The school has developed good links with the Matthew Project and the police to develop pupils’ awareness of the dangers and legal implications of drug and alcohol abuse. Some pupils participate in art therapy during visits to the Bethal Centre, which raises their self-esteem.  Pupils develop an understanding of life in modern Britain through topics on different religions and cultures within the programme of personal social, health and economic education. They learn about tolerance, mutual respect, democracy and the rule of law.  Pupils say that bullying is rare and staff resolve any incidents quickly, should these occur.

p.6

Personal development and welfare

Parents agree that bullying is not an issue at the school.  The school provides a safe and secure environment. Pupils receive clear guidance on the safe use of the internet and social media. They were seen using the internet safely. Pupils said that they feel safe in school, and parents agreed. Parents praised the quality of care provided to each pupil and said that this has helped their child to improve their learning and behaviour.

p.6

Behaviour

 The behaviour of pupils requires improvement.  The recorded incidents of challenging behaviour show that behaviour over time requires improvement to be good. The school has recently been through a period of staff turbulence, which has affected the behaviour of pupils and led to a high rate of exclusions. The school is now more settled and recent records show that the rates of exclusion are beginning to fall.  A few pupils show little improvement in their attitudes to learning, which is reflected in their persistent absence and poor attendance at school.  Attendance is below average. Staff work very closely with parents and the local authority to improve attendance, but many pupils with previous histories of persistent absence remain disaffected with school. However, their attendance rates on vocational courses at alternative providers are higher, with many attending regularly.  The majority of pupils who attend regularly develop good attitudes to school over time,

p.6

Behaviour

and this has a positive impact on their achievement.  The majority of pupils behave appropriately in lessons and around the school and are usually courteous and polite to others. Lessons are generally calm and purposeful.  Some pupils rapidly improve their behaviour and attendance. For example, a small number of children looked after have made outstanding progress in achieving 100% attendance.

p.6

Outcomes for pupils Requires improvement

 Records of pupils’ progress over time and work in pupils’ books show too much variability in the progress that pupils are making from their different starting points. Observations of learning over time show that progress is not consistently good.  The poor attendance of a significant number of pupils is affecting their achievement. Nevertheless, staff provide encouragement and support to enable pupils to re-engage with learning and settle in quickly. As a result, many pupils begin to catch up with the learning that they have previously missed.  Pupils in Year 11 gain a wide range of qualifications, including entry-level courses, City & Guilds, and Gateway qualifications vocational courses in construction, engineering, mechanics, hair and beauty, childcare and science.  The most able pupils have limited opportunities to take GCSE examinations, which are mainly confined to English and mathematics. This limits the progress they are making. In

p.7

Outcomes for pupils Requires improvement

2016, none were entered for GCSE and a small proportion of pupils have been entered for GCSE English this term.  The school’s information about the progress that disadvantaged pupils are making shows that they make similar progress to their peers across all subjects, but good progress in science, which is better than their peers.  Half of those pupils who are looked after are making consistently good progress because the enhanced funding is used well to support their learning in their vocational subjects. However, it is not used well enough to ensure that pupils who are looked after make equally good progress in other aspects of their achievements and well-being.  Pupils who have special educational needs and/or disabilities make the same variable progress as their classmates. Staff do not always take full account of their individual plans to provide them with tasks they can do and to deepen their thinking.

p.7

Outcomes for pupils Requires improvement

 The majority of pupils said that they are making better progress at the school than they did in their previous school and feel they are well prepared for leaving school.

p.7

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.

p.8

School details

Email address Philip.hinchliffe@catch-22.org.uk

p.8

School details

Date of previous inspection 19 November 2010

p.8

Information about this school

 Include Schools Norfolk, which is owned by the Catch-22 organisation, is an independent day special school spread widely across six sites: one in Great Yarmouth, three in Norwich and two in King’s Lynn. It was opened in 2003 in Norwich and the most recent site was opened in King’s Lynn in 2013. Each site provides full-time education for its pupils.  Catch-22 oversees the work of the school through a head of region who reports to the executive principal who in turn reports to a board of trustees.  The school is registered for 117 boys and girls between the ages of 14 and 16 years, who are referred and funded by the local authority. There are currently 104 pupils on roll.  Pupils have usually been permanently excluded from mainstream schools, special schools or pupil referral units. They have a history of disruption to their learning and many pupils have challenging behaviour.  Twenty-three pupils have an EHC plan arising from social, emotional and mental health

p.8

Information about this school

needs. A few of the pupils have additional learning difficulties, such as dyslexia, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder or autism.  The school receives pupil premium funding for almost two thirds of pupils, including enhanced pupil premium funding for two pupils who are looked after by the local authority.  The school uses a number of alternative providers to provide part-time vocational education programmes for pupils. A few pupils attend each of the following: – ACE in Norwich for up to two sessions per week to follow a range of courses, including engineering, construction and catering – St Edmund’s Society in Norwich for up to three sessions per week to participate in a range of courses in manicure, childcare and bricklaying – Century Training Service in Great Yarmouth to follow a part-time course in mechanics – City College Norwich for two sessions per week to follow art GCSE – Norfolk Training Services for up to two sessions per week to follow a course in

p.9

Information about this school

construction – Open Road in King’s Lynn for up to two sessions per week to follow a course in mechanics.  Since the previous inspection, the school has increased the number of sites from three to six. Ofsted conducted a material change inspection in March 2016 and the Department for Education agreed to increase its registration for the number of pupils on roll from 98 to 117.  There has been a high turnover of staff since the previous inspection. A new headteacher was appointed in December 2016 and the leadership team was reorganised in January 2017. Each site is now managed on a day-to-day basis by a curriculum and learning leader, and new advocate posts have been created to enhance welfare provision.

p.9

Information about this inspection

 Inspectors visited a number of lessons and activities on all six sites and an alternative provider in Norwich, jointly with senior leaders.  Inspectors looked at samples of pupils’ work and the school’s information about the progress pupils are making.  Inspectors held discussions with the headteacher, the regional head of Catch-22, the curriculum and learning leaders on each site and the special educational needs coordinator. They also held a telephone discussion with the executive principal for Catch- 22 and three local authority representatives to seek their views.  Inspectors held discussions with some pupils on each of the six sites and at the alternative provider in Norwich to seek their views.  There were no responses from parents on Parent View. The inspector held telephone conversations with seven parents to seek their views. Inspectors also looked at the responses in the 22 questionnaire returns from staff.

p.10

Information about this inspection

 Inspectors looked at the school premises and accommodation and scrutinised a wide range of documentation. This included: the curriculum policy and schemes of work; records of behaviour, attendance and exclusion figures; the school’s policies and procedures for safeguarding pupils, information provided to parents and the recent local authority review of the school’s work.

p.10

Inspection team

Declan McCarthy, lead inspector Ofsted Inspector

p.10

Inspection team

Richard Hopkins Ofsted Inspector guidance ‘Raising concerns and making a complaint about Ofsted’, which is available from Ofsted’s website: www.gov.uk/government/publications/complaints-about-ofsted . If you would like Ofsted to send you a copy of the guidance, please telephone 0300 123 4234, or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk .

p.10

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.

p.11

Inspection team

You can also use Parent View to find out what other parents and carers think about schools in England. You can visit www.parentview.ofsted.gov.uk , or look for the link on the main Ofsted website: www.gov.uk/government/organisations/ofsted .

p.11

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.

p.11

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 .

p.11

Inspection team

You may reuse this information (not including logos) free of charge in any format or medium, under the terms of the Open Government Licence. To view this licence, visit www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open- government-licence/ , write to the Information Policy Team, The National Archives, Kew, London TW9 4DU, or email: psi@nationalarchives.gsi.gov.uk .

p.11

Inspection team

Interested in our work? You can subscribe to our monthly newsletter for more information and updates: http://eepurl.com/iTrDn .

p.11

Inspection team

T: 0300 123 4234 Textphone: 0161 618 8524 E: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk W: www.gov.uk/ofsted

p.11