Harpurhey Alternative Provision School

School progress monitoring inspection report

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979–981 Rochdale Road, Manchester, Lancashire M9 8AE

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Main inspection findings

Part 1. Quality of education provided Paragraph 3(3)(h)  The previous inspection found that the school did not utilise effective strategies for managing behaviour and encouraging pupils to act responsibly.  Since the previous inspection, senior leaders, governors and trustees have re-written the school’s behaviour policy, in consultation with all staff. The new behaviour policy was introduced in January 2017.  The behaviour policy includes guidelines about the expectation of pupils’ conduct for pupils, parents and teachers. The policy includes appropriate sanctions and rewards to manage behaviour and encourage pupils to take more responsibility for their own behaviour. However, this policy is applied inconsistently by staff.  Leaders employ pastoral staff to focus on behaviour. Leaders and staff deal with incidents of poor behaviour appropriately and in a timely manner. Records show that the overall number of incidents of poor behaviour fell from the spring to the summer term of

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Main inspection findings

2017.  Pastoral staff provide pupil profiles to inform staff of the potential barriers to learning experienced by each pupil. These help staff to understand the background of pupils and which strategies have previously proved successful.  Leaders do not analyse behaviour logs and therefore do not have a clear overview of behaviour in lessons. Leaders are unaware of the impact of the new behaviour policy on reducing disruptions to learning. Leaders provided little evidence of how the new rewards system had improved behaviour in lessons.  Pupils and staff say that behaviour in lessons has improved in general. Some pupils, however, told the inspector that their learning is still interrupted frequently by poor behaviour in lessons.  Teachers are inconsistent in applying the behaviour policy. This was evident during the inspection. Leaders are aware of these inconsistencies. Plans are in place for further

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Main inspection findings

staff training to address this issue.  As there is a lack of clear evidence to demonstrate the effectiveness of the strategies used to manage behaviour, this standard remains unmet. Part 3. Welfare, health and safety of pupils Paragraph 14  The previous inspection found that the proprietor did not ensure that pupils were properly supervised through the appropriate deployment of school staff.  Leaders now ensure that there are clear plans in place to ensure that adequate numbers of staff are on duty to supervise pupils throughout the school day. These plans are amended daily and take into account staff availability.  Levels of supervision around the school are high. Pupils are supervised at the start of the day, at break- and lunchtimes and at the end of the school day. Staff also supervise pupils during lesson times and during changeover of lessons.  There is occasionally some loss of learning time as pupils move from one lesson to

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Main inspection findings

another due to the reluctance of a minority of pupils to move quickly to class. However, supervising staff ensure that pupils are clearly directed to where they need to be.  Leaders have altered the structure of the school day to minimise changeover times as they are aware of the potential opportunities for pupils to try to delay learning. Reducing the number of discrete lessons from five to four has, according to staff and pupils, improved behaviour on the corridors throughout the day.  Staffing levels are appropriate and staff are effectively deployed to supervise pupils. This standard is now met. Part 8. Quality of leadership in and management of schools Paragraph 34(1), 34(1)(a), 34(1)(b), 34(1)(c)  Following the previous inspection, the trustees, governors and leaders wrote an action plan to address the identified weaknesses. Leaders have since revised the action plan, responding to Ofsted’s evaluation of the proposed plan as unacceptable.

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Main inspection findings

 Ofsted considered that leaders were unclear about how each action would be evaluated and its effectiveness measured. Leaders remain unable to demonstrate how effective different components of the action plan are in improving the school.  Leaders do not have a strategic overview of how their actions are improving behaviour in the school. As a result, they do not have a clear picture of whether actions have been fully successful in improving provision or whether further changes are required.  The development of a strategic overview is hindered by ongoing problems with technology and computer systems. As a result of these technological difficulties, individual incidents and actions are recorded but are not routinely drawn together so that leaders can see what tangible differences their actions make.  Governors are supportive of the school and champion pupils. They are committed to the success of each and every pupil. The chair of governors visits the school frequently and

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Main inspection findings

talks to pupils. However, governors do not stringently hold leaders to account during governors’ meetings on the progress made towards meeting the independent school standards.  The school’s safeguarding procedures are effective. At the start of the progress monitoring inspection, the safeguarding policy was not available on the school’s website. Leaders took immediate action to address this issue and the safeguarding policy is now available on the school website.  Following the previous inspection, the trustees, governors and leaders have addressed successfully one of the identified weaknesses. This progress monitoring inspection found that one of the standards not met at the last inspection remains unmet. Therefore, the school does not meet some of the standards in this part.  Leaders now ensure that staff are deployed effectively to supervise pupils. There is a strong culture of safeguarding which runs throughout the school. Leaders and staff are

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Main inspection findings

aware of the potential risks to the vulnerable pupils who attend the school. They teach pupils about the dangers and risks and provide care and support when needed. Staff are vigilant and quick to raise any concerns. The previously unmet standard in this part concerning the well-being of pupils is now met.

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Compliance with regulatory requirements

The school does not meet the requirements of the schedule to the Education (Independent School Standards) Regulations 2014 (‘the independent school standards’) and associated requirements that were checked during this inspection. This included the standards and requirements that the school was judged to not comply with at the previous inspection. Not all of the standards and associated requirements were checked during this inspection.

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The school does not meet the following independent school standards

 The proprietor must ensure that the teaching at the school: – utilises effective strategies for managing behaviour and encouraging pupils to act responsibly (paragraph 3, 3(h)).  The standard about the quality of leadership and management is met if the proprietor ensures 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 (paragraph 34(1), 34(1)(a), 34(1)(b)).

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The school now meets the following independent school standards

 The standard about the welfare, health and safety of pupils at the school is met if the proprietor ensures that: – pupils are properly supervised through the appropriate deployment of school staff (paragraph 14).  The standard about the quality of leadership and management is met if the proprietor ensures that the persons with leadership and management responsibilities at the school: – actively promotes the wellbeing of pupils (paragraph 34(1)(c)).

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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

Proprietor Manchester Collegiate Educational Trust

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School details

Email address c.bell@haps.manchester.sch.uk

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School details

Date of previous standard inspection 6–8 December 2016

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Information about this school

 Harpurhey Alternative Provision School opened in 2015.  The school was previously inspected in December 2016. At this inspection, the school’s overall effectiveness was judged as inadequate and several of the independent school standards were not met.  The school draws its pupils from a variety of local schools and pupil referral units.  Harpurhey Alternative Provision School is an active participant in the North Manchester Behaviour and Attendance Partnership.

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Information about this inspection

 This inspection was carried out at the request of the registration authority for independent schools. The purpose of the inspection was to monitor the progress the school has made in meeting the independent school standards and other requirements that it was judged to not comply with at its previous inspection.  This monitoring inspection was the first since the standard inspection in December 2016 and was unannounced.  The school submitted an action plan to the Department for Education, which was evaluated as unacceptable in April 2017.  The inspector carried out a tour of the site.  Meetings were held with the proprietor, the deputy headteacher, other staff and the chair of governors.  The inspector undertook learning walks, some accompanied by a senior leader, and looked at pupils’ work in books.  The inspector spoke to pupils informally to gather their views of the school.  The inspector considered information from the school’s behaviour logs, records of the

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Information about this inspection

quality of teaching and learning, and the minutes from governors’ meetings.  The inspector observed pupils at breaktime, lunchtime, in lessons, in assembly and at the end of the school day.

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Inspection team

Helen O’Neill, lead inspector Her Majesty’s 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 visitwww.parentview.ofsted.gov.uk, or look for the link on the main Ofsted website: www.gov.uk/government/organisations/ofsted .

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Inspection team

achieve excellence in the care of children and young people, and in education and skills for learners of all ages. It regulates and inspects childcare and children’s social care, and inspects the Children and Family Court Advisory and Support Service (Cafcass), schools, colleges, initial teacher training, further education and skills, adult and community learning, and education and training in prisons and other secure establishments. It assesses council children’s services, and inspects services for children looked after, safeguarding and child protection.

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Inspection team

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Inspection team

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Inspection team

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