Schools & FE · Independent school inspection
Include Suffolk
Summary
Wendy Varney (lead), Cindy Impey
What we read, and from where
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- Inspection date verified
4 Oct 2017
- Inspectors verified
Cindy Impey, Wendy Varney
- Postcode verified
IP8 3AS
- Name on report verified
Catch22 Include Primary School Suffolk
- URN verified
138877
Deep dive
What this report says
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Tone of the report
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How the report reads, start to finish
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Strengths
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- The proprietor must ensure that 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) and 34(1) (b)). p.4
- He also undertook to ensure that staff understand the school’s approach to assessment, have high expectations of what pupils can achieve, and use assessment information to inform their teaching. p.1
- Teachers and teaching assistants know pupils very well and understand pupils’ individual triggers. p.1
Concerns
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Next steps
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- The school meets 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. p.4
- This included the standards and requirements that the school was judged to not comply with at the previous inspection. p.4
- Not all of the standards and associated requirements were checked during this inspection. p.4
What the report dwells on
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Health & safety2
“Premises of and accommodation at schools Paragraph 26” p.1
Anatomy of the report
How the report is built, against others of the same type and grade.
- Pages
- 7
- Words of findings
- 1,210
- shorter than usual (typical 1813)
- Reading level
- Fairly hard
- Flesch 50, typical 49
- Average sentence
- 18 words
- Next steps
- 3
- typical 8
- Hedged sentences
- 5%
- “some”, “not always”, “most”…
Where the words go
Full report text
School progress monitoring inspection report
p.1
Catch22 Include Primary School Suffolk Springvale Court, Hadleigh Road, Ipswich, Suffolk IP8 3AS
p.1
Main inspection findings
Part 1. Quality of education provided Paragraph 3, 3(a), 3(c), 3(d) and 3(g) The previous inspection found that pupils were not making good progress as a result of inconsistencies in the quality of teaching. Inspectors found that assessment information was not used well enough to ensure that pupils were provided with work to do at the right academic level. The school’s action plan stated that a number of actions would be taken to meet these unmet standards. The headteacher undertook to review the school’s curriculum and ensure that all staff follow agreed schemes of work. He also undertook to ensure that staff understand the school’s approach to assessment, have high expectations of what pupils can achieve, and use assessment information to inform their teaching. Leaders and staff have reviewed the school’s curriculum. They found that the commercial scheme they were using at the time of the previous inspection did not meet
p.1
Main inspection findings
the school’s needs fully. They have now sourced a curriculum that they feel meets the school’s needs better and this is being introduced. Teachers now plan their teaching thoroughly and assessment practice is developing. They take pupils’ abilities and levels of attainment into account and plan tasks at different levels accordingly. For example, in a mathematics lesson observed during the inspection, one pupil was working on finding pairs of numbers that make 10 while another was learning to do mathematical operations, such as division and addition, in the correct order. Teachers and teaching assistants know pupils very well and understand pupils’ individual triggers. This means that they are very often able to pre-empt behavioural issues and head off incidents of challenging behaviour before they are able to take hold. As a result, pupils make particularly good progress in their personal and social development, as they
p.1
Main inspection findings
learn to manage their own feelings and resulting behaviour. Staff work very closely with pupils, often on a one-to-one basis. This enables pupils to complete tasks successfully. However, teaching is too focused on helping pupils to complete tasks rather than on helping them to learn. Although pupils make good progress overall, this limits the progress they make in some subjects. This standard is now met. Part 5. Premises of and accommodation at schools Paragraph 26 At the time of the previous inspection, the acoustic conditions and sound insulation at the Bury St Edmunds site were not suitable. The building’s mezzanine floor allowed sounds to travel and echo throughout the building. This had an impact both on pupils’ behaviour and on their ability to listen and concentrate during lessons. The school’s action plan stated that the site would be reviewed and works undertaken to bring the building up to the required standard.
p.1
Main inspection findings
Works have been undertaken to improve the acoustics in the building, and more are planned. The mezzanine floor has been ‘filled in’ so that the ceiling of each classroom is now complete and the ground floor rooms are fully enclosed. As a result, the sounds made in one classroom are no longer heard loudly in other classrooms. Staff say that this has had a noticeable impact on improving pupils’ behaviour and their concentration. This standard is now met. Paragraph 29(1) and 29(1)(a) At the previous inspection, the Lowestoft site did not have outdoor space for pupils. In addition, the suitability of the outdoor space at the Bury St Edmunds site was limited due to the unevenness of the ground. The school’s action plan stated that the sites would be reviewed in order to meet the requirement for suitable outdoor space for pupils. Since the previous inspection, groundworks have been carried out at the Bury St
p.2
Main inspection findings
Edmunds site. The playground area has been cleared and resurfaced. The area is of a reasonable size and now provides a suitable outdoor space. The headteacher, with support from the local authority, secured accommodation within the grounds of a state-funded school in Lowestoft and the school moved into its new premises during the summer holiday. The new site incorporates a large, detached, self- contained building with a well-sized outdoor space. Fencing has been installed so that the outdoor space, accessible from many of the classrooms, is secure. This standard is now met. Part 8. Quality of leadership in and management of schools Paragraph 34(1), 34(1)(a) and 34(1)(b) At the previous inspection, leaders and proprietors had allowed the school to deteriorate. They had not paid sufficient attention to the independent school standards and, as a result, some standards were not met. Leaders did not have a clear enough
p.2
Main inspection findings
understanding of the school’s strengths and weaknesses, and did not monitor teaching and learning well enough. The school’s leaders have written an action plan that is focused on the right priorities. The plan includes all the main issues identified by the previous inspection. The Department for Education accepted the school’s action plan, subject to some minor modifications. The required modifications have now been made. Leaders have taken prompt and decisive action to address the standards that were unmet at the previous inspection. The headteacher very quickly found, secured and adapted suitable alternative accommodation for the Lowestoft site. He also wasted no time in ensuring building works were carried out at the Bury St Edmunds site. Leaders are well aware of the need to focus ever more closely on improving the quality of teaching and, as a result, improve outcomes for pupils. The actions already taken
p.2
Main inspection findings
mean that the school is now clearly improving.
p.3
Compliance with regulatory requirements
The school meets 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.
p.4
The school now meets the following independent school standards
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 – involves well planned lessons and effective teaching methods, activities and management of class time – 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 – 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(c), 3(d) and 3(g)). The proprietor must ensure that the acoustic conditions and sound insulation of each room or other space are suitable, having regard to the nature of the activities which normally take place therein (paragraph 26).
p.4
The school now meets the following independent school standards
The proprietor must ensure that suitable outdoor space is provided in order to enable physical education to be provided to pupils in accordance with the school curriculum (paragraph 29(1) and 29(1)(a)). The proprietor must ensure that 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) and 34(1) (b)).
p.4
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.5
School Details
Website www.catch-22.org.uk/services/include- suffolk Email address alan.waldron@catch-22.org.uk
p.5
School Details
Date of previous standard inspection 14–16 March 2017
p.5
Information about this school
The school operates on three sites, in Ipswich, Lowestoft and Bury St Edmunds. The school took possession of the current Lowestoft site in August 2017. The school’s proprietor is a not-for-profit, charitable organisation. The school caters for pupils who have social, emotional and mental health needs. Some pupils have autistic spectrum disorder and many display challenging behaviour. Most pupils have a statement of special educational needs or an education, health and care plan. They are placed at the school by the local authority in which they live. Most pupils stay at the school for two to three terms before being reintroduced to their mainstream school.
p.5
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 not to comply with at its previous inspection. This was the first progress monitoring inspection following the standard inspection in March 2017. The inspection was carried out without notice. Following the standard inspection in March 2017, the Department for Education accepted the action plan submitted by the school, subject to minor modifications. Inspectors met with the headteacher and other leaders. They observed teaching and learning throughout the school. They scrutinised a wide range of documents and checked aspects of the building and grounds on each of the school sites. The registration authority for independent schools further commissioned inspectors to
p.6
Information about this inspection
consider the school’s request for a material change to increase the number of pupils it can admit from 57 to 75. The independent school standards are likely to continue to be met if the Department for Education agrees this material change.
p.6
Inspection team
Wendy Varney, lead inspector Her Majesty's Inspector
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Inspection team
Cindy Impey 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 .
p.6
Inspection team
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Inspection team
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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 looked after children, safeguarding and child protection.
p.7
Inspection team
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Inspection team
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Inspection team
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