Oasis School

Oasis School Independent school progress monitoring inspection report

p.1

DfE registration number 881/6057 Unique Reference Number (URN) 135514 URN for social care SC060001 Inspection number 364507 Inspection dates 4 November 2010 Reporting inspector Fatiha Maitland Social care inspector Joanna Hellar 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 Support Service (Cafcass), schools, colleges, initial teacher training, work-based learning and skills training, adult and community learning, and education and training in prisons and other secure establishments. It assesses council children’s services, and inspects services for looked after children, safeguarding and child protection. 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.1

You may copy all or parts of this document for non-commercial educational purposes, as long as you give details of the source and date of publication and do not alter the information in any way. To receive regular email alerts about new publications, including survey reports and school inspection reports, please visit our website and go to ‘Subscribe’. Royal Exchange Buildings St Ann’s Square Manchester M2 7LA

p.2

T: 0300 123 1231 Textphone: 0161 618 8524 E: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk W: www.ofsted.gov.uk No. 090137 Independent school progress monitoring inspection report

p.2

Purpose and scope of the inspection

This inspection was carried out by Ofsted under Section 162A of the Education Act 2002, as amended by schedule 8 of the Education Act 2005.

p.3

Purpose and scope of the inspection

The inspection was conducted at the request of the Registration Authority for independent schools in order to monitor the progress the school has made in implementing its action plan following the previous inspection.

p.3

Information about the school

Oasis School, owned by Oasis Young People’s Care Services UK, is a children’s home providing education, initially registered for up to 10 students with behavioural, social and emotional difficulties. The school opened in September 2008 and is registered for students aged from 10 to 16 years old. There are currently no students on roll. The school’s first inspection was in April 2009 and a separate inspection of one of the two children’s homes took place at the same time. A full-time lead teacher commenced at the school when it opened but left in October 2008. Since then other staff have been in post but currently no teaching staff are employed. The school is taking urgent steps to address this.

p.3

Information about the school

There have been some managerial and organisational changes. The school has applied for a variation in its registration details to reduce the number of students as additional premises formerly in use are no longer available. The children's home and school have only been registered for three young people since February 2010.

p.3

Information about the school

The school aims ‘to provide an alternative and interim educational program and support young people to return to more mainstream education provisions while meeting their emotional and behavioural needs in a therapeutic children's home. Those who are unable to secure or manage education outside Oasis are provided with an education and opportunities to reach their potential’.

p.3

Context of the inspection

The school had its first inspection in April 2009, which included the inspection of one of the children’s homes. At this inspection the quality of education was inadequate. The curriculum was not sufficiently planned and teaching and assessment were inadequate. There was too little planned within the curriculum to support students’ personal development and wellbeing, and their spiritual, moral, social and cultural development was inadequate. Provision for welfare, health and safety was satisfactory. The school submitted a letter in lieu of an action plan and a revised curriculum policy, which were evaluated in October 2009 and were deemed to be inadequate. The school received a progress monitoring visit in March 2010. The visit found that the school had not made sufficient progress in remedying its weaknesses. Independent school progress monitoring inspection report There are currently three young people in the children’s home that are attending

p.3

Context of the inspection

education outside the home. The inspection of the home and this progress monitoring visit to the school took place at the same time.

p.4

Context of the inspection

At present, there are no pupils on roll and no lead staff in the school. The school has employed an individual who will begin in January 2011. This is the second visit to the school to follow up its progress.

p.4

action plan

The previous progress monitoring visit in March 2010 found that the school’s curriculum policy did not ensure that all the required areas of learning were effectively taught. There were particular weaknesses in the areas of technology and creative and aesthetic subjects. The students’ speaking, listening and literacy skills were not sufficiently promoted. The requirements of students’ statements of special educational needs were not met. There was insufficient emphasis on planning to provide personal, social and health education. Overall, the curriculum did not provide the opportunity for all students to learn and make progress.

p.4

action plan

The school has since devised suitable schemes of work for a sufficient range of subjects, including information and communication technology (ICT), creative and aesthetic subjects and programmes of study to promote speaking and listening. However, these were not fully implemented when the school was operating and had a student on roll. The curriculum is not currently supported by appropriate teaching plans and schemes for day-to-day assessment to inform future planning of what is taught. There is insufficient planning to develop students’ speaking, listening and literacy skills. The school has prepared an appropriate scheme of work to promote the students’ personal, social and health education, which has been partly implemented by the residential care staff as an aspect of their role to provide the students with opportunities to prepare for the responsibilities and experiences of adult life. However, the school does not have detailed planning for the subject or an

p.4

action plan

assessment system to evaluate the impact it has on the students’ personal development and well being. The curriculum has yet to enable all students to learn and make the best possible progress in their learning and to ensure, where a student has a statement of special educational needs, that the education provided fulfils its requirements.

p.4

action plan

The last progress monitoring visit found a number of weaknesses in teaching. As a result the school did not enable the students to acquire new knowledge and make progress according to their ability. It failed to encourage students to apply intellectual, physical or creative effort, to show interest in their work and to think and learn for themselves. Teachers did not show a good understanding of the aptitudes, needs and prior attainments of the students so that they could take these into account in the planning of lessons. Teachers did not have sufficient knowledge and Independent school progress monitoring inspection report understanding of the subject matter taught. There was no suitable framework in place to assess students' work and to evaluate their performance.

p.4

action plan

As no students were on roll, classroom teaching could not be observed during the present visit. There are still major weaknesses in teaching with respect to planning and in assessment. The lack of long- and medium-term plans, the absence of an effective assessment framework and difficulty in recruiting a lead teacher leave staff without the guidance they need to plan effectively. Consequently, the planning for teaching is not providing appropriate opportunities to meet the differing learning needs of individuals and to enable all students to learn effectively. The school does not have staff with the appropriate subject knowledge.

p.5

action plan

The earlier visit found weaknesses in the provision for students’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development. The school did not plan to enable them to develop their self-knowledge, self-esteem and self-confidence. It did not encourage them to accept responsibility for their behaviour or understand how they could contribute to community life. Students were not provided with a broad general knowledge of public institutions and services in England and the school did not assist students sufficiently to acquire an appreciation of, and respect for, their own and other cultures.

p.5

action plan

The school has written broad outline policies to address these shortfalls. The residential staff create a nurturing learning environment to support the students’ self- confidence and self-esteem. There are some examples of planned visits to places of interest, which provide opportunities for students to develop their personal development and survival skills and meet other people who are different from themselves. However, the school’s schemes of work to support personal development are not adequate in detail to guide incoming teaching staff in their planning to meet the needs of students with significant social and behavioural difficulties.

p.5

action plan

The care provision was judged to be satisfactory. However, not all national minimum standards were met.

p.5

Compliance with regulatory requirements

As a result of this inspection, the school must take action to meet The Education (Independent School Standards) (England) Regulations 2010 1 (‘the Regulations’), as follows:

p.5

Compliance with regulatory requirements

 provide a curriculum policy set out in writing and supported by appropriate plans and schemes of work, and ensure these are implemented effectively (paragraph 2(1))

p.5

Compliance with regulatory requirements

1 www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2010/1997/contents/made Independent school progress monitoring inspection report  ensure that all areas of learning are fully taught, especially technology and that students have experience in the aesthetic and creative areas of learning (paragraph 2(2)(a))

p.5

Compliance with regulatory requirements

 ensure that the subject matter is appropriate for the ages and aptitudes of students, including those students with a statement of special educational needs (paragraph 2(2)(b))

p.6

Compliance with regulatory requirements

 produce a policy and programmes that ensure that students are able to acquire skills in speaking, listening and literacy (paragraph 2(2)(c))

p.6

Compliance with regulatory requirements

 where a student has a statement of special educational needs, ensure that the education provided fulfils its requirements (paragraph 2(2)(e))

p.6

Compliance with regulatory requirements

 ensure that there is sufficient emphasis on, and planning for, personal, social and health education (paragraph 2(2)(f))

p.6

Compliance with regulatory requirements

 provide the opportunity for all students to learn and make progress (paragraph 2(2)(i))

p.6

Compliance with regulatory requirements

 ensure the teaching enables students to acquire new skills and make progress according to their ability, so that they increase their understanding and develop their skills in the subjects taught (paragraph 3(a))

p.6

Compliance with regulatory requirements

 improve the teaching so that it encourages students to apply intellectual, physical or creative effort, to show interest in their work and to think and learn for themselves (paragraph 3(b))

p.6

Compliance with regulatory requirements

 ensure that teachers show a good understanding of the aptitudes, needs and prior attainments of the students, and that these are taken into account in the planning of lessons (paragraph 3(d))

p.6

Compliance with regulatory requirements

 increase teachers’ knowledge and understanding of the subject matter taught (paragraph 3(e))

p.6

Compliance with regulatory requirements

 put a framework in place to assess students' work regularly and thoroughly and use information from such assessment to plan teaching so that students can make progress (paragraph 3(g))

p.6

Compliance with regulatory requirements

 provide a framework by which student performance can be evaluated by reference to either the school's own aims, as provided to parents and/or by national norms (paragraph (4))

p.6

Compliance with regulatory requirements

 ensure that the school enables students to develop their self-knowledge, self-esteem and self-confidence (paragraph 5(a))

p.6

Compliance with regulatory requirements

 encourage students to accept responsibility for their behaviour, show initiative and understand how they can contribute to community life (paragraph 5(c)) Independent school progress monitoring inspection report  provide students with a broad general knowledge of public institutions and services in England (paragraph 5(d))

p.6

Compliance with regulatory requirements

 improve the way the school assists students to acquire an appreciation of, and respect for, their own and other cultures, in a way that promotes tolerance and harmony between different cultural traditions (paragraph 5(e)).

p.7

School details

Type of school Special school and children’s home for pupils with behavioural, emotional and social diffuclties

p.7

School details

Number on roll (full-time pupils) Boys: 0 Girls: 0 Total: 0

p.7

School details

Number on roll (part-time pupils) Boys: 0 Girls: 0 Total: 0

p.7

School details

Number of boarders Boys: 0 Girls: 0 Total: 0

p.7

School details

Number of pupils with a statement of special educational needs Boys: 0 Girls: 0 Total: 0

p.7