Future First Independent School

Future First Independent School Hockley Port, All Saints Street, Hockley, Birmingham, West Midlands B18 7RL

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Effectiveness of leadership and management Good

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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 Good

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

 School leaders work very successfully together. All staff are totally committed to achieving the very best for their pupils. As a result, the school is compliant with all the independent school standards and provides a good education for the pupils.  Teaching, learning and assessment are good. Effective planning from pupils’ starting points supports their progress. There is very successful one-to-one support for pupils in English and mathematics which provides pupils with effective support to improve their skills. Pupils do not read widely and experience different kinds of texts.  Pupils make good progress during their time in school. Teachers need to provide further challenge for the most able pupils. Pupils do not always catch up on work they have missed.  Teaching is managed well. Staff receive good- quality training. The positive relationships between leaders, staff and pupils support the progress and standards of all pupils.

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

 The curriculum is broad and appropriate to the needs of the pupils. Although pupils learn to be creative there is room to develop this further.  Pupils’ personal development, welfare and behaviour are good. Teachers expect and encourage positive attitudes to learning. The school environment is calm and well ordered.  Pupils feel safe in school. They are taught how to keep themselves safe through the personal development programme and daily focus group meetings.  The majority of pupils have good attendance. Teachers and leaders employ effective strategies to support and encourage full attendance and punctuality.  Pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development are good. Through the personal development programme, the pupils learn about life in modern Britain. In addition, different topics are introduced each week and embedded into the curriculum. Although staff are trained and vigilant, the pupils’

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

understanding of radicalisation and extremism is not as well developed as it could be.  Pupils explore different careers options and receive one-to-one guidance which gives them a sound preparation for their next steps.

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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 teaching for pupils by ensuring that teachers: – plan a greater level of challenge in learning activities for most able pupils – encourage a wide reading of different texts – systematically ensure that pupils catch up on work that they have missed by keeping careful records.  Develop the curriculum, by: – increasing the emphasis on the learning of the creative arts – ensure that pupils’ understanding of radicalisation and extremism is fully embedded within the curriculum.

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Effectiveness of leadership and management Good

 The headteacher is newly appointed and has, in a short time, developed a positive working relationship with staff in the school. Staff say that the senior team are approachable and support them well in their day-to-day work with pupils. All the independent school standards are met.  There is a culture of respect and tolerance in the school and teachers and leaders set high expectations.  Staff monitor pupils’ progress very effectively through the regular reports which are completed by teachers. Pupils’ progress is tracked and teachers and leaders meet every week to consider what additional help pupils might need.  Teachers value their own professional development. It is having a positive impact; teaching is good across the school and teachers are keen to develop their skills further.  The school buildings are bright and well resourced. There is sufficient space for physical education within a safe environment.

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Effectiveness of leadership and management Good

 Leaders have a comprehensive understanding of each pupil’s individual learning and welfare needs. They ensure that the curriculum is appropriate for each pupil and adapt the content depending on different ability levels.  The teaching of pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural education is delivered through a personal development programme which also includes democracy, the law and their individual rights and responsibilities. The pupils learn about keeping safe, for example on the internet and when using social media. Every week a different theme is introduced which provides a focus for the week. This term, pupils have learned about bullying, drugs, sexual health and equality.  The curriculum is well designed, providing a balance between English, mathematics and science and additional work-related subjects. Lessons in finance add value to mathematics lessons and help pupils prepare for life and work. Pupils would benefit from

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Effectiveness of leadership and management Good

an increased emphasis on the development of creative subjects.

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Governance

 Governors are fully committed to the school and its pupils. The school has gone through a period of change and governors have ensured that there is sufficient leadership capacity to continue to improve the school.  Governors provide a balance of support and challenge to senior leaders on pupils’ progress and the quality of teaching and learning.

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Safeguarding

 The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.  The school has an up-to-date policy on its website which meets requirements. Keeping pupils safe is a high priority for staff, who are well trained and understand their responsibilities. There is a strong safeguarding culture in the school and staff work well with parents, carers and external agencies to make sure all pupils are supported and safe.

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Good

 The initial assessment of pupils is thorough and teachers plan effectively. Teachers know the pupils well and how to help them reach their potential. They take account of pupils’ attitudes, prior learning and attainment as well as their individual needs. Teachers use this information to design learning programmes which enable pupils to make progress.  Teachers give feedback in line with the school’s assessment policy. Pupils recap on their learning at the beginning of each lesson and knowledge and skills are assessed at the end of the week. Teachers give them time to review their work and encourage them to consider improvements. Pupils do not always catch up on work that they have missed.  Teachers have good subject knowledge and know how to present information appropriately in different ways so that all pupils better understand new concepts. They reshape questions skilfully for pupils with differing abilities.

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Good

 Work-related classes provide a strong link between the subject and their relevance for further training and the work place. In the construction class, the pupils have worked together to fence in an area so that the school can develop the animal care programme by introducing more animals. In order to learn about variant forms of genes in science, pupils watched a short film about guinea pigs and then real guinea pigs were used to exemplify points.  Teachers help pupils to develop a positive approach to learning and they encourage pupils to learn from their mistakes. Pupils are committed to improving their work and to achieving positive outcomes. The majority value their education and are keen to develop their skills and understanding.  Leaders and teachers provide full progress and behaviour reports to parents. They arrange open days so that parents can see the work going on in the school and the

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Good

pupils’ displays on the walls.  Support for pupils who are behind their peers is provided effectively through additional one-to-one lessons in English and mathematics. Pupils receive high-quality individual support so they make good progress. However, for the most able, some activities need to provide greater challenge.  Pupils develop literacy skills well through one-to one work and lessons. However, use of the small library is limited and pupils do not read sufficiently widely or experience reading different kinds of texts.

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Personal development and welfare

 The school’s work to promote pupils’ personal development and welfare is good.  Pupils have positive attitudes to learning. The pupils have had less successful learning experiences elsewhere and said they liked coming to this school. Teachers have plenty of time for the pupils, in lessons and at breaktimes, and they feel they are listened to. The pupils gather for a focus group at the beginning of the day which enables pupils to reflect on a range of issues and to consider their own values.  There have been no bullying incidents and pupils know what to do if they experience this. Anti-bullying has been a recent theme of the week and pupils considered what it was like to be bullied and also why some people become bullies.  Pupils feel safe in the school and know they can talk to a staff member if they have a problem.

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Behaviour

 The behaviour of pupils is good.  Pupils conduct themselves in a calm and orderly manner around the school. A pupil who is late for a class will sit down with minimal disturbance. Pupils participate well in lessons and there is little disruption to learning.  All pupils are polite and welcoming to visitors and they treat each other and the staff with respect.  Pupils’ attendance is good. Staff follow up absence promptly and diligently, making visits to homes if required.  Pupils are rewarded for behaviour and participation in class. Teachers grade each pupil every day on how well they have learned in lessons and their conduct. The system has had a positive impact on behaviour both within lessons and around the school.

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Outcomes for pupils Good

 In 2017, pupils achieved qualifications in English, mathematics and finance. The curriculum has been expanded this year to include science and two work-related subjects.  The majority of pupils make good progress from their starting points. The presentation in their books shows the pupils take pride in their learning and there is evidence that pupils are making strong progress in English and mathematics. Portfolio development in the vocational subjects is at an early stage but tracking provides evidence that the majority of pupils are making good progress.  Pupils who have special educational needs and/or disabilities are well supported by teachers; they make good progress.  All pupils are assessed accurately and quickly when they join the school and their progress is assessed monthly. As a result, they soon develop positive attitudes to learning and begin to catch up rapidly. The most able pupils would make more rapid progress with

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Outcomes for pupils Good

a greater level of challenge in some learning activities.  Pupils are well prepared for the next stage of their education. Impartial careers advice is tailored to their individual needs. Of the 27 pupils who left in 2017, 96% progressed to further education or training and all have sustained a place on a programme.

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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

Annual fees (day pupils) £178.57 to £500 per week

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School details

Email address futurefirstschool@ymail.com

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School details

Date of previous inspection 10 January 2012

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Information about this school

 Future First Independent School is an independent school within Birmingham local authority. The school admits pupils who have experienced a fragmented educational background and may have missed a lot of schooling.  The overarching aim of the school is to engage and facilitate the pupils to reach their full potential and become better citizens who make a positive contribution to the wider society and community at large.  Pupils currently do not do work experience.  Four pupils have special educational needs and/or disabilities.  The school does not use any alternative provision.  Children are referred by the local authority, local schools and placement services. Pupils can join Future First Independent School at any point during the school year.  Two pupils are currently not attending every day but are working towards a full-time timetable of lessons.  The school was registered to provide education from two sites with 90 pupils. The second

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Information about this school

site is no longer in use and during the inspection the Department for Education agreed to de-register the second site and to reduce pupil numbers to 40. The second site was at Oakland Young People’s Centre, Oakland Road, Handsworth, B21 0NA.

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Information about this inspection

 The inspector observed teaching in mathematics, science, English, animal care, personal development and one-to-one lessons in English and mathematics.  The inspector also examined pupils’ books and reviewed the school’s assessment information.  The inspector observed pupils’ behaviour at the beginning and end of the school day, at lunchtime and when pupils moved around the school.  Meetings were held with pupils, staff and the leadership team.  At the end of the inspection there were no responses to Ofsted’s online questionnaire (Parent View).  A number of school documents were examined. These included: the school’s self- evaluation document, assessment information and a range of policy documents. The records of behaviour, the admissions and attendance registers and safety and safeguarding documents were also scrutinised. The school’s website was also checked.

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Inspection team

Andrea Quigley, 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

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Inspection team

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Inspection team

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Inspection team

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Inspection team

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