Tlg Nottingham

TLG – Nottingham Arnold Road Evangelical Church, Between 518 and 520 Arnold Road, Nottingham, Nottinghamshire NG5 5HN

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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 proprietor’s representatives work closely and effectively with the headteacher. Together they have created a supportive environment in which pupils are motivated to succeed and make good progress.  Staff work very effectively together as a team. They demonstrate shared values of care and ambition for pupils’ success. Pupils respond positively to teachers’ sensitive, constant challenge.  The quality of teaching and learning is good. Senior leaders continuously monitor and improve all aspects of teachers’ work with pupils.  Pupils develop positive attitudes to learning. They understand what it means to be ‘ready to learn’ and how they may overcome their personal barriers to concentration and cooperation.  The school prepares pupils well to take personal responsibility for their behaviour and improves their readiness to return to mainstream schools.  Pupils with previously negative experience of education improve their attendance. No pupils

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

are persistently absent.  The school implements effective arrangements for safeguarding pupils. Staff ensure that pupils are safe at all times and that their personal concerns are addressed sensitively.  The proprietor provides strong support and effective challenge for the headteacher and staff, in all aspects of their work with pupils, parents and external agencies.  The school’s curriculum provides pupils with a wide range of appropriate learning across a variety of subjects. Arrangements for the teaching and assessment of humanities and creative subjects are not as systematic as in English, mathematics and science.  While pupils make good progress in English and mathematics, the quality of their handwriting and presentation of work is more variable.  Staff have a strong understanding of individual pupils’ needs and starting points. They mostly, but not consistently, take account of these in learning tasks and activities.

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

 The proprietor and senior leaders have ensured that all the independent school standards are met.

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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?

 Further develop pupils’ learning in the human and social, and aesthetic and creative areas of experience by: – ensuring that staff more systematically develop pupils’ knowledge, understanding and skills in these areas – recording and evaluating pupils’ progress more rigorously in these areas.  Further improve the quality of pupils’ handwriting and the presentation of their written work.  Maximise pupils’ progress by ensuring that learning tasks and activities take consistent account of: – pupils’ individual learning styles and characteristics – the variety of attention spans of different pupils.

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Effectiveness of leadership and management Good

 The proprietor and headteacher have ensured that all the independent school standards are met.  The headteacher communicates high expectations for pupils’ behaviour and attitudes to work. Pupils are familiar with the idea of being ‘ready to learn’. Staff remind them regularly about the personal qualities required for them to achieve well. Pupils respond positively and are keen to meet their personal targets successfully.  The headteacher ensures that the quality of teaching is consistently good. The staff work extremely effectively as a team. They share responsibility for the planning and teaching of lessons, the development of the curriculum and the accuracy of assessment. All staff take part in daily discussion, and in the analysis of the quality and effectiveness of all aspects of their work.  Relationships between pupils and staff are mutually respectful. Staff show consideration and sensitivity towards the unique characteristics of each pupil. They have a shared

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Effectiveness of leadership and management Good

understanding of how to address the needs of disadvantaged and vulnerable pupils. Pupils rapidly learn to respond positively to the expectations and support of the staff.  Parents and pupils present positive views about the quality of the school’s work. Parents value the school’s attention to the safety and well-being of pupils, and the manner in which the school motivates pupils to improve and succeed.  The curriculum is appropriate to meet the needs of current key stage 3 pupils. There is an effective focus on the teaching of English, mathematics, science and computing. All pupils have access to a range of learning, which focuses on the development of their individual social, emotional and physical needs. The breadth of the curriculum prepares pupils appropriately for reintegration into mainstream schools.  The curriculum provides experiences of humanities and creative subjects. However, these

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Effectiveness of leadership and management Good

are not planned, assessed and recorded as systematically as other subjects.  The curriculum and the Christian ethos of the school combine to contribute effectively to pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development. This includes the promotion of British values, such as democracy and individual liberty. For example, pupils have worked together to agree core values and rules for the school. This work is supplemented by visits from the police community-support team, who reinforce the requirements for a legal system that implements laws in the wider community.  Staff promote equality of opportunity, respect, tolerance and cooperation within the culturally mixed school population. Pupils demonstrate respect for the preferences expressed by others, for example in choices of food and leisure activities.  The successful work of the proprietor, together with that of the recently appointed headteacher and staff, demonstrates strong capacity for continuous improvement.

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Governance

 The headteacher, supported by regular visits from TLG senior managers, maintains effective oversight of teaching, learning and pupils’ progress.  Senior leaders, including TLG senior managers, work effectively together, keeping all aspects of the school’s work under constant review. They have created suitable methods and a common framework for evaluating the quality of teaching and learning.  The proprietor provides a good level of challenge to the headteacher, ensuring that the school focuses on appropriate priorities and gives attention to areas requiring further improvement. The school’s self-evaluation is based on an accurate evaluation of a range of evidence across all aspects of the school’s work. The headteacher monitors appropriate action plans which drive continuous improvement, and reports progress to the proprietor.  TLG senior managers work closely with the headteacher to ensure that suitably qualified

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Governance

and experienced members of staff are appointed. They make sure that regular training equips staff to fulfil their wide-ranging responsibilities towards pupils’ safeguarding, personal development and academic progress.  The proprietor and headteacher ensure that the quality of teaching is consistently good. The headteacher agrees appropriate areas for improvement with each member of staff, and they provide a range of suitable training with a clear focus on teaching and learning.  The proprietor and headteacher have a secure understanding of the extent of progress made by each pupil. They continuously improve methods of assessment and the records of progress by which the success of teaching is evaluated.

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Safeguarding

 The arrangements for safeguarding are effective. The school’s safeguarding policy reflects the latest government guidance and is available to parents and carers on the school website. This policy is continuously reviewed and staff receive regular suitable training to implement any new requirements.  Pupils are confident to discuss their personal concerns and questions with staff. Senior leaders implement effective arrangements to address any risks of abuse experienced by pupils. The headteacher maintains effective regular dialogue with parents, placing schools and external agencies regarding any concern about pupils. The school’s safeguarding records are thorough and comprehensive; they demonstrate the vigilance with which the school fulfils its responsibilities.

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Good

 The headteacher and teaching staff have a good understanding of how pupils learn. They pay attention to each pupil’s academic starting points and plan learning activities that challenge each pupil appropriately. All pupils are expected to achieve well and they are helped to understand how to succeed.  Current pupils are mostly taught in one teaching group. This enables all members of staff to contribute to the teaching, often working with individual pupils, and to help individual pupils to resolve difficulties and uncertainties. This teamwork makes an enormous, positive contribution to pupils’ behaviour and engagement.  Teachers make good use of the available time. Pupils respond well to the regularly asked question, ‘Are you ready to learn?’ They have many opportunities to explore the variety of meanings behind the question, and to develop suitable strategies to improve their responses.  Staff present high expectations of pupils’ behaviour. They are sensitive and patient in

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Good

modelling appropriate communication and helping pupils to improve their attitudes to learning. All staff are successful in creating a successful learning environment in which pupils cooperate and enjoy learning.  Teachers continuously monitor pupils’ learning and progress. They use challenging questions to explore greater depths in pupils’ understanding, and they vary tasks and activities to maintain pupils’ concentration. For example, pupils were encouraged to work creatively and imaginatively when creating animation using appropriate software. Pupils found their own routes through the planned activity and achieved success with the planned outcome.  Staff use an appropriate combination of teachers’ judgements and online tests to assess pupils’ progress. Pupils’ achievement in English and mathematics is regularly assessed, using commercially developed tests which provide an accurate summary of their progress

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Good

from their starting points on entry to the school.  Pupils appreciate the interest that staff demonstrate in their work. They value praise and mostly respond positively to suggestions about how to develop or improve their work. Staff are skilled in working around any initial lack of motivation or cooperation.  Any individual off-task behaviour or lack of commitment is managed by agreed procedures, implemented consistently by all staff. As a result, interruptions to learning are rare and pupils engage well and sustain their concentration. Pupils recognise that any ‘time out’ during lessons will result in a loss of free time later in the day. Staff operate an effective points system during lessons and pupils value the related rewards.  As part of the reward system, pupils have personal targets related to their behaviour and achievement. They understand their targets well and mostly respond positively to advice

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Good

about how to improve their progress towards them.  Staff communicate regularly with parents and provide them with helpful information about pupils’ progress with their learning and personal development.  Staff place an appropriate emphasis on the development of reading and writing skills across all subjects. Pupils respond well and are keen to improve the quality of their knowledge and understanding in their answers. Despite their desire to do well, the quality of their handwriting and presentation does not always match their interest and enthusiasm.  Pupils are keen to take part in discussion and to express their own ideas and understanding, for example when exploring risks in the use of social media and how to ensure personal safety.  All pupils contributed their personal viewpoints and demonstrated the ability to compare different views when reviewing their recent learning about energy drinks. The teacher

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Good

provided them with a helpful structure to organise their writing and enabled them to balance arguments for and against before reaching personal conclusions.  Pupils are provided with good opportunities to research and to develop their work using computers. They manage these activities confidently, although they occasionally require additional advice and guidance about how to present their findings most effectively.  Overall, teaching is well matched to pupils’ learning needs. Occasionally, staff do not maintain sufficient attention to individual pupils’ preferred learning styles or attention spans. As a result, pupils do not always maintain their focus and concentration when activities are too lengthy or lack variety.

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Personal development and welfare

 The school’s work to promote pupils’ personal development and welfare is good. Pupils, on entry to the school, have had negative previous experiences of education. Many have had significant time out of education and find it difficult to respond positively to the daily demands of the classroom.  Pupils develop confidence and faith in themselves. They begin to value their work and their personal achievements. They respond positively to the strong personal support and encouragement provided by the staff.  Pupils learn to listen to and value the ideas of others. They develop the confidence to share their own ideas and to work successfully with both staff and other pupils. They contribute appropriately to discussions on a variety of subjects.  Staff continuously encourage pupils to reflect on their attitudes to learning and to understand how positive attitudes enable them to learn and to experience success. Staff

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Personal development and welfare

are skilled at helping pupils to identify the impact of negative responses on the people they work with, and on the quality of their own work.  Pupils learn about healthy lifestyles, including the impact of healthy diets on their well- being, through both activities in the curriculum and informal discussions at breaks and lunchtimes. For example, they understand the impact of energy drinks on their health and behaviour, and recognise why these are not allowed in school.  Pupils learn to cooperate well with each other and they have no concerns about bullying. All aspects of pupils’ relationships are observed by staff, who intervene appropriately to diffuse any moments of potential friction. Staff supervision levels are high and pupils recognise that they always have access to adults sensitive to their needs.  Pupils are safe in school. They recognise this as do their parents. They have regular opportunities to learn about how to keep themselves safe, including e-safety. They learn

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Personal development and welfare

about risks in the wider community, and staff are quick to intervene if they have any concerns about individual pupils’ well-being.  The school’s Christian ethos ensures a strong emphasis on pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development. Pupils are encouraged to reflect and take responsibility for their own actions. The quality of relationships and the emphasis on taking personal responsibility, help to prepare pupils well for reintegration into mainstream schooling. Pupils are supported well to consider their longer-term aspirations for further education and meaningful careers.

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Behaviour

 The behaviour of pupils is good. All pupils contribute to creating a code of conduct that will help them to recognise the school’s expectations. They recognise the importance of cooperating with the ‘rules’ they have agreed. For some pupils, the journey towards mature cooperation takes time but they are expertly supported and guided by all members of staff.  The headteacher and staff communicate high expectations about pupils’ response and readiness to learn. They teach pupils about the attitudes, behaviours and actions that will enable them to learn successfully and make progress. Pupils quickly develop positive attitudes to learning and enter into activities willingly. They learn how to sustain their concentration and take responsibility for their work.  Pupils who have previously found it difficult to conform to the expected standards of behaviour in school achieve strong improvements in their cooperation and response to

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Behaviour

instructions. This has a positive impact on their learning and progress. Their individual behavioural needs are understood and managed well by staff.  Pupils who have previous records of poor attendance improve their attitudes to school and attend regularly. Overall, individual pupils’ attendance is close to the national average. There are currently no pupils who are persistently absent.  There is an orderly atmosphere in the classroom and around the school at breaks and lunchtimes. Pupils follow requests from staff and make good use of their time. They take responsibility for the management of equipment and resources during their leisure time. These are sociable and productive times during the school day.

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Outcomes for pupils Good

 The attainment of pupils on entry to the school is mostly below the average for their age. This results from time out of education, often as a result of exclusions from previous settings, or from social and emotional difficulties which have disrupted their ability to work productively in school. Pupils have gaps in their learning skills and have mostly made below-average progress with their literacy and numeracy skills.  Staff quickly gain an accurate understanding of individual pupils’ starting points, using a combination of assessment information from placing schools and baseline assessment on entry to TLG. Pupils begin to close gaps in their learning as they develop positive attitudes to learning.  The good quality of teaching, including an emphasis on basic skills, contributes to pupils’ good progress in comprehension, analysis and reaching conclusions. Pupils develop good skills of reasoning through regular, challenging opportunities to discuss and debate.

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Outcomes for pupils Good

 Pupils make good progress in the use of computers, organising and presenting their work in a variety of styles. However, their handwriting and the presentation of written work are not as consistently strong.  Pupils make good progress in English, mathematics and science. They are challenged to work towards standards appropriate to their age and they begin to close gaps in their previous learning. Pupils mostly enjoy reading and respond positively to staff encouragement to read for pleasure.  Pupils’ work in English, mathematics and information technology is systematically assessed and suitable records are maintained of their progress over time. The assessment arrangements in English and mathematics, in particular, provide information about pupils’ progress compared to the national average. The quality of assessment and record- keeping enables the headteacher to make secure judgements about pupils’ good progress

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Outcomes for pupils Good

in these areas of learning.  Pupils’ progress in additional subjects, such as science, personal and social education, the humanities and creative areas of learning, is assessed, in part, through the use of a nationally accredited award scheme. The school’s current results from the external accreditation of these awards are currently awaited.  In addition, staff assess pupils’ progress in these areas using agreed marking schemes based on the content of the school’s curriculum. Staff use their assessment information to plan future work. However, pupils’ progress in these curriculum areas is not analysed and evaluated as systematically as in English and mathematics.  Disadvantaged pupils and those who have special educational needs (SEN) and/or disabilities make good progress in English and mathematics. The personalised curriculum, together with intensive support for individuals, ensures that these pupils develop

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Outcomes for pupils Good

confidence and appropriate skills in identified areas of weakness.  Pupils make above-average progress from relatively low starting points across a range of subjects, including English and mathematics. Pupils mostly exceed their progress targets as a result of good teaching and effective attention to their individual learning needs.  Pupils are equipped with appropriate learning skills and attitudes to develop their learning further across a range of subjects. They develop attitudes and values that contribute strongly to their preparation for reintegration into mainstream settings.

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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 Independent special school

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School details

Date of previous inspection 4–6 June 2014

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Information about this school

 TLG Nottingham is operated by TLG – The Education Charity. The school opened in September 2011 and was previously inspected by Ofsted in June 2014.  The school moved to its present location in Bestwood, Nottingham, on 9 January 2017, having previously been located in Lenton in the City of Nottingham.  The school is housed in a church hall, which has been refurbished to accommodate the school.  The school provides education for up to 12 boys and girls aged between 11 and 16 years who have social, emotional and mental health difficulties.  At present there are eight key stage 3 pupils on the school roll, all dual registered with their placing schools. They are placed at TLG with a view to reintegration back into mainstream schools, typically, in less than a full school year.  None of the pupils currently on roll has an education, health and care plan.  The school does not use the services of any alternative providers to contribute to the

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Information about this school

curriculum.  The school, which has a Christian ethos, aims ‘to offer pupils ways of progressing and achieving that are unique to each individual, within relationships that provide intensive and meaningful support’.

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Information about this inspection

 The inspector observed teaching and learning in a variety of subjects across the age range of the school. He scrutinised samples of pupils’ work in a variety of subjects, including English, mathematics and personal, social and health education.  The inspector held discussions with the proprietor’s representatives and with the headteacher. He discussed all aspects of the school’s leadership and management, including the implementation of school policies.  The inspector held discussions with teaching staff and pupils. He held telephone conversations with representatives of one local authority and one local school that places pupils at this school.  The inspector took account of the views of parents and pupils, submitted through recent school questionnaires. There were insufficient responses to Ofsted’s online questionnaire, Parent View, for these to be considered. He also considered responses to an inspection

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Information about this inspection

questionnaire completed by four members of staff.  The inspector scrutinised a number of school policies, procedures and records in order to check the school’s compliance with the independent school standards.

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Inspection team

David Young, 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

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

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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