Anderida Learning Centre

School progress monitoring inspection report

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Anderida Learning Centre Neville Mews, 6A Neville Road, Eastbourne, East Sussex BN22 8HR

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Main inspection findings

Part 1. Quality of education provided Paragraph 2(1), 2(1)(a), 2(2), 2(2)(a)  The previous standard inspection identified a number of weaknesses which resulted in some of the standards related to the curriculum being unmet. Staff did not always have sufficient subject knowledge. The wider curriculum did not promote pupils’ literacy skills. The science curriculum was unbalanced.  The proprietor and headteacher took swift action after the last inspection to strengthen the quality of teaching. The school no longer uses care staff to support teaching. A member of staff, in post since November, provides expertise within the English and information and communication technology (ICT) curriculum. The proprietor has also appointed a science specialist teacher. There are two other teachers covering the rest of the curriculum.  Currently, there are three key stage 4 pupils at the school. Pupils may not be enrolled at

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Main inspection findings

the school for long enough to allow them to complete GCSE qualifications. Following a curriculum review, leaders have put in place a key stage 4 curriculum that provides external accreditation for short courses. All pupils follow a core curriculum, including English, mathematics, ICT, science, personal, social and health education and physical education. Pupils can opt for courses that include child development, horse care and food technology. They may take GCSE examinations if appropriate. Leaders ensure that the curriculum is personalised for pupils. Leaders have strengthened the curriculum well.  The wider curriculum promotes pupils’ literacy development. Teachers meet regularly to review curriculum plans and discuss opportunities for cross-curricular literacy skills. However, leaders and teachers say that these opportunities have not yet been formally mapped across the curriculum.  Leaders have updated the science curriculum. Previously, the curriculum had entirely

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Main inspection findings

focused on human biology. Now, the science curriculum is balanced with biology, chemistry and physics. Furthermore, leaders now provide opportunities for pupils to gain qualifications in science.  These standards are now met. Part 3. Welfare, health and safety of pupils Paragraph 7, 7(a), 7(b), 9, 9(a), 9(b), 9(c)  At the last inspection, weaknesses were found in the school’s safeguarding procedures. Leaders did not know or meet their statutory responsibilities to keep pupils safe. They had not ensured that staff were aware of statutory guidance, or that they had all the relevant knowledge and understanding of important safeguarding matters. The reporting and recording of concerns were inconsistent and ineffective. There was no clear risk assessment policy and practice was variable.  Since the last inspection, the headteacher undertook designated safeguarding lead training with the local authority. A deputy designated safeguarding lead has been

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Main inspection findings

appointed. As a result, leaders now understand statutory requirements. Leaders have rewritten the safeguarding policy and implemented effective safeguarding procedures.  Leaders have made safeguarding training a priority, with staff completing online training and two face-to-face days. Training has covered all aspects of statutory guidance, including child sexual exploitation and female genital mutilation. Staff know the action to take regarding allegations about colleagues and other adults.  The headteacher has implemented a recording system to formalise concerns about children. Staff are now clear about how to report concerns about a child. Case studies show that correct records of contact with other agencies are kept in chronological order, as is required. Actions and outcomes are recorded. The headteacher monitors concerns well.  The headteacher includes safeguarding topics in every weekly staff meeting. The

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Main inspection findings

headteacher’s written report to the newly formed leadership group also includes a summary of safeguarding issues, including staff training needs. There is now a greater emphasis on safeguarding across the school.  At the time of the last inspection, the behaviour policy and procedures were not clear or followed consistently by staff. The headteacher has clarified rewards and sanctions to be used in an updated behaviour policy. There are now clear written records of any sanctions that are used. Staff members are now clear about, for example, the use of a three-warnings system. As a result, staff say that pupils’ behaviour has improved.  These standards are now met. Paragraph 16, 16(a), 16(b)  The headteacher and staff have reviewed risk assessment procedures. They discuss the level of risk and take measures to reduce risk associated with activities for individual pupils. They have begun to record the analysis of risks and measures to reduce risks in a

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Main inspection findings

helpful document. Pupils are also aware of risks involved in, for example, work experience at a farm.  Despite leaders’ improved practice regarding risk assessment, a policy has yet to be formalised and written down. As a result, this standard is not met. Part 8. Quality of leadership in and management of schools Paragraph 34(1), 34(1)(a), 34(1)(b), 34(1)(c)  The previous inspection found that the proprietor had not ensured that the independent school standards were met. Leaders were not sufficiently familiar with the independent school standards.  After the previous inspection, the school submitted an action plan to the Department for Education. While the action plan outlined the steps to be taken to meet the independent school standards, it did not include measurable success criteria so that leaders could monitor the effectiveness of actions in meeting the independent school standards. As a consequence, in October 2017, Ofsted deemed the plan as not acceptable.

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Main inspection findings

 School leaders, while they say that they received no information about the suitability of the plan, have already implemented most of the actions. Most actions have resulted in improvements despite the lack of success criteria in the plan. Nearly all of the independent school standards unmet at the last inspection have now been met.  To strengthen leadership, the proprietor has appointed a consultant that is knowledgeable about leadership in an independent special school.  The proprietor has strengthened the school’s accountability systems. A leadership group, consisting of the proprietor, the school consultant, a director from Anderida trust and the headteacher, now takes the role of governance. The headteacher produces a regular report about the effectiveness of the school, including safeguarding matters, for the leadership group. Leaders say that meetings are now scheduled to support and challenge the headteacher and minutes are taken. The first meeting took place in

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Main inspection findings

December but the minutes are not yet available.  The headteacher has made clear the accountability of teachers. Lesson plans and schemes of work are submitted to the headteacher for approval. The headteacher carries out informal observations to give teachers and teaching assistants feedback about the effectiveness of their teaching. The headteacher is now monitoring pupils’ progress and reporting to the leadership group.  The proprietor and school leaders understand their statutory responsibilities to keep pupils safe. They actively promote the well-being of pupils. Leaders carry out risk assessments but have not yet provided a written risk assessment policy.  While there are much improved systems to secure improvement in the school, school leaders have not checked progress precisely enough against the independent school standards.  As there is one remaining standard unmet, to provide a written risk assessment policy,

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Compliance with regulatory requirements

The school does not meet 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, as set out in the annex of this report. These included the standards and requirements with which 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.

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The school does not meet the following independent school standards

Standards that were not met at the previous inspection and remain unmet at this inspection  Ensure that the welfare of pupils at the school is safeguarded and promoted by the drawing up and effective implementation of a written risk assessment policy (paragraph 16, 16(a)).  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; – actively promote the well-being of pupils (paragraph 34(1), 34(1)(a), 34(1)(b), 34(1)(c)).

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The school now meets the following independent school standards

 Ensure that appropriate plans and schemes of work for all subjects are in place and implemented (paragraph 2(1), 2(1)(a), 2(2), 2(2)(a)).  Ensure that arrangements are made to safeguard and promote the welfare of pupils at the school and that such arrangements have regard to any guidance issued by the Secretary of State (paragraph 7, 7(a) and 7(b)).  Ensure the promotion of good behaviour among pupils by ensuring that a written behaviour policy is drawn up that, among other matters, sets out the sanctions to be adopted in the event of pupil misbehaviour; and the policy is implemented effectively (paragraph 9, 9(a), 9(b), 9(c)).  Ensure that appropriate action is taken to reduce risks that are identified (paragraph 16(b)).

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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

School status 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 0

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School details

Website www.anderidalearningcentre.co.uk

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School details

Date of previous standard inspection 20–22 June 2017

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Information about this school

 Anderida Learning Centre is a small independent day school located in a residential area of Eastbourne, East Sussex. It opened in 2013.  The school is registered to take up to eight pupils.  The school is a part of a wider company, Anderida Care, which also runs a number of care homes.  All pupils are placed at the school by local authorities.  The current pupils are in key stage 4 and all have special educational needs and/or disabilities.  The school’s most recent standard inspection was on 20 to 22 June 2017.  No alternative provision is used by the school.

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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 that the school has made in meeting the independent school standards and other requirements with which it was judged to not comply at its previous inspection.  This was the first progress monitoring inspection since the last standard inspection that took place in June 2017. At that time, the school was found to be inadequate and a number of independent school standards were unmet.  The school had submitted an action plan to the Department for Education. In October 2017, Ofsted found that the school’s action plan was not acceptable.  This inspection was conducted without notice and focused on the unmet independent school standards identified in the last inspection.  The inspector toured the premises and visited a lesson.  The inspector met with the proprietor, headteacher, a teacher, a teaching assistant and

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Information about this inspection

a pupil.  Meetings were also held with the school’s external consultant.  The inspector checked school documents, including the action plan, curriculum policy, teachers’ plans, safeguarding policy, risk assessment documents, behaviour policy and records of sanctions. The website was also scrutinised.

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Inspection team

Sue Child, 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

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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 children looked after, safeguarding and child protection.

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Inspection team

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Inspection team

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Inspection team

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