Manchester Creative Studio

Store Street Manchester M1 2WD T 0300 123 4234 www.gov.uk/ofsted

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Mrs Linda Magrath Manchester Creative Studio 16 Blossom Street Manchester M4 5AW

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Special measures monitoring inspection of Manchester Creative Studio

Following my visit to your school on 17–18 October 2017, I write on behalf of Her Majesty’s Chief Inspector of Education, Children’s Services and Skills to confirm the inspection findings. Thank you for the help you gave during the inspection and for the time you made available to discuss the actions that have been taken since the school’s recent section 5 inspection.

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Special measures monitoring inspection of Manchester Creative Studio

The inspection was the first monitoring inspection since the school became subject to special measures following the inspection that took place in March 2017.

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Special measures monitoring inspection of Manchester Creative Studio

Having considered all the evidence I am of the opinion that at this time:

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Special measures monitoring inspection of Manchester Creative Studio

Leaders and managers are taking effective action towards the removal of special measures.

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Special measures monitoring inspection of Manchester Creative Studio

The trust’s statement of action is fit for purpose.

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Special measures monitoring inspection of Manchester Creative Studio

The school’s improvement plan is fit for purpose.

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Special measures monitoring inspection of Manchester Creative Studio

The school may not appoint newly qualified teachers before the next monitoring inspection.

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Special measures monitoring inspection of Manchester Creative Studio

I am copying this letter to the chair of the trust board, the regional schools commissioner and the director of children’s services for Manchester. This letter will be published on the Ofsted website.

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The areas for improvement identified during the inspection that took

 Take immediate action to ensure that safeguarding arrangements are effective by: – ensuring that leaders and staff fully adhere to policies and procedures and that accurate records are kept of incidents when they arise – strengthening accountability so that senior leaders know their roles and responsibilities in safeguarding pupils in the school – listening to concerns raised by pupils and staff and acting on those concerns as per the school’s policies – ensuring that there is a culture of openness about safeguarding issues across the school and that lines of communication between staff, including senior staff, are strengthened – developing pupils’ understanding of how to apply what they have been taught about radicalisation and extremism to their own lives – ensuring that the effectiveness of computer filtering systems is checked regularly so that pupils only have access to age-appropriate content and are

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The areas for improvement identified during the inspection that took

protected when online – ensuring that governors fulfil their statutory duties in relation to safeguarding.  Take swift action to improve leadership and management by: – ensuring that the school’s curriculum is planned effectively and taught well – providing a wider range of extra-curricular provision – setting high expectations of what pupils can and should achieve – overhauling ongoing staff training so that middle leaders and other staff have the tools to help pupils to reach their potential – strengthening procedures for monitoring the quality of teaching, learning and assessment – using the outcomes of monitoring to inform school improvement priorities, ongoing staff training and support performance management arrangements – strengthening governance so that it robustly holds leaders to account for the standard of education that the school provides.  Rapidly improve pupils’ progress and attainment right across the curriculum and

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The areas for improvement identified during the inspection that took

especially in English and mathematics.  Take immediate action to improve the quality of teaching, learning and assessment by: – ensuring that the system for assessing pupils’ progress is accurate – ensuring that teachers plan effectively for learning and progress – ensuring that teaching develops pupils’ knowledge, skills and understanding.  Take immediate action to improve pupils’ personal development, behaviour and welfare by: – rapidly improving pupils’ rates of attendance, their punctuality and by reducing the proportion of pupils who are regularly absent from school – improving pupils’ behaviour and attitudes to learning so that exclusions reduce – improving the quality and presentation of pupils’ work – ensuring that pupils receive impartial careers education, information, advice and guidance – improving the opportunities that pupils have to keep themselves healthy and fit.  Improve the 16 to 19 study programmes by:

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The areas for improvement identified during the inspection that took

– ensuring that students receive high-quality impartial advice and guidance about their options post-16 – ensuring that all students undertake appropriate work experience and that the relevant health and safety checks are routinely undertaken. An external review of governance should be undertaken in order to assess how this aspect of leadership can be improved.

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Evidence

Her Majesty’s Inspector observed the school’s work, scrutinised documents and met with representatives from Cheadle Hulme High School (CHHS), including the headteacher, deputy headteacher and assistant headteacher. The inspector also met with two leaders of safeguarding and a pastoral leader from CHHS. He met with the vice-principal, head of operations and the leader responsible for careers education from the Manchester Creative Studio (MCS). The inspector spoke with the chair of the reconstituted Manchester Creative Studio Trust Board. He met with groups of pupils and teachers. He observed teaching and learning jointly with senior leaders, and scrutinised samples of pupils’ work. The inspector observed how pupils behaved around the school during break and lunchtime.

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Context

Since the inspection, CHHS has been commissioned to provide the school with intensive support. The acting principal, acting assistant principal and acting leader of safeguarding and pastoral care are all employees of CHHS who are currently working at the school in a full-time capacity. In addition, the headteacher and deputy headteacher are both involved in leading the school on a part-time basis. The school is also supporting the MCS with matters relating to safeguarding, finance, human resources, information technology systems, arrangements for pupils who have special educational needs and/or disabilities, and careers guidance. Teachers from CHHS currently teach all the mathematics and computer science at the school. They also provide support for the teaching of English, science, art and media. The principal from MCS was not at the school during the inspection. Six members of staff have left the school since the previous inspection. The trust board

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Context

took the decision not to admit any new Year 10 or Year 12 pupils at the start of the current academic year. There are currently 41 pupils on roll: 11 in Year 13 and 30 in Year 11.

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The effectiveness of leadership and management

Leaders from CHHS have transformed the effectiveness of leadership and management throughout the school. They have left no stone unturned in their quest to improve provision and they have set about their task with optimism, tact and determination. Leaders’ plans to improve the school are broad, ambitious and fit for purpose. Leaders from CHHS have a wealth of knowledge and experience that is being used to secure rapid improvements in different areas. Leaders from CHHS have begun to overhaul the culture and ethos of the school. They have ensured that members of staff take their safeguarding responsibilities seriously and staff are beginning to have higher expectations of what pupils are capable of achieving. This has resulted in the establishment of a more professional culture throughout the school.

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The effectiveness of leadership and management

Leaders from CHHS have provided the school with urgent support to improve safeguarding arrangements. Safeguarding systems are now compliant with regulations and leaders have started to lay the foundations for the establishment of a positive safeguarding culture. Leaders have re-formed the school’s safeguarding team. This team is led with tenacity, openness and care by a leader from CHHS. The safeguarding team has ensured that members of staff now have a clear understanding of almost all of the school’s safeguarding policies and procedures. They refer concerns appropriately to the safeguarding team, who, in turn, make referrals to appropriate external agencies.

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The effectiveness of leadership and management

Safeguarding records are now meticulous. Members of staff have become exceptionally vigilant to any changes in the mood or presentation of pupils. They also understand the ways in which some pupils at the school are particularly vulnerable. The work of the safeguarding team assumes central importance within the school. As a result, there is clear communication across the school on matters relating to the safety of pupils. Any concerns raised by pupils or staff are taken seriously and all members of staff understand the important part they play in keeping pupils safe.

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The effectiveness of leadership and management

Leaders have acted decisively to ensure that effective filtering systems are in place for the school’s information technology network. They have also increased pupils’ awareness of how extremism can potentially affect them. Pupils told the inspectors how they have learned about radicalisation in different forms, such as the emergence of neo-Nazism and a variety of terrorist organisations. Leaders have plans to provide staff with additional training on extremism over the next month, so they are in an even stronger position to support pupils with these important issues.

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The effectiveness of leadership and management

Members of staff say they would inform a leader if they have concerns about the conduct of a colleague. However, they do not have a clear understanding of the procedures that are outlined in the school’s whistleblowing policy. In particular, they are unclear about the role played by the chair of the trust board in matters relating to the conduct of staff. Furthermore, leaders from MCS are not carefully tracking where pupils go after finishing their time in the school. Consequently, leaders are unaware whether a large number of pupils who have recently left the school are currently involved in further education, employment or training. Given the vulnerability of many of these ex-pupils, this represents a safeguarding concern.

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The effectiveness of leadership and management

Leaders have tweaked the curriculum to ensure that it provides pupils with the very best chance of achieving the highest grades possible. For example, they have discontinued the teaching of history and increased the amount of time that pupils are taught English and mathematics. Leaders have taken the decision to narrow the curriculum to compensate for the legacy of weak teaching across the school. Leaders have also ensured that pupils benefit from an extensive range of intervention strategies to help quicken their progress in different subjects. Despite this, pupils do not currently have access to any extra-curricular opportunities that would enrich the taught curriculum. Pupils are looking forward to joining a debating club that is due to start during the next half term and leaders are liaising with staff from CHHS to provide pupils with extra-curricular sporting opportunities.

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The effectiveness of leadership and management

Leaders have made vast improvements to staff training. They have ensured that members of staff have access to training opportunities that improve their practice individually and as a group. Almost all staff are supported closely by colleagues from CHHS. Most teachers have observed teaching and learning at CHHS, and this has been instrumental in helping leaders to establish higher expectations among staff. Leaders have also strengthened systems for monitoring and evaluating the quality of teaching. They are highly skilled at evaluating the quality of teaching. Staff are provided with feedback from lesson observations and work scrutiny that clearly evaluates the impact of teaching on the rates of progress made by different groups of pupils. Leaders use their monitoring to determine further training opportunities for staff. As a result, leaders are beginning to involve all teachers in a meaningful dialogue about how they can best improve their practice. In turn, this is

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The effectiveness of leadership and management

leading to clear signs that teaching is beginning to improve.

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The effectiveness of leadership and management

The newly re-formed MCS trust board are fully committed to ensuring that the school does the very best for pupils and staff currently at the school. This moral imperative is shared by leaders from CHHS. The trust board has made leaders accountable for all areas of school improvement. They challenge leaders in pursuit of the very best deal for pupils. There has not yet been an external review of governance because trustees have been in position for less than six months.

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment

Leaders have undertaken a great deal of work to ensure that assessment is accurate. Most teachers have moderated work alongside colleagues from CHHS. As a result, leaders are now confident in the accuracy of assessment. Furthermore, leaders now use this information to determine where additional support and intervention is required to help pupils make quick progress across the curriculum. Teachers have been supported by colleagues from CHHS to plan more effectively for learning and progress. In areas where teaching has shown little improvement, such as English, teachers are supported closely to develop the quality and precision of their planning. As a result, the quality of teaching is beginning to improve. Despite this, teachers’ expectations of what pupils can achieve are not high enough. This is particularly true of pupils with middle and high prior attainment. Consequently, teachers are not yet planning effectively for pupils with different

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment

Teaching is highly effective when carried out by teachers from CHHS. These lessons are characterised by high expectations, skilful questioning and incisive planning for pupils of different abilities. The teaching of mathematics is emerging as a clear strength. Teachers are beginning to employ the school’s assessment policy and are providing pupils with personalised feedback that challenges them to deepen their understanding and extend their skills.

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment

Some teachers lack confidence. They are only just beginning to develop an understanding of teaching that will enable them to become reflective practitioners over time. As a result, the quality of teaching remains inconsistent. In particular, there is huge variability in the quality of teachers’ questioning and the clarity of teachers’ explanations. Pupils’ misconceptions are often not addressed and teachers are not yet skilled at reshaping their explanations when pupils do not understand new knowledge and ideas. Consequently, teaching is only just beginning to improve and it is not having a pronounced impact on the rate of progress made by pupils across the curriculum.

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Personal development, behaviour and welfare

Leaders have introduced a comprehensive suite of strategies to address the issue of poor attendance. They have introduced a new attendance policy and clear procedures for dealing with absence. These strategies involve greater parental communication and utilising the support of an educational welfare officer. Leaders have also ensured that the virtues of good attendance are promoted relentlessly, and they have introduced a number of high-profile rewards for positive attendance. As a result, there are clear signs that attendance is starting to improve. Rates of attendance are higher than the previous academic year and the proportion of pupils who are regularly absent from school has decreased. The school provides effective support to pupils whose complex social and emotional needs are a barrier to regular attendance. Despite this, rates of absence are still well above the national average. Furthermore, girls are still more likely than boys to be regularly absent from school.

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Personal development, behaviour and welfare

Leaders have strengthened systems for improving punctuality at the start of the day. Parents receive a text message if their child is late to school and pupils are given a detention for lateness. Leaders treat lateness as an attendance issue, and have enlisted the support of the educational welfare officer to challenge pupils who are regularly late to school. As a result of this work, punctuality has improved throughout the school. Despite this, there are still a small group of pupils who are regularly late.

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Personal development, behaviour and welfare

Leaders have adjusted the behaviour policy and are focused on ensuring that procedures for managing behaviour are consistently followed by staff. Collectively, staff are beginning to have higher expectations of pupils’ conduct. Staff have appreciated the training they have received on behaviour management and de- escalation. Leaders’ records clearly indicate that there has been a significant reduction in the frequency of incidents of serious misbehaviour. This has resulted in a sharp decline in the number of exclusions compared to the previous academic year. Staff and pupils feel that behaviour has improved markedly. Behaviour is calm out of lessons. Pupils are considerate and respectful of each other. Despite this, members of staff still have variable expectations of the attitudes and behaviours pupils should exhibit towards their learning. As a result, pupils’ behaviour can lack focus in lessons, particularly in subjects where teaching is

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Personal development, behaviour and welfare

weaker. Furthermore, the presentation of pupils’ work, although improved, is still inconsistent across the curriculum. Too much work is still presented with insufficient care and attention.

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Personal development, behaviour and welfare

Leaders have taken small but purposeful steps to ensure that pupils have greater access to opportunities to keep themselves fit and healthy. In particular, they have increased the amount of curriculum time for physical education by 50%. They have also removed the option to study drama in physical education, which has ensured that all pupils engage in activities that will provide them with a minimum amount of exercise each week. Pupils benefit from high-quality instruction in jiu-jitsu, boxing and gym. To emphasise the importance of these sessions, leaders participate alongside pupils. Leaders are also working alongside staff from CHHS to explore opportunities for pupils to benefit from a greater range of sporting activities. However, pupils do not currently have access to any extra-curricular sporting opportunities. Pupils learn about important aspects of health, such as sleep, diet and exercise, in sessions that focus on ‘skills for learning’.

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Personal development, behaviour and welfare

Pupils now benefit from improved careers education. Importantly, all pupils now have access to impartial careers guidance. Leaders have hired an independent careers advisor to work on a one-to-one level with all pupils in Year 11 and Year 13. This work is augmented by units within the ‘skills for learning’ curriculum that teach pupils about different options that are available to them when they leave MCS. Leaders have also arranged for external speakers to visit the school to discuss different options to do with further study and apprenticeships. Despite this, leaders are not doing enough to track where pupils go when they leave the school.

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Outcomes for pupils

Pupils in Year 11 made noticeably faster progress across the curriculum in 2017, compared to the previous Year 11 cohort. This improvement was one of the most dramatic in the country, and reflected the intensive intervention provided by CHHS in the build-up to the summer examinations. Pupils attained significantly higher grades in English and mathematics than previously, and made considerably quicker progress across the curriculum. Despite this, 2017 outcomes were still inadequate across the curriculum. Furthermore, disadvantaged pupils made slower progress than in the previous year.

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Outcomes for pupils

Evidence from pupils’ work indicates that pupils currently in Year 11 are still underachieving considerably. This is due to a legacy of inadequate teaching and persistent inconsistencies in the quality of teaching. Evidence from work scrutiny and observations of teaching indicates that pupils are only making accelerated progress in mathematics due to the dramatic improvements that have been made to teaching in that subject.

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16 to 19 study programmes

Students who complete their studies achieve well on vocational courses. Rates of attainment are above the national average for all groups, including the disadvantaged. This is because teaching is effective and students who finish their studies are interested and keen to do well. On the other hand, too few students complete their study programmes and retention continues to be a cause for concern. Furthermore, leaders do not carefully track where students go when they abandon their studies.

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16 to 19 study programmes

Students have not been supported well when they have had to resit English and/or mathematics GCSE. As a result, no student attained a standard pass in the 2017 examinations. Positively, leaders have ensured that the teaching of these courses has improved this year.

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16 to 19 study programmes

Leaders have ensured that all students have access to impartial careers advice. Students speak positively about the advisor’s expert and objective input. They feel that it has helped them to make clearer plans for the future. Leaders now have appropriate plans in place to ensure that all students gain access to relevant work experience. The first tranche of work experience placements is due to take place in November. Leaders have devised clear processes to monitor the health and safety of work experience, before and during placements. Although as yet untested, these systems should ensure that students are safe and well cared for during work experience.

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External support

The regional schools commissioner organised for CHHS to support the school after it was placed in special measures. Leaders from CHHS have, in a relatively short period of time, managed to bring about significant changes in the school. They have stabilised the school by ensuring that pupils are safe, and by ensuring that pupils are well supported to sit external examinations. These changes have been well received by pupils and members of staff. Temporary leaders have high expectations of staff and pupils, and this is leading to an enhanced sense of professionalism throughout the school. Members of the reconstituted trust board work closely with leaders from CHHS to ensure that improvements being made to the school are underpinned by a strong moral commitment to ensuring that current pupils benefit from the best possible education. Leaders from CHHS have begun to build leadership capacity within the school. However, temporary leaders and trustees

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External support

agree that the school is still reliant on external support.

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