Cambian New Elizabethan School

Cambian New Elizabethan School Quarry Bank, The Village, Hartlebury, Kidderminster, Worcestershire DY11 7TE

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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

 Since the last inspection, the school has continued to improve and pupils thrive. Senior leaders and managers have sustained and developed the provision, resulting in a substantial increase in pupil numbers.  Pupils make good improvements in their behaviour, and personal and social development and develop into mature young people.  The quality of teaching and learning is good. Pupils respond well to staff’s high expectations.  The outcomes for pupils are good. They make good progress and achieve a wide range of appropriate nationally recognised qualifications.  Pupils become increasingly confident readers and develop an interest in books because of the strong focus on reading skills.  Leaders’ evaluation of the use of additional funding the school receives from local authorities is underdeveloped.  Many pupils have previously had negative experiences of education, but they enjoy attending Cambian New Elizabethan School.

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

 Pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is strongly promoted through the very effective use of inspirational role models.  The sixth-form provision is good. Students develop their confidence and independence effectively in preparation for leaving school.  Pupils do not use information technology well enough to help them with their learning.  Teachers do not consistently match tasks closely to different ability levels in class. On some occasions, all pupils complete the same tasks. As a result, the most able pupils are not challenged sufficiently.  Leaders monitor the quality of teaching carefully. However, opportunities to share the best practice across the school require further development.

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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 and learning further by: – providing opportunities for pupils to use information technology more effectively in lessons to support their learning – ensuring that pupils’ different levels of ability are catered for through a range of suitable learning activities, especially for the most able.  Further improve the leadership and management by: – providing staff with more opportunities to share the best practice, thus developing consistently good teaching and learning across the school – evaluating the use of the additional funding received from the local authorities more thoroughly, focusing on the difference it makes to pupils’ progress, so leaders can demonstrate its impact more clearly.

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Effectiveness of leadership and management Good

 Senior leaders and managers have ensured that all the independent school standards are met. They are ambitious to improve the school further. Improved facilities, such as a sensory room, have enhanced the learning environment for pupils. The increase in the number of pupils attending the school and the subsequent expansion of staff numbers have not detracted from the good-quality education and care offered to its pupils.  The senior leadership team is very effective. The school’s self-evaluation is an accurate assessment of the school’s strengths and areas for improvement. Leaders ensure that development plans focus on the appropriate priorities. The capacity of the school to improve further is strong.  Leaders use external professionals to provide an objective view of the school’s provision. This provides additional challenge to the school’s leaders.  The vast majority of parents are happy with the school. One set of parents commented

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Effectiveness of leadership and management Good

on the school’s ‘brilliant communication’ and that they are ‘thrilled’ with the improvements their child has made since being at the school. This mirrors the views of other parents. Parents feel the school is well led and managed and that their children make good progress. Inspection findings support this view.  Feedback from staff through the inspection questionnaires shows that they are overwhelmingly positive about the school. One member of staff commented, ‘the school has progressed rapidly in a short space of time ... I am honoured to work amongst such a passionate team’.  Comments from local authorities, through audits and visits to the school, indicate their confidence in the school and that pupils are safe and secure.  The school ensures that all pupils are treated equally and have the same opportunities to take part in activities. For example, girls have the same opportunities as boys to

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Effectiveness of leadership and management Good

participate in any sports, such as football or rugby.  Staff have successfully created a warm, positive and tolerant ethos that encourages pupils to flourish and have high aspirations.  The curriculum meets pupils’ needs well. For example, some pupils initially start by attending part time, but quickly build up to full time as they build in confidence. Teachers use pupils’ interests effectively to provide motivation for learning.  The school is restricted in the range of extra-curricular opportunities it offers due to the transport requirements for pupils. Nevertheless, pupils benefit from trips and visits to the local community, such as to art galleries, and visits further afield, for example to the National Exhibition Centre in Birmingham. Interaction with the local community promotes pupils’ sense of responsibility and citizenship effectively.  A number of newly qualified teachers have recently started at the school. They receive

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Effectiveness of leadership and management Good

effective ongoing training, support and advice from senior leaders and they are developing their newly acquired skills well.  Leaders have effective arrangements to quality assure the work of staff, and provide support and training to improve their practice. Leaders have improved the quality of teaching through lesson observations and useful feedback to teachers. Senior leaders recognise there is much good practice throughout the school which could be shared more widely, particularly with new staff, so that it is more consistent.  The school receives a limited amount of pupil premium funding for disadvantaged pupils. A range of interventions take place to support these pupils. However, the evaluation of this funding to demonstrate its impact on pupils’ progress is not clear enough.

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Governance

 The governing body meets termly and evaluates senior leaders and managers against key performance measures, providing effective challenge and accountability. The board receives reports from the headteacher and from external sources, such as the school improvement adviser. In addition to this, regular visits and meetings take place between senior leaders and the operational director. As a result, the governing body has an accurate view of the school’s strengths and areas for improvement.  Pupils make their views known directly to the governing body through attendance at meetings, providing them with helpful information from their perspective, so that governors can consider these views. Safeguarding is focused on well, with regular training made available to all staff through the Cambian Group.  Considerable investment has been made to upgrade and improve the accommodation over the last two years. There are now more suitable classrooms for younger-aged

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Safeguarding

 The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.  Staff are alert to the importance of safeguarding and there is a good whole-school understanding of how to identify concerns. All new staff receive safeguarding training during induction and there is regular ongoing refresher training for all staff.  A strong culture of safeguarding exists within the school. Designated safeguarding leads are appropriately trained and staff complete concern forms, which are passed on to the designated leads when necessary. Through a close working knowledge of their pupils, staff quickly identify any changes in behaviour that may indicate a cause for concern.  Senior leaders carry out all relevant safeguarding checks. Vetting of staff and visitors is carried out and recorded thoroughly. There is an up-to-date safeguarding policy on the school’s website.

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Good

 Through a range of effective strategies, teachers successfully engage pupils in learning. For example, in an English lesson, pupils identified and explained various literary devices and used these to enliven their writing. In a mathematics lesson, pupils knew how to measure various angles accurately using a protractor and understood the different types of angle, such as reflex and obtuse. Staff are skilled at encouraging and motivating pupils to achieve their full potential.  Teachers and support staff meet pupils’ specific learning needs well. For example, they place an increasing emphasis on the use of visual timetables to help those pupils with more complex learning needs access lessons successfully.  Pupils engage in relevant practical learning activities, such as measuring various objects and telling the time using analogue and digital clocks. This helps pupils to make faster and more secure progress in their learning.

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Good

 Teachers set high expectations of pupils and provide effective feedback to take pupils’ learning forward. Pupils’ workbooks are of a high standard and they take pride in their work.  Pupils develop positive attitudes to learning. Pupils with challenging behaviour make good improvements in their attitudes to learning and become increasingly able to spend more time in class with other pupils.  ‘Learning pods’, where pupils learn in a quiet environment, are effective in helping them to concentrate and gain confidence to learn with others in a classroom.  A multi-disciplinary team, consisting of speech and occupational therapists, a mental health practitioner and a clinical psychologist, meets the increasing complexity of pupils’ needs, such as those who have autistic spectrum disorder, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder and mental health problems. They have a positive impact on pupils’ academic,

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Good

personal and social development, helping them to manage anxieties and access learning more successfully.  Pupils do not consistently use information technology well enough to support their learning, to record their work or to carry out research.  Occasionally, tasks are not well matched to the wide range of learning needs in the class, meaning all pupils complete the same task. This sometimes leads to a lack of challenge for the most able pupils.

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Personal development and welfare

 The school’s work to promote pupils’ personal development and welfare is good.  Pupils develop positive attitudes towards staff, one another and their learning.  The school council is an effective body that makes useful suggestions for improvements, such as creating a speed restriction for taxis on site. Pupils learn about democracy through producing manifestos and voting for council members.  Pupils make a positive contribution to the school and the wider community through activities such as fundraising for charitable events.  Pupils’ personal development is fostered very well through the school acronym ‘CLIMB’ for pupils to complete their work, listen, know their targets and do their best. Pupils gain points in lessons when they have achieved these goals. They develop higher aspirations and class groups are given famous names, such as Nightingale, Parks, Shakespeare, Obama or Dahl; pupils know about the achievements of these people.

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Personal development and welfare

 Pupils learn to keep themselves safe, for example when online and in conducting appropriate relationships.  Staff promote strongly pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development. Pupils become responsible citizens through being school council members or hosting visitors. Pupils enjoy celebrating major religious and cultural festivals. They are well prepared for life in modern Britain.

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Behaviour

 The behaviour of pupils is good. Pupils say that they feel safe in school and that any instances of bullying are dealt with swiftly. Pupils trust staff to deal with any concerns quickly and effectively.  Pupils recognise the improvements they have made in their behaviour since attending the school and say they have learned to manage their emotions more maturely. They feel behaviour in the school has improved.  Pupils with particularly challenging behaviour learn to manage their emotions well. Staff manage pupils’ behaviour sensitively. Pupils learn to self-regulate their feelings and emotions better because staff equip them with strategies to cope more effectively.  Pupils’ attendance has improved. Those with previously poor attendance attend school more regularly. This is a significant turnaround for them.  The school is calm and orderly. Arrangements at the start of the day prepare pupils well

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Behaviour

for learning, settling them down and encouraging positive interactions. Pupils show respect and politeness to staff and visitors and take pride in their work.  Fixed-term exclusions and the use of physical restraints are rare and continue to decline.

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Outcomes for pupils Good

 Pupils join the school at various points during their school career. Many have had a disrupted education and consequently have gaps in their learning. However, the majority of pupils make good progress from their various starting points.  At key stage 2, pupils do particularly well in English, reflecting the strong focus on reading, speaking, listening and writing.  By the end of Year 11, pupils achieve nationally recognised qualifications. The most able pupils achieve GCSE grades in English, mathematics and science, in line with their ability. Other pupils achieve entry level certificates and functional skills in literacy and numeracy, which is a significant achievement for many of them.  Pupils in receipt of the pupil premium funding make up lost ground rapidly, so they achieve as well as other pupils in the school. Teachers formally assess pupils each term and are quick to identify those who are struggling. Teachers then provide extra support

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Outcomes for pupils Good

for these pupils. This support is effective and accelerates pupils’ learning.  Pupils read widely and develop an enjoyment of books. They are inspired to read more through access to texts which interest them. A positive reading culture exists throughout the school. Pupils are often reluctant readers initially and have poor literacy skills, but gradually their reading ages improve and they become more confident readers.  The school has identified underperformance in foundation subjects, such as computing and geography, and has taken appropriate action to address these shortcomings, so that current pupils are catching up.

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Sixth form provision Good

 Sixth-form students follow a good range of accredited courses which are appropriate to their level of need. Currently, 16 to 19 study programmes range from entry level certificates to level 1 and level 2 courses. Last year, the most able students accessed college courses to support their learning, while others followed accredited courses more suited to their needs on site.  Students are prepared for their next stage of education or employment and training effectively. For example, staff support students well in their transition from school to regional colleges.  Students receive good careers and education guidance. They undertake mock interviews to prepare them for work experience. Students participate in work experience placements for one day per week, such as shop work or helping in a care home. Students learn how to use public transport, and budgeting and domestic skills to develop their independence

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Sixth form provision Good

skills.  The quality of teaching is good. Relationships between staff and students in the sixth form are harmonious and lessons equip students with the skills to function in the outside world. In a food technology lesson, for example, students handled equipment safely, followed instructions and demonstrated good skills and understanding of food hygiene.  The newly established provision provides separate premises for the sixth form and contributes to a more adult environment. The provision is well led and managed, with a clear focus on preparing students for the future. Students have positive attitudes to learning and successfully complete their courses.

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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

Type of school Other independent special school

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School details

Gender of pupils in the sixth form Mixed

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School details

Of which, number on roll in sixth form 7

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School details

Email address education@cambiangroup.com

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School details

Date of previous inspection 4–6 February 2013

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Information about this school

 The Cambian New Elizabethan School is currently registered with the Department for Education as a co-educational independent day school for up to 45 pupils aged from seven to 19 years. Currently there are 42 pupils on roll.  The school is situated in the village of Hartlebury in Worcestershire. The Cambian Group acquired the school in April 2014. A new headteacher took over in September 2014 and a number of newly appointed teachers and support staff have joined the school this academic year.  Worcestershire, Birmingham, Dudley and Walsall place most pupils at the school. The majority of pupils are conveyed daily by taxi.  Many of the pupils have speech and language difficulties and associated social, emotional and mental health difficulties, autistic spectrum disorder (ASD) or attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD).  The school aims to ‘provide an educational and social experience to meet the learning and

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Information about this school

emotional needs of the pupils’.  The last full inspection of the school was in February 2013, when the school was judged to meet most, but not all, of the independent school standards.

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Information about this inspection

 This standard inspection took place with one day’s notice.  The inspector observed 12 parts of lessons, which were observed jointly with the deputy headteacher.  Pupils’ work, staff surveys, annual reports and other records were scrutinised.  The school’s documentation was examined, including planning for subjects, records of pupils’ progress and information concerning the welfare and safeguarding of pupils. The inspector checked the school’s compliance with the regulations for independent schools.  Telephone discussions were held with a director of the company and the school improvement partner.  The views of pupils were sought through individual discussions.  There were insufficient responses to the Ofsted online questionnaire, Parent View, to consider these, but the views of parents and carers were gained through a school-based survey and through meetings with two parents.

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Inspection team

Frank Price, 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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