The Tutorial Foundation

The Tutorial Foundation 76 Freelands Road, Bromley, Kent BR1 3HY

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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

 The Tutorial Foundation provides a good quality of alternative provision.  The joint proprietor, who is also the headteacher, shares leadership responsibilities with her senior team. Together, they have ensured that all the independent school standards are met.  Safeguarding is effective. All staff are committed to keeping pupils safe and know what to do when concerns arise. Pupils confirm they feel safe.  Staff promote pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development well. Pupils regularly learn about people’s differences and equality. They are prepared well for life in modern Britain.  Individualised teaching is effective in meeting pupils’ needs. As a result, pupils make good progress and achieve qualifications in a range of subjects.  Pupils are prepared well for their next steps. Some return to their mainstream schools; some move on to special schools and, at the end of Year 11, the overwhelming majority proceed to

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

college placements or apprenticeships.  Parents and placing authorities are positive about the provision.  Pupils’ behaviour is good. Pupils are respectful, focused and proud of their work. The vast majority want to do well at the school. However, fixed-term exclusions are too high and are not effective in improving individual pupils’ challenging behaviour.  Leaders are in the process of improving their assessment system. It will track pupils’ progress more robustly in all subjects.  Governance is developing. The proprietor has very recently appointed a new chair to the existing advisory board. The board plans to provide more formal challenge to the leadership team.  Leaders acknowledge that they do not pay enough attention to detail when documenting concerns, referrals and incidents. They do not check closely enough that they are compliant with all of the independent school standards. During the inspection, leaders had to undertake

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

additional work to meet a very few of these requirements.

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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 the effectiveness of leadership and management and pupils’ behaviour by ensuring that: – leaders pay greater attention to detail when centrally documenting concerns, referrals to external agencies and any subsequent communication – the new arrangements for governance are effective in improving the quality of provision – leaders and governors regularly check their compliance with, and understanding of, all of the independent school standards – leaders review their use of exclusion and take action to reduce fixed-term exclusions.  Improve the quality of teaching, learning and assessment and pupils’ outcomes by accurately measuring, recording and reviewing pupils’ progress in all subjects.

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Effectiveness of leadership and management Good

 The proprietor and her leadership team share responsibility for providing a good alternative provision at the Tutorial Foundation. They work well together to ensure that all the independent school standards are met.  The curriculum effectively meets pupils’ needs. It includes all the required areas of learning; pupils in key stages 1, 2 and 3 access the full national curriculum, and pupils in Years 10 to 13 have a range of accredited options. For example, pupils typically study a core offer of English, mathematics, science, computing and citizenship. They have additional options to study history, art, business studies, media, sociology, geography and religious studies. The quality of careers education is good. As a result, despite their typically low starting points and previous difficulties, pupils enjoy a wide range of subjects and are prepared well for their next steps.  Activities and trips enhance the curriculum. For example, pupils have recently visited the

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Effectiveness of leadership and management Good

local Chislehurst caves, the Cutty Sark, art galleries and a Christmas tree farm. They have also prepared for and completed the residential aspect of the Duke of Edinburgh award scheme. These activities, in conjunction with weekly assemblies and a strong personal, social, health and economic education programme, have a positive impact on pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development. The school actively promotes equality and mutual respect; staff effectively support pupils to become well-rounded citizens in modern British society.  Parents and placing authorities are positive about the school. They emphasise the bespoke nature of the provision; staff at the Tutorial Foundation are flexible and work with pupils where no other provision has been successful. One parent summed up the views of others, stating that ‘staff are amazing, professional, understanding, efficient and always helpful’.

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Effectiveness of leadership and management Good

 The system for monitoring the good quality of teaching, learning and assessment is effective. Leaders oversee a robust appraisal process, which is well linked to their regular observations of learning.  Leaders use fixed-term exclusions too readily. These are generally ineffective in reducing behavioural incidents over time for individual pupils who demonstrate especially challenging behaviour.  During the inspection, leaders corrected some minor issues in relation to the independent school standards. These included ensuring that hot water is regulated and that the admission register meets requirements. Leaders accept that they have not been regularly checking compliance with all the independent school standards. Leaders also acknowledge that the recording and logging of incidents, safeguarding concerns and subsequent actions taken should be more thorough and consistent.

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Governance

 Governance is developing.  The school’s advisory board was formed some time ago. However, the new chair is very recently appointed and the board’s terms of reference are currently under review.  The intention is that board members will formally evaluate all aspects of the school, including safeguarding, at least termly. The board has plans to be involved in reviewing policies, analysing pupils’ progress and checking that the school continues to meet all the independent school standards.

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Safeguarding

 The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.  The school’s systems to ensure pupils’ safety are strong and understood by all staff. Any concerns are raised quickly and leaders take effective action to minimise risks to pupils.  Safeguarding training for all staff, including the four safeguarding leaders, is effective and up to date.  The school’s safeguarding policy reflects the most recent statutory guidance and is available on the school’s website.  However, when leaders document concerns they do not always centrally log communication, actions taken and final resolutions thoroughly enough.

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Good

 Pupils have positive relationships with their teachers. This forms the basis for pupils’ successful re-engagement with learning, following their typically disrupted educational histories. Teachers plan for pupils individually; all teaching is one-to-one or in very small groups. As a result of this level of support, teaching enables pupils to make up for lost time and achieve well.  Teachers have high expectations of pupils’ learning and behaviour. Personalised planning meets pupils’ needs, including the most able. Tailored activities interest and engage pupils; their confidence to learn increases, as does their enthusiasm to participate and work hard. Pupils receive regular, impartial information, advice and guidance from an external careers adviser. As a result, pupils typically make good progress over time, including in their reading, writing and numeracy skills, and in being ready for their next

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Good

steps.  Checks on pupils’ skills in English and mathematics are undertaken when pupils start at the Tutorial Foundation. This supports teachers to plan effective lessons. Leaders track and review pupils’ progress in the vast majority of subjects over time. However, this is not consistent. Leaders have already begun to refine their assessment system to measure progress in all subjects, including in physical education.

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Personal development and welfare

 The school’s work to promote pupils’ personal development and welfare is good.  Pupils confirm they feel safe and are safe at the Tutorial Foundation.  Pupils said, and records confirm, that bullying is rare and effectively dealt with.  Pupils learn about how to keep themselves safe and where to seek support, including in relation to online safety, gang membership and drugs misuse.  The school records pupils’ good social and emotional development in their ‘success stories’. Leaders are currently developing a more objective and consistent system to record pupils’ personal progress.

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Behaviour

 The behaviour of pupils is good.  The vast majority of pupils understand the behavioural expectations of the Tutorial Foundation and are respectful and focused on their learning.  The attendance and punctuality of the majority of pupils are good. There is a small number of pupils whose attendance is a cause for concern. In these instances, leaders, including the recently appointed welfare officer, do much to support pupils and their families, including liaising with the relevant external agencies to improve pupils’ attendance.  Incidents of serious misbehaviour are relatively rare. However, leaders’ overuse of fixed- term exclusions is not effective in reducing incidents of challenging behaviour for a small number of pupils.

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Outcomes for pupils Good

 Pupils typically arrive with significant gaps in their education and stay, on average, for around a year. From their usually low starting points, the school’s information shows that pupils make good progress across the range of academic subjects during their time at the Tutorial Foundation. The numbers are too small to identify patterns or trends. Pupils generally make good progress socially, emotionally and personally.  As well as achieving good outcomes at GCSE and in functional skills and other entry level qualifications, the school prepares pupils well for their futures. For example, of the Year 11 pupils who left the school in 2017, the overwhelmingly majority are now successfully learning in college placements or are training and working as apprentices.

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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) £7,290 to £26,625

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School details

Email address sen@thetutorialfoundation.co.uk

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School details

Date of previous inspection 30 April to 2 May 2013

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Information about this school

 The Tutorial Foundation is an independent day school registered to provide alternative provision for up to 34 pupils with social, emotional and mental health difficulties. Some pupils have an education, health and care plan.  The school is located in a converted house in a residential street in the London borough of Bromley.  The school’s most recent inspection was a progress monitoring inspection in February 2016, when the independent school standards were judged as met. The inspection took place as a consequence of an emergency inspection in July 2015 which judged some of the independent school standards in relation to safeguarding and leadership as unmet. Prior to this, the school’s most recent standard inspection was in 2013.  There are currently 34 pupils on roll: 24 pupils attend at the registered premises and 10 pupils are taught on a part-time basis in their homes or public libraries.  The school does not provide separate sixth-form provision, though sometimes students

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Information about this school

stay or are placed beyond age 16.  The school makes no use of alternative provision.

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Information about this inspection

 This full standard inspection took place with one day’s notice.  The inspector jointly observed learning in a range of subjects throughout the inspection with leaders.  The inspector met with two groups of pupils to discuss their learning, behaviour and well- being.  The inspector scrutinised the school’s information about pupils’ progress and attendance.  The inspector considered the single response to Ofsted’s online questionnaire, Parent View. He also spoke with three parents by telephone.  The inspector had several meetings with staff, including teachers and leaders. He also considered the six questionnaires completed by staff.  The inspector spoke by telephone with three representatives from placing local authorities.  The inspector reviewed a wide range of documentation, including policies, and logs and information related to safeguarding and health and safety. He also toured the premises

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Information about this inspection

and considered additional information and evidence in relation to the independent school standards.

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Inspection team

James Waite, 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

If you would like a copy of this document in a different format, such as large print or Braille, please telephone 0300 123 1231, or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk .

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Inspection team

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Inspection team

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Inspection team

T: 0300 123 4234 Textphone: 0161 618 8524 E: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk W: www.gov.uk/ofsted

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