Sacrewell Lodge School

Sacrewell Lodge School The Great North Road, Thornhaugh, Peterborough, Cambridgeshire PE8 6HJ

p.1

Inspection dates 30 January–1 February 2018

p.1

Overall effectiveness Requires improvement

p.1

Effectiveness of leadership and management Requires improvement

p.1

Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Requires improvement

p.1

Personal development, behaviour and welfare Requires improvement

p.1

Outcomes for pupils Requires improvement

p.1

Overall effectiveness at previous inspection Inadequate

p.1

Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

This is a school that requires improvement

p.1

Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

 The proprietors are not ensuring that the independent school standards are met.  The headteacher’s high expectations for behaviour and attendance in school are not supported effectively enough by the proprietors.  The proprietors are not promoting some aspects of pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development well enough, which is linked to pupils refusing to attend school.  Attitudes of pupils to learning are not good. Too often, pupils do not attend school.  There are no systems in place to track the progress of pupils who learn at home when they are not attending school.  The headteacher has not yet ensured that the school development plan accurately reflects self-evaluation and promotes school improvements effectively.

p.1

Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

 The head of education is providing effective support for the new headteacher through regular visits to the school. As a result, teaching and the curriculum are improving.  At times, the range of curriculum opportunities, together with positive relationships with the headteacher, have successfully helped pupils to improve their attendance.

p.1

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.

p.1

What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Strengthen leadership and management by making sure that: – all of the independent school standards are met – the proprietors implement effective procedures, including the multi-agency plan recently agreed by all staff, to promote good attendance – the headteacher completes and implements the school development plan effectively.  Improve learning and progress by making sure that pupils’ progress is tracked and recorded rigorously over time, and that weaknesses are addressed effectively.

p.2

The school must meet the following independent school standards

 The proprietor must ensure that teaching at the school: – 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 – fosters in pupils self-motivation, the application of intellectual, physical and creative effort, interest in their work and the ability to think and learn for themselves (paragraph 3, 3(a), 3(b)).  The proprietor must ensure that pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is met by actively promoting principles which enable pupils to distinguish right from wrong and to respect the civil and criminal law of England (paragraph 5, 5(b), 5(b)(ii)).  The proprietor must 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

p.2

The school must meet the following independent school standards

– fulfil their responsibilities effectively so that the independent school standards are met consistently (paragraph 34(1), 34(1)(a), 34(1)(b)).

p.2

Effectiveness of leadership and management Requires improvement

 The head of education and the new headteacher have assured an improvement in the school’s overall effectiveness since the previous inspection, with a significant reduction in the number of unmet independent school standards. Nevertheless, the proprietors have failed to ensure that some of the standards are met relating to the progress pupils are making, pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development and, consequently, leadership and management.  The proprietors have ensured that most of the areas identified for improvement at the previous inspection are met. The school now has a suitably trained and experienced headteacher. The proprietors have appointed a head of education who visits the school regularly to support and review the effectiveness of the work of the school and its adherence to the independent school standards.  The head of education is monitoring the performance of the headteacher and has

p.3

Effectiveness of leadership and management Requires improvement

overseen the accurate evaluation of all aspects of the school’s work. However, school improvement planning is at an early stage of development and has yet to be completed.  The proprietors have ensured that the school works within its registered age range.  Leaders have an accurate view of the impact of teaching on pupils’ learning through the rigorous daily review of pupils’ work in their books. They use this information to form a realistic view of pupils’ progress over time and the barriers which are preventing good progress. They know that pupils’ refusal to attend school has limited the amount of progress pupils are making and have tried to work closely with others to promote better attendance.  The headteacher provides work for pupils to complete when they refuse to attend and checks regularly whether the work is completed. However, there is no system in place to track and promote gains in knowledge, skills and understanding effectively for those

p.3

Effectiveness of leadership and management Requires improvement

pupils who do their work at home.  There are effective systems in place to track the progress of pupils while in attendance at school, especially towards their examination courses. The headteacher provides parents and carers, and the local authority virtual headteachers, with regular reports about the progress pupils are making.  The headteacher has ensured that the curriculum is highly relevant to each pupil’s needs and uses the information from initial assessments on entry to personalise the curriculum. Each pupil’s individual learning programme is based on their interests, aptitudes and abilities and ensures that each pupil is able to benefit from accreditation in each of their chosen areas.  Pupils have opportunities to gain the functional skills award in literacy and numeracy together with a variety of vocational awards in cookery, woodwork, hair and beauty, and nail care.  The headteacher uses local alternative providers, such as ACE in Peterborough, to

p.3

Effectiveness of leadership and management Requires improvement

enhance learning opportunities for the pupils. There are many opportunities for enrichment, including visits to museums, trips to local places of interest and visits to local leisure centres.  The headteacher is ensuring that there are good opportunities for preparing pupils for transition from school to work.  There are several well-conceived topics in place to promote pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development, such as a series of activities on Remembrance Day, topics on bullying and the safe use of the internet.  Local authority officers and headteachers from the virtual schools are generally pleased with the school’s provision for improving learning and progress.

p.4

Governance

 The proprietors have not ensured that all of the independent school standards are met. There is no effective system or procedure in place to ensure that pupils who refuse to attend school make good progress.  The head of education monitors the school’s work through monthly visits and provides written reports on the outcomes and identifying clear actions for improvement. These have been effective in improving the quality of teaching and the curriculum and in ensuring safeguarding is effective. However, they have had little impact on improving the attendance of pupils who refuse to attend school.  The school meets the requirements of the Equality Act 2010 in developing and implementing its plan to improve access for those who have disabilities.  The proprietors are ensuring that parents and others receive up-to-date information about the school’s policies, including those for safeguarding pupils. Policies are made available

p.4

Safeguarding

 The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.  Leaders are implementing the safeguarding policy and procedure effectively.  The headteacher has very recently initiated a multi-agency plan to promote pupils’ attendance, although this has yet to be implemented consistently.  Leaders are ensuring that all training for protecting pupils is up to date.  Leaders are carrying out all the necessary checks for staff and visitors to the school, including supply staff, and ensuring the checks are properly recorded on the single central register.  Pupils are closely supervised at all times, especially when attending alternative provision, where regular checks are made on their behaviour, attendance and safety.  Leaders carry out regular risk assessments, including those for fire safety, and checks on all aspects of health and safety in school and when pupils participate in educational visits.

p.4

Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Requires improvement

 Pupils’ work over time and the school’s information about the progress they are making shows that pupils are not learning effectively enough to make good progress from their starting points.  There are clear gaps in learning because the strategies to promote good attendance are not effective enough. The proprietors have yet to ensure a consistent climate between home and school to promote good learning and personal development.  Pupils’ work shows that expectations for learning are usually high when they attend school and pupils are given good support to know how well they are doing and what they need to do to improve, in line with the school’s policy.  Assessments are used well to ensure that pupils are provided with tasks that they can do and which challenge their thinking.  Teachers are using assessment information well to plan sequences of interesting lessons to enable pupils to make good progress across a wide range of subjects when they do

p.5

Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Requires improvement

attend.  The basic skills of literacy and numeracy are well taught. This was seen in a well- presented Remembrance Day display where pupils made poppies out of tissue paper and lollipop sticks, using key words such as ‘battlefield’ and ‘cenotaph’ in their writing. In this way they deepened their understanding of the huge numbers of soldiers killed in the Great War.  Teachers ensure that numeracy is promoted across a range of subjects such as cookery and woodwork.

p.5

Personal development and welfare

 The school’s work to promote pupils’ personal development and welfare requires improvement.  The proprietors are not ensuring that pupils are making enough progress in their spiritual, moral, social and cultural development, so they develop their appreciation of right from wrong.  Pupils do not take full advantage of good opportunities for their personal development, such as learning about the dangers of substance abuse and the dangers of misuse of social media sites.  When pupils attend the school and during educational trips, staff maintain high levels of supervision throughout the day to ensure pupils’ safety.  Parents recognise that pupils are safe when they attend school.

p.5

Behaviour

 The behaviour of pupils requires improvement.  Pupils are not showing an understanding of the importance of regular attendance and good behaviour for their learning and progress. Despite some steady progress in their personal development, they have chosen not to attend school since the beginning of this spring term.  The school’s records of absence from school show some poor attitudes and disruption to learning.  There is too little improvement in pupils’ attitudes to school over time.

p.5

Outcomes for pupils Requires improvement

 Pupils arrive at the school with low levels of attainment, often linked to previous experiences of lengthy periods of non-attendance in school and disruption to their education.  The school’s information about pupils’ progress, together with the work in their books, show that their progress over time is not yet good.  Pupils do not take sufficient or consistent advantage of the well-conceived individual programmes on offer to enable them to make rapid and secure gains in knowledge, skills and understanding. This has limited their progress in a wide range of subjects including personal, social, health and economic education.  Pupils were making steady progress in all their subjects during the autumn term. For example, they achieved an accredited award in nail care.  Their work over time shows that pupils are improving their writing steadily. Pupils have moved from writing single words and phrases on entry to writing extended pieces of work

p.6

Outcomes for pupils Requires improvement

laid out in paragraphs using rich vocabulary.  Pupils are not taking full advantage of the high-quality independent careers guidance provided by the school nor of their chosen work-experience opportunities provided by the headteacher. This has limited pupils’ preparation for leaving the school.

p.6

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.

p.7

School details

Type of school Other independent special school

p.7

School details

Proprietor Caretech Community Services Ltd

p.7

School details

Email address Sacrewelllodgeschool@greenfields.uk.com

p.7

School details

Date of previous inspection 11–12 December 2013

p.7

Information about this school

 Sacrewell Lodge School is a small special school that provides education for boys and girls aged between eight and 16 years.  The school was registered in October 2010 and the first pupils were admitted in January 2012.  Pupils placed at the school have social, emotional and mental health needs.  All pupils have an education, health and care plan for their individual needs.  Last term, the school used a local alternative provider, ACE in Peterborough, to extend its curriculum.  At its previous inspection, the school was judged inadequate in all aspects of its work and 37 parts of the independent school standards were not met.  The Department for Education (DfE) issued a Notice to the school on 9 January 2014.  The school submitted an action plan to the DfE in March 2014 and this was rejected.  The first progress monitoring inspection took place on 24 September 2014 and 10 parts of the independent school standards inspected at that time remained unmet.

p.7

Information about this school

 The second monitoring inspection took place on 14 January 2015 and two of the independent school standards inspected at that time remained unmet.  The school submitted a second action plan to the DfE in May 2015 and this was accepted.  The new headteacher took up post from October 2017, following the resignation of the previous headteacher. In 2015, the proprietors appointed a new head of education to oversee and support all aspects of education provision within their schools.

p.8

Information about this inspection

 The inspector looked at pupils’ work and the school’s information about the progress pupils are making over time.  The inspector held meetings with the headteacher, and the head of education who represented the proprietors.  There were no responses to Ofsted’s online questionnaire, Parent View. The inspector took account of electronic mail received from pupils’ placement authorities and the headteachers of the virtual schools, and received reports from carers to seek their views.  It was not possible to speak with pupils because they refused to do so.  The inspector looked at the school premises and accommodation and scrutinised a range of documents. The documents scrutinised included: the school’s self-evaluation and development plan; records of attendance and behaviour; the school’s policies for safeguarding pupils, risk assessments, records of training in safeguarding pupils, vetting procedures for staff and visitors, the curriculum policy and schemes of work.

p.9

Inspection team

Declan McCarthy, 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 .

p.9

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.

p.10

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 .

p.10

Inspection team

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.

p.10

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 .

p.10

Inspection team

You may reuse this information (not including logos) free of charge in any format or medium, under the terms of the Open Government Licence. To view this licence, visit www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open- government-licence/ , write to the Information Policy Team, The National Archives, Kew, London TW9 4DU, or email: psi@nationalarchives.gsi.gov.uk .

p.10

Inspection team

Interested in our work? You can subscribe to our monthly newsletter for more information and updates: http://eepurl.com/iTrDn .

p.10

Inspection team

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

p.10