Fusion College

Willows Manleys Farm, West Buckland, Wellington, Somerset TA21 9LQ

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Effectiveness of leadership and management Inadequate

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Inadequate

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Personal development, behaviour and welfare Requires improvement

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Overall effectiveness at previous inspection Good

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

 The proprietor and leaders have not ensured that the independent school standards are met in full. Several standards do not meet requirements.  The school has sharply declined since the previous inspection. The proprietor has not ensured that new leaders receive the guidance and professional development that they need to lead the school effectively.  Leaders do not have an accurate view of the school’s effectiveness. Plans to improve the school are not up to date or well developed.  Leaders do not provide staff with useful feedback or relevant professional development.  There is a lack of rigour to ensure that the quality of teaching, learning and assessment improves.  Leaders’ and teachers’ use of assessment is weak across the school. There is not an agreed system to check pupils’ progress. As a result, pupils do not achieve high standards, particularly in English and mathematics.  Teachers do not plan activities that consistently

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

match pupils’ learning needs. Work is sometimes too easy. Too often, pupils do not stay focused during lessons or take pride in their work.  Leaders’ work to promote spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is underdeveloped.  Leaders do not check that incidents are sufficiently analysed and that risk assessment for activities are fully up to date.  Leaders have not ensured that pupils receive current, impartial advice to support their future career choices.

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

 Positive relationships across the school help pupils settle in quickly. Pupils are rightly proud of their good examples of artwork, including the large sculptures seen in the school grounds.  The proprietor has ensured that the culture of safeguarding is effective. Staff use detailed information to help them to minimise risks for pupils while in school.

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

 The school must take action to meet the requirements of the schedule to The Education (Independent School Standards) Regulations 2014 and associated requirements. The details are listed in the full report.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 The proprietor and leaders should take urgent steps to ensure that: – the independent school standards are all met in full – school leaders are provided with professional support and guidance so that the quality of leadership rapidly improves – the school’s development plan clearly sets out priorities, realistic timescales and milestones for improvement which are based on accurate assessments of the school’s strengths and weaknesses – appropriate systems to monitor the performance of teachers are introduced and applied – staff are provided with appropriate professional development so that the quality of teaching and learning improves – there is a clear framework for checking pupils’ progress across the school and across a range of subjects – pupils make faster progress, particularly in English and mathematics, so that they catch up and achieve higher standards by the time they leave – teachers are well equipped to plan sufficiently challenging lessons that match the

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

learning needs of pupils as described in their personal education plans – the spiritual, moral, social and cultural development curriculum ensures that pupils learn about a range of cultures – there is a drive to improve the pride and presentation of pupils’ work – impartial, up-to-date careers guidance is provided that helps pupils to plan and be successful in their future education, training or employment – risk assessments for activities off the school site are up to date and sufficiently detailed – incidents are analysed to ensure that lessons are learned.  The school must meet the independent school standards, as set out in the annex of this report.

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Effectiveness of leadership and management Inadequate

 There have been some significant changes to the leadership of the school since the previous inspection. The proprietor has not ensured that the quality of education has been maintained or improved over time. There is little checking to ensure that the independent school standards are met. As a result, the school’s effectiveness has declined since the previous inspection.  New leaders have not been provided with the support and professional development they need. Leaders do not have a clear understanding of the school’s strengths and areas for improvement. The school’s own improvement and development plan does not accurately reflect the current key priorities that the school needs to work on. It is not used to drive school improvement.  Assessment practice is weak across the school. Subject leaders do not gather information that allows them to check the progress that pupils make in developing their skills over

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Effectiveness of leadership and management Inadequate

time, or to compare pupils’ progress across a range of subjects. Slower progress is therefore not identified or challenged. As a result, pupils do not consistently make the progress that they should, particularly in English and mathematics.  Teachers do not have clear guidance on how to provide feedback to pupils. As a result, pupils have limited understanding of how to improve their work or what their priorities should be to achieve success.  The proprietor has not ensured that systems to manage the performance of staff are in place. Leaders do not use professional development effectively to improve the quality of teaching.  Staff ensure that pupils can take part in work experience placements and that they attend information sessions in local colleges. However, leaders have not ensured that pupils are provided with impartial, current advice about career choices that meet their individual interests and aspirations. As a result, pupils do not consistently make appropriate choices

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Effectiveness of leadership and management Inadequate

about their next steps. For example, some pupils choose college courses that they do not manage to complete.  The proprietor has not ensured that the quality of pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is maintained. Following staff changes last year, some aspects of the curriculum have not been taught. While there are plans in place to put this right, pupils have not received good-quality teaching that helps them to develop their respect for other cultures.  The organisation of the curriculum rightly focuses on ensuring that pupils develop their basic skills, as many pupils have gaps in their learning and need to catch up. However, the progress pupils make is weak. Pupils regularly take part in physical activities, which they enjoy. Staff support pupils to become more independent and develop the life skills needed to do so. For example, pupils regularly plan, prepare and cook healthy meals.

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Effectiveness of leadership and management Inadequate

 Art is given a strong emphasis and many pupils benefit from the guidance and support provided during their art lessons. This helps them to create some excellent pieces, which are displayed and celebrated around the school.  Leaders also organise enrichment activities that pupils look forward to, which include special art projects, as well as residential visits. These activities help pupils to develop their creative and aesthetic skills.

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Governance

 The proprietor does not carry out the checks required to gain an in-depth understanding relating to the quality of teaching, learning and assessment. The systems to check the performance of staff have not been followed. As a result, the proprietor has not ensured that standards in the school are high and that the independent school standards are met. As a result, pupils do not receive an acceptable standard of education to prepare them for the next stage in their education, training or employment.  The proprietor visits the school frequently and makes appropriate and detailed checks on the welfare, health and safety of pupils. However, she recognises that much more needs to be done to provide substantial, good-quality support to help leaders tackle the school’s weaknesses.  The proprietor ensures that the premises are of a high quality and well resourced.

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Safeguarding

 The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.  Personal risk assessments, developed in liaison with a number of agencies, describe in detail how staff can help pupils to remain safe in school. Leaders ensure that these risk assessments are implemented effectively. However, the risk assessments for regular activities undertaken off the school site have not been regularly reviewed or checked with the same rigour. Incidents that occur are logged and appropriate follow-up is provided for staff and pupils. However, leaders do not sufficiently analyse this information over time to ensure that lessons are learned, and therefore the numbers of incidents are reduced.  The school has a safeguarding policy that meets requirements and this is provided to parents and carers on request. There is also a pupils’ version to ensure that pupils know who they can talk to if they have any concerns about their safety or well-being.

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Safeguarding

 The designated safeguarding officer ensures that staff implement the school’s safeguarding policy rigorously. Recruitment procedures are robust. Staff receive a wide range of training that helps them to be vigilant and to spot any concerns about pupils’ well-being or safety. Leaders check staff’s understanding of procedures thoroughly. Staff complete regular ‘safeguarding reviews of knowledge’. Arrangements for administering first aid are up to date. Fire safety arrangements and checks are also up to date. The proprietor has ensured that the culture of safeguarding is effective.

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Inadequate

 Pupils want to learn and often show a keen interest in the topics they study. However, typically, work in lessons is either too easy or too difficult for them. Pupils’ workbooks show that their skills, knowledge and understanding does not develop sufficiently. There is no agreed system for providing feedback to pupils. As a result, pupils do not know what they need to do to improve or how to make the improvements. Consequently, their progress while at the school is too slow in a range of subjects.  Teachers’ expectations across subjects are inconsistent. Therefore, pupils work harder in some subjects and produce higher standards than in others. For example, art workbooks are well presented, with work that is finished to a high standard. On the other hand, work seen in some other subjects, such as in English and science, includes unfinished pieces and is typically poorly presented.  There is no system to implement focused professional development so that the quality of

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Inadequate

teaching improves. Staff do not have opportunities to share and compare teaching ideas with other professionals. There is no consistent understanding of what good-quality teaching and learning should look like at the school. Leaders do not provide detailed feedback to staff on their strengths and areas to improve. As a result, the good quality of teaching and learning seen at the previous inspection has not been maintained.  Typically, teachers’ questioning is not used effectively to check on pupils’ learning and understanding. Often, activities do not successfully challenge pupils to think and work things out for themselves so that their skills improve.  Pupils’ attitudes towards their learning are inconsistent. At times, pupils disrupt lessons, as they are not motivated to complete the tasks set. This slows their progress.  In some subjects such as art, pupils do receive challenge and expectations are higher.

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Inadequate

When this happens, pupils work hard and complete their tasks well.

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Personal development and welfare

 The school’s work to promote pupils’ personal development and welfare requires improvement. Pupils’ understanding about how to be a successful learner is not well developed. Workbooks show that pupils sometimes lack resilience to complete work and some work is poorly presented.  Pupils are taught how to keep themselves safe, including while online, through the school’s personal, social, health and citizenship education programme. Some gaps in providing this curriculum have resulted in pupils not receiving opportunities to explore themes around understanding a range of cultures. Pupils are respectful of differences and they support each other well. However, their understanding of different cultures is not secure.  Pupils understand about the different forms of bullying and they know who they can talk to if they need advice or help. A wide range of external agencies provide additional learning on themes such as drug awareness and keeping safe from sexual exploitation.

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Personal development and welfare

 Staff ensure that pupils are well looked after. Their physical and emotional well-being are a high priority and there is an ethos of care and nurture. As a result, pupils settle in quickly.

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Behaviour

 The behaviour of pupils requires improvement.  Although pupils’ conduct is generally good around the school, attitudes during lessons and pupils’ pride in their work is inconsistent. The environment is clean, tidy and well maintained.  Although there have been some improvements made to pupils’ attendance, learning sessions continue to be lost due to pupils not attending.  Staff take care to understand the challenges that pupils face and spend time chatting with pupils in between learning times. The strong, trusting relationships with staff help pupils, many of whom have severe social, emotional and behavioural difficulties, to develop their social skills well.

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Outcomes for pupils Inadequate

 Pupils join the school at different points throughout the school year. Most arrive with knowledge and skills that are below average for their age. This is usually because they have missed significant amounts of education and, as a result, have gaps in their learning.  On arrival at the school, staff complete a series of assessments to check pupils’ understanding and knowledge in English and mathematics, alongside assessments to evaluate their personal development and behaviour. Extra teaching is then put in place to support pupils with specific learning gaps. This system has recently been introduced. However, staff were not able to provide evidence of the difference this is making to pupils’ progress.  Staff check that pupils complete work. However, there is not a clear, agreed system for checking the progress that pupils make within subjects or across subjects. Leaders were able to provide an overview of progress for reading, writing and mathematics and this

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Outcomes for pupils Inadequate

shows that over time, most pupils make some progress in these core subjects. However, too few make fast enough progress to secure successful outcomes by the time they leave school. This reduces the options open to them for their next steps.  A small number of pupils have education, health and care plans. All pupils have a personal education plan. These plans are regularly reviewed alongside parents and/or external professionals. Leaders are not consistently ensuring that the targets set in these plans are used to plan pupils’ learning experiences and therefore to support pupils to make good progress.  Parents receive summaries of pupils’ achievement in detailed reports from the school. However, parents do not have good information about pupils’ progress throughout the year or sufficient opportunities to see pupils’ progress in workbooks for themselves.  Pupils attend work experience placements matched to their interests. Most pupils move

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Outcomes for pupils Inadequate

on to placements at colleges, although not all complete the courses. Leaders know that they have failed to ensure that pupils receive good careers advice so that pupils choose appropriate courses or work placements that match their needs and interests.  Pupils work towards various forms of accreditation, including entry level, functional skills and GCSEs. All pupils achieve some form of English and mathematics accreditation. Grades achieved in English and mathematics GCSEs are generally very low. However, some stronger GCSE outcomes are achieved in art.

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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

Date of previous inspection 21 January 2015

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Information about this school

 Willows is an independent special day school. The school was established in 2005. It moved to its current site in 2007.  The school offers provision for up to 16 girls who have severe social, emotional and behavioural difficulties.  Pupils are placed by their respective local authority.  The proprietor has responsibility for the governance of the school.  A new headteacher took up post in 2016.  The school was previously inspected in January 2015, when it was judged to be good.  The school does not use any alternative provision.

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Information about this inspection

 The inspector had several meetings with the headteacher. The inspector looked at the learning across the school at different times over two days, usually with the headteacher.  A range of pupils’ workbooks were looked at. Informal discussions were held with pupils throughout the inspection to seek their views.  Meetings were held with the headteacher to discuss pupils’ progress, the school’s evaluation and improvement planning. The inspector also met with subject leaders.  Documents related to attendance and safeguarding were scrutinised. Recruitment processes were looked at and meetings held with the designated safeguarding lead.  The inspector held several meetings with the proprietor.  There were too few responses to the Ofsted online questionnaire, Parent View, to publish. The inspector met with a parent and a representative from Devon local authority who works with the school. The six responses to the staff questionnaire were taken into

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Inspection team

Tonwen Empson, lead inspector Her Majesty’s Inspector

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Part 1. Quality of education provided

 2(1) The standard in this paragraph is met if– – 2(1)(a) the proprietor ensures that a written policy on the curriculum, supported by appropriate plans and schemes of work, which provides for the matters specified in sub-paragraph (2) is drawn up and implemented effectively.  2(2) For the purposes of paragraph (2)(1)(a), the matters are– – 2(2)(e) for pupils receiving secondary education, access to accurate, up-to-date careers guidance that– – 2(2)(e)(i) is presented in an impartial manner; – 2(2)(e)(ii) enables them to make informed choices about a broad range of career options.  3 The standard in this paragraph is met if the proprietor ensures that the teaching at the school– – 3(a) 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; – 3(c) involves well planned lessons and effective teaching methods, activities and

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Part 1. Quality of education provided

management of class time; – 3(d) 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; – 3(e) demonstrates good knowledge and understanding of the subject matter being taught; – 3(f) utilises effectively classroom resources of a good quality, quantity and range; – 3(g) 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.  4 The standard in this paragraph is met where the proprietor ensures that a framework for pupil performance to be evaluated, by reference to the school’s own aims as provided to parents or national norms, or to both, is in place.

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Part 2. Spiritual, moral, social and cultural development of pupils

 5 The standard about the spiritual, moral, social and cultural development of pupils at the school is met if the proprietor– – 5(b) ensures that principles are actively promoted which– – 5(b)(v) further tolerance and harmony between different cultural traditions by enabling pupils to acquire an appreciation of and respect for their own and other cultures.

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Part 3. Welfare, health and safety of pupils

 16 The standard in this paragraph is met if the proprietor ensures that– – 16(a) the welfare of pupils at the school is safeguarded and promoted by the drawing up and effective implementation of a written risk assessment policy; and – 16(b) appropriate action is taken to reduce risks that are identified.

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Part 8. Quality of leadership in and management of schools

 34(1) The standard about the quality of leadership and management is met if the proprietor ensures that persons with leadership and management responsibilities at the school– – 34(1)(a) demonstrate good skills and knowledge appropriate to their role so that the independent school standards are met consistently; – 34(1)(b) fulfil their responsibilities effectively so that the independent school standards are met consistently. 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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Part 8. Quality of leadership in and management of schools

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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Part 8. Quality of leadership in and management of schools

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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Part 8. Quality of leadership in and management of schools

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Part 8. Quality of leadership in and management of schools

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Part 8. Quality of leadership in and management of schools

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Part 8. Quality of leadership in and management of schools

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Part 8. Quality of leadership in and management of schools

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

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